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welcome to everyone for our call to worship you can turn in your Bibles to Psalms 61 mm-hmm Psalm 61 Psalm 61 I'll begin reading in verse 1 to the chief musician on a stringed instrument a psalm of David hear my cry O God attend to my prayer from the end of the earth I will cry to you when my heart is overwhelmed lead me to the rock that is higher than I for you have been a shelter for me a strong tower from the enemy I will abide in your tabernacle forever I will trust in the shelter of your of your wings say law for you O God have heard my vows you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name you will prolong the King's life his years as many generations he shall abide before God forever Oh prepare mercy and truth which may preserve him so I will sing praise to your name forever that I'm a daily perform my vows amen well please turn in your Trinity hymnal to him number 230 hymn number 2 3-0 will stand as we sing together [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] well let us go to our God in prayer father we thank you for this opportunity to gather together on this Sunday evening we come before you acknowledging your glory and majesty acknowledging a scripture defines or declares that you are God Most High that you are the great I am the one who is worthy to be praised and worshiped and glorified the God who made us the God who governs us and the God who has in grace and mercy redeemed us from our sins we give all praise to you tonight we pray that as our singing goes forth you would receive it you would be enthroned upon the praises of your people here as well God as we look to Holy Scripture we would ask that you would grant us ears to hear and hearts to receive your word and as we pray to You Lord God may this in the first place be an act of worship may it Express that dependence upon you that is necessary for the redeemed believer and Lord God we pray that in all these things you would be praised we ask that you would look with favor upon this congregation we ask that you would bless and strengthen each one here cause us all to grow in the Grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and do strengthen us for battle in this lower world we have the the the devil himself we have an unbelieving world we have our own remaining corruption certainly these are three powerful enemies but we know that greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world and in this we greatly rejoice we pray that you would preserve us by your mercy and truth that you would cause us Lord God to daily rejoice in your many blessings to us both spiritual and temporal we know that you have blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ and as the psalmist says elsewhere you load us daily with benefits we thank you for your temporal provision to us Jesus taught us to pray that you would give us each day our daily bread and we have seen you to be faithful that God who is good God who continually sustains his servants we ask tonight she would forgive us for all of our sins and our transgressions against you God we long for that eternal state we long for that day when we saw shall see Jesus as he is when there will be no more sin and no more sorrow and no more pain and suffering and no more death our God we know that time is not now and so we struggle Lord we confess our our transgression we confess our lack of conformity to your law we ask that you would cleanse us in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ we reflect often and and express thankfulness for those texts that promise us forgiveness from a gracious and a good God you are faithful and you are just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness we pray that we would not only know this experientially day by day but we pray that many many more people would come to know this that the forgiveness of sins is to be had in and through the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ and not only forgiveness but the the granting the giving freely of a righteousness that avails with the holy god we pray this gospel would be preached here elsewhere in our city throughout this nation into the uttermost parts of the earth and we pray that a great multitude would come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior we ask that you would bless your churches in this community with your peace and your presence we thank you for the fact that there are several here that are seeking to be faithful we pray for your richest blessings to be upon them we know Lord God it's difficult to maintain unity and the bond of peace and it's difficult to seek by grace to do the things that you call us to so we pray that you would give give those things necessary to all of your churches that they may go forward in the fear of God and in the the desire the comfort of the Holy Spirit we also pray for your blessing upon the governing authorities the Apostle is clear and the letter to the exiles and Jeremiah the Prophet is clear that we are to pray for the Peace of the city in which we dwell were to pray for kings and all who are in authority so that we may lead peaceable and quiet lives and our Father we thank you for the liberties that we do enjoy we that those things would be protected that we would not take them for granted but God that these things would indeed enable us to freely worship to express our convictions concerning scripture and to be a faithful people in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation give us boldness give us faithfulness to hold forth your word of truth as we we live our lives in this world we also pray for the persecuted Church we know there are a great multitude that do not enjoy the liberties that we we have so we pray for those in in nations that are steeped in false religion nations that are antagonistic to the truth of God's Holy Word we pray for our brothers and our sisters that are suffering presently for the cause of God and truth we commit them to you and pray that you would sustain them on a on a daily basis we pray that they would not lose heart in the midst of such things the day by the Spirit would be enabled to speak the truth of God to those who would persecute them and Lord send forth your glorious word we know there are a multitude a nation steeped in false religion we pray for those lands where miss LOM is prevalent we pray for the true preaching of Jesus Christ we know that on a certain level they pay lip service to Christ calling him a prophet they certainly don't see him as the prophet the priest the King the very son of God God the the incarnate we pray that you would be gracious to send forth your gospel in those nations and cause them to turn from their useless idols to the true and to the Living God we also pray our Father that you would look with favor upon each and every one in this church in terms of the spiritual and physical needs and physical conditions we thank you that you do sustain us we know there are several among us struggling and battling with various maladies we just commit them to you into the word of your grace praying for their peace praying for their blessing praying that you would in fact preserve them on a day-by-day basis continue with us now we pray and we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord man well you can turn with me again in your Trinity hymnals to him number 19 him number 19 will stand as we sing together [Music] [Music] you can turn to the Prophet Nahum in the minor prophets in the Old Testament reading through the Old Testament in our evening worship right after the prophet Micah the scope of the prophecy is found in chapter 1 verse 1 the burden against Nineveh the fall of Nineveh occurred in 612 BC capital city of the Empire the Assyrian Empire certainly they had been antagonistic to the nation of Israel specifically the southern kingdom and so Nahum is prophesying concerning their downfall beginning in chapter 2 at verse 1 he who scatters has come up before your face man the fort watched the road strengthen your flanks fortify your power mightily for the Lord will restore the excellence of Jacob like the excellence of Israel for the empty errs have emptied them out and ruined their vine branches the shields of his mighty men are made red the valiant men are in scarlet the chariots come with flaming torches in the day of his preparation and the spears are brandished the chariots rage in the streets they jostle one another in the broad roads they seem like torches they run like lightning he remembers his Nobles they stumble in their walk they make haste to her walls and the defense is prepared the gates of the rivers are opened and the palace is dissolved it is decreed she shall be led away captive she shall be brought up and her maid servants shall leader as with the voice of doves beating their breasts though Nineveh of old was like a pool of water now they flee away halt halt they cry but no one turns back take spoil of silver takes spoil of gold there is no end of treasure or wealth of every desirable prize she is empty desolate and waste the heart melts and the knees shake much pain is in every side and all their faces are drained of color where is the dwelling of the Lions in the fading place of the young lions where the lion walked the lioness and lions cub and no one made them afraid the lion tore and pieces enough for his cubs killed for his lionesses fill this caves with prey and his dens with flesh behold I am against you says the Lord of hosts I will burn your chariots in smoke and the sword shall devour your young lions I will cut off your prey from the earth and the voice of your messengers shall be heard no more amen will let us pray our Father we see your judgment your righteousness extended to this nation of old we see it as well extended to Israel when they send against you and did not keep covenant god we know that you are just you adjust your righteous and in your judgments and we know father you're not arbitrary or capricious we know Lord God that all nations all individuals will be held to that same standard God we pray that you would hide us safely into the arms of Christ that we would know that precious blood that covers us from our sins that we would know that righteousness that he alone gives and Lord God may it not be the case on that day of judgment that you would be against us rather you would welcome us in because of the doing and the dying and the rising of our Lord Jesus Christ and we pray in his most blessed name amen well for our final hymn you can turn again in your Trinity hymnal to 492 492 we'll stand and sing together [Music] [Music] we can turn in your Bibles to proverbs chapter 6 proverbs chapter 6 we're looking at themes from the book of Proverbs and tonight we're gonna look at diligence I want to read proverbs 6:6 2:11 and then we'll look at proverbs 26 13 to 16 the beginning in proverbs 6 at verse 6 go to the ant you sluggard consider her ways and be wise which having no captain overseer or ruler provides her supplies in the summer and gathers her food in the harvest how long will you slumber o sluggard when will you rise from your sleep a little sleep a little slumber a little folding of the hands to sleep so shall your poverty come on you like a prowler and your need like an armed man and then in proverbs 26 verses 13 to 16 proverbs 26 13 the lazy man says there is a lion in the road a fierce lion is in the streets as the door turns on its hinges so does the lazy man on his bed the lazy man buries his hand in the bowl it worries him to bring it back to his mouth the lazy man is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly amen will let us pray and then we'll look in detail at this theme of diligence father thank you for the Proverbs thank you for these this guide to practical wisdom we know ultimately we need the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit to internalize these things grant us his presence now grant us grace Lord God to receive with joyful arts the written word of the Living God may we make much of your word not only in our church but in our daily lives and as families we know that your word is truth and we pray that you would sanctify us by it again forgive us now for our sins our transgressions and help us to bring glory and praise and honor to you in all that we do think and say and we ask this through Christ Jesus our Lord men well the proverbs has much to say concerning this idea of diligence there are three extended sections on diligence we've read two of them chapter 6 verses 6 to 11 and then chapter 24 verses 3234 and then chapter 26 verses 13 to 16 and then there are several other sort of isolated sayings that speak to this particular theme of diligence as well I would argue that the concept is rooted in the eighth commandment the eighth commandment obviously tells us you shall not steal the Westminster larger catechism commenting on what is required and what is forbidden in terms of what is forbidden with reference to the eighth eighth commandment it says unlawful callings and all other unjust or sinful ways of taking or withholding from our neighbor what belongs to him and the eighth commandment again according to the larger catechism 142 requires a lawful calling and diligence in it as well the fourth commandment speaks to this issue of diligence now the command specifically with reference to the fourth commandment is to remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy and then it's assumed it's presupposed it's it's already known that for six days you shall labor and do all your work Thomas Watson comments on the fourth commandment in his book the Ten Commandments he says God would not have any live out of a calling religion gives no warrant for idleness it is a duty to labor six days as well as keep a holy rest on the seventh day so we see that what drives Solomon's concern with reference to diligence well it's the Decalogue it's the law of God and we are to image God remember that Jesus said my father has been working even until now we look at the life and the Ministry of our Lord Jesus and certainly we could describe it as a life of diligence hard work faithfulness integrity all those things combined argue for us to do likewise well I want to look at these two passages that I read and as I said will allude to some others along the way but note first the diligence of the ant in chapter 6 verses 6 to 11 we see the diligence of the ant stated in verses 6 to 8 and then the condemnation of the sluggard in verses 9 to 11 now note verse 6 go to the ant you sluggard there's three particular verbs here you to go to go to the ant you're to consider the ways and you aren't to be wise now this is consistent with what we know about Solomon in first Kings chapter four it's sort of celebrating the wisdom of Solomon and it tells us there that he was very familiar with the natural sciences he was a student not only of God in terms of divine things and and redemptive things but he was also a student of God in terms of natural revelation or general revelation or the created order he knew things about botany he knew things about animals he knew things about creeping things so it ought not to surprise us that Solomon tells us or tells the sluggard to go to the ant and learn something concerning your own life as well the greater than Solomon used creation also remember in Matthew 6 when Jesus is cautioning his disciples against a carnal anxiety he points them to the birds of the air he points them to the lilies of the field later on in chapter 10 he points them again to the sparrow so the Lord Jesus Christ like Solomon uses things within creation to illustrate things that the people of God need to hear and need to understand so the sluggard is told to go to the ant the sluggard as well is called or told rather to consider her ways Walt he says in both 30:25 chapter 30 that section in verse 25 there are four things which are small on the earth but they are exceedingly wise and the ants find themselves in that passage so he says in both 30:25 and here the ants ways essentially teach self-discipline foresight and industry more specifically prudent industry in other words look at the end the ant doesn't sleep all the time the ant isn't constantly laying on the couch the ant is actually engaged in industry the ant knows that if the ant doesn't gather its food the ants going to die there's one of those passages later on that says with reference to a man who Labor's he Labor's for himself because his hungry mouth drives him on in other words when you're hungry there is a great impetus for you to get up off the couch or get up off the bed and find a job and that's what Solomon wants from the sluggard go to the ant consider her ways and be wise now some would say well I'm much smarter than an ant why would you insult me like that genuinely or truly wise people fetch out lessons wherever they can find that we see it in the ant we see it in the locust we see it in either the spider or lizard however one ends that that list of the four exceedingly small and we see it in the Kony's of the rock badger wherever we find wisdom we ought to take it in this is God's world it is comprehensive it is connected and it all testifies ultimately to the glory of our God so the slugger is told to go to the end consider her ways and be wise now note the argument in terms of its description which having no captain overseer or ruler provides her supplies in the summer and gathers her food in the harvest the ant does what the ant does without a great deal of hierarchical direction in other words we might say the ant works well with little to no supervision the end doesn't need somebody consistently cracking the whip because the ant knows that if the ant doesn't gather food then the ant is going to die she doesn't have all of these upper sort of levels or supervisors or managers that drive her on rather it is intuitive it is something in a it is something that she knows as a settled truth that she must go from the comfort of her den and find food and store it up for the winter that's what's highlighted there in verse 8 she provides her supplies in the summer gathers her food in the harvest turned for just a moment to proverbs chapter 30 she see this aspect of the wisdom of the end proverbs chapter 30 beginning in verse 24 there are four things which are little on the earth but they are exceedingly wise the answer of people not strong yet they prepare their food in the summer the rock badgers or the Kony's are a feeble folk yet they make their homes in the crags the locusts have no Kings yet a king yet they all advance in ranks the locust shares that in common with you at the end as we see in proverbs 6 and then verse 28 the spider skillfully grasps with its hands and it is in King's palaces some translations might have lizard lizard' is found in the New King James margin there there's a bit of a quandary in terms of whether it's spider or it's a lizard but note the contrast between this list of the four things which are little on the earth but they are exceedingly wise and then the next list in verse 29 there are three things which are majestic in pace yes four which are stately and walked a lion which is mighty among beasts and does not turn away from any a greyhound a male goat also in a king whose troops are with him now there is a market contrast between the ant and lion everybody based on just the basic amount of observation would be able to divine that right you see a big difference between the lion and the ant well that big difference affects how they live how they gather food how they hunt how they do the sorts of things that they do the ant does not have the stateliness or the majesty of the lion who if the lion is hungry actually sends out his wife to get food I mean that's quite the deal isn't it it's the female lions that actually hunt and they bring back the kill to the man I just can't imagine that kind of a sort of a situation it's quite quite beautiful actually I'm just just kidding but you see the difference if the lion is hungry the lion goes he kills and he eats there is no necessity for the lion to engage in the type of ant diligence to prepare its food in the harvest or in the summertime so that it has resources available in the winter if it's hungry in the winter it will go out and kill the ant does not have that ability so if the ant doesn't make a wet while the Sun shines the ant is going to starve to death so the ant provides for us a wonderful illustration of this situation of diligence now back to proverbs chapter 6 we see not only the diligence of the ant but then the condemnation of the sluggard in verses 9 to 11 he tells the slugger to go to the ant consider her ways be wise he highlights what is particular about the ant that this Slugger ought to internalize and now he comes to condemn the sluggard in verses 9 to 11 how long will you slumber o sluggard when will you rise from your sleep now this is a condemnation pronounced against the sluggard for too much sleep now sleep in and of itself is a blessing given by God so it's a blessing it's a gift it is something absolutely requisite for creatures if we don't sleep we will ultimately die that is something that is a settled observation we must sleep but if we sleep too much that doesn't mean you can't sleep in on Saturday doesn't mean that you can't ever take a nap it doesn't mean that you can't try to catch up once in a while but if the overarching theme of your life is your bed then most likely you've got big problems so Solomon is not condemning the gift of God which asleep Solomon is condemning the sluggard who takes the gift of God and abuses it who takes the gift of God and misuses it who takes the gift of God and does not use it in the way that God has determined so Solomon isn't anti sleep Solomon Solomon is anti sluggards doing nothing but sleeping now verse 10 may either be further commentary by the wise man or it may be the response of the sluggard himself so verse nine how long will you slumber Oh slugger when will you rise from your sleep now if this is the response of the slugger a little sleep a little slumber a little folding of the hands to sleep in other words I am going to engage in this because it's something that I need I am going to do this because it's something that I desire I am going to continue in this pattern because after all sleep is given to me by God or if it's just further commentary by Solomon this is what this life of this man's life consists in a little sleep a little slumber a little folding of the hands to sleep now note the warning that comes upon the sluggard in verse 11 so shall your poverty come on you like a prowler and your need like an armed man now we need to understand something about the book of Proverbs the the language used with reference to those who are starving in the book of Proverbs isn't the language used elsewhere concerning those who are poor by you know no choice of their own lords proverbs is not calling out those who have fallen on tough times proverbs is not upbraiding or indicted those who have had misfortune in their life proverbs is not addressing the same sort of concerns that we find in the book of Job job is a book committed to or-or-or about those who suffer natural disaster what we call natural disaster they suffer deprivation they suffer us suffer a whole host of things but in the book of Proverbs those who suffer essentially suffer by their own hand dr. Walsh says significantly the adjectives poor and oppressed are never used of the lazy person even in his end scape other words those words that are oftentimes applied to the poor outside of the book of Proverbs he says these words for the poor are used primarily of those who are poor by virtue of circumstances beyond their control they are a special concern to the Lord the Lord's we ought to make sure that we understand that God's not coming to you if you've lost your job and God's not coming to you if you have contracted an illness and you cannot work and yelling at you and upbraiding you know there's a great big difference between somebody who suffers under circumstances outside of their control versus a man who loves sleep that that should be obvious isn't it I just feel like it's necessary to qualify that so that we don't have this idea that god is anti poverty in the sense that he's gonna yell at you if you're not the brightest bulb and you're not making the most no no that's not what's in view here again Wolke goes on deprivation such as the scarcity of food in Proverbs is due to falling to sloth tyranny meanness idle talk carelessness or love of luxury that's what's being condemned by Solomon he goes on to say not to natural disasters such as droughts diseases and pests in other words it would not be wise for somebody a preacher in the midst of a devastated community via hurricane to start yelling at the people before being Sluggers because they're hungry no that's not what the point is in passages like these but note what Solomon says comes upon the sluggard so shall your poverty come on you like a prowler and your need like an armed man now let's look at other passages which illustrate this for us notice in proverbs 10 proverbs 10 verses 4 and 5 he who has a slack hand becomes poor it's pretty obvious isn't it these things shouldn't know why I can't believe solving it this is what we learned from the ant if the ant is slack it's gonna be poor if the ant is lazy it's going to die if the ant doesn't prepare her food in the summer in the harvest then when the winter comes she'll be devastated these are sort of no-brainers we might suggest and yet no brainers that really need to be published abroad he says he who has a slack hand becomes poor but the hand of the diligent makes rich he who gathers in summer is a wise son he who sleeps and harvest is a son who causes shame notice in proverbs 12:11 proverbs 12:11 he who tills his land will be satisfied with Brett you see that there is a cause and effect sort of relationship in God's moral universe for the most part when you till your land you will be satisfied with Brett again there can be a locust plague there can be a hurricane there can be some other sort of natural disaster there can be some other sort of devastation but for the most part when we till the land we get to eat but he who follows frivolity is devoid of understanding notice in proverbs 13 for the soul of a lazy man desires and has nothing but the soul of the diligent shall be made rich proverbs 14 verse 28 3 proverbs 14:23 in all labour there is profit but idle chatter leads only to poverty see that in all labour there is profit but idle chatter leads only to poverty there was a story recently I think it was on in one of the news sites it was about a man apparently he was on a TV show back in the 80s so he had some degree of fame and notoriety and probably money whatever was going on then in the 80s and somebody recently saw him bagging groceries at a retail store called Trader Joe's and these two ladies just thought this was hilarious I mean here was this guy that it you know reached the the apex of his life in terms of being a TV star and now he's bagging groceries at Trader Joe's well the response to that story was very encouraging because nine out of ten people said it's honest work it's it's good work it's not it's not an a bad thing and all all labor there is profit remember one of the comments that somebody said my father used to say I often try to glean that sort of thing because my father didn't always have the best advice for me so I've used mr. Lawson's father before and others but this guy said my father used to say a little bit of money an hour is a whole lot better than no money an hour and I would say absolutely positively amen I mean the market guy who's in you know gainfully employed because it's not a you know a position of prestige that is contrary to God's Word in all labor there is profit now we would obviously call laughs I that in all legitimate labor prostitution is probably not not well it's not envisioned here or you know drug manufacturing and trafficking in all lawful labor there is profit but idle chatter leads only to poverty and the notice in proverbs 19 at verse 15 proverbs 19 at verse 15 laziness casts one into a deep sleep and an idle person will suffer hunger yet all of these things are pretty obvious and pretty pretty apparent and yet at times it seems that people have a difficulty getting their minds wrapped around it proverbs 28 verse 4 the lazy man will not plow because of winter he will beg during harvest and have nothing proverbs 28 verse 13 do not love sleep lest you come to poverty open your eyes and you will be satisfied with bread I don't know that that means wake up in the morning and go eat your cornflakes I think the idea is open your eyes and you will be satisfied with bread when you go out and you work for it it's not speaking to one particular breakfast but it's speaking to every breakfast open your eyes get out of bed shower drag a comb through your hair and go work and then you will be satisfied with bread is not one meal that's in view it's every meal and I think that this is the emphasis throughout the book of Proverbs now notice in proverbs 20 24 that was the other extended section that I did not read because of the similarities with what we have here in verse or chapter 6 look at proverbs 24 33 proverbs 24 33 a little sleep a little slumber a little folding of the hands to rest so show your poverty come like a prowler and your need like an armed man that's the same warning that we have there in proverbs 6 now let's look at the beginning section because solomon received this by way of an illustration or by way of observation verse 30 I went by the field of the lazy man and by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding and there it was all overgrown with thorns its surface was covered with Nettles it's Stonewall was broken down when I saw it I considered it well I looked on it and I received instruction so he's wandering about he sees the field of a lazy man and that field in its overgrown state in its tattered state in its ignored state is able to preach to Solomon the very same lesson that the ant preached as well so that's the diligent of the diligence to the end I notice in chapter 26 we essentially have the description of a lazy man we have the description of a lazy man in chapter 23 verses 13 to 16 there are four four things here that described the lazy man first the lazy man makes excuses notice in verse 13 the lazy man says there there is a lion in the road a fierce lion is in the streets go back to 22 verse 13 you see that as well the lazy man says that there is a lion outside I shall be slain in the streets now most likely that's his response to the person who tells him to go out and work I don't think it's just this general overarching concern that you know big cats are roaming the city it's most likely his response to somebody who has told him go to work in other words get up get dressed and go out there but I don't want to go out there because there's lions in the street and if there's lions in the street and I go out there then I'm going to get mowed down by the Lions in the street and because God created me in His image and I have a certain degree of appreciation for the image of God I want to preserve myself so I'm not going to go out into the streets where all those lions are now this is as outlandish an illustration or a reason or an excuse for us today as it would have been back then it wasn't the case that on the streets with reference to the cities of Israel Lions just roamed about it wasn't the case that lion's hung out in the city square it wasn't the case that you had to step over lions when you were walking to your car in the morning if it's outlandish today it was outlandish then John Gill makes this observation he says and which shows the folly and the weakness of his excuses since lions do not usually walk in cities towns and villages and in the streets of them but in woods and mountains so so you see that it the picture that Solomon presents here is is absurd and it is comical but it's oh so true isn't it this excuse making I I can't go to look for a job today because you know it's Thursday or it's Wednesday or it's Friday you know nothing gets done then I I should wait till Monday and then Monday comes around and oh my my Achilles our my my knee or my my back it's it's hurting in such a way that if I go out I I might stumble and fall again there might be an Achilles there might be a knee there might be a back go see a doctor and then go find a job you see that's a problem excuse making don't let your kids develop that early on I can't clean my room because I I think a bad flu in there I can't clean my room because there there might be some poisonous spider under my bed I don't let them do that give them the flashlight Broman and tell them to fetch that poisonous spider out of there just kidding don't do that the next kids some kids getting a bit by a poison spider and I'll be sued but you see the excuse making the lazy man says there is a lion in the road a fierce lion is in the streets this is excuse making notice secondly the the lazy man loves he loves sleep we already see that in proverbs six not again I think we all probably love sleep it was George Bernard Shaw at least the quote is attributed to him there's some doubt that he said it exactly this way but he said that that youth is wasted on the young I'd argue secondly that it naps are wasted on the young I mean as as you get older naps become precious don't they young people don't like naps old people crave naps what you know it's a great disparity there so it's not wrong to appreciate the gift of God in terms of sleep it's wrong to imitate a door it's wrong to be like a door on its hinges that only has one movement it's wrong when your only movement is to go from your right side to your left side so there is a comparison made between the sluggard on his bed and the door on its hinges it's a range of motion sort of a thing but I think we ought to observe at least a contrast or at least an implied contrast the door on its hinges that has that limited range of motion is at least accomplishing something purposeful the sluggard on his bed that goes from side a to side B from side B to side a in imitation of the door is not like the door in the sense that the door is actually serving a purpose in God's created order you see the sluggard loves sleep we can love it as long as we don't abuse it notice thirdly the lazy man will not eat now that sounds a bit bizarre but I don't know how better to describe verse 15 the lazy man buries his hand in the bowl and it worries him to bring it back to his mouth look at 12:27 we try to shed some light on this again it's a it's a bit of a the caricature isn't dead I mean you reach your hand into the bowl of food and then it tires you to bring it back and put it in your mouth I mean is that the the epitome of indolence you know I I managed to get you know the the food in my hand but man I need a nap now I can't actually thrust it into my mouth for the for the vital nutrition that it will provide for me so so let's just sort of flesh this out in a little bit more detail notice in 1227 the lazy man does not roast what he took in hunting the diligence is man's precious possession I think what Solomon is is impressing upon us here isn't is an unwillingness to accomplish a task an unwillingness to actually mow his field and unwillingness to actually fix the gate an unwillingness because there's lions in the streets he loves his bad but but these are tasks that are incomplete he buries his hand in the bull he won't even bring it back to his mouth because it worries him that's the specific application there in Proverbs 26 but the more general approach ought to be this the very thought of going out to work even in order to secure food is wearying to him even the thought of getting out of his bed and getting out of his house long enough to make some money is such that he doesn't even want to undertake it it's just too much bother it's too much work it's too difficult I'll have to leave my bed I'll have to fight with lions I'll have to do the sorts of things that I simply don't want to do notice in this particular one he manages to get up out of bed he manages to get his 30 aught six he manages to get a bead on an animal he manages to even take the animal down but that's as far as it's gonna go he's not gonna skin the animal he's not gonna dress the animal he's not going to quarter the animal he's certainly not gonna pack it out and then he's not gonna roast it and actually eat his kill you see he can't complete tasks why because he's lazy that's the problem the lazy man puts his hand into the bowl and it we're ease him to even put the food into his mouth now for those who say the Bible is not exciting reading this is hilarious again it's caricature it's it's hyperbolic it's a bit absurd it brings home the lesson doesn't it you can almost see this man it can't chip he shoots the animal he actually gets it it falls and yeah I'm just gonna leave it there and go home and have a nap he reaches his hand in the bowl and he's about to bring it back to his mouth and he says yeah I'm just gonna have a nap everything's a nap to this guy the bed is all he wants he's like that door on the hinges and yet that door on the hinges does a lot more than that man who's lazy on his bed and then notice as well proverbs 29 24 proverbs 19 24 same thing a lazy man buries his hand in the ball and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again you see these are not isolated things I was a bit surprised as I so I was going through you know diligence let's let's look at what proverbs has to say on diligence we've looked at a lot of texts haven't we this is not a you know one of those things that's just a bit of a attack on on the book of Proverbs this is one of the overarching themes our concerns this is something that comes up repetitively consistently flagrantly it's all all over the place in the book of Proverbs so the lazy man makes excuses the lazy man loves sleep the lazy man won't even eat and then finally the lazy man is wise in his own eyes I mean that's another thing that's just you know unfortunate a guy who is this at least we could appreciate the fact if he says you know I'm just lazy I much prefer sleep I'm gonna make a million excuses cuz I don't want to get a job I'm so lazy when I put my hand in the bowl I just weari out and I didn't want to bring it back to my mouth at least we could say you know he's self-aware at least we could commend him for having that assessment at least we could commend him for seeing something everybody else sees not this guy it's got a high estimation of himself it's just bizarre isn't it the lazy man verse 16 is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly isn't that just bizarre somebody that's obviously messed up visa V 13 to 15 is a man who not only doesn't see that he's masked up but actually sees himself as higher and wiser and better than others notice the lazy man does have desires we need to appreciate that it's not that he doesn't want to eat it's not that he doesn't want to have food or he doesn't want to have riches or he doesn't want to have a house or he doesn't want to have certain benefits go back to proverbs 13 4 proverbs 13 for the soul of a lazy man desires and has nothing so the desire is still there the desire is in him and then notice proverbs 21 25 and 26 proverbs 21 25 and 26 the desire of the lazy man kills him for his hands refuse to labor he covets greedily all day long but the righteous gives and does not spare so it's not the case but he is everything that Solomon says he is but he's just absent-minded no well he's you know going like the hinge or door from side to side he's craving he's coveting he's greedy he's concerned with and he wants all these things but he doesn't want enough to get out of bed and do what he's supposed to do his hungry mouth hasn't driven him to that point up to this point one man said the lazy are generally not those who have few desires rather they're daydreaming leads to exaggerated desires and exaggerated desires to a despair of realization you get this sometimes right the kid comes out of school and he won't take a job for less than 30 bucks an hour I'm sorry that's just not the world that we live in you're gonna have to start low if you want to build high we have a you know a generation that expects you know big pay big benefits and you know for weeks all that stuff used to be you had to start out at the bottom and claw your way to the top and on York lying of your way to the top you know you get a bone thrown to you every now and then and you were happy you liked it now there's this entitlement idea we got our degree we got our high school we should just get everything no you shouldn't just get everything you should get a job and work your way up to getting everything so so the point is the lazy man is like this but but he has these desires so back to 26 we see that he has not only desires but he has a high regard of himself he has a high esteem of what he is the lazy man is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly I think bridges describes this aspect beautifully he says yet such is the strange union of self complacency with falling this worthless being a cumber of the ground pronounces himself a genius prides himself upon his sagacity and looks down with contempt upon his more industrious companions generally superior in attainment this foolish dream of his own shrewdness fixes his standard he has found the road to learning without any inconvenient exertion giving himself no trouble to think he see he sees none of the difficulties obvious to a considerate mine and speedily arrives at most unreasonable conclusions he will not be beaten out of his sloth he's wiser in his own eyes so when you come to him and you say you know what I looked out the window there's no Lions out there when you say you you're imitating a door for your life and you say you're good to get your hand in the dish but you actually need to put the food from the dish into the mouth when you say that he doesn't receive it he doesn't say you're right there are no Lions out there you're right my my role model is a door you're you're right that that I actually need to take the food from the dish and put it he doesn't say you're right he continues down the path of Folie you see that's what's most discarding are disconcerting about the whole thing see another theme that Solomon addresses very often are those who don't listen to to reproof now how in the world would we know this man is this way because the father the friend the brother the the sister the mother somebody came along and said there's no lions there really aren't you're imitating a door you need to put the food into your mouth he's away two minute you can't tell me how to live it's like kids with kids you're you're not the boss of me this guy is wiser in his own eyes then seven men who can answer sensibly you get the seven men that's a number of perfection or completeness it's a number of excellence within scripture you have seven of these men and they can all answer sensibly but you're wiser than them you're not going to listen to them when they tell you it no liens when they tell you no door when they tell you you got to put the food in your mouth you're just not gonna listen to them that's a big problem brethren if somebody is self-aware and somebody owns it and somebody listens that somebody can be worked with but added to this description of the sluggard is this description of the sluggards conceit he is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly it's a pretty pathetic picture that is drawn by Solomon in this section and I think the take-home message for all of us is don't be excuse makers don't be lovers of sleep don't be the sort of person that that doesn't complete tasks visa we put the food in your mouth and don't be the kind of person that's so proud and so arrogant and so conceited that when persons come to you and say look there's a better way to do this namely get a job don't think that they've got the problem it's most likely you that has the problem so that's the take home with reference to this particular text I want to end by looking at two things finally first the blessings associated with diligence I mean that's been kind of a negative sort of a downer has an you know the description of the lazy man that's not a real positive way to end end a message so let's look at the blessings associated with diligence again we'll cover a bit of the same ground but first the provision of material goods it's a beautiful thing in God's world you you work you eat proverbs 10:4 again he who has a slack hand becomes poor but the hand of the diligence a diligent makes makes a rich he who gathers in summer is a wise son again twelve eleven twelve eleven same sort of idea he who tells his land will be satisfied with bread it's a primary reason you should find a job because it's great to eat really is it's a wonderful thing it's just amazing you all know that if you don't eat you do die and so in order to eat you have to work and this is what Solomon is saying proverbs 13 for the soul of a lazy man desires and has nothing but here we go the soul of the diligent shall be made rich verse 11 again wealth and gay wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished but he who gathers by labor will increase new ground proverbs 16 verse 26 the person who Labor's alluded to this earlier the person who Labor's Labor's for himself for his hungry mouth drives him on why are you so earnest in trying to find a job because I'm hungry that's a great reason isn't it to pound the pavement find a job it's a great reason to update your resume it's a great reason to go online jobs calm it's a great reason when your stomach is grumbling and growling and there's nothing left in the pantry that hungry mouth ought to drive you on so that you'll labor so that you can eat and then proverbs 21:5 proverbs 21:5 the plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty but those of everyone who is hasty surely to poverty so the provision of material goods is a blessing associated with diligence secondly the dignity associated with work the dignity associated with work that guy who had been a TV actor in the 1980s that was now working at Trader Joe's he wasn't complain he wasn't whiny he didn't seize upon the opportunity and say you're right what a miserable thing I went from this to that he he didn't have that attitude good on him he did what he had to do to feed his hungry mouth that's admirable all work is dignified flipping burgers is dignified I know we Sean in we speak ill about it but flipping burgers is a lawful way to put money in the bank which is a lawful way to buy food it's perfectly consistent and legitimate don't mock somebody because they're actually working don't mock somebody because you're not so in tune with their life choices they have a job it's a good thing but there is dignity associated with work notice in proverbs 12 proverbs 12:24 this is the dignity associated with work proverbs 12:24 the hand of the diligent well what will rule but the lazy man will be put to forced labor the hand of the diligent will rule that doesn't mean the world it doesn't mean kingdoms it doesn't mean empires but it means with reference to his position and to his dignity he will be in that capacity versus those who are put to forced labor and then proverbs 14:23 terms of dignity associated with labor there it is again sorry verse 23 and all labor there is profit in all labor there is profit that brings dignity the profit isn't only monetarily it's not the money only that you can buy food with but there's a dignity involved I remember being mindful of this or reminded of this by a fellow at Union Gospel Mission many many years ago we used to go there I think it was every other week on Tuesday nights that's right down there by East Hastings in Vancouver and I remember one guy would seem there on an occasion not not Gary kind of the guy that would always complain if we were a minute late coming from Jack he would let us have it for being late you know we got stuck in traffic and this this one fellow would let us know you were you were late the 30 seconds Gary come on but this other guy I remember talking to him and he he was just he wanted to work I really believe that and one of the things that he said was it's the lack of dignity dad that's what it's most crippling I want to work because of the dignity involved in that and I think that's what the proverbs are saying now again if you are incapacitated God's not angry at you for not working if you're ill or if you're you know whatever that that's not in view here you cannot take this and say Oh Butler's got an axe to grind or God's got an axe to grind well somebody has contracted this horrible disease and they can't work no no no that's not it we're dealing with the slugger we're dealing with a lazy man we're not dealing with somebody who cannot work we're dealing with somebody who will not work that's the issue here and then notice the dignity rather thirdly the honor associated with working well look at proverbs 22 29 proverbs 22 29 do you see a man who excels in his work he will stand before kings he will not stand before unknown men that really ought to drive us in terms of our our diligence in terms of our pursuit of not only hard work but good work do you see a man who excels in his work he will stand before kings in other words he plumbs well the politicians hear about it they bring him in to plumb their stuff that is a blessed thing that is a good thing a man fixes vehicles well so the city mayor the political political leaders bring their car too you see a man who excels in his work he will scan before kings in other words even pagans Gentiles heathens they they recognize Christian diligence they recognize hard work and they recognize good work done well it's a beautiful thing and there's dignity involved in that and honor and then the second broader application is the need for spiritual diligence the need for spiritual diligence now certainly Solomon doesn't want you to argue that there's lions in the streets and it doesn't want you to be a door and he doesn't want you to bury your hand in the foot in the bowl and not bring it to your mouth in terms of the temporal world in terms of your physical sustenance in terms of your life so all I want you to find a job so I want you to work hard Soloman wants to excel in it so that you'll stand before kings but certainly Solomon also wants you to engage in spiritual diligence in other words the Asiya man excels in his work he will stand before kings all those brethren by God's grace to excel in spiritual things will stand before the King of Kings and the Lord of lords John Gill commenting on the slumbering sluggard in proverbs 6 9 he says whatever may be the proper time to awake and arise out of sleep in a morning which seems to be according to man a man circumstances health and business it's very reasonable isn't it you know we hear these of these Puritans I think it was George Whitfield he'd sleep from 10 a 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. and then he'd get up and spend two hours on his knees with his Greek New Testament you know young ministers hear that and they try that you know and don't make it too they get up at 4:00 a.m. and they're back asleep by 4:00 405 you know it just doesn't what men are different Lloyd Jones and his preaching and preachers address is that you can't just take somebody else's model and stick it into your life well you know he only slept from ten to ten tenten tenten p.m. to 4:00 a.m. yeah good good for him that was me I couldn't function at 7:00 a.m. you just got to get sleep you got to know yourself you see we have that mindset I think what Gill says here is absolutely right now in my mind Gill was probably one of those guys that did get up at 4:00 he didn't you know he read his Greek New Testament and then he read all the Jewish stuff in Hebrew and then he you know did all that stuff and had breakfast at you know 7:30 and then went to his office for 15 hours but he says whatever may be the proper time to awake and arise out of sleep in the morning which seems to be according to a man's circumstances health and business now listen to what he says it is always high time for the sinner to awake out of the sleep of sin and to rise from the dead in other words spiritual diligence certainly work don't make excuses bring the food back to your mouth and don't be the kind of person that is wiser in his own eyes then seven men who can answer well it's spiritual he says it is always high time for the sinner to awake out of the sleep sin and arise from the dead other words believe on the Lord Jesus Christ that's spiritual diligence that's what's most important that's what's most earnest don't make the excuses well there's lions in in the street don't be the door turning on its hinges don't be the sort of person that that that puts his hand into the bowl of a sermon and doesn't ingest it don't be the kind of excuse making lazy sluggard Lee type of a person that won't ingest the Word of God and believe spiritual diligence is enjoined upon every creature of God so for the sinner and then he goes on and says and for the drowsy saint to arise out of his lethargy and carnal security in other words there's an application in terms of spiritual diligence for the sinner to come to the Savior but for the saint that's grown drowsy the saint that's become an excuse maker the saint that doesn't internalize the Word of God the saint that may put his hand there but he doesn't bring it up and eat it there's no more hunger and thirsting after righteousness there's no more pursuing those things in the fear of God there's no more put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts lethargy has settled an apathy has settled it and we have become the equivalent of the door on its hinges back and forth left and right that is wrong spiritual diligence for the sinner to flee to the Savior but spiritual diligence for the believer who has grown cold for the believer who has grown weary for the believer who has grown hardened aroused yourself by the grace of God and no more excuses no more laziness no more imitating the door as your life's work but rather enjoy the great gifts that God has given in the word and in prayer utilize those things accordingly well let us close in a word of Prayer father thank you for this short word and thank you for what we find here so clearly explained so simply so so marvelously give us grace to receive these things give us grace to not be excuse makers to not be imitators of doors to not be the kinds of people that that hear the word but don't internalize it and certainly not to be the conceited man who's wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly we ask that you would bless us help us God too to think through these things help us to instruct our children in these things I pray in a special way for them for the young people and the kids that you would give them and still in them first and foremost the fear of God a belief and the Savior and a commitment to this to the written word to do all things that we find here described go with us now we pray and we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord amen we'll close with a brief time of meditation and then be dismissed you