PROVERBS

Lesson 9: Money and Labor

"Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof" (Prov. 27:18).

Money is never portrayed as evil in the scripture. Proverbs 14:15 says that "the crown of the wise is their riches". The love of money, on the other hand, is the root of all kinds of evil (I Tim. 6:10). Several of these evils are explained in Proverbs.

Greed. "Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied" (27:20). "He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him" (28:22).

Dishonesty. "Treasures of wickedness profit nothing: but righteousness delivereth from death" (10:2). "There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty" (11:24). "There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches. Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase" (13:7,11). "He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts shall live" (15:27). One such means of dishonesty was the use of false weights. Merchants might succeed in stealing from their customers, but would not go unpunished by God: "Divers weights are an abomination unto the LORD; and a false balance is not good" (20:23).

Thievery. "My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause: Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit: We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil: Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse: My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path." (1:10-15).

Conceit. "He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch" (11:28). "The rich man is wise in his own conceit; but the poor that hath understanding searcheth him out" (28:11).

"Money is everything" attitude. It is not wrong to want a decent standard of living. It is wrong to think that happiness in life depends on how much treasure you can lay up. "Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven" (23:4-5). "A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent. He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him" (28:20,22).

Indebtedness. "The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender" (22:7). "Be not thou one of them that strike hands, or of them that are sureties for debts. If thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee?" (22:26,27). Lenders are reminded, "He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor" (28:8).

Though abuses of money are condemned, Proverbs most definitely takes a firm stand that hard work pays off. Proverbs 10:4 states, "He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich." "The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat" (13:4). "He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread: but he that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough" (28:19). "The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man is precious" (12:27).

Diligent work. "He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread: but he that followeth vain persons is void of understanding" (12:11). "Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox" (14:4). "In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury" (14:23). "Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men" (22:29). "Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds. For riches are not for ever: and doth the crown endure to every generation?" (27:23-24). "He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread: but he that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough" (28:19).

Slothful. "Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man" (6:6-11). "He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster" (18:9). "The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing" (20:4). "Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread" (20:13). "The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour" (21:25).

"I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man" (24:30-34). "The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets. As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed. The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom; it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth. The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason" (26:13-16).

"There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself. He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him: but blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it" (11:24-26).

Honoring God. "Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thine increase" (3:9).

Helping others. "He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again" (19:17). "The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself" (11:25). "He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he" (14:21). "He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor" (14:31). "Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard" (21:13). "He coveteth greedily all the day long: but the righteous giveth and spareth not" (21:26). "The rich and poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all" (22:2). "He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor" (22:9). "He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse" (28:27).

Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain" (30:7-9).

Questions:

[Introduction to Proverbs] [Lesson 1-The Value of Wisdom]
    [Lesson 2-What it Means to be a Fool]   [Lesson 3- Relationship with God]
[Lesson 4- Relationship with  Fellowman]  [Lesson 5- Marriage Relationship]
[Lesson 6-Problem of Adultery]  [Lesson 7- Parent/Child Relationship]
[Lesson 8-Government ] [Lesson 10-Self-Control]  [Lesson 11-Rewards/Consequences]

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Page last updated: March 03, 2003