Study of Laziness – Proverbs 10:4 NIV (Coursework Sample)

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Study of Laziness – Proverbs 10:4 NIV
Main points – main idea and outline
Introduction
Historical background
Literary background
Analysis of the text or content
Application
Bibliography
1. Introduction
The book of proverbs contains useful discourses on what one can do in order to be successful in life. It speaks against laziness and its consequences. In a nutshell, Prov.4:11 states in a direct way that laziness is a recipe for poverty while diligence brings wealth. This is a simple verse but it is laden with a lot of meaning. The subject of poverty and wealth is documented in millions and volumes of books written by academicians, researchers and motivational authors. It is not, therefore, a religious issue but also an economic one. No matter where one lives, the truth is that there are both wealthy and poor people. The subject of unequal distribution is a broad one. For the better part, the book of Proverbs addresses the subject of wealth and poverty. It gives instructions on what one needs to do in order to avoid living in poverty. The message is as critical to Christians today as it was to the Israelites at the time.
2. Historical background
Characteristics of Proverbs
Contrary to popular belief, proverbs are found in the entire bible. The only difference is that in the book of Proverbs, these poetic instructions have been put together. Other books of the Old Testament such as Job and Ecclesiastes use proverbs quite a lot. In the New Testament, the book of James is written using many proverbs too. Generally, a proverb is a poetic, memorable and concise saying that expresses a general or ethical observation about life. The meaning of any proverb contained in the bible is first inferred from a religious point of view before making any other interpretation.
Who is the lazy person being referred to?
A lazy person is one who does not want to engage into any meaningful work. Therefore, laziness is the act of lying idle and being in a state dormancy. At the end of the day, a lazy person has nothing to show for the time spent. At the time this verse was written, the people of Israel were farmers who tilled land and reared livestock. Verse 5 in the same chapter compares a person who gathers crops in summer and another who sleeps throughout the harvesting season. The text admonishes Christians who are afraid or unwilling to take active participation in economic activities that they will only have themselves to blame when poverty strikes. It compares those who work hard with those who do not and gives a conclusion as to what will befall each person.
Poverty and how it comes about
The inequalities in the world today attest to the fact people cannot be all the same. There are those who are rich and others poor. There are those who hard in life yet they have not been able to amass wealth. Such kind of poverty is not evil. The kind of poverty the author of Proverbs 10:4 talks about is that which comes as a result of a deliberate decision to become lazy. What the author did was merely to rubberstamp the ethic of hard work. In another area of the book, the writer asks the reader to learn from the behavior of ants. These social insects work so hard to gather food to feed an entire colony. Their timing is always perfect. It is this kind of wisdom that Solomon and other writers wanted Christians to have.
Background of the text from a modern perspective
The importance of hard work has been passed on from one generation to the next. From a tender age, parents begin to teach their children about hard work. They encourage them to study hard and get good grades that will see them admitted to a good college. On the other hand, grown-ups know too well that if at all they want to succeed, they must put a lot of effort in their work. One cannot get money unless they are ready to do some work for it. This work could be as an employed person or one who engages in a business. Without rising up early and getting to ones place of work, there will be no income to boast of at the end of the month. This would have dire consequences. For instance, one may have to go without paying rent, putting gas in the tank, buying food or even paying for children’s education. If this goes on undeterred, a person ends up with no savings for future use. In the meantime, there is no money to spend on investments that will become useful in future. The principle of hard work applies to everyone irrespective of their status in life. It does not matter whether one is a bus driver, office messenger, farmer, entrepreneur or chief executive of a company. Without working hard at the source of income, gradually, poverty sets in.
3. Literary background
Proverbs 10:4 is written in a form known as antithetical parallelism. This is a literary style where a writer puts contrasting lines in a way that corresponds to each other. King Solomon is credited with writing this proverb. Other proverbs written by Solomon are 1:1-9:18, 10:1-22:16 and 25:1-29:27. In total, Solomon wrote over 500 proverbs. The Book of Proverbs is set in the period during the reign of King Solomon up to the time the Southern Kingdom was defeated some time in 586 B.C. However, the original audience is not explicitly clear. Chapter 1-9 are for a young audience. Later on from Chapter 10 onwards, focus shifts to a more mature audience. One can comprehend why this is so. The people who served in Solomon’s court consisted of young men. This is consistent with references to the word “son” as seen in Chapters 1-9. One cannot rule out a rural setting given the nature of context in the entire Chapter 10. The text is part of what is termed as wisdom literature. Apart from Proverbs, other books written in the same style include Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes and Job. Wisdom literature genre is a writing style that deals with human response to ethics and practical aspects of life. Solomon is one of the wisest people who ever lived. Interestingly, his wisdom came following a direct request from God. It is therefore in order for him to have shared such words with the people of Israel and by extension, millions of Christians today.
4. Analysis of the text or content
To start with the entire book of Proverbs does not qualify to be called a book per se. It is actually a collection of poems with a diverse authorship. The subject matter is also of a varied nature. Therefore, one cannot merely single out a single message. It requires a broad perspective. Each sentence in Proverbs Chapter 10 consists of a separate verse. The verses are separated in two parts. In the case of Proverbs 10:4 the two sentences are a contrast to each other. One should read these verses one at a time. The writing style is not that of a narrative. One should understand each verse prayerfully before proceeding to the next one.
There are two opposing sides in the text. One side is made up of those who seize opportunities and make good use of them on a continuous basis. The opposite side consists of people who neglect every chance t...