Kidner describes the sluggard as someone fundamentally disconnected from reality and action. This character “will not begin things,” and whatever he does start, “he will not finish.” He exists in an unrealistic state, unwilling to face the demands before him. His restlessness stems from a lack of purpose. His helplessness flows from a lack of practice. His uselessness derives from a lack of practicality.
The Ant’s Example: Diligence Without Oversight
The sluggard’s downfall appears clearly in Proverbs 6:6f through the contrast with the ant. Without oversight or a structured calendar, the ant completes its work diligently. The sluggard, however, loses his battle with winter before the season even arrives. Poverty comes upon him “like an armed man with whom there is no argument.”
He exists in an unrealistic state, unwilling to face the demands before him.
Missing the Urgency of Each Season
Kidner explains that for the sluggard, “all time is alike: summer and harvest suggest long, languorous days, rather than the time of crisis in which the year’s work will be crowned or cancelled, and the battle with winter decided” (Kidner, 40). He fails to recognize the urgency embedded in each season. Consequently, the inevitable result arrives suddenly: “He will suddenly wake to find that poverty has arrived (like a vagabond, … like an armed man), and there is no arguing with it” (Kidner, 40).
Disclaimer: Information in my “slip-box” doesn’t necessarily reflect my agreement with the source or all its content. Recording diverse perspectives helps strengthen one’s position beyond the echo chamber of like-minded thinkers. By documenting alternative viewpoints, we engage in the intellectual wrestling match that ultimately deepens our understanding.
I aspire to post one note from my “slip-box” every weekday. If you want to learn more about how to work with knowledge, click this link: What is knowledge management?
Pastor Dan Patrick, raised in Northern Virginia near Washington, D.C., holds both a Bible degree and a Master’s of Divinity. He has ministered across five states from coast to coast, serving in various capacities, including pastoral leadership. Dan’s primary mission is to help people love God’s Word and find their purpose in God’s work.
