Proverbs 19:24

A slothful man hides his hand in his bosom, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.

The sluggard is the man who is caught in the horrible condition of perpetual slothfulness. He is held down by velvet chains in a sea of cushions, and it has become almost impossible for him to extricate himself from this horrible predicament. Once a person is caught in the trap of slothfulness, he will find that every minor effort requires gargantuan willpower to accomplish. From Proverbs 26:13, we know that the sluggard is intimidated by lions in the street, and there may be real lions that prohibit him from getting his work done in the fields. But now that he is intimidated by the obstacle of lions, he soon finds it hard to distinguish between real lions and harmless kitty cats. Every responsibility becomes a burdensome task because he is a sluggard, and sluggards are intimidated by everything! Therefore this verse presents the awful scenario of a sluggard who considers basic tasks, such as feeding oneself, an intolerable inconvenience!

A poor wretch like this does not turn into a sluggard overnight. When a little boy fails to make his bed for two hundred days despite his mother’s constant reminders, or when he drags his feet every day when doing his chores, he works his way toward a life of slothfulness. If he will not repent of this sin, and if his parents continue to allow it in his life, he may be sentenced to the miserable existence of the sluggard for the rest of his life.

Proverbs 19:25

Strike a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence; reprove a man of understanding, and he will gain knowledge. (ESV)

What does a family do with an incorrigible teenage rebel? Unfortunately, this question is common in counseling situations today, where families must deal with a generation of those who curse their fathers and whose teeth are as swords (Prov. 30:11–14)! The civil magistrate tolerates these out-of-control youths, while at the same time disallowing families from emancipating them. This puts families in a tight spot. Too often, these scoffers turn the home into a tumultuous, chaotic, miserable place, and present a terrible influence to the rest of the children. There is only one thing to do: strike the scoffer. According to the important principle in the present verse, striking the scoffer will more than likely do nothing for the rebel himself. But the striking of the scoffer is not for his benefit because you must remember this young man is (at least for the time being) beyond correction. Rather it is for the benefit of all the other children around him. In a powerful object lesson, they witness the force of punishment. They see the hardness of heart, and they fear the curse of rebellion and sin! In short, they learn prudence.

Quite opposite to the scoffer, there is the young man of true wisdom and godly character. He will not need the rod, but he may need an occasional reproof. When he is reproved, he eagerly receives it for the wisdom he can find in it. Oftentimes, a reproof may not identify the true problems with perfect accuracy. Yet a man of understanding will still carefully examine the reproof for the wisdom he can find in it. It may be that the criticism was somewhat misdirected, but he does find in it a kernel of truth that pointed to another problem of far more relevance and import. You can see that it takes a humble heart to carefully consider any critical feedback directed toward him.

Family Discussion Questions:

1. Is the slothful bug growing on you right now? Are you faithful in performing the simple tasks around the house? What sort of jobs do you perceive to be too difficult? Do you drag your feet at certain challenges? Give examples.

2. What is the best way to overcome slothfulness?

3. Why would a parent strike a scoffer (or a “teenage rebel”)?