Proverbs 10:4
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He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.
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Poverty or riches, the choice is yours! You will make the choice today, tomorrow, and the next day. The man who applies himself diligently to his profession or other duties will be rich, but the man who is a slacker, or sluggard, will be poor. The choice is yours!
A great temptation for men, especially young men, is laziness about work. Solomon often warned against this error, and here he uses synecdoche to represent a man by his hand. He used arm (31:17), soul (13:4), or the whole man (22:29) at other times.
Since the hand is a figure of speech for the whole man, do not be distracted by it. However, sluggards like to keep them in their pockets or folded against their chests (19:24), which surely brings their lives to ruin (Eccl 10:18). And it is a fact some employers note the handshake of an applicant, for they are fearful of the limp, effeminate, weak handshake of a slothful and timid loser.
Working for pay or profit is a privilege and blessing (Eccl 9:10). The godly man attacks daily tasks with zeal and force. If he is consistently diligent, all other things being equal, he will quickly and greatly surpass the man who is lazy, slow, and avoids hard work. This is the law of God, and it is a simple lesson to teach children. Diligent work brings financial reward, and it can bring its own reward in a job well done.
A slack hand represents the man who is lacking in energy or diligence, inclined to be lazy or idle, remiss, careless, or negligent or lax in regard to his duties. A slacker is a slack person, who shirks work or avoids exertion. This kind of person puts off work as long as he can; he resents real labor; he hates tasks requiring focus and effort.
The slacker always has conceited excuses for his laziness; he will reject sound reasons from even seven men who warn him (26:16)! He has an evil disease, laziness, and will not listen to wisdom. Dear reader, crush your thoughts and believe the proverb! Solomon learned more in a day than you will learn in a lifetime, and he wrote by the inspiration of the omniscient God, Who knows all things.
What are the slacker's excuses? He loves sleeping (20:13), which ruins men and women and brings poverty (6:6-11; 24:30-34). He loves folding lazy hands and huddling under covers in the morning. He loves the snooze button on the alarm. He loves turning back and forth in bed like a door on hinges (26:14). He hates mornings. He is too dumb and addicted to sleep to realize that extra sleep just makes him sleepier (19:15).
He resents adversity or difficulty (20:4). He will not plow by reason of the cold. He is always looking for a "snow day" to take the day off. Instead of putting on a coat and working anyway, he loves any excuse to stay home or avoid a difficult job. The blessed God will put extra thorns in his way to tear him (15:19; 22:5)!
He is intimidated by challenges (22:13; 26:13). He imagines a lion in the way. His favorite words are, "I can't do it" and "It won't work." Long-term business or career plans are overwhelming. He wants something easier, success that will fall in his lap. So instead of tackling the challenge, he does nothing (26:14-15). But ever since Adam chose hard labor instead of dressing the Garden, he has no easy alternative.
He resents authority and being told what to do by another (19:10; 27:18; 30:22). This socialist thinks a tribe of all chiefs, or all Indians, would work well! He does not want to be an Indian under a chief. He likes to work for himself. His rebellion keeps him from seeing that all chiefs were once hard-working Indians (17:2; 22:29)!
He is seduced by vain ideas of easier and more exciting ways to make money (12:11; 28:19). He associates with the discontented and listens to schemes on how they will beat the system (14:23; 21:5). He is always busy planning his future success. He believes he has figured out life better than Solomon and seven successful men (26:16)!
The diligent man laughs at slackers and mocks their five excuses, goes to work early every single day, and attacks his job with energy and persistence. He knows that life is short; he knows that God made him to work; he looks forward to getting his diligent hands on a project; and he will do it with his might (Eccl 9:10). He will soon rule over the slacker in riches and honor (12:24; 13:4; 22:29)! Guaranteed!
Nothing has changed in 3000 years since Solomon penned these words. And nothing has changed in 2000 years, since Paul wrote his own warnings against slackers (Rom 12:11; I Thes 4:11-12; II Thes 3:6-13). Diligent labor is the law of God and the law of success! It must be taught diligently, for the excuses of slackers have not diminished. Parents must train children to work hard and repudiate the slacker's excuses.
Our blessed Lord was exceptionally diligent (Mark 3:20-21; 6:31; John 4:34; 9:4). And the apostles followed His great example (I Cor 4:9-14; II Thess 3:8). In fact, our beloved brother Paul boasted in the grace of God that he labored more abundantly than all the others (I Cor 15:10). Can you, reader, boast of diligent use of God's grace?
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