Proverbs 26:13
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The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.
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Is there a lion in your way? On your street? What excuse do you use to justify not doing your duty? Solomon used this proverb to mock and ridicule the excuses slothful men make to avoid working hard and completing projects (22:13). Lazy men always have a reason as to why they do not get jobs done on time, but their reasons are as foolish as blaming their situation on a lion in the streets (26:16)! Lions are in Africa or zoos!
There is no doubt the lion is a fearful animal. He is called the king of beasts for good reason! God inspired Agur to write that a male lion turns away from no other creature (30:30). His beauty is the great strength and fearlessness with which he carries himself. And we are considering the male lion for his much greater size and regal appearance. His head and mane are glorious! He is a beautiful and frightening sight!
A male lion is fearful! They may grow to 8 feet in length (not counting the tail), 4 feet in height (at the shoulder), and weigh 600 pounds! An average lion has a vertical jump of 12 feet and can run over 40 mph for short distances! His fore body is so strong that he can knock a zebra off its feet and break its back with a swipe of his paw! His roar is so powerful and loud it can be heard six miles away! You would not want one in your street!
The proverb has no real lion. It is only the sluggard's excuse to justify laziness, procrastination, and lack of completed projects. If he did not use a lion for his excuse, he will use cold weather (20:4; 22:13). He will use any reason he can invent to excuse his laziness. He prefers the warmth of his bed, where he can sleep (20:13; 24:30-34; 26:14).
Slothfulness, a negative attitude about work, is self-fulfilling. The slothful man meets many difficulties in his feeble attempts to work. His attitude turns mere challenges into disasters (15:19; 19:15). And God blows against Him, for He cannot tolerate laziness (6:6-11). Life is difficult for him. He deceives himself that successful men had it easy.
Great men do not fear lions or obstacles in their way; and they surely do not invent them! They trust the living God, Who will help them accomplish anything they set their minds to do. Caleb, who watched Israel turn back toward Egypt due to giants in Canaan, waited 45 long years until he could take on those intimidating giants himself (Josh 14:6-15)!
The cure for sluggards is starvation (20:4; II Thess 3:10)! Any man will work hard when his belly is empty (16:26)! Lions disappear when a man is hungry enough! What should you be doing that you are not doing? Where are lions in your life? Get out in the street!
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