Arkansas State press. [volume] (Little Rock, Ark.) 1941-1959, 1947-08-29
BY WILLIAM CULBERTSON, D. d.
OF The Moody Bible Institute. Chicago


BY WILLIAM CULBERTSON, D. ID.
OF The Moody Bible Institute, Chicago
N/ISE indeed 10 that Legislator
w who understands that there
are two extremes to be avoided in
dealing with the problems Of the
working man. The one extreme is
that heartless, cruel exploitation Of
labor which grinds men to powder,
which deals with individuals as
chattel. The other extreme is to
provide such an amount of free time
for the individual that both his per-
'sonal life and economic prosperity
are In danger.
Work is good. II IL well to keep
IN mind that before the fall man
was commanded to tend the garden.
Perhaps to some Of US that COM
= .mand 10 not a command to work,
because the evidences of sin In q
cursed creation were not present.
Lie without purpose. Life with
eut activity for good, would be
=. vain and actually intolersble.
!. An Illustration Of Prudence and
. Warning Against Incidence (Prov.
e:6-l1; 1870.
THE illustration from the crea.
! ture world IL apt Ants. a. this
scripture states. have no overseer,
and yet they are diligent In provid-
ing for the time Of need.
II would seem a. though they are
constantly active In caring for pres
snt and future needs. In Palestine.
where they may be active through.
cut the year. there IL still the need
81 stored provisions for the rainy
season. and 20 It IL true that the ant
gathers food IN the harvest for future
Anyone who b tempted to be in.
Aolent would be wise to consider
the ways Of the ant. and to manifest
Is much concern for present and
future needs.
The sluggard ID described ~ one
asleep, ~ one who 10 never salts
Aed, but constantly wants more
slumber. Such folding of the hands.
such Incidence. brings poverty.
and that poverty comes as = robber.
lndolence y not mere passivity.
The man who falls TO work 10 not
guilty Of emitting 10 do what he
should do, but he Is actually . rob-
Der Of society. There is an active
element involved In Incidence; not
only has the man failed to con-
tribute, but, In addition, the good
that he might have done has re-
NAMED undone. The sluggard Is
therefore brother to the destroy
er prov. 1879.
II. An Illustration Of Incidence and
. Lesson In Prudence prov. "a 80
"a.
IT is striking that the Word Of God
. presents the ant as the illustra-
tion Of prudence, but when it comes
~ 81 AhdSt ANVIL Va hldOlGllCG ~ Ill
reefs our attention to man.
The Illustration Is that Of the man
who is lazy, who is void of under
standing. The Preacher visits him.
Going to his field and whey ard, he
hnds 1t grown over with thorns, COW
cred with vetcheS and the stone
wall broken down.
Instead Of citing the particular
lessons learned, the Preacher
simply observes that he looked on,
thought deeply. and received instruc.
ton. Perhaps the best antidote
to laziness is to see it in its mac
ton. The squalid conditions, the in
ability to cope with emergencies
that we normally see in the life Of
the man who wants only ease are
sufficient to warn most Of us against
1t.
Entirely apart from the dignity
Of labor, the homely recompense
Of being able 10 meet our own
needs Is the compensation of self
respect that initiative and re-
sourcefulness bring. May we have
. higher goal as we labor than
merely providing for our own
needs, though this is certainly inn
portant. Beyond II, of course, Is
the ability 10 help others also (cf.
Eph. 4;2S).
III. A God-Given Reward for La
Dor (Eccles. SID.
ONE Of the great compensations
~ Of faithful labor Is sleep. This
passage speaks Of the sleep Of the
laboring man as sweet. When as
Christians we have fulfilled our
duty, when we have given an hon
est days work, the recompense Of
The Lord 10 surcease from labor,
The great stress Of the Word Of
God II similarly on the man In
authority doing that which Is right
Tor those who labor under him,
and on the laborer, 10 be worthy
Of his hire. Thus does the Bible
guarantee q cordial and happy re-
lstionship between employer and
employee. When either party de-
Darts from biblical standards,
chaos results.
Here is a plan as up.to-da,e az the