Arizona sun., 1947-08-29
EDITORS NOTE: Lesson subjects
and Scripture texts selected and copy
righted by International Council OF Re-
Hgious Education: used by permission.
BY WILLIAM CULBERTSON, d. d.
Of The MOOdv Bible Institute, Chicago

VXIISE indeed is 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. 1t is well to keep
in mind that before the fall man
was commanded to tend the garden.
Perhaps to some of us that COM
mand is not command to work,
because the evidences of sin in a
cursed creation were not present!
Life without purpose, life with
out activity for good, would be
vain and actually intolerable.
1. An Illustration of Prudence and
a Warning Against Incidence prov.
6:6-11; 1870.
THE illustration from the crea-
l. ture world is apt. Ants, as this
scripture states, have no overseer,
and yet they are diligent in provid-
ing for the time Of need.
It would seem as though they are
constantly active in caring for pres
ent and future needs. In Palestine,
where they may be active through
out the year, there is still the need
of stored provisions for the rainy
season, and so it is true that the ant
gathers food in the harvest for future
need.
Anyone who is tempted to be in
dolent would be wise to consider
the ways of the ant, and to manifest
as much concern for present and
future needs.
The sluggard is described as one
asleep, as one who is never salts
fed, but constantly wants more
slumber. Such folding of the hands.
such Incidence, brings poverty,
and that poverty comes as robber.
Incidence is not mere passivity.
The man who fails to work is not
guilty of Omitting to do what he
should do, but he is actually a rob-
ber 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-
manned undOne. The sluggard is
therefore a brother to the destroy
er prov. 18:9).
III. An Illustration of Incidence and
a Lesson in Prudence prov. 24:30-
32).
1T is striking that the Word Of God
L presents the ant as the illustra-
ton Of prudence, but when it comes
to an illustration of Incidence it di-
rects 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 vineyard, he
finds it 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 inac-
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
it.
Entirely apart from the dignity
of labor, the hOmely recompense
Of being able to meet eur own
needs is the compensation of self
respect that initiative and re-
sourcefulness bring. May we have
a higher goal as we labor than
merely providing for our own
needs, though this Is certainly i'm
portant. Beyond it, of course, is
the ability to 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 is surcease from labor.
The great stress Of the Word of
God is similarly on the man in
authority doing that which is right
for those who labor under him,
and on the laborer, to be worthy
of his hire. Thus does the Bible
guarantee a cordial and happy re-
latiOnship between employer and
employee. When either party de-