Words of Laziness in the Bible

Words of “Laziness” in the Bible
(A Sunday School Lesson taught at SBBC)
Proverbs 15:19 

My prayer as I prepared this Sunday School lesson for our church was to help not only our church but also my family as well. I did not realize all the scripture verses that were in the Bible and how God views laziness. I have never considered myself lazy because work is my pleasure. I am happiest when working. But the further I dove into the richness of God’s word concerning this growing epidemic in America, and the hidden laziness now revealed to me, the more I realized how important it was to my people and my family to learn of God’s view on this matter. 

(ALL THE ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS ARE AT THE BOTTOM OF LESSON)    

INTRODUCTION

  • Webster’s Dictionary defines the word “lazy” as 1) Not eager or willing to work or exert one’s self. 2) Slow and heavy; sluggish
  • Being lazy is not a good thing, nor is it Godly.
  • God abhors (hates)
  • Being lazy is like having a disease. If you have it, it will eventually kill you faster than normal.
  • Laziness is becoming a wide spread epidemic across our country and younger generation.

Q 1) How can you know if you are lazy? (fill in the blanks)

  1. You have very little, or a) _______________________to keep busy.
  2. You make b) _________________ for not working, or being busy.
  3. You are c) _______________most of the time.
  4. If you continually sleep more than d) ______________hrs. a day.
  5. You are very good at getting others to e) _________ __________
    __________  for you.
  6. You enjoy f) _________________ _____________ work while you g) ________   ________  your backside and do nothing.
  7. You pretend you don’t know how to do something, and ask others for help.
  8. You blame others, or something else for your inabilities (It means you blame others for h) ___________________________________.
  9. You think only of i) ________________________, what you will eat next, when is nap/bed time.
  • Let us see what the Bible says about laziness.

 

I. Slothful (Lazy, doing nothing)

  A) A lazy person 

  • Proverbs 15:19 The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns:

Q 2); Any time you see the words “the way,” it is meaning __________    ___________ to follow or the road you are on, or the life you have.

Q 3);

So here (Prov. 15:19) it says that “The life of a lazy person is full of thorns” What does this mean? (Circle one)

  1. Full of problems, difficulties, struggles (health, money, or material problems)
  2. God will always put thorn bushes near you.
  3. You are not considered lazy unless you carry thorns. 
  • One of the problems laziness creates is that other people get angry when you are lazy because it generally creates more work for them. These are “thorns” in the flesh.

Q 4);

  • The rest of Proverbs 15:19 says… “..but the way of the righteous is made plain.” Here Solomon continues with saying… (circle one)
  1. Righteous living is plain (boring)
  2. “The life of the righteous person,” is clearly the opposite of laziness.”
  3. A lazy person is not righteous.
  4. All the above
  5. Both b. and c.

Q 5); The word “righteous” means…____________________________________________________________________________________.

 

Q 6); Proverbs 18:9…He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a ___________________________________________________. 

  • This verse means that a person who does not want to hold down a job, or do work of any kind is doing nothing but wasting other people’s time, wasting other people’s energy, and wasting other people’s lives.
  • God considers people who waste time, effort and friendship to be worthless in His Kingdom.
  • God commanded man to work by the sweat of his brow (Gen. 3:19) 

Q 7); What does it mean in Proverbs 18:9 b…a person who is slothful (lazy) “is brother to him?” (circle one)

  1. You are the same as
  2. You are blood relative to
  3. It is kinfolk

I. Slothful (Laziness, doing nothing)

  A) Another word meaning a lazy person (continued)

  • Proverbs 21:25…The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour. 26) He coveteth greedily all the day long: but the righteous giveth and spareth not.
  • Let us examine these two verses carefully….
  • 25 a) The desire of the slothful killeth him; What Solomon is saying here is that a person who enjoys being lazy will end up dying quicker than someone who works hard.

Q 8); Solomon says that “The desire of a lazy person kills him.”
What does He mean? How does laziness kill a person? (circle one)

  1. It kills your body’s mind, muscles, energy and stamina.
  2. It kills relationships with others
  3. It kills any opportunity for work (No one will hire a lazy person)
  4. It kills your possessions (car, house, things you own) because you are too lazy to take care of your house, car or things and make them last a long time.
  5. Both a) and d)
  6. All the above
  • Proverbs 21:25 b)“…for his hands refuse to labour.” There is a big difference in someone who “refuses” to work, and someone who “cannot” work.

Q 9); Refuses to work– Means that you will ____________   ________________  ________________ for not working.

  • Refusing to work is rebellion against God.
  • Refusing to work is LAZINESS!

Q 10); Cannot work– Means… someone who is _______________ _________________________ to the extent of not being able to work.

  • BEING DEAF or HANDICAP IS NOT AN EXCUSE FOR “CANNOT WORK.”
  • This is the biggest problem with many deaf. Hearing people have crippled the deaf by telling them to collect SSDI and sit on their backside to not work. It is “killing” the deaf.
  • Yes, there are jobs that you “cannot” do. But there are many that you “can do.”
  • I believe that people who are born deformed, born crippled, born deaf, born blind are special to God. They are a “peculiar” people. God wants to see what you are made of. Are you a lazy deaf person? Or, are you a determined deaf person.

Q 11);  Note now what Solomon says in Proverbs 21:26 a)… “He (meaning the lazy person) coveteth greedily all the day long:” QUESTION: What does the word “covet” mean?
(circle one below)

  1. Want something really badly (or desire much).
  2. To cover it
  • A lazy person is always “wanting (coveting)” five things…
  1. Wanting “a break,”
  2. Wanting “to do something else,”
  3. Wanting “to be somewhere else,”
  4. Wanting “more money, or food,”
  5. Wanting “the clock to move faster so they can leave the work they are doing to go home relax, and do nothing.”

 

Q 12); Look up these verses on the word “covet” and write down what the Bible says “NOT” to covet in each verse below…

Exodus 20:17

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Micah 2:2

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Another word for LAZINESS in the Bible is….

II. Slothfulness (Laziness, doing nothing)

  • Proverbs 19:15 …Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger.
  • Laziness makes a person sleep a deeper sleep (more than normal)

 

Q 13); Do you know what sleeping or relaxing too much does to your body? (circle one)

  1. Your muscles ______________________.
  2. Your mind becomes ___________________.
  3. Your life is __________________.
  • Proverbs 19:15 b“…and an idle soul shall suffer hunger.
  • When a person doesn’t do anything to earn their living, they will end up starving.

 Q 14); The word “idle” means…

  1. ___________ _____________________
  2. ___________ _____________________ 
  • And the word “hunger” here can mean a hunger for food, or hunger for spirituality, or a hunger for friendship/fellowship, or a hunger for necessities.
  • We tend to forget that God wants us to be “happy” he wants to see us “blessed.” And the only way to be blessed/ happy is to do as God says and WORK, not be LAZY.
  • God doesn’t want us to starve spiritually or physically, but He also knows that bringing us to a humbling position (by starving) will help us to “know” Him more. 
  • Ecclesiastes 10:18…By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.
    There are several ways to look at this verse…
  1. 18 a) “By much slothfulness the building decayeth;” One way to interpret this verse is …When a person is very lazy about taking care of his home or the house of God, then it will deteriorate (ruin quickly or droppeth through). When you own your own home and don’t take care of it, it will cost you more money to fix it later.
    The second way to interpret this verse is… when you are too lazy to take care of your body (building) that God gave you, it will die sooner than you want it to or it will deteriorate, start falling apart. Our body is the property (vessel) of God, take care of it.
  2. 18 b)…“and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.” If you don’t do anything to towards the upkeep (repairs) of the house, it will collapse (drop through). Same with your physical body (House), if you don’t go to the doctor, don’t exercise, don’t work, don’t do anything to help your body become in shape, then it will have nothing but problems and issues to deal with. 

 

Another word that describes Laziness is …

 III. Idle (standing or sitting still to do nothing)

  • Let us look at what Jesus thinks about people who do not want to work. Look at Matthew 20: 1-5…
  • You will note Jesus is giving a “parable” (truth inside a story).
  • Jesus is talking about wages of the vineyard workers. Now the “vineyard” is a metaphor for the workplace, the church, or an individual’s spirituality.
  • We will not get into the real interpretation of this parable, but merely tap into it’s concept of work.
  • Note verse 1… a homeowner has work that needs to be done and he can’t do it by himself, and quite possibly he has a limited time in which it needs to be done. So, he gets up early in the morning and goes to search for help (workers).
  • Verse 2…he starts off early hiring men at 1 penny a day.
  • Verse 3… he notices some men standing there doing nothing (idle) at 9:00am and asks them to come work for him.
  • Verse 4… Here the homeowner tells men to go out there and start working with the others and he will pay them whatever is right. (No price was set.)
  • Verse 5… He goes out again about 12:00 pm and 3:00 pm and hires more men at whatever price is right.
  • Now notice once again in Verse 6……And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? 7) They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.

Q 15); The eleventh hour is ________________ in the afternoon and the day is almost over  when the man goes to town again and found “others standing idle,”

  • I’m sorry, but when men are standing around doing nothing and obviously hadn’t done anything all day (Because no sweat was evidenced), THEY ARE LAZY.
  • In fact, in my opinion, anyone who doesn’t get around before noon is lazy. (Of course this does not mean 2nd, and 3rd shift job holders, or someone who has already worked long hours.) 

Q 16); What was their lousy excuse for not working (Matt. 20:7 a)?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

  • You know what the situation is here? They were waiting for the job to come to them. They didn’t go out and try to find work.
  • They were waiting on opportunity to come knocking on their door.
  • You gotta love this home owner in verse 7 c… “He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.”
  • The words “go ye into the vineyard” means… “Get your little behind busy and work!”
  • Lazy people are always making excuses for “Why” they aren’t able to work. Here are a few of their excuses….
  1. I don’t like that kind of work.
  2. I don’t know how to do it.
  3. I’m deaf.
  4. I’m crippled.
  5. I don’t like the people I have to work with.
  6. I have other things that are more important to do.

 

Discussion:

Name some excuses you have used or heard.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

  • God will not tolerate lazy people for very long. His judgment is soon to come on those who are lazy. 

Q 17); Can people “learn” to be lazy?  (circle one)     YES / NO 

  • Now I want to take you to I Timothy chapter 5…
  • In this chapter, Timothy is teaching on how to treat church members, the widows, the elders and so on.
  • But note verse 13…And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.
  • There are some people who do nothing except drive around and visit others (I should say bother others that are busy working). These people are “idle” or “lazy.”
  • Pay attention to the first part of the verse “learn to be idle,” Idle is another word for lazy right… How do you learn to be lazy? What does it mean… Learn to be idle?
  • You learn by watching others. You learn by listening to the tempting voice of satan who loves to ruin God’s children.
  • Another meaning of this term “learn to be idle (lazy)” is the fact that laziness comes from a bad habit of sitting, standing, or not doing anything for long periods of time.

Example; A person who has worked hard and injured themselves, now are bedridden and taking medication for weeks.  This can make a person lazy because it is painful to work.

Example; A child growing up and never having chores, or work to do in helping the family will have lazy tenancies. Therefore, they will try getting several jobs and may be fired or laid off if they do not have a good work ethic.

Q 18); It is ________________ to start working when your body is not used to it. But pain is necessary for growth. (The same for spiritual growth.)

Q 19); People who are lazy and do not work are described in three ways…

  1. _______________________ – People who tell on others. People who go door to door or video phone call to others and gossip.
  2. _______________________ – a person who sticks their nose in other people’s business. Nosy Person who causes trouble. A gossiper.
  3. ________________________________________________________a person who says things to others that are supposed to be confidential or private.
  • These are the characteristics of a lazy person because they have nothing better to do.
  • God wants you to keep busy doing something with your hands besides gossip on the video phone. 

Another word in the KJV Bible for Laziness is …

 IV. Idleness (standing or sitting still to do nothing)

  A) Housewives

  • Now then, I believe the ladies or housewives think that God only expects the husbands to work. HA!
  • Look at what God told Solomon to write….Proverbs 31:27 …She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
  • Okay, let us investigate….
  • 31, and verse 27 a…“She looketh well to the ways of her household,”

Q 20); This part of the verse means that a woman who loves her family will __________ __________ of her family.

Q 21); “to look well” means to look at your home with a heart of ____________________ and ____________________________ to do what is necessary to make your home thrive or flourish.  

  • This verse is God’s plan for a “righteous” woman of the home. 

Q 22); The word “household” means… (circle one)

  1. Everyone is to hold the house
  2. Everyone on hold with the telephone company in your house
  3. Everyone that lives within the house.
  •  This does NOT mean that she is responsible to fix all the things that go wrong with the house (such as plumbing, electrical, repairs, and etc.) 

Q 23); Note 31:27 b…“and eateth not the bread of idleness.” This means…. what?
(circle one below)

  1. She is not supposed to eat bread that has been laying on the counter (idle).
  2. She will not allow herself to sit around and do nothing day after day, week after week.
  3. “Idleness” is the brand name of a bread that Jews do not eat.
  • A woman who doesn’t do the housework, or raise the children or see to the needs of her husband is LAZY and unrighteous.
  • Look ladies, don’t get mad at me (Bro. Ron), God said it, I’m just preaching it.

B) People in general

  • Look into Ezekiel 16:49… Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.
  • Ezekiel was a prophet who was preaching here in chapter 16 to Judah, comparing them to Samaria and Sodom. He was telling them that their judgment is going to be pretty harsh for their sins that they have committed.

Q 24); What were their sins? Look at verse 49 and fill in the blanks…

  • “___________” I believe this was a pride about themselves to think they were better than others, smarter than others and more holy than others. I also believe that it is possible that they thought themselves above sin.
  • “______________ _____     _____________” When a person is “full” it means you cannot eat any more. You are content with yourself, without need of anything more. It is like Lot in Sodom (Gen. 13:10)
  • “________________ _____  ________________” A Characteristic of sinful people who indulge in their sin is “idleness” or laziness. Here in this verse, Ezekiel was talking about an “abundance” of laziness. In other words… almost everyone had become lazy in the entire city. The people were happy and content with their sins and one of which is being “lazy.”
  • They had got to the point of not working, or calling in sick so they would stay home and drink excessively, then eat themselves into oblivion, and have sex with whomever they wanted and whatever gender they wanted. Blatant sin, wide open laziness, and non-convicting ungodliness. The worst part of this was that these were practices of what they called “worship.”
    “___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.”
  • You know what this is? When a person gets so involved with their sins of pride, apathy and laziness, then they could care less for the poor and others in need.
  • All they can think about is “their own” needs. Selfish, selfish, selfish.

 

Another word that describes “A lazy person” in the bible is…

V. Sluggard

  A) Lessons from the ant

  • The Hebrew word for “sluggard” is ʿāṣēl. 

Q 25); In short, it means… “___________ ______________”

  • Look at Proverbs 6:6…Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: 

Q 26); Fill in the blanks below

  1. 6 a)…“Go to the ant” …means what? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
  1. 6 b)…“..thou sluggard” means “you lazy person.” What Solomon is saying here so far in this verse is… “watch the ant you lazy person and learn what the ant does, and _____________________ __________________________________.”
    Let me ask you… Have you ever see an ant sitting still? You never see an ant that is lazy. Never (unless you have sprayed it with bug spray.)
  2. 6 c)…“…consider her ways, and be wise:” the word “consider” means to _______________________________________________________________________________________
  • Basically, the verse says… “Watch the ant and notice how busy it is all the time. You who are a lazy person should be the same way…busy doing something.”
  • Get up off your well padded duff and get busy!

B) Lazy people sleep a lot

  • I’ll guess, that not a one of you expected to see this much in the Bible about “laziness.”
  • Proverbs was written by the wisest man to ever live… King Solomon.
  • Look at Proverbs 6:9…How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
  • I can’t help but think that quite possibly Solomon is sick of seeing lazy people by the way he asks these two questions.
  1. How long are you going to sleep? This is implying that the sluggard (lazy person) sleeps long hours. Typically more than what is suggested or normal. I recently was told by my “Sleep Therapist” that a person only needs 4-5hrs. of good solid sleep. Now I do believe that this was meant for a person my age (50+).
  2. “when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? In this second question Solomon implies that people are waiting and wondering when a lazy person is going to be available to help.
  • Now look at verse 10) Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
  • Now typically the word “hands” in the Bible is used implicating “work.” So if we are able to use the same application here would mean “a little relaxation from your work.”
  • What Solomon says is that “a person who sleeps a little here and there and quits working so they can sleep more…here is your punishment and judgment of God”
  • Now note verse 11) So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.

Q 27); What does Solomon mean in this verse by saying…

  • “So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth…”
    ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
  • “thy want as an armed man.”
    ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________     

C) Lazy people bring pain and ruin to others

  • Let us examine this next verse in Proverbs 10:26…As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to them that send him.

Q 28); What does “vinegar” do to your teeth?  ____________________________________________________________________________________________

Q 29); What does “smoke” do to your eyes? ____________________________________________________________________________________________

  • This is what a lazy person (sluggard) does to his employer (them that sent him).
  • When an employer sends a lazy person to do a job or perform a duty, the lazy person will irritate the client because the lazy person does not take the time to do the job right, or the lazy person takes too many breaks, or the lazy person will not perform their duty or job as sufficiently or effectively.
  • They are a “waster” of time, money, and effort. 

D) Lazy people are always in want, and have nothing 

  • Look at Proverbs 13:4…The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.
  • This is why I believe that God does not like laziness in His people. This is a result of their sin of laziness.
  • With every sin there is a judgment upon those who continue in that sin.

Look at these sins and their judgments from God…

SIN                                                 JUDGMENT/punishment

Worship of false gods                 Death (Spiritual and physical)

Homosexuality                            AIDS (Death sooner)

Smoking                                         Cancer Death sooner)

Stealing                                           You will have your things stolen

Gossip                                             People will gossip about you

Adultery                                         Sexual diseases, family pain, trust    issues

Laziness                                         You will desire to have things, but    receive nothing.

 

  • Now look at the last part of Proverbs 13:4 b… “but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.”
  • The word “diligent” is chârûts in the Hebrew language and it means… active, not idle, working, keeping busy, or determination to finish.
  • So basically, Solomon in this verse is telling us that … a busy or active person will have an abundance (big amount) of the things they want or need (be made fat).

E) Lazy people are always making excuses

  • Now look at this last verse containing the word “sluggard,” in Proverbs 20:4…The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have
  • This verse brings to light one of the characteristics of lazy people. They continually make excuses for their laziness. In this case (Prov. 20:4) the lazy person will not plow his field and get it ready for harvest because “It’s too cold outside.”
  • Now then in the latter part of the verse we can see the result of that sin of laziness when Solomon says… 24 b) “…therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have” Since the lazy person did not do his work to prepare the field for harvest, then the lazy person will starve, and have nothing.
  • The “harvest” is when farmers are “reaping what they have sown.”
  • They are getting their money for their crops.
  • If you didn’t plant anything, then you get no money.
  • If you do not work you get no money.
  • This is the jest of this whole concept of God’s expectations and judgments for His people…

You work hard and prepare ahead of time…

You will have all you need, when you need it.

You work a little bit and prepare a little bit…

You will have a little of your needs supplied, and it may be there if you need it.

If you do not work and don’t prepare for the future…

You will have nothing when you need it

  • Blessed means happy. If you want God to bless you, and make you happy, get up off your backside and get to work.
  • A lazy person usually does not provide for the family, spouse, or their church.

F) Lazy people are not providers

  • God has commanded the man to be the provider of the family, not the woman.
  • In today’s world (and much like the Corinthian church) the women have become providers while men do nothing.
  • I Timothy 5:8…But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

Q 30); In I Tim. 5:8, Timothy lists 2 areas of providing that man is responsible for. What does each one mean?

  1. But if any provide not for his own, means…_______________________________________
    ______________________________________________________________________________________
  2. and specially for those of his own house, means…________________________________
    ______________________________________________________________________________________
  • Note that God said that if you do not provide for yourself or your family, that you are worse than an “infidel.”

Q 31); What does the word “infidel” mean? (circle one)

  1. A fiddler on the roof
  2. A baby
  3. A lazy person
  4. A lost (non-Christian) person
  • People who are not saved work hard. The problem is that most of them work for the wrong reason.
  • Can you think of some wrong reasons why most people work?
    ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

VI. What We Are Supposed to Do With Lazy People?

  A) We have set the example

  • Look into II Thessalonians 3:6-7…
  • II Thessalonians 3, Verse 6) Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us. 7) For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you;
  • I believe that it very important that we realize that this command did not come from Paul nor Timothy. It came from God who gave them the authority to command it.
  • The reason for them talking about “people who were walking disorderly” was because that is what they were doing.
  • The command was… “…that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly.”

Q 32); What does it mean to “withdraw yourselves?” (circle one)

  1. Remove yourself from being with people who do not keep order in their home.
  2. Withdraw all your money from the bank.
  3. Drink green persimmon wine during communion so that it causes your mouth to draw up like a raisin.
  4. Do not associate yourself with.
  • Then Paul tells them who they are to “withdraw yourselves “ from “…every brother that walketh disorderly.”

Q 33); What does the word “disorderly” mean?

  1. Not in order
  2. Not behaving right
  3. Not in the order (conduct/action) that God approves. 
  • Now in this next verse we can see Paul using the “elect of God (God’s pastors/leaders)” as examples to the flock to teach them… in verse 8)  Neither did we eat any man’s bread for nought;
  • This means … “We did not eat any food free of charge.” In other words…If the disciples or men of God were hungry, they worked for it and earned the right to eat from another man’s table or house.
  • Then Paul finishes the verse in II Thess. 3:8 b “…but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you: (In other words…They worked overtime to insure no doubt about their earning their payment.
  • Some people are clock watchers and others are loafers (Lazy), while others work more than required to make sure they put in a good days work and earn their money.
  • Here’s where Paul says that they did it to be a good example to other Christians of what God expects from men in verse 9) Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us.
  • The word “power” here means “authority.” Paul is saying in verse 9… “We do have the authority to receive monetary support from you as we minister, but we choose to work for our needs to be an example for you to follow. 

Discussion: Why did God command the church to support the pastor/priests in the church?  ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

  • Still in II Thessalonians 3, now examine verse 10) For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.

Q 34); What does Paul mean here in verse 10, when he says “If you don’t work for a living then you should not eat.”

  1. If you don’t work then God expects you to starve yourself until you die because you are worthless.
  2. If you don’t work then you should not expect others to buy you food to eat.
  3. If you do not work then you should not eat at the public’s expense. They should not be supported by the church. 
  • If people are not able to work or cannot find a job for the time being, God says that they should work for the church or others to get what they need. Never should a child of God be “begging” for food or money. NEVER!
  • Look at what the Psalmist wrote (Inspired of God) in Psalm 37:25…I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed (children) begging bread.
  • If you are a child of God, He will not have His children who are always trying to do the right thing begging for food or anything to sustain life.
  • Paul then goes on to tell us in II Thess. 3, and verse 11) For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.
  • Paul is really saying here that when you do not work, then it causes your body to act “disorderly” according to God’s design for mankind. So what happens is that your body says “I need to be “busy” doing something.
  • Then this is when Satan says … “You need to be a “busybody.”
  • A person who is lazy, or will not work or sits around being idle all day is a busybody under Satan’s rule.

Q 35); What is a “busybody?” (circle one)

  1. A person who is always busy working.
  2. A person who has their nose in other people’s business.
  3. A person who causes trouble all the time. 

Q 36); See also I Timothy 5:13, and write down what it says about busybodies.

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  • Now back in II Thessalonians 3, verse 12) Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.
  • Paul is experiencing the same problem we preachers are experiencing today.
  • You preach and tell people that they are supposed to work and earn a living and they still don’t go find work.
  • This verse simply tells us… “If you are lazy and do not want to work for a living, then we are command by Jesus Christ to “exhort/warn” you to leave them alone and let them defend themselves (find money, or food through some other source, but not through the local church.)
  • What the worldly people do not know… Is that God designed the church (God’s people) to help their own pastor and members that are in need who are willing to work or have worked all their life for a living.
  • Stop and think about it… If everyone were lazy, then how would the church pay its pastor? How would the church pay support to its missionaries? How would the church pay their bills? How would the church function as God intended?
  • Back in II Thessalonians 3, and verse 13) But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.

Q 37); What does Paul mean by “..be not weary in well doing?” (circle one)

  1. Do not be discouraged from doing good to the truly worthy and deserving, by the idleness and improper conduct of some who asked their help.
  2. Laziness causes you to be weary/tired.
  3. Don’t be lazy when you are trying to do something good. 
  • Really this verse has a meaning from God in all sins that men do… “Don’t get weary” or don’t ever get tired of helping or forgiving people that struggle doing the right thing.
  • I believe that a true worshiper of God will eventually start doing what they are supposed to if we show patience and forgiveness as Christ did.
  • KEEP IN MIND… That God has limits and we are expected to have limits as well… Note verse 14) And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.
  • If you keep telling people over and over to get a job, or quit being lazy and they don’t obey, God says what? “have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.”
  • Well, what does that mean?
  • First of all here is the proper discipline for lazy people…
    1. “…note that man” means to proceed with discipline.
    2. “have no company with him” means to not fellowship with them, do not invite them to church activities or functions.
    3. “that he may be ashamed.” When people are ashamed they eventually repent.
  • The world today does not believe in this kind of discipline. This is why people are lazy and don’t feel guilty about it and suck our states dry of their financial funds to pay welfare to lazy people.
  • Paul further adds to the disciplinary action taken…
  • Note verse 15) Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
  • While we discipline them, while we separate ourselves from those who continue to sin, we must not treat them like the enemy by getting angry at them or being mean to them and unloving.
  • But rather, we are to “admonish” them like a sibling (blood brother or sister.)

Q 38); What does the word “admonish” mean?

  1. Caution someone against their specific faults
  2. Add mo’ polish to their shame.
  3. Tar and feather them for shaming purposes.
  4. Warn them that God will not allow them in heaven.
  • God does not allow laziness. God does not expect us to allow it either.
  • God’s people will and always will be workers.
  • Ask yourself this question… “Was Jesus lazy?”
  • Aren’t we supposed to follow Jesus example?
  • If Jesus was not lazy then neither should we be lazy.
  • What is preventing you from getting a job?
  • What is preventing you from doing work?
  • What is preventing you from obeying God’s commands?

ANSWERS To This Study on “LAZINESS”

  1. no desire b. excuses c. tired   d. eight  e. do your work
    f. watching others g. sit on  h. things you cannot do  i. yourself
  2. the path
  3. Full of problems, difficulties, struggles (health, money, or material problems)
  4. Both b. and c.
  5. Doing what is right in God eyes.
  6. Great waster
  7. you are the same as
  8. all the above
  9. Find an excuse
  10. Physically Handicapped
  11. Want something really badly (or desire much).
  12. neighbors house, wife, maid, butler, ox, ass, or anything
    b. fields
  13. collapse b. dormant   c. boring
  14. going nowhere  b. doing nothing
  15. Five o’clock
  16. “Because no man hath hired us.”
  17. YES
  18. Painful
  19. tattlers b. busybodies  c. saying things they shouldn’t say
  20. take care
  21. compassion and a willingness
  22. Everyone that lives within the house.
  23. She will not allow herself to sit around and do nothing day    after day, week after week.
  24. pride b. fullness of bread   c. abundance of idleness   d. “neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.”
  1. Lazy person
  2. look at the ant or observe the ant. Notice or watch the ant. 2. Apply it to yourself 3. stop and think or think strongly about doing what the ant does.
  3. You will start out thinking you have enough money for whatever and then you will run out. b. Your desire to get what you need will be in drastic measure.
  4. It eats the enamel off your teeth, which leads to cavities.
  5. It burns, it irritates, and it causes them to water up not allowing your eyes to operate correctly (blurred vision).
  6. providing for himself b. providing for his wife and children
  7. A lost (non-Christian) person
  8. Do not associate yourself with.
  9. Not in the order (conduct/action) that God approves.
  10. If you do not work then you should not eat at the public’s expense. They should not be supported by the church.
  11. A person who has their nose in other people’s business.
  12. They learn to be idle, going from house to house bothering others who are trying to get their own work done, they are tattlers (those who enjoy spreading gossip about other people), and saying things that should not be told (telling other people’s secrets).
  13. Do not be discouraged from doing good to the truly worthy and deserving, by the idleness and improper conduct of some who asked their help.
  14. Caution someone against their specific faults