I went by the field of the lazy man,
And by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding;
And there it was, all overgrown with thorns;
Its surface was covered with nettles;
Its stone wall was broken down.
When I saw it, I considered it well;
I looked on it and received instruction:
A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to rest;
So shall your poverty come like a prowler,
And your need like an armed man (Proverbs 24:30-34).

When you see a house in ruins, you think that some great calamity must have caused it. Oftentimes, this is not the case. Rather than one great calamity, days and weeks and perhaps years of neglect are often the cause. "A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest" is how Proverbs expresses the road to ruin.

It does not happen all at once, but it begins with a decision: "I don't think I'll make my bed this morning." Then another. "I think I'll take out the garbage next week." Then another. "It's okay if I go in to work a bit later today." In due time, bed-making has ceased. The garbage begins to pile up. You receive a pink slip from work. 

Friends, refuse to be lazy. Refuse to procrastinate your responsibilities. Refuse to neglect the small stuff, which supplies the oil to lubricate the engine of progress. If you find yourself caught in the downward spiral of laziness, stop and assess as soon as possible, before your days become weeks and your weeks become years. Recognize where you have gone off track and begin to do again what you have neglected to do, not all at once, lest you become discouraged and quit altogether. As laziness begins with "a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands," so diligence can be attained one step at a time. 

Friends, we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God created in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10); therefore, let us be diligent in doing good, so that God might be most glorified in us. 

By wisdom a house is built,
And by understanding it is established;
And by knowledge the rooms are filled
With all precious and pleasant riches (Proverbs 24:4).

I just completed another wonderful three-day Practicum, where I received inspiration and training in Classical Conversations, a classical Christian educational program for the community of homeschoolers. This verse from Proverbs captures the heart of the trivium, the three stages of the classical model of education: grammar, dialectic, and rhetoric. These three stages correspond to Scripture's three realms of learning: knowledge, understanding and wisdom. Now, Scripture sometimes seems to use these terms interchangeably, but the nuance of each is precisely captured by the trivium. They correspond to the stages of learning anything.

Learning begins with knowledge (or grammar in the trivium). At the most basic level of learning, one must memorize essential facts, that is, the vocabularly of a discipline, whether they be sounds and words in language, notes and symbols in music, ingredients in cooking, etc. In biblical hermeneutics (i.e correctly interpreting the Bible), we say that proper Bible study begins with simple observation, answering the question, "What to do I see?" It is only when foundational knowledge is acquired can the astute student proceed to "understanding," the next stage of learning.

Understanding would correspond to "interpretation" in biblical hermeneutics, where the question asked is "What does it mean?" Beyond simple observation, in this stage questions are asked that require deeper thought, analysis, comparisons and contrasts of words and ideas, historical insight, research, and discovery of what is already known or documented. If the first stage of observation has been done well, interpretation becomes easier and likely provide a more faithful explanation of the text. Understanding would correspond to the dialectic stage of classical education, so that, for instance, learning would move from memorizing terms to grasping the syntax of sentences. 

Finally, there is wisdom (or the rhetorical stage in the trivium) when there is enough mastery of knowledge and depth of understanding, such that the learner could be regarded as a model or a teacher of the discipline. This would be the stage where the learner would be qualified to independently and creatively contribute new information, discovery, and insight. In biblical hermeneutics, application is in view, and it asks the question, "What does it mean for me?" or "How does it apply to my life?" Application follows observation and interpretation.  This order cannot be compromised because a right application always follows a correct understanding of biblical truth, even as a wrong application folllows a misunderstanding of biblical truth. Likewise, there is no wisdom apart from sufficient knowledge and correct understanding. Thus, the rhetorical stage of classical education is best achieved on the foundation of a solid mastery of grammar and a thorough wrestling with the dialectic. 

Knowledge, understanding, wisdom; observation, interpretation, application; grammar, dialectic, rhetoric. These are the stages and proper order for learning anything. When these stages are absent or the order compromised, terrible results ensue: The foolish are put in power. Cults are formed. Social dysfunction becomes normative. 

When people come together for a Bible study and the first and only question they ask is "What does it mean to me?", observation and interpretation are absent. The proper order for biblical hermeneuics is compromised. Those in the study are in danger of distorting biblical truth and making a wrong application to their lives and potentially to the lives of others. 

When we do not follow the classical model for learning, it is like trying to play the piano without knowing the notes or trying to make music without appreciating the work of centuries of musicians that preceded us. It is like cooking without knowing the ingredients or understanding the proportions to mix together to obtain the desired product.

Friends, this is why I encourage everyone to read the Bible through every year. Every time you do, you strengthen your foundation of knowledge, providing a solid context for proper interpretation. This is why I encourage you to daily memorize the Scriptures. This deepens and broadens your knowledge, for we can only evaluate what we remember.

And as you read, when questions arise in your mind and you pursue them in the Scriptures or through books or the internet, you gain understanding. When you compare one text with another, which will naturally happen as you memorize Scripture, your understanding will deepen, so that you will not misinterpret a text through a limited perspective.

Then, as each year passes, as your knowledge and understanding grows, I believe the Holy Spirit will nudge you -- your thoughts, your attitude, and your behavior -- so that you change to become more like Christ. Preaching and teaching from others will be weighed through your own grid of knowledge, understanding and wisdom, so that you will not be moved by every novel idea or eloquent speaker, for you will have gained greater confidence in your handling of the truth. This is not for you to be proud but to be humbly assured because you have put in the effort and time to follow a sound biblical hermenutic to gain wisdom with respect to the truth.

Deliver those who are being taken away to death,
And those who are staggering to slaughter, Oh hold them back.
If you say, “See, we did not know this,”
Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts?
And does He not know it who keeps your soul?
And will He not render to man according to his work? (Proverbs 24:11-12)

This sounds like counsel to help the helpless, to defend the defenseless, to save those about to be unjustly punished. It seems out of place in view of the the other proverbs, which are geared toward self-preservation. Would not such intervention into another's affairs endanger ourselves? But Solomon reveals that wisdom recognizes not merely temporal costs and benefits but also the reality of divine judgment. 

A possible objection is presented in the midst of the counsel. One might argue that they did not know about the situation of the helpless, defenseless, or falsely-accused person. That is why they did not do anything to help. The response to this objection is that God knows their hearts, so that He will judge them according to not what they could not do but what they could have done.

The LXX (Greek translation of the Old Testament, which the NT writers seems to have predominantly used), renders verse 12 a bit differently:

But if thou shouldest say, I know not this man...

This puts a somewhat different twist to the objection. What is claimed is not so much an ignorance of the need but a lack of closeness to the person in need. In other words, the objectior is saying something like, "He's not a family member or a friend" or "He's just a stranger to me." 

If this is the correct understanding of the objection, then the response is more pointed. God is not only the One who weighs hearts to test the motivation of the ones making such an objection, but He is also the one who preserves their souls. This latter point reminds the objectors that they share a common humanity with all men, for God thus created them:

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul (Genesis 2:7 KJV).

So, in a certain sense, we are all brothers and responsible for one another, for we share a common humanity before God. This objection here is very much like the objection made by the Teacher of the Law to Jesus when analyzing the royal command, "Love your neighbor as yourself" (cf. Luke 10:25-37). He asked, "Who is my neighbor?" To this Jesus answered with a story of the Good Samaritan, who, without prejudice or thought of the cost to himself, helped a stranger in need. Jesus, thus, revealed the wrong premise of the Teacher of the Law's question. "Neighbor" was not a limiting term but an expansive term. It was not meant to exclude love to just a select group but to extend love to everyone that shared in a common hunanity.

Friends, this is very convicting to me, for I can see myself making the objection, "I don't know the man." While I'm ready to help those near and dear to me because they are my family or close friends, I am not so moved to help those I don't know so well. I have not readily embraced my responsibility to a common humanity, and to an extent, even my responsibility to those that share a common faith. 

But I am learning to do so. I am learning to do so through my church. I'm learning to do so through our Martial Arts organization. I'm also trying to raise my awareness by considering how I might serve my community, particularly those who are homeless and needy. I pray that you are doing the same.

Proverbs 25
27 It is not good to eat much honey, nor is it glorious to seek one's own glory.

Pulling from C.S Lewis and Ravi Zacharais, God is the answer to so many problematic paradigms.

In the beginning, how can God be love if he was the only one? You need an object of your love to love. Whose God can fulfill this?

In the beginning, when God spoke creation, to whom was he speaking to? Whose God can answer that?

If it is ignoble for one to seek ones glory how can God seek his own glory? Whose God can solve this puzzle?

Now we can simply argue that God doesn't need to conform to any of these ideas; that's right. What pertains to us doesn't require God's. But, he can!

Only Jesus, the son of God, the Father, the Ghost, can resolve all of these. The Trinity is a unique answer that no other religious figure approaches.

When only God was, the community of the trinity allowed for love.
When only God was, the community of the trinity allowed for a speaker and audience.
And only in the trinity can it be that God seeks his own glory and still conform to the idea that it is not glorious to seek your glory.

The Father sought to glorify the Son and the Son sought to glorify the Father.

One does not seek the glory of himself, but of another; and who else deserves the glory more than God, so each person of the Godhead does over himself.
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I would like to join Yujin's comment. Today is my first day of work, returning from a paternity leave. This entire week I experienced the "After all this, it would seem that I should be hungry and tired, but instead I feel energized, content, and full of life."

This week I have cleaned the house, marched flights of stairs several times in an hour, give my wife attention, first daughter attention, second daughter (!) attention, taken care of pets, did some email work, researched some work items, delegated some work, returned phone calls, stayed up late reading, studying, and helped my in-laws move, and change several diapers through the night. I have been feeling great! I have been feeling content and like a man!

But last night, I started preparing to go to work. I started feeling anxious and tired. I couldn't believe this! I considered, 'This is how I feel daily? Ridiculous!' Immediately, I recalled:

Matthew 6:34  “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble"

There are many things that came of me this week that I pray I don't lose sight.

Isaiah 40:1 
but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

There is so much I 'toil' about.

Proverbs 23:4,5 
Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist. When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven.

I chase what shouldn't be a concern, wasting my energy in what does not return energy. The lord feeds the birds, dresses the flowers, I must keep my eyes on the lord, I must wait for the lord.

Friends, there seems so little of Scripture that I can truly bear witness to in my life; however, I've found something today. It is a very practical word. Simply put, it's to BE RESPONSIBLE. Connected to this is the ideal of not being lazy, being diligent, not giving up, being resourceful, and doing your best. In the last few verses of Proverbs 24 and 27 we are given counsel to this effect. These passages are a study in contrast. In the fomer is a description of an irresponsible person, while in the latter a description of a responsible person. 

I walked by the field of a lazy person, the vineyard of one with no common sense. I saw that it was overgrown with nettles. It was covered with weeds, and its walls were broken down. Then, as I looked and thought about it, I learned this lesson: A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest— then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber. (Proverbs 24:30-34 NLT)

In this description of an irresponsible person, we learn the visible manifestations of irresponsible behavior over time. Weeds and nettles fill once fertile fields. Robbers have also stolen all the good fruit, for the walls are broken down, no longer keeping marauders out. We also learn how this state of affairs came to pass. It was not all at once but little by little. Instead of taking care of the nettles and weeds, the lazy person chose to sleep and slumber a little more. Instead of repairing the broken walls, this senseless person chose to give his hands some rest. As the days pass, and every day is treated as unimportant, and this person has gotten used to the extra sleep, slumber and rest, he suddenly finds himself poor and destitute. This graphic depiction teaches the very important principle: BE RESPONSIBLE.

Here is my testimony. I don't choose to be lazy. Who does? But when I am a little tired, depressed, or even a bit confused and out of sorts, I choose the easiest and most immediately pleasant thing. I stay in bed a little longer than I should. I rationalize that it would do my body good to get another hour or so of sleep. I watch a Korean drama. I rationalize that I can improve my Korean language skills or find some emotional satisfaction to recharge my senses. I watch television or play a video game or just surf the web, calling it "down time", which, of course, we all need. I'm being facetious.

But when a day passes like this, then several days, and then a week, by the grace of God I am caused to wake up from my stupor. I find I have unpaid bills, unmanaged properties, my wife and child feel neglected, I am spiritually low, I am more tired and increasingly unmotivated to do anything. Then I scramble to make things right, forsaking sleep, food, and any other pleasantry, just to get things done. After all this, it would seem that I should be hungry and tired, but instead I feel energized, content, and full of life. Oh that I would remember this continually, and not forget, so that I don't pursue those irresponsible periods and face the inevitable losses accompanying them. 

Know the state of your flocks, and put your heart into caring for your herds, for riches don’t last forever, and the crown might not be passed to the next generation. After the hay is harvested and the new crop appears and the mountain grasses are gathered in, your sheep will provide wool for clothing, and your goats will provide the price of a field. And you will have enough goats’ milk for yourself, your family, and your servant girls. (Proverbs 27:23-27 NLT)

Here Solomon describes the contrast to an irresponsible person. The responsible person does not put his hope in present riches or a future inheritance. He acknowledges the uncertainties of life by being aware of what he needs to do and doing it. Knowing the state of one's flocks might be equivalent to being aware of one's finances (e.g. one's income and expenses), so as to stay in budget and keep from spending more than what one earns. Putting one's heart to caring for one's herds might be equivalent to taking care of business, investing wisely, managing resources, etc.

There is a normal cycle of events. After the hay is harvested, the new crop appears. When the sheep and goats are fed with the moutain grasses, the grown sheep will provide wool for clothing and the healthy goats can be sold for a profit. In the meantime, the goats will provide plenty of milk for everyone.

The point seems to be that while life is uncertain, some things are more certain than others. Responsible labor is far more likely to produce financial stability than the expectation of riches or an inheritance. In other words, don't bet on something you cannot control, which is more likely to turn for your harm than for your good, and pursue what you can control, namely, responsible behavior, which is more likely to bring you good than harm. 

I can attest to the truth of this proverb over and over again in my life. Even when I'm tired, depressed, or out of sorts, I have come to understand that if I act responsibly, doing what I know I ought to do, things much more often than not turn out for the good. Life is a collection of choices and time is a most precious commodity; therefore, the choices that we make in the brief time we are given in this world will make all the difference between a life well-lived versus one ending in self-destructive folly. Therefore, let us live RESPONSIBLY in the Lord. 

Below is a discussion on Hypocrisy and whether Christians should rebuke other Christians...

A brother shared this today

(Prov 25:12) "Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is the rebuke of a wise judge to a listening ear." Solomon reminds us that a gentle rebuke is as valuable as gold to one willing to hear it.

I have to admit that’s it not my personality to rebuke or admonish someone who is making bad choices. Partly because I am not very confrontational, and partly because I found most people don’t want a contrarian opinion. In fact, I realize that when people ask for advice they are really looking for endorsement to do what they already made up their mind to do. The key point that Solomon highlights is for those that are truly willing to take advice or counsel, a discerning voice is a welcomed treasure.

As Christians we are actually called to admonish our brothers – Christ says in (Luke 17:3) "If your brother or sister[a] sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them." Paul often rebuked his brothers, always standing by Gods Word over personal feelings. The difficult part of rebuking someone in Christ’s name is the microscope gets put on your life and all you have done – you stand a good chance of being called a hypocrite. I guess the key is that remain humble and sincere that our rebuke is out of general concern for their spirituality and not out of righteousness.

I responded...

Excellent thought! If I might add a thought here... I recently did a study on "hypocrisy," primarily through the New Testament. And this is what I discovered. A person is not a hypocrite just because they do the very same things they are telling others not to do. In Jesus' day, the Pharisees were the model hypocrites, and this was because they set standards for others that they were unwilling to set for themselves. Jesus says of them: "They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them" (Matthew 23:4). In other words, the hypocrite has one set of standards for himself but another for everyone else. Wikipedia defines hypocrisy as "the act of persistently pretending to hold beliefs, opinions, virtues, feelings, qualities, or standards that one does not actually hold. Hypocrisy is thus a kind of lie." This is why Jesus also instructs His disciples with respect to the hypocrites, "You must be careful to do everything they [the Pharisees and teachers of the law] tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach" (Matthew 23:3).

Now, as long as we carry the same standard for ourselves as for others, we are not hypocrites. That standard is the Word of God, which is available for us to use to teach, correct, rebuke, and train each other in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16-17). We fall under this standard as every believer does. The same standard that teaches us not to deceive also teaches us to correct one another. But if we think or say, "I can deceive, but they can't," then we are hypocrites. If we say, "It's okay for me, but not for you," then we are hypocrites. However, if we say, "You can keep me accountable when I sin, and I will keep you accountable when you sin," this is Christian fellowship. We must also know, "Even if you don't keep me accountable when I sin, I will still keep you accountable when you sin" because the principle to teach, correct, encourage and rebuke one another is not given by agreement between like-minded people but rather as a command by God in His Word. Thus, we are to be as "iron sharpening iron" to one another (Proverbs 27:17).

And it is the wise that welcomes rebuke and grows in their wisdom (cf. Proverbs 19:25). But a fool scorns rebuke (Proverbs 23:9). This is why Jesus says in Matthew 7:6, "“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces." There may be a point that we must break fellowship with those that have hardened their hearts to rebuke. They are the Proverbial fool, and the Bible teaches us not to try to turn a fool, because it would be folly for us to do so. Only God can turn a fool. Jesus calls such people dogs and pigs. Such people should be thrown out of the church fellowship (cf. Matthew 18:17; 1 Corinthians 5:5,11).

Our problem today is not that we rebuke too much, but we rebuke too little. With our over-attention on "loving" people, we have disregarded and diluted the holiness of God among the people of God. We have forgotten the instruction of James 5:20, "Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins." We have forgotten what Jesus taught in dealing with sin in the Body of Christ:

Oftentimes, we are taught to "encourage" one another but not to say anything negative to each other. This is not only unbiblical because it is incomplete instruction, it is also dangerous. Even when the Bible teaches believers to encourage one another, oftentimes  that encouragement is to be with a "spur" (Hebrews 10:24-25). And living the Gospel of Christ richly with respect to the Christian's daily fellowship with one another happens, according to Paul, when we "teach and admonish one another" (Colossians 3:16). When we fail to practice church discipline, we lose our "saltiness," that is, our effective witness as the conscience to a godless world system. We become like the world, and then we become "good for nothing" (cf. Matthew 5:13).

Now, these commands to correct, rebuke and admonish one another are always accompanied by the command to do so with love. So Paul writes, "Speak the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15). We rebuke not with a view to show we are right but to restore a brother or sister to a right standing with God (cf. Matthew 18:15, to "win them over"). Therefore, we are to be gentle as we seek to restore them (cf. Galatians 6:1; 2 Timothy 2:25). This is the intent in the instruction by Paul in Ephesians 4:2-3,

As an aside, Ephesians 4 is a terrific chapter to correct a contemporary misconception about "unity," which usually accompanies discussions about not criticizing others. In this chapter Paul uses the word in two different senses. In the first sense (given above), it reflects the attitude that Christians should have toward one another, as ones who share the grace of God. It is a unity that God has established and Christians should maintain. Then in verse 13, Paul uses the word in another sense, that is, as a "unity" to be attained that has to do with a maturity in the knowledge and fullness of Jesus Christ. Reading the context of the second use, we get the impression that that unity is forged on the anvil of correction and rebuke, "speaking the truth in love" (v. 15), with the results that "we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming" (v. 14). Both unities are important. One must be maintained and the other pursued.

Therefore, let us correct and rebuke even as we teach and encourage one another. Let us not buy into the political correctness that says that it is more important to be "sensitive" to people's feelings than to speak the truth. This may be politically correct, but it is biblically incorrect. Instead, let us speak the truth in love, taking the good part from Jesus' words to "the angel of the church in Ephesus," namely, being passionate about truth and not tolerating falsehood (Revelation 2:1-7), as well as the good part from Jesus' words to "the angel of the church in Thyatira," namely, growing in loving service to one another (Revelation 2:18-29).