We Must Observe and Learn from Instruction

(Proverbs 24:27–34)

Everyone, this world is full of things we can observe and learn from. Though we may casually overlook them, if we take a moment to observe, reflect, and think deeply, there are countless things from which we can learn. One such example is the ant.

These days, I’ve been engaged in a battle with ants. I keep finding ants in various parts of my house, and whenever I do, I not only kill them but also try to find where they’re coming from to seal up any cracks or holes — it’s been a bit of a hassle. But whenever I think about ants, I’m reminded of Proverbs 6:6–11, which we’ve already meditated on.

Back then, we learned about lazy people who are worse than ants and how they should go to the ant, observe its ways, and gain wisdom. What kind of wisdom should the lazy learn? That even without a leader or overseer, ants work voluntarily, diligently, and cooperatively (v.7). Also, they should learn to prepare in advance for the future (v.8). However, the lazy person says, “A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest” (v.10). As a result, poverty will come upon the lazy person like a robber, overpowering them.

So even by observing ants, there are things we can learn. Likewise, as we live in this world, we need to observe, think, and receive instruction.

In Proverbs 24:32, the writer says:
“I observed and took it to heart; I looked and received instruction.”

Let’s reflect on this verse and consider under the title “We Must Observe and Learn from Instruction” three things we need to observe and learn from.

First, we must learn to prepare in advance what needs to be prepared.

Look at Proverbs 24:27:
“Put your outdoor work in order and get your fields ready; after that, build your house.”

Usually, when we think of building a house, what comes to mind as the first thing to prepare? Likely, financial preparation. If you decide to build a house, you must first set a proper budget. Then, you need to purchase land in the right location, check the costs, and inspect the site. Afterward, you should consult with architects, check regulations and zoning laws, and then proceed with design and construction.

Similar advice appears in Luke 14:28–30:
“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’”

Isn’t this accurate? If you begin construction without financial preparation, you may only complete the foundation and be unable to finish the project. And what will people say when they see the unfinished building?

Years ago, during my first visit to Xi’an, China, where a senior pastor resided, I noticed something curious during the taxi ride from the airport. I saw many buildings under construction, with cranes perched atop unfinished skyscrapers. I’d never seen so many uncompleted buildings before. Looking into the cause online, I found two main reasons: changes in the real estate market and government policy. But more specifically, one major reason was “insufficient follow-up funding,” due to unexpected disruptions in developer investments or halted bank loans.

So in Proverbs 24:27, the writer emphasizes that if you want to build a house, you must first make necessary preparations — specifically, economic ones (as noted by scholar Yoon-Sun Park).

What if a couple preparing for marriage focused on everything except financial readiness? Even if they go through with the wedding, financial issues could become a source of constant conflict. In fact, a survey by the job portal Career.co.kr of 278 married employees found that the most common reason for marital conflict (25.5%) was financial issues. Additionally, the Korea Legal Aid Center for Family Relations reported that among 3,537 people who sought divorce counseling in 2005, 33% of those separated cited financial problems, such as debt or inability to provide for the family, as the main reason.

We all know these things to some extent. So the important question is: How can we prepare financially, as Proverbs 24:27 urges, in order to build a strong family?

The answer lies in Proverbs 6:7–8, which we’ve already meditated on:
“Ants have no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet they store up their food in the summer and gather their provisions at harvest.”

You’re probably familiar with Aesop’s fable The Ant and the Grasshopper. In this story, while the ants work diligently during summer, the grasshopper sings and mocks them:
“Hey ants, why are you preparing for winter during summer? Are you crazy?”
Yet the ants continue to work hard under the hot sun for the coming cold. The grasshopper, having done nothing but sing all summer, finds himself begging for food in winter.

As children, we learned from this story that we should be like the ants, not the lazy grasshopper. But now, as adults, we understand that the deeper lesson is the wisdom of preparing in advance for the future.

Proverbs 6:8 urges lazy people to learn this wisdom from the ant: to prepare ahead of time for what’s to come. Proverbs 30:25 also describes ants as creatures who prepare food in the summer. Why? Because in Palestine, summer is harvest season (according to Dr. Park Yoon-Sun), and ants take that time to store up food for the winter.

Just like the ants gather food during harvest to survive the cold, we too must diligently prepare for the future during our own times of harvest.

Dear friends, especially all of us Christians—what is it that we must be prepared for? Look at Matthew 24:44:
“So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”
What we all must be prepared for is the return of Jesus Christ. We must prepare for His second coming.
How should we prepare for the Lord’s return? We must know the Lord’s will and act according to it in order to be ready for His coming (Luke 12:47).
So then, what is the will of the Lord? It is that all of us, as disciples of Jesus, take up our own cross and follow Him (Luke 14:27).
What is the first thing a follower of Christ must do?
It is to be prepared to make sacrifices for the Lord (as interpreted by Park Yun-sun).
That is why in Luke 14, Jesus spoke of the man who estimates the cost before building a tower (v. 28), and of a king preparing his military strength before going to war (vv. 31–32).
We must all, as disciples of the Lord, be prepared to make sacrifices for Him, and in doing so, we are also preparing for His return.

Especially when we stand before the Lord, He will have an accounting with each of us.
May we be well prepared for that day, so that we may be praised by Him (Matthew 25:21).

Secondly, what we must observe and take warning from is this:
Do not seek revenge with false testimony.

Look at today’s passage, Proverbs 24:28–29:
“Do not testify against your neighbor without cause—would you use your lips to mislead? Do not say, ‘I’ll do to them as they have done to me; I’ll pay them back for what they did.’”
Our natural instinct is this: if someone slaps us on the cheek, we want to slap them back.
And in doing so, we might justify ourselves with verses like Exodus 21:23–25:
“But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.”
We think Scripture supports our impulse to repay others exactly as they treated us. But this is simply our nature—our instinct to react and retaliate.

We see someone who almost acted on this instinct in 1 Samuel 25.
That person was David.
David sought to take personal revenge on a man named Nabal.
Why? Because David had treated Nabal very kindly (v. 15), but Nabal returned David’s kindness with contempt (v. 14).
While David’s men were with Nabal’s shepherds in Carmel, they protected them and ensured that not a single sheep was lost (v. 7).
David’s men were like a protective wall for Nabal’s servants both day and night (v. 16).

Later, David sent ten of his young men to Nabal (v. 5), hoping to receive some kindness in return—whatever Nabal could give to David and his men (v. 8).
But Nabal replied arrogantly, saying, “Who is David? Who is this son of Jesse?” (v. 10), and refused to offer anything.
So David, enraged, told his men to strap on their swords, took about 400 men, and set out to personally take revenge on Nabal (v. 13).
However, Nabal’s wife, Abigail, acted with wisdom and spoke in a way that prevented David from shedding blood and taking revenge (vv. 26, 31, 33).

She told David:
“My lord will not have on his conscience the staggering burden of needless bloodshed or of having avenged himself...” (v. 31a)
What does this mean?
If David had taken revenge on Nabal, later—after becoming king of Israel—his conscience would have been troubled by it.
But thanks to the Lord, who sent Abigail to intervene, that burden was lifted.
At that moment, David praised her and said:
“Praise be to your good judgment, and may you be blessed for keeping me from bloodshed this day and from avenging myself with my own hands.” (v. 33)
Thus, the Lord used Abigail, a wise woman, to stop David from committing bloodshed and seeking revenge (v. 26).
Why did the Lord do this?
The answer is found in Romans 12:19:
“Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.”
The Lord prevented David from taking revenge because vengeance belongs to the Lord.
In other words, the Lord Himself would repay David, so He stopped David from avenging himself.

In Proverbs 24:29, Scripture says:
“Do not say, ‘I’ll do to them as they have done to me; I’ll pay them back for what they did.’”
What does this mean?
Do not take revenge.

For example, if you treat someone with kindness but they return it with insult, do not return insult for insult.
If someone speaks to you harshly in anger, that does not mean you should speak back in the same way.

Especially in verse 28, we are warned not to be false witnesses against our neighbors without cause.
Do not deceive your neighbor with your lips.
Even if someone lies to you or deceives you, you must not return the same.
Why?
Not only because the Bible forbids personal vengeance, but also because as Christians, we must not lie or deceive others.
If we lie to or deceive our neighbors, we are pleasing the father of lies, the devil (John 8:44).
Instead, we must live according to the Golden Rule of Christianity.

What is the Golden Rule?
Look at Matthew 7:12:
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you...”
This is a key principle that teaches us how to love our neighbors as ourselves, as commanded in Jesus’ Great Commandment (Matthew 22:39).

The principle is this: Treat others the way you wish to be treated.
For example, if you want others to be understanding toward you, you must first make the effort to understand them.
We must develop the habit of putting ourselves in the other person’s shoes.

When we do so, we will be able to treat others as we wish to be treated.
If we desire truth from others, we must first be truthful with them.
We must never let lies come from our lips.
And we must never bear false witness against our neighbors.
May we all be people who testify only to the truth.

Third and lastly, what we must observe and learn from is that the lazy become poor.

Let us look at today’s passage, Proverbs 24:30–34:
“I went past the field of a sluggard, past the vineyard of someone who has no sense; thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins. I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw: A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest— and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.”

We live in a time where everything moves much faster than before. Because of that, we often feel pressured to do everything quickly. Moreover, many people live extremely busy lives, overwhelmed by endless tasks. But here's a question we should ask ourselves: “Is being busy the same as being diligent?”
What do you think? Do you think that living busily means living diligently?

Personally, I don’t believe that being busy necessarily means being diligent. Similarly, just because someone isn’t busy doesn’t mean they’re lazy. In fact, in the midst of our hectic lives, we tend to procrastinate. I believe procrastination can lead us to become lazy.

In Proverbs 24:30, the writer says he passed by the field of “the sluggard” and the vineyard of “the man who lacks judgment.” Here, the author uses “sluggard” and “man who lacks judgment” as synonyms. In other words, a lazy person is someone who lacks wisdom.

What does it mean that the lazy lack judgment? I believe it's a matter of priority. That is, a lazy person lacks discernment about what should come first and what can wait.
For example, Jesus said, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).
However, in the time of the prophet Haggai, the Israelites were busy building their own homes before rebuilding the house of God (Haggai 1:4, 9). They let the temple of the Lord lie in ruins while focusing on beautifying their own houses. Their priorities were out of order.

As a result, God brought judgment upon them. What kind of judgment? Let’s look at Haggai 1:6 and 9a:
“You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it” (v.6).
“You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away…” (v.9a).

What does this mean? God brought a drought on Judah (v.11) and diminished their harvests. In other words, when we do not seek first God's kingdom and righteousness, God allows financial drought to come upon us, leading us into poverty. This shows us that without the right priorities, poverty is inevitable.

The lazy become poor because, lacking wisdom, they fail to do what should be done first. Additionally, the lazy postpone their responsibilities due to poor judgment.
For example, in Proverbs 6:10 and 24:33, it says the lazy person says:
“A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest.”
Not only do they say this, but they live it—they sleep, slumber, and lie down when they should be active. In other words, the lazy postpone waking up and working when it's time to do so. And they don’t blame their laziness; instead, they blame circumstances or others. They lack a sense of responsibility.

What is the result?
Proverbs 6:11 and 24:34 say:
“Your poverty will come on you like a thief and your scarcity like an armed man.”
This means that poverty will come upon the lazy inescapably, just as a victim is overwhelmed by a robber (24:34, MacArthur).

Proverbs 6:9 rebukes the sluggard:
“How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep?”
And Proverbs 21:25 says:
“The craving of a sluggard will be the death of him, because his hands refuse to work.”
This shows that lazy people simply refuse to work.

In fact, the lazy often end up creating trouble.
1 Timothy 5:11–13 says:
“As for younger widows, do not put them on such a list. For when their sensual desires overcome their dedication to Christ, they want to marry. Thus they bring judgment on themselves, because they have broken their first pledge. Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies who talk nonsense, saying things they ought not to.”

These young widows, instead of being diligent, become idle and end up gossiping and meddling in matters they shouldn’t.

But there’s an even more serious problem with the lazy:
They consider themselves wise.
Proverbs 26:16 says:
“A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven people who answer discreetly.”

Proverbs 3:7 says:
“Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.”
Therefore, the lazy must stop considering themselves wise, fear the Lord, and turn away from the evil of laziness. Like the ants, they must prepare diligently for the future at the right time.

Friends, we should not love sleep but be awake and work diligently. Why?
Let’s consider the hymn “Work for the Night is Coming” (New Hymnal #330):

1. Work, for the night is coming: work through the morning hours;
   Work while the dew is sparkling, work ’mid springing flowers;
   Work when the day grows brighter, work in the glowing sun;
   Work, for the night is coming, when man’s work is done.

2. Work, for the night is coming: work through the sunny noon;
   Fill brightest hours with labor, rest comes sure and soon.
   Give every flying minute something to keep in store;
   Work, for the night is coming, when man works no more.

3. Work, for the night is coming: under the sunset skies,
   While their bright tints are glowing, work, for daylight flies.
   Work till the last beam fadeth, fadeth to shine no more;
   Work while the night is darkening, when man’s work is o’er.

Just as this hymn says, the night when no one can work is surely coming—and it is coming soon. Therefore, while it is time to work, let us not waste it. Let us not love sleep, but work diligently. Whether we eat or drink or whatever we do, may we work hard for the glory of God.

Let me conclude today’s meditation.

Friends, as we live in this world, we must observe, reflect deeply, and learn from what we see.
In Proverbs 24:27–34, we have learned three important lessons:

1. We must prepare in advance what needs to be prepared first.

2. We must not repay evil or seek revenge through false testimony.

3. We must understand that laziness leads to poverty, and therefore we must be diligent.

Let us observe, reflect, and humbly accept the correction God gives us—then live faithfully in accordance with His instruction.