I went by the field of the slothful, And by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, And nettles had covered the face thereof, And the stone wall thereof was broken down. Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; And thy want as an armed man.“
Proverbs 24:30-34
A short story is employed to showcase a mindset and the long term effects of the mindset.
The author takes a very personal approach to this passage. The author is telling this story from their perspective and is clearly taking personal lessons from what they experienced.
“I went by the field of the slothful”
“Then I saw and considered it well”
“I looked upon it and received instruction”
The personal responsibility for seeing something then perceiving the reality and understanding the cause, then receiving instruction from what has been experienced- this is a key factor of the concept presented in the book of Proverbs as, that is what a proverb is. Loosely defined, a proverbs means “contemplating what is at hand.” A proverb is a saying that uses what is at hand to explain something. It could also be called an allegory or an object lesson. However, there is also a shadowy side of a proverb which veils the lesson behind a thing so experience will grant more illumination. In other words, the more you experience the deeper you can perceive the truths.
This passage showcases an impressive display of utilizing wisdom.
There is an observation encounter – I saw a vineyard that is deteriorating and it has been deteriorating for some time.
There is a concept of how this came to be- the vineyard has been ignored by the caretaker.
There is a lesson- the caretaker chose comfort over value and has little care for the vineyard.
The consequences realized, an object lesson is taken from the experience- I can picture the Author walking by this vineyard a decade ago and being impressed by the beauty but as he passes it today his heart is filled with sorrow as his anticipation is dashed. The Owner either lost interest or passed it to another who did not care for and invest the love needed to keep Nature’s relentless invasion at bay. In essence, the vineyard is not dead but the spirit of the once brilliant vineyard has been eroded by lack of caring.
This is the thing we were placed on earth to do, to keep and to dress our garden. We are to cultivate the world we inherit and pass on that spirit of cultivation to our offspring.
When we lose sight of our calling and become a taker or subtractor instead of a caretaker, we have lost our way and our garden or vineyard carries the scars of a selfish owner.
The proverb completes itself by drawing a conclusion- a little sleep during work time will be evident in your vineyard. When you shirk your responsibility poverty will come as a traveler and want will show up as an armed man.
This could insinuate both traveler and armed man are always only just around the corner.
It could also mean both are transient and when you cease your sleep they will vacate the premises.
It may be interpreted as they both have an interest in the vineyard and are coming to stand witness against you for refusing to care for it.
Whatever it means or however they come, it appears caring properly for what you have been entrusted with prevents their arrival.