Proverbs 12:24
The hand of the diligent shall bear rule:
But the slothful shall be under tribute.
Again, the semantic contrast of a more literal translation of the text unveils its wisdom. The Hebrew word used for ‘diligent’, is a word meaning ‘ faithful service’. This word comes in contrast not only with ‘slothful’, but also with ‘under tribute’. In other words, this proverb could say, ‘He that serves well and honestly, will become the master; but he that is of a fraudulent lazy hand, will become the servant.’
This wisdom is taken straight from the testimony of very famous Old Testament heroes. Eliazar, Abraham’s servant, obtained a very high position, even as that of potential heir, just because he served well under just Abraham. Jacob was restored to his spiritual and physical inheritance after he served well under wicked Laban. Joseph, the son of Jacob, learned from his fathers and served well under just and wicked leadership, which brought him to become Pharaoh’s right-hand man. The same could be said of many other Jewish leaders such as Daniel and Esther, who through their integrity in service were instrumental in preserving and even saving their people. These all lead to the final example of all, the example of the Suffering Servant Himself, Yehoshuah who faithfully served His Father in all things good and bad, and thus was given command of His whole creation.
And what does this teach us? Oh tell it to our youth today. Teach it to the children that a good leader is first and foremost a good follower; that a good director/manager must primarily be an example of service; that he who would lead as a foreman, learns to do so by first living the life of a faithful servant.
Haven’t we been promised at Mt Sinai that we will become kings and priests for the whole world? Hasn’t Peter reiterated this promise in his letter to thedisciples? We therefore have hope that in serving well in the capacity in which God put us in this world, we learn the skills necessary to fulfill our future roles in the next.
The hand of the diligent shall bear rule:
But the slothful shall be under tribute.
Again, the semantic contrast of a more literal translation of the text unveils its wisdom. The Hebrew word used for ‘diligent’, is a word meaning ‘ faithful service’. This word comes in contrast not only with ‘slothful’, but also with ‘under tribute’. In other words, this proverb could say, ‘He that serves well and honestly, will become the master; but he that is of a fraudulent lazy hand, will become the servant.’
This wisdom is taken straight from the testimony of very famous Old Testament heroes. Eliazar, Abraham’s servant, obtained a very high position, even as that of potential heir, just because he served well under just Abraham. Jacob was restored to his spiritual and physical inheritance after he served well under wicked Laban. Joseph, the son of Jacob, learned from his fathers and served well under just and wicked leadership, which brought him to become Pharaoh’s right-hand man. The same could be said of many other Jewish leaders such as Daniel and Esther, who through their integrity in service were instrumental in preserving and even saving their people. These all lead to the final example of all, the example of the Suffering Servant Himself, Yehoshuah who faithfully served His Father in all things good and bad, and thus was given command of His whole creation.
And what does this teach us? Oh tell it to our youth today. Teach it to the children that a good leader is first and foremost a good follower; that a good director/manager must primarily be an example of service; that he who would lead as a foreman, learns to do so by first living the life of a faithful servant.
Haven’t we been promised at Mt Sinai that we will become kings and priests for the whole world? Hasn’t Peter reiterated this promise in his letter to thedisciples? We therefore have hope that in serving well in the capacity in which God put us in this world, we learn the skills necessary to fulfill our future roles in the next.
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