...that he made with from God, when first became king. When he spoke and wrote about diligence, Solomon used the opportunity to discuss about its opposition, laziness. As I was reading in the Bible, I came upon an illustration, that was given by Solomon, on wisdom and laziness. In his comparison between the two, Solomon sets up wisdom as light and laziness as darkness, “Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom, and also madness and folly. What more can the king’s successor do than what has already been done? I saw that wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness. The wise have eyes in their heads, while the fool walks in the darkness...” (Ecclesiastes 2:12-14a NIV). The first thing that he acknowledges, is that the “wise” man is able to perceive and examine life. Because of this light, the “wise” man is able to live a more fertile life. On the other hand, the foolish man perceives...
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...between wisdom and folly. The word proverb comes from a Hebrew word that means to rule or governor, and these sayings, reminders, and admonitions provide profound for governing our life, (Tyndale, NIV, 2012). God wants his creations to make an importance contribution to the work place and communities. These passages were for the ancient audience and for us today. God’s work is diligent and he is our example of how we should work (Genesis 1:1-27; 2:2 NLT). God’s creative work reveals his character. Sleeping does not require energy, an example of a sluggard person, and this kind of laziness is the result of poverty (Proverbs 6: 9-10). We should be diligent workers without a guide, overseer, or ruler and consider the ways of the ants and be wise (Proverbs 6: 6-7 NLT). The application of mind that is required in order to learn of this master is to consider His ways. The sluggard is so because he does not consider; nor shall they ever learn to any purpose, either by the word or the works of God, unless we set ourselves to consider His ways. Particularly, if we would imitate others in that which is good, we must consider their ways, diligently observe what they do, that we may do likewise (Henry, page 649, 1900). As our bodies deteriorate, we may need to retire from a particular job whose physical demand are beyond us. In recognition of the inevitable corruption of our bodies, preparation for retirement (pension, long-term care insurance, etc.) is not...
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...Holy Bible is full of God’s Word and instructions for our lives. We are to be obedient and diligent in seeking God’s Will for our lives, and not to allow ourselves to become lazy or foolish in our walk with God. As to the Hebrew teachings on the subject of diligence and laziness, and on wisdom and folly, we find in the Old Testament Books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes hold many teachings on these issues and how we should conduct ourselves, accordingly. In Proverbs 6:6-8 we read, “Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise! Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter.” (NLT). God’s point is that we should work ahead, prepare ourselves for the days to come, not to be lazy and wait on others to care for us. The book of Proverbs is a book of wisdom, or as Hindson & Yates referred to as “teacher’s manual of wise sayings”. We find the theme or motto of this book in chapter 1:7, “Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” The first nine chapters of the book of Proverbs tells us that wisdom is treasured and that we should seek it. These chapters reflect on Solomon’s wisdom and practical applications, such as: warnings about being foolish and lazy; direction and balance in our lives; the benefits of being faithful; just to mention a few of the topics. Chapters 10 through 20 remind us that wisdom is practical and that...
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...in a way that the interpretation for each little piece could be taken in a different way depending on the circumstances which has allowed these bits of wisdom to stand the test of time and still be viable today. The whole book doesn’t flow well together but should rather be read in small pieces at a time. Proverbs 12:16-22 don’t flow perfectly well together but are some of the verses I try to keep in mind throughout the day. Proverb 12:16-22 holds a main theme of dealing with the dishonest. It says: 16 The vexation of a fool is known at once, but the prudent ignores an insult. 17 Whoever speaks the truth gives honest evidence, but a false witness utters deceit. 18 There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing 19 Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment. 20 Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but those who plan peace have joy. 21 No ill befalls the righteous, but the wicked are filled with trouble. 22 Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who act faithfully are his delight. The author of Proverbs was very good at using literary devices to make a mental picture for the reader. He uses terms such as “lips” instead of mouth to make his point clearer and more impactful. The rough point of these verses is that lying is bad. You can see that in 12:19 when it says “truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment” also in 12:22 it says “Lying lips are an abomination...
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...always be a difference between the lifestyle of a Christ follower and an unbeliever; the life of someone that has been transformed is not common but carful and consistent with their change. Evidence of thought plus attention to certain actions are what help the believer to stand out in the world, there is a call to diligence and wisdom as opposed to living life lazy and imprudent. Although there are similarities between diligence and wisdom, laziness and folly, there are differences as well; observing scripture and context each will be addressed in this essay. Solomon, the wisest man in the bible, was the author of the book of Proverbs. The book goes into great detail about the difference in outcome for the diligent and wise man compared to the lazy and foolish man. It is imperative for every believer to read and study the book of Proverbs in depth to understand the sayings and to be able to apply it to their lives. Interesting enough the Hebrew teaching on diligence show the blessings of the Lord flowing on those that to choose to obey; blessings do not just flow on the believer but also the unbeliever as well. The dictionary definition of the word diligence is “constant and earnest effort to accomplish what us undertaken, persistent exertion of body or mind.” Simplified, the word means attention to detail and careful attention in doing so. “A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich”(Proverbs 10:4); hard work and dedication to completion will make one...
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...The Gift of the Magi Argumentative Research Paper: Did Jim and Della perform an act of Selfless Love? Abstract The story was written by O’Henry in 1906. The story was centered around a seemingly poor couple who did not have enough money to buy each other the gifts that their significant other deserved. The story took place during Christmas. The Gift of the Magi is like a classic wisdom story in the bible. O’Henrys choice of title depicts symbolism between the three magi that brought gold, frankincense, and mur, to the baby Jesus and the gifts that Jim and Della had given to each other which mainly consisted of selfless love, Della’s hair and Jims pocket watch. This itself ties into the theme of his story. These gifts all entail the act of giving from the heart. The purpose of this research paper is to outline the key factors that support the claim that Jim and Della performed an act of selfless love. Now, after looking at that it is evident that Jim and Della performed the most beautiful act of love for each other. What makes it the most beautiful? The fact that they were selfless in giving up their most valuable possessions in order to get something for the other. There is a famous and well known saying, “Love means putting the other before oneself”. This is the epitome of Selfless love, and clearly of Jim and Della’s love. Towards the end of the text O.Henry said, “Of all who give gifts these two were the wisest.” This paper will serve to back this statement up. ...
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...towards a true Christian, they believe faith being more important than reason or simply the humility being more important than self-righteousness. Christ among with the Apostles have seek ways to demonstrate the true matters of guiding themselves, in the correct spiritual way towards life. Folly entitles to endorse the world with several humility and passion, in both personal and spiritual grounds. Therefore, among a true christian happens to have several similar attributes to folly. In relation to the journey entry works of Desiderius Erasmus, referred to as, In Praise of Folly, states as follows, “Now consider this: the scriptures attribute to the foolish a candid and generous mind, while the wise man thinks himself superior to everyone else.” Furthermore, this establishes how Folly argues how fools and simpletons are happier than wise man due to guiding themselves towards the Bible. Nevertheless, it is obvious to realize how Christ and the Apostles, are continuously guiding men to focus on the Bible’s teachings. In such ways, that Erasmus is making a clear statement that Folly isn’t just necessary for mankind, but that she is also necessary for the high links of faith and their...
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...Christ. We are we supposed to teach them. What do we teach them? “...to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” It was the responsibility of the disciples in Jesus’ day to teach the Gospel to all nations (all people). If someone became a Believer, accepting Jesus Christ as Almighty God and Savior, then the disciples were to help that new convert grow in the Lord and become a soul-winner also. This is God’s divine plan to win the lost to Christ—We are responsible!!! I am sickened when I hear some dead-beat, backslidden Believer criticize soul-winning. The Bible praises the soul-winning Christian, “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and HE THAT WINNETH SOULS IS WISE” (Proverb 11:30). It is wise to win souls to Jesus! It is wise to go soul-winning! It is wise to witness to friends, family and strangers concerning the crucified and risen Lord Jesus Christ! Don’t let the pessimism...
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...of the Wolph, 2014) Throughout all the proverbs we learn that lazy behavior results in poverty, while diligence results in wealth(Hindson, Yates 2012). In other words, diligence is rewarded, laziness is punished. We get this idea reiterated over and over again throughout the Bible. In Proverbs 21:5 “The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, But everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty”. And again in Proverbs 10:4 “Poor is he who works with a negligent hand, But the hand of the diligent makes rich.” I could go on, but I think we get the idea. When it comes down to it, the wise embraced diligence like Solomon and the many decisions he had to make. But the wise also fear laziness and push it as far away as possible, so that it will not become their downfall. I personally (and I think a lot of us can attest to this) suffered from a lot of laziness in my life, but I strive to be more wise every day. I learn from my mistakes and...
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...Further, the fool was the king’s conscience who helped the king to see the truth and to regret his foolish decisions. However, the fool’s use of sarcasm and irony eased the truth in the king’s eyes. Also, the fool disappeared after his words to the king that made him realize how fool he was when he disowned Cordelia as the voice of reason and conscience. In Contrast, the wise fool became the wise man and proved that the king was the fool with foolish actions. In addition, the king referred to the death or Cordelia as the death of the fool. So, the fool and Cordelia were the same person who spoke the truth and were loyal and honest to the king. For instance, the fool played a major role in King Lear play as he was representing King Lear’s conscience and Cornelia...
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...Summary of the books of the Old Testament Books Exodus The book of Exodus is considered both a narrative and a law book of the Old Testament of the Bible. Exodus was written by Moses between 1450-1410 B.C. The main characters in the book are Moses, Pharaoh, Pharaoh’s daughter, Aaron, Joshua, and Miriam. Exodus contains the most miracles of the Old Testament books. As instructed by God through the burning bush, Moses tells the Pharaoh to let God’s people be free, to which he refuses. Exodus is literally the “exit” from Egypt. After ten plagues hit Egypt, the Israelites are finally set free. The Israelites travel to the mountain of God, where God presents the Ten Commandments to Moses. God then instructs Moses on construction of the tabernacle. The book ends with Moses gathering the Hebrew and explaining the Ten Commandments to them, as well as instructions for worship. The key theme of the book is Israel leaving the slavery of Egypt. Numbers The book of Numbers fits into the narrative genre of the Old Testament books. It was written by Moses from 1450 - 1410 B.C. The main characters in the book are Moses, Aaron, Miriam, Joshua, Caleb, Eleazar, Korah, and Balaam. The book of Numbers starts at Mount Sinai after Moses provides the Ten Commandments to the Israelites. Moses takes a count of the men available to serve in the military and they begin to march towards the promise land. God punishes those are disobedient along the way. Once they reach the promise land, Moses...
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...representation of his dual nature. Before the play pivots, Friar Lawrence reprimands Romeo for rushing stating that, “Wisely and slow. They stumble that run fast” (2.4.101). This sets up the characteristic of the Friar as a wise counselor who will stress the importance of slow decisions throughout the play. The excerpt also says , though, that not only the foolish stumble, but also the wise if they decide to rush and fail to think of repercussions. As foreshadowed by his own words, Friar Lawrence under pressure from Juliet decides to make a quick decision, something that he would never have thought of doing before, “Hold, daughter, I do spy a kind of hope, / Which craves as desperate an execution / As that is desperate which we would prevent” (4.1.69-71). The quote uses words such as “craves and desperate” to imply how rushed and unthought out Friar Lawrence’s plan is, and is correct as his plan promptly fails due to it’s unnecessary complexity. It can also be seen how the Friar has changed from a counselor as he starts to try to cover up his mistake of confirming the marriage and in the process of doing so, acts contrary to his own advice. The duality of Friar Lawrence is obviously seen as he progresses from the wise counselor to a partner in crime with the foolish Romeo and Juliet. So why does Shakespeare include duality in his play, a characteristic plainly seen in Mr. Capulet and the Friar after the death of Tybalt? The answer lies in the Friar’s prominent monologue on the duality...
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...The Pearl Unfortunately, we can not look into the future; but imagine if we could. When making a decision, one can only predict what each choice will result in. What if there were a way to foresee the outcome of each option before carrying out a decision? During decision-making, one generally finds himself predicting the effects of each option. Sometimes, what seems to be the most favorable option, results in an unfavorable resolution. Values play a tremendous role in determining the favorability of a decision. Decisions made by characters such as Kino and Juana in The Pearl can be viewed as wise in some motives, but foolish in others. Immediately after finding the magnificent pearl, Kino becomes warned of the possible evil that it brings....
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...play”. How far do you agree with this interpretation of Feste in Twelfth Night? This essay will explore the notion that Feste is the wisest character in the play. The definition of wise is “having or showing experience, knowledge, and good judgment: a wise precaution.” Feste is the epitome of irony, I think a modern day audience would the audience may believe a ‘fool’ to be purely someone to make you laugh and be an idiot. However Feste is very much the opposite; he fits the definition of wise, he speaks profoundly, questions high class characters such as Olivia and almost undermines her with his wit. He is very melancholic, especially about love whereas everybody else is almost controlled by it and the audience may see him to be wise because he avoids love to stay happy. Feste is a ‘licenced fool’ in “Twelfth Night” and this means that he is allowed to judge people whereas others would be punished for doing so therefore this gives him some power as he is allowed to speak the truth. Olivia, in Act 1, Scene 5, says “there is no slander in an allowed fool.” This suggests to me that Olivia doesn’t see him as a fool or a jester, she sees him as someone who will speak the truth because he is ‘allowed’ to judge people not to be cruel but to offer advice and this suggests that Olivia sees Feste as being wise otherwise she would not come to him to ask for his help or listen to what he says. Alan S. Downer of ‘College English’ says that ''Feste is disguised both in costume and in behavior...
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...Before the written word, the printing press, computers, modems, the Internet and all other communication methods, people passed their beliefs, their history and their values from generation to generation through storytelling and oral tradition. Important aspects of every culture were documented in myths. Creation myths explained how a people came to be, giving them a spiritual/religious connection to a much larger universe filled with the unexplained. In addition, creation myths explained a culture’s origin, history, deities and heroes. Myths gave a culture a clear connection throughout the ages. These myths were passed on through generations to become an integral part of many cultures. Myths helped make order out of chaos, explained things in nature that could not be readily understood. Myths, frequently, expressed ideas and concepts that were common to all human beings. Questions about good and evil, life and death, fear and anxiety, heroes and heroic feats, punishment for breaking cultural values are present in every culture. The “why” of existence crosses cultural, racial and geographic challenges. These topics were the basis for many myths. The myths created to address these topics were frequently variations of the same or similar stories/oral traditions. Collectively, these universal themes or questions are referred to as universal myths. Myths existed before there was art and before the written word. The great mythic themes were known before literature. Myths existed...
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