...TEACHINGS OF HEBREW WISDOM “You don’t have a silver spoon in your mouth. You have a golden spoon in your palms. Use it and feed yourself” ― Israelmore Ayivor, Shaping the dream “We often miss opportunity because it's dressed in overalls and looks like work” ― Thomas A. Edison In today’s society and culture we seem to have a mentality of “entitlement” verses working for what we need as well as utilizing what our biblical forefathers taught us in regards to diligence and laziness in contrast to wisdom and folly. The generation of today seems more likely to take a hand out instead of working for what they receive. Our country’s debt is out of control due to things like welfare, medi-cal, tuition loans not repaid, subsidized housing, etc. We are rapidly losing a generation of youth to drugs and violence and single parent homes. Rather than educating them we are putting them in prisons at a cost that we cannot continue to pay. I was always taught to work hard for everything and never take a hand out from anyone. When we look into the book of Proverbs we find it is full of lessons regarding the wisdom of being diligent verses the contrast of being lazy! King Solomon states, “. . . the soul of the diligent is made fat” (1) “He who tills his land will have plenty of bread, but he who……” (2) I have personally never been on any kind of assistance programs even though I have been out of work several times in my life. One thing I was always taught was to put money aside for a rainy...
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...The Hebrew books of Poetry are guides for living our daily lives. In the book of Proverbs, it is a consistent guide of wisdom for practical living. Also, this book teaches people how to attain wisdom and discipline, how to do what is right, and what is just and fair (Tyndale, NIV, 2012). This essay will display the wisdom of the teachings on diligence and laziness of the Hebrew people, and correspond with the contrast 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...
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...Teachings of Hebrew Wisdom on Diligence and Laziness By: John Cleveland Throughout the Bible, we see the importance of being diligent in our walk with Christ as oppose to falling asleep and becoming lazy. As followers of Christ, we know that by applying the knowledge given to us from the Bible can have a profound impact on our lives. When we study God's Word, we receive wisdom and we are then able to use this wisdom in our daily lives. However, if we choose to not be diligent in our walk with Christ, then we could possibly backslide as a result of being lazy and falling into deeper sin. In this essay we will look at what the Hebrew teachings say about diligence as oppose to being lazy regarding our following of Christ. In discussing what the Hebrew teachings have to say about diligence and laziness, we will be looking in the Bible from the book of Proverbs. The author of Proverbs, Solomon, asked and received wisdom from the Lord and he teaches us a lot about diligence and how it differs from laziness. He shows us the importance of being diligent. Solomon states that, “a sluggard's appetite is never filled, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.” (Proverbs 13:4) When we are constantly seeking after more wisdom, we are not left empty. Our diligence reaps reward because the knowledge we receive helps us in every aspects of our life. Feeding off of God's Word gives us strength to face the challenges in our lives. Solomon states, “hold on to instruction...
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...Hebrew wisdom teaches that a wise man is one that is diligent with his work and a person that is lazy is a fool. One could say the primary source for Hebrew wisdom is form the book of Proverbs in the Old Testament written by a man who received wisdom from God, King Solomon (2 Chronicles 1:10). There are many themes covered throughout the book of Proverbs, however some of the most prevailing themes are that of wisdom and folly. “The book of Proverbs consistently presents the sluggard as a fool and the diligent person as wise” (Hindson, 2012). The teachings throughout the book of Proverbs show how diligence and laziness correspond with the contrast between wisdom and folly. If a person were to read the book of Proverbs they would not just understand that it is wise to be diligent but also see the rewards promised to them. King Solomon writes that, “ . . . the person in diligence is richly supplied” (Proverbs 13:4), “The plans of the diligent only lead to abundance . . .”(Proverbs 21:5), and “the hand of the diligent enriches.” (Pr. 10:4) (Frank, 2013). Through Solomon God has revealed the blessings that befall a diligent man and shows that he would rather a man be working than not. Being a diligent person will not only yield us fruit in the way of financial blessings but also in other areas of our lives. If we are diligent about the work Christ has left for us in Matthew 28, the great commission, we will be blessed as soul winners. A diligent man is not the only thing...
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...“Not everything that is learned is contained in books.” Compare and contrast knowledge gained from experience with knowledge gained from books. In your opinion, which source is more important? Why? As the world is globalizing, we see many changes around us. The knowledge we learned once from books, is now more important to experience. However the question that strikes every mind today is which source is more important? Gaining knowledge from experience or from books? People may have different opinions. Admittedly, both have advantages and they are important. We can’t reject the fact that ‘Not everything that is learned is contained in books. “If we say that we are trying to learn how to swim, we can’t learn the whole things specifically without experiences. This tells us how important experiences are. But as far as I am concerned, gained knowledge from books is more important due to many reasons. Firstly, gaining knowledge from books is more important is because we can’t experience everything in the world. There are lots of things that we learn through our life and we can’t learn them all by experiencing. Nevertheless, if we find particular books that include the information we are looking for, it will help us understand better. For instance, how could possibly we learn about forefathers without books? How could we also learn about the history of our countries? Obviously, it is impossible to learn these things by experiences. Thus, gaining knowledge from...
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...Imagine an elderly person with glasses perched on their nose, rocking in an old chair on their front porch. Generally, in stories this person helps guide the main character to make the right decision. Although this is stereotypical and conventional wisdom, does a person automatically assume that they have all the answers in life? Or do you think that the person who learns from work experience does? Or the person who has the highest degree? In Webster's Dictionary it states that wisdom is accumulated philosophical or scientific learning: knowledge. So, does the person with the highest degree, skilled trades career, or someone who has experienced through age truly have wisdom? Let’s start with college education. By 2020 65% of all jobs will...
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...26760548 Bible105 Essay 3 Describe the teachings of Hebrew wisdom on diligence and laziness. How does this correspond with the contrast between wisdom and folly? The bible mentions various times regarding the teachings of diligence while contrasting wisdom and folly. We learn wisdom is God given and foolishness is of the flesh. Wisdom is given to us by God so we can use knowledge correctly and if we don’t have God, we don’t have wisdom, therefore we cannot use knowledge correctly. The book of proverbs is where we find most of these teachings. Solomon states, “a sluggard's appetite is never filled, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.” Our diligence reaps reward because the knowledge we receive helps us in every aspects of our lives. The bible must be the building block to our lives. As Christians we are obligated to follow the teachings of the Bible in every way of our lives. Our flesh naturally is so prone to pleasure and immediate gratification. Honoring God to these natural desires requires self-discipline and self-determination. It also requires submission to God’s purpose for our lives. If we choose to not be diligent in our walk with Christ, then we could possibly backslide as a result of being lazy and falling into deeper sin. We can see Solomon’s pursuit after pleasure and wisdom were similar, as also were the conclusions. Solomon realizes the two paths he is taking were those of pleasure and wisdom seeking. A fool’s life is characterized by following...
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...Liberti Todd BIBLE 105 September 28, 2014 Diligence and Laziness vs. Wisdom and Folly The believer is called to live a life that is above reproach. While that does not mean the believer will never stumble it does mean that the believer is to live life wisely. There should 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...
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...The quality of becoming a good Leader Becoming a leader is probably the hardest thing to do. You have to get people to respect you, honor you, and have to be able to be discipline and obedience. Look at Moses when he was trying to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. The things that made Moses successful were six things that were install abilities and was anointing. Third is his sacrifice. Fourth is his wisdom. Fifth is he is very confidence. An last his humility. (ex. 12:28) So you see this journey Moses had was making him become one of the most humble leader of his time. A leader communication God instructs his people You hear a lot about in a relationship that there is no communication. Well it’s the same thing as trying to become a leader. Without the ability to communicate a leader goes on a dark long path by himself. You will never get an vision unless you grab it an put it in his or her heart. God did just that when explain to the Hebrews families how they could save the life of their first born sons. (ex 12:3-23) Attitude: My way or the highway!!!!! Pharaoh thought it did. Not only did he rule with absolute power, he also displayed his true arrogance. Pharaoh revels his arrogant character, through his defiant response to Moses request that he let his people go. But Pharaoh Pride led to arrogance, and his arrogance lead to rigidity. His heart became stone cold and hard. You know that really should have been a song. “ My way or the highway” Because the Israelites...
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...Essay Question #3: Describe the teachings of Hebrew wisdom on diligence and laziness. How does this correspond with the contrast between wisdom and folly? Include Scripture references and quotations as appropriate. I. A Summary of what Hebrew Wisdom Teaches about Diligence and Laziness. The dictionary defines diligence as “careful and persistent work or effort” and laziness as “the quality of being unwilling to work or use energy”. By these definitions we can see that diligence and laziness are the exact opposite of each other. “The eagerly sought after trait of diligence is often addressed within the book of Proverbs. Laziness – diligence’s lethargic antonym – is likewise frequently mentioned due to the severity of its consequences. Solomon illustrated both diligence and laziness in a unique way that emphasized key concepts such as personal discipline, integrity, and wisdom.” (Heart 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...
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...“Wise Old Woman” By Yoshiko Uchida Characters: * Young lord (of village) * Grandmother * Young villager * Lord Higa * Wise Old Men Setting: * The setting is In the Mountain and in the Village in the western hill of Japan Conflict: * Elders being exiled to the mountains to die at the age of 71 * Mother of young villager needs to make a decision about his mother * Lord Higa threatens the village * Many long years ago, there was a cruel ruler who thought old peoples should be banished and should not be lived. So he make a low that is anyone who is over seventy-one must be banished from the village and left in the mountain. The ruler was strict and gives harsh punishment anyone who disobeys him so no one disobeyed him. Except for one. The young man didn't let his mother die in the mountain. He kept his mom secretly. But unfortunately, another ruler went to their village to conquer. Another ruler was also cruel so before he conquers them, he gave villagers three hard tasks. So the villagers thought each other to find the answer but they couldn't. Finally, the young farmer asked to his old mother. Every time he asks, his mother gave him a right answer. So because of the young farmer's old and wise mother, the villagers could be existed and not be conquered from others. In the end, the evil ruler of the village realizes the need for older people and noticed older people are wise and have more experiments then any others. Finally...
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...Wisdom is a personality possession that one gains over a lifetime of experience. It is a possession that is bestowed upon a person, rather than one that the person recognizes on his or her own. Wisdom incorporates many other traits, but the requirement that it is recognized by people other than the ones possessing it set wisdom apart from other personality traits. Wisdom is a compilation of a life's experience marked by humility, kairos, and unselfishness. Wisdom is an idea that is often confused with or improperly attributed to old age. Not all old people are wise, though many are. Conversely, not all wise people are old. One often hears the phrase "wise beyond years" in reference to a young person who displays the traits of wisdom. However, true wisdom is a result of strong life experiences. Naturally, older folks have had more experiences from which to draw wisdom, so it is easy to limit wisdom to old people. But, the key to wisdom is the strength of the experience. A young person may have an extraordinary experience which teaches him or her a powerful lesson. Lessons of this type often transform into wisdom. Experience is just one of the major ingredients of wisdom; humility is also a requirement. Because wisdom is bestowed upon a person by virtue of others’ recognition, humility must be a possession of the wise person. To claim wisdom for oneself is foolishness. Humility is characterized by a person’s unwillingness to be the center of attention or by a person’s quickness...
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...The Three Most Important Virtues It is difficult to limit what virtues one should possess, but when I think about what I look for in my role models, my colleagues, and in my friends I can pin point three virtues that I find to be most imperative. These virtues include honesty, reliability, and wisdom. I find these virtues to be important in all aspects of life; when we are growing up and look to our parents and other role models to shape ourselves, when we are building friendships and relationships, and when we are conducting business. Growing up/ Role Models It is important that our parents, teachers, and other role models hold these virtues. We need them to be honest in telling us what is right and wrong and what the real consequences of our actions are. We need them to be honest about what is happening in the environment around us, so that we can be knowledgeable. We need them to teach us that honesty gets us further in life. We quickly learn that in the short term lying can get us out of trouble or get us what we want. It can even make it easier to make someone else happy or comfortable in certain situations. But by being honest we build trust which is important for strong relationships, and with honesty comes less stress. When you begin to tell lies you create this alternate reality, which depending on how many lies are told and the extent of your lies, can become difficult for you to remember. This in turn can cause you to make up new lies to save your old lies and...
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...of the hardship of understanding reality. Socrates compares a prisoner of an underground cave who is exploring a new world he never knew of to people who are trying to find a place of wisdom in reality. According to Socrates, most people tend to rely on their senses too much and believe the world as it is appeared to our sight. In order to free our souls from this mental prison, Socrates suggests that we should go through a phase that does not only prepare ourselves for the real world but also prevent us from heading to the wrong direction to seek the truth - education. In conclusion, Socrates believes those who have reached a higher level of knowledge and wisdom should bear a responsibility to lead the community and improve it because they are blessed with better education and are able to enjoy a different reward than the power to control others like most politicians do. Two thousand years after Plato has written down the allegory, it is amazing how we can still relate it to our everyday lives. As Plato wrote in "The Allegory of the Cave," education is a very important phase that leads us to wisdom and helps us to get accustomed to the real world with less difficulty. Apparently, this theory has proven to be correct for the past two thousand years. Until today, those of higher wisdoms are mostly people who have mastered a thorough and solid education; and they certainly have become the leaders of the community who share their knowledge and enlighten many people. ...
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...that will be used throughout the essay as sources are: Beowulf translated by Michael Swanton, The Wife of Bath’s Tale and the author is Geoffrey Chaucer, and The Tempest which is a product of William Shakespeare. Characters from the chosen texts demonstrate their perception of knowledge and wisdom based on the significance of superficial existence. People’s assumed power and privilege promote certain actions they could partake in when trying to fulfill personal desires. Acts of knowledge can be either appropriate or inappropriate gestures. It is difficult to distinguish right from wrong deeds the overall circumstances has to be examined and the answer lies in the outcome of the decision when wisdom was applied. There is good and evil in everyone, selfless or self-centered choices formulate one’s character and the observed perception others have. The texts educate the reader that karma usually constructs challenges or rewards depending on if your knowledge was practiced in a selfish or beneficial method. Confirmation and rationality supports what institutes positive and negative knowledge. Every journey in life requires the application of prior knowledge and the assurance to accept wisdom presented throughout a quest. Those who are true to themselves and others always flourish; however, those who are narcissistic plummet in the long run. The Wife of Bath’s...
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