Proverbs 6:9 (Mini Sermon)

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1.      Pro 6:9 – “How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?”

1. How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard?
   1. Solomon continues in his condemnation of the lazy man with a new line of reasoning for the next three verses (Pro 6:9-11).
   2. He begins with a rhetorical question: How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard?.
      1. He is not looking for an answer from the sloth of “10”, “12”, or “14 hours.”
      2. He giving his rebuke in the form of a question with hopes of it making the lazy bum think.
      3. We do this when we ask our spouse or children, “How long are you going to sleep?”, or “Are you going to sleep all day?”.
      4. If a question won’t get your kids out of bed, a rod across their butts will.

• Both God and men in scripture often ask sinners “How long” will they continue to sin. Here are numerous examples:
  1. “…How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me?” (Exo 10:3)
  2. “…How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?” (Exo 16:28)
  3. “…How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?” (Num 14:11)
  4. “…How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me?” (Num 14:27)
  5. “…How long are ye slack to go to possess the land, which the LORD God of your fathers hath given you?” (Jos 18:3)
  6. “…How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel?” (1Sa 16:1)
  7. “…How long halt ye between two opinions?” (1Ki 18:21)
  8. “…how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing?” (Psa 4:2)
  9. “How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked?” (Psa 82:2)
  10. “…How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?” (Pro 1:22)
  11. “…How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?” (Jer 4:14)
  12. “How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies?” (Jer 23:26)
  13. “How long wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter?…” (Jer 31:22)
  14. “…how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you?” (Mat 17:17)
  15. These verses show how longsuffering God is with sinners including lazy sinners.

1. Solomon also uses the emphatic “O” to try to get through to the slow belly.
   1. O (n.) – 1. Standing before a n. in the vocative relation. 2. In other connexions, or without construction, expressing, according to intonation, various emotions, as appeal, entreaty, surprise, pain, lament, etc.
   2. One is justified in using emotion while exhorting a lazy man to get out of bed.
2. when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
   1. Sluggard n. – A. n. One who is naturally or habitually slow, lazy, or idle; one who is disinclined for work or exertion of any kind; a slothful or indolent person.
   2. Sluggards are lazy and love to sleep.
      1. Being lazy will make a man tired will make him want to sleep (Pro 19:15).
      2. Because he is lazy he will just keep turning upon his bed instead of getting up (Pro 26:14).
      3. The longer he sleeps, the more tired he will be when he finally gets up and the more worthless he will feel.
      4. This in turn will make him sit around and be lazy which will make him tired and wanting to go to sleep again.
      5. This is a vicious cycle which needs to be broken.

• Sleep is a good thing.
  1. The sleep of a laboring man is sweet (Ecc 5:12).
  2. Sleep is necessary for the body to rejuvenate and heal itself (Joh 11:12).
  3. It is foolish to deprive oneself of necessary sleep (Psa 127:2).
  4. Diligent men sleep to live; sluggards live to sleep.

1. Everyone needs a different amount of sleep,
   1. Most people need between 6-9 hours of sleep per night to be healthy and feel well rested.
   2. I need 7.5 hours per night myself.
   3. So don’t condemn a person who needs eight hours of sleep per night if you only need six hours.
2. There is a big difference between the person who only needs seven hours of sleep, but is too lazy to get up and sleeps for eight or nine, and the person who needs eight or nine hours to feel well rested and not be tired and dragging all day.
3. Imagine how much more a lazy person could get done in a lifetime if he didn’t sleep an extra hour every day and instead used that hour productively.
   1. If a man did so between the ages of 15-75, he would have 21,900 extra hours of productive time during his life (365 x 1 x 60).
   2. That’s an extra 2,737.5 extra eight hour work days.
   3. That’s an extra 10.5 YEARS of extra eight hour work days.
   4. Is it any wonder that, although we all have the same amount of hours in a day, some people accomplish far more in their lives than others?

How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard?  Get up and get something done!