A Word in Season: The Destroyer’s Brother (Proverbs 18:9)

The Brother of the Great Destroyer

You look at something and you're forced to conclude that it is beyond repair. It might be smashed to smithereens as we sometimes say. It might be that the Basic working functions have been pushed beyond their limits or something's been taken away that needs to be there.

But one way or another the thing has become completely non-functional. It's just not going to do the job anymore. Now that could happen for any number of reasons might just be wear and tear. But perhaps somebody has gone to work on that thing that situation that project.

It may be and you're left saying they have just laid waste to it. It has been totally Destroyed. They've gone in with an attitude of aggression. They've gone in with a Destructive intent they have laid about them and the whole thing the the piece of equipment the plan the project the Situation is now entirely wrecked.

That's destruction. Now Proverbs chapter 18 verse 9 tells us that there is someone who is a brother to the great destroyer somebody who is closely allied and whose accomplishments or we might say lack of them bring us to precisely the same end as the person who lays waste deliberately to some situation or thing or plan and The brother to the great destroyer is the man who is slothful in his work.

The man who is lazy who is careless who is thoughtless. The man who is always looking to cut corners the man who's willing to take shortcuts. The man who doesn't want to push it too hard. The man who perpetually lives with the conviction.

That'll do that's enough. It's the bare minimum perhaps. It's all we need to worry about. Who's willing to just go through life botching and Plastering up just putting a plaster on the wound and the wise teacher of Proverbs 18 Tells us that that man is a brother to him who is a great destroyer.

Now he might not effectively go in with a great sledgehammer and smash something to pieces but his carelessness in putting it together his carelessness in looking after it his laziness in handling it means that ultimately His piece of equipment comes to precisely the same end as if it were in the hands of the great destroyer.

Perhaps it's a project or a plan. There's a scheme in mind. There's a structure being worked out and somebody comes in and Cuts it down left right and center. So that was a great destroyer. That person has just ripped the thing to shreds and there's nothing left of it.

But what if you've got lazy and careless and thoughtless and Slothful people in the team. What if you've got people in the organization of a constantly chipping away at that plan not with the same immediate and obvious Aggressive destructive force as the great destroyer, but simply through not bothering to do the work.

Well, they will just as effectively bring that process down to the ground Lay waste to it bring it to nothing as the one who goes in as a great destroyer. So what is your disposition or mine to the work that the Lord God gives us to do.

How do we approach the tasks that are put in our hands? What do we do with the resources the? Objects the schemes the patterns the purposes the the people that the Lord God has put within our reach perhaps under our influence or Authority are we lazy and careless in our work?

Do we ultimately bring things to waste do we leave them beyond repair by our casual and? lazy approach. Just as much as if we'd taken a hammer to the situation or laid waste with a more obvious destructive intent if we're God's people then we ought not to be slothful and lazy and careless.

We ought to be working to the best of our ability. We ought to be trying to preserve and advance and Take care of every righteous cause whether that's in the church or in the work that we do Within or beyond the congregation of God.

So let us not become brothers to the great destroyer. But rather prove ourselves diligent and careful and productive in our work.