The Wise and the Sluggard

In my devotions I came across Proverbs 27. Since I am approaching retirement in the not so distant future, the poem about the wise man increasing his wealth seemed very pertinent to me. When I read commentaries on the topic, scholars point out that Proverbs 24 and 27 have parallels and one can learn much by comparing the two poems.

Bruce Waltke
In some ways it [Proverbs 27:23-17] matches the poem that ended Collection IV (24:30-34). Both are five verses that end a collection/section, and both refer somewhat chiastically to a field (24:30; 27:26). Meinhold notes that by placing them together one sees a contrast between the sluggard who neglects the good creation and his inherited field and the wise who, by working in harmony with the good creation, produces the wealth that buys a field. (p. 390, The Book of Proverbs 15-31)

Here are the passages I am meditating upon:

Proverbs 24:30 - 34
I passed by the field of a sluggard,
  by the vineyard of a man lacking sense,
and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns;
  the ground was covered with nettles,
  and its stone wall was broken down.
Then I saw and considered it;
  I looked and received instruction.
A little sleep, a little slumber,
  a little folding of the hands to rest,
and poverty will come upon you like a robber,
  and want like an armed man.

Proverbs 27:23-27
  Know well the condition of your flocks,
 and give attention to your herds,
for riches do not last forever;
 and does a crown endure to all generations?
When the grass is gone and the new growth appears
  and the vegetation of the mountains is gathered,
the lambs will provide your clothing,
  and the goats the price of a field.
There will be enough goats' milk for your food,
  for the food of your household
  and maintenance for your girls.

As we can see, one of the main differences between the wise and the sluggard is attentiveness. The wise person cares for the things God entrusted him. The godly man loves the people for whom he is responsible. Bruce Waltke quotes Van Leeuwen's commentary on Proverbs 27:23:

Our stewardship requires that we know intimately those things, creatures, and persons entrusted to our care (27:23). Governments need to understand the people, the land, and justice. Teachers need to know and love their students and their subjects. Workers and artists need to know their materials and their craft. Pastors...also need to know and tend their flocks. (Waltke, Proverbs 15-31, p. 391, footnote 90.)

God has given everyone the responsibility of stewardship. We are responsible to take care of the things given to us. As a homeowner, I am responsible for the upkeep on my house and property. As a husband and parent, I responsible to love and care for my family. As an elder, I am responsible for those under my care. The word condition in 27:23 is actually the word for "faces" in Hebrew. The shepherd should know the face of every sheep in his flock. Elders should know the condition and status of everyone under his care. These poems in Proverbs indicate that God will care for us (at least in part) through the people, things, and resources that God entrusted us to steward and oversee.