The Fruit of Faithfulness Text: Proverbs 27:18
Introduction: The Economy of God
The book of Proverbs is intensely practical. It is God's inspired manual on how the world actually works. Our modern world, drunk on egalitarian fantasies and allergic to all notions of hierarchy and earned reward, finds this kind of talk offensive. We live in an age that wants the fruit without the labor, the harvest without the planting, and the honor without the service. We want to microwave everything. But the kingdom of God is not a microwave. It is a garden. It is a household. And in both gardens and households, there are fixed laws, established by the Creator, that govern how things grow and how they are rightly managed.
Our text today gives us two parallel images that cut right across the grain of our lazy, entitled age. They speak of diligence, patience, watchfulness, and the direct, causal relationship between faithful labor and its eventual reward. This is not some prosperity gospel gimmick; this is the hard-wired reality of God's created order. God has designed the world in such a way that faithfulness produces fruit and attentiveness results in honor. To deny this is to argue with the grain of the universe. It is to insist that water should not be wet.
This proverb is a rebuke to the slothful man, who wants the figs but cannot be bothered to guard the tree. He wants the shade of the tree, he wants the sweetness of the fruit, but he does not want the long, patient, often tedious work of tending it. It is also a rebuke to the rebellious servant, who despises his master and therefore receives no honor. He sees service as degradation, not as a pathway to glory. Our culture is filled to the brim with such men. They mock the very idea of loyalty. They believe themselves to be autonomous, beholden to no one, and as a result, they are honored by no one. They eat the bitter fruit of their own neglect.
But for the Christian, this proverb is far more than just good agricultural or economic advice. It is a picture of our relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ. He is our Master, and we are His servants. He has entrusted to us a garden, a fig tree, His household, His gospel. And He has promised that those who are faithful in this stewardship will not only eat the fruit of their labors but will be honored by the Master of the house when He returns.
The Text
He who guards the fig tree will eat its fruit,
And he who keeps watch for his master will be honored.
(Proverbs 27:18 LSB)
Guarding the Fig Tree (v. 18a)
The first clause sets up the principle with a simple, agrarian illustration.
"He who guards the fig tree will eat its fruit..." (Proverbs 27:18a)
Notice the verb: "guards." The Hebrew word is notser, which means to watch, to keep, to preserve. It implies more than just passive ownership. This is not the man who simply has a fig tree in his backyard that he occasionally remembers. This is the man who is actively, diligently protecting and tending his investment. A fig tree, like any valuable thing, is vulnerable. It is vulnerable to pests, to disease, to thieves, to drought, to neglect. The guard is the one who is there, day in and day out, cultivating, watering, pruning, and protecting.
This is a picture of long-term, patient labor. You do not plant a fig tree on Monday and expect to eat figs on Friday. It takes years. This kind of work is the antithesis of our get-rich-quick culture. This is plotting. This is faithfulness in the same direction over a long period of time. The world promises instant gratification, but God's economy is built on the principle of sowing and reaping. The diligent man understands this. He is not discouraged by the apparent lack of immediate results. He trusts the process that God has embedded in creation. He guards the tree.
And what is the result? He "will eat its fruit." The connection is direct and certain. This is not a "maybe." This is how the world is structured. The fruit is the natural, God-ordained consequence of the guarding. This applies to every area of life. The student who guards his studies will eat the fruit of knowledge. The husband who guards his marriage will eat the fruit of a joyful home. The businessman who guards his integrity will eat the fruit of a good reputation and a sustainable enterprise. The pastor who guards the flock will eat the fruit of mature saints.
The slothful man sees this and calls it luck. When the harvest comes in, he looks over the fence with envy and mutters about how "some people have all the breaks." He does not see the long hours, the sweat, the constant vigilance. He sees only the end result, and he covets it. But God is not mocked. A man reaps what he sows. If you sow neglect, you will reap barrenness. If you sow diligence, you will reap the fruit. This is not a mystery; it is the straightforward moral logic of the cosmos.
Watching for the Master (v. 18b)
The second clause moves from the agricultural realm to the personal, from the garden to the household. It elevates the principle from mere profit to honor.
"And he who keeps watch for his master will be honored." (Proverbs 27:18b)
Here again, the verb is crucial. "Keeps watch" is the Hebrew shamar. It carries the idea of keeping, guarding, and paying close attention. But notice the object of this attention. It is not an impersonal tree; it is a person, a "master." This man is not an independent operator. He is a steward, a servant, in a relationship of submission and loyalty. His job is to look after the interests of his master.
This is where our modern, democratic sensibilities really begin to chafe. We have been taught that to have a master is the great evil, and that personal autonomy is the great good. But the Bible teaches that everyone has a master. You will either serve God or you will serve Mammon. You will serve righteousness or you will serve sin. You will serve Christ or you will serve your own belly. The only question is whether you have a good master or a cruel one. The man in this proverb has a master, and his posture is one of loyal watchfulness.
He is not a time-server. He is not doing the bare minimum to avoid being fired. He is actively looking out for his master's interests, protecting his master's name, advancing his master's goals. This kind of loyalty is a rare commodity today, but it is the very thing that God values.
And what is the reward for this man? It is not just a paycheck. It is not just a share of the profits. It is "honor." This is a reward that cannot be quantified in dollars and cents. Honor is public recognition of value. The faithful servant is seen, he is acknowledged, and he is praised by his master. The master says, "This is a man I can trust. This is a man who has my back." And in a righteous household, that commendation from the one in authority is a crown of glory.
The Lord of the Fig Tree
As Christians reading this proverb, our minds must immediately go to the Lord Jesus. He is the true Master, and we are His servants. He has left us in charge of His household until He returns. And what is the fig tree He has given us to guard? It is nothing less than the gospel and its implications for all of life.
We are to guard the truth of the gospel against pests, the heretics and false teachers who would chew away at its roots. We are to guard the life of the church, cultivating fellowship and discipline. We are to guard the mission, proclaiming the good news to a world starving for fruit but content to chew on plastic. This is not easy work. It is long, patient, watchful labor. It requires diligence when no one is watching and faithfulness when the results are slow to appear.
The Apostle Paul saw his ministry in exactly these terms. He called himself a steward of the mysteries of God (1 Cor. 4:1). He understood that he was not an owner, but a servant entrusted with his Master's goods. His great concern was that he be found faithful. He guarded what was entrusted to him.
And what is the promise? The promise is that we will eat the fruit. We will see lives changed. We will see families restored. We will see the culture around us begin to taste of the goodness of the kingdom. And we will be honored. This is the promise that Jesus makes over and over again in His parables. Think of the parable of the talents. The servants who were faithful with what their master gave them were not just rewarded; they were honored. The master said to them, "Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master" (Matthew 25:23).
That is the honor we seek. Not the fleeting praise of men, which is like smoke, but the solid, eternal commendation of our Lord. To stand before Him on the last day, having guarded the fig tree He gave us, having watched for Him faithfully, and to hear Him say, "Well done." That is the honor that outweighs every trial, every sacrifice, every long night of watchful labor.
Conclusion: Your Watch and Your Reward
So this proverb comes to us today as both a warning and an encouragement. It is a warning to the lazy and the disloyal. If you are neglecting the duties God has placed before you, whether in your home, your work, or your church, do not be surprised when you have nothing but dust in your mouth. Do not be surprised when you receive no honor. You are simply reaping what you have sown.
But it is a profound encouragement to the faithful. Perhaps you are engaged in a long, thankless task. You are guarding a fig tree, and the fruit seems a long way off. You are serving your Master, and the world sees your service as foolishness. Do not lose heart. Your labor in the Lord is not in vain. The laws of God's kingdom are more certain than the law of gravity. The fruit will come. The honor will be given.
Look to Christ. He is the ultimate faithful servant, who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God. He guarded His Father's will perfectly. He watched for His Father's glory in everything. And He has been honored with the name that is above every name. He is both our perfect example of faithfulness and the gracious Master who rewards our stumbling attempts to follow Him.
Therefore, find your assigned post. Identify your fig tree. Know your Master. And get to work. Guard it. Watch for Him. For the fruit is sweet, and the honor is eternal.