Work is Not Part of the Curse
September 11th, 2006 | Michael Pink
So far, we have covered the first two days of creation and what they speak to the business person. Day 1: “Let there be light” speaks of the importance of vision. Day 2: “And God created the heavens” speaks to the important issue of determining guiding principles that you and your team will use to make decisions. Now we begin with Day 3: “And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called He Seas: and God saw that it was good.”
Remember what I said recently about reading all of the references on a topic to understand not only the obvious literal meaning, but also the usage of those literal things to explain concepts or eternal truths? Let’s start with “land,” which God made. We find that before God gave Adam a wife, He gave him a job. “And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.” (Gen 2:15)
One of the things land speaks of is work. Work is not part of the curse. It is a blessing and we will be doing it for eternity – and loving it! Jesus said, “My Father works still, and I work.” (John 5:17) In fact, Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:10 that “we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.” For our work to be fruitful and rewarding, we must first see it as a gift from God. Once we have that straight, we work as if directly employed by Him, because we are. (Eph 6:5)
September 12th, 2006 at 9:07 am
This is an interesting point of view, and one that I mostly agree with. On the other hand, how do you reconcile this view with Gen 3:17b-19? “Cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field; by the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, because from it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Yes, we were created to work. The scripture makes this clear. But the difficulty (toil, sweat) of our work is part of the curse!?!!
September 12th, 2006 at 10:19 am
Very interesting, and very good.
Thank you.
A comment about what Norman said. I also wondered about this, which he pointed out. That this is part of the “curse”. The toil and the sweat. Here is what I came up with in dealing with people and more importantly, my wife of 12 years now. God had to change the rules so we would benefit properly from what we do and how we act. After Eve and Adam “knew good and evil” not good only, they did not have a choice of doing right or wrong. They didn’t even know they could disobey God, or do harm and bad; be lazy, or be involved in unhealthy activity, nor did they have a desire to do so. They knew God and understood he knew best and was their guide and loving master. (They actually walked in the garden together) Adam and Eve were perfect beings. Everything they would do would benefit them because it was right. They didn’t need a “challenge” in the sense we know it today. If I am not mistaken, I believe before man sinned and enmity was put between man and animals, as you read, you see Eve and the serpent having a conversation. There was no confusion.
Because we are able to do evil to ourselves and others, we are doing what is not according to God’s will. Therefore we need a challenge that forces us against our “new-nature” to test us, to see what we will ultimately do with our lives. Who will we listen to? Here is the best example: Just as God increased women’s birth pains, (Gen. 3:16), no doubt the greatest pain a human can go through, that is natural, here we find, no doubt, the greatest love on earth, between mother and child. I’ve been married to an amazing wife for 12 years, not without trials; the trials made us stronger, and our bond stronger, because we learned we were just two very different creatures, wanting to please God and eachother, we just didn’t always communicate the same, and still do not. That is the challenge in marriage. Communication and self-lessness (not selfishness). When we take away the struggle, we take away the effort to gain wisdom and have the fruits of persistence. The toughest things you and I do in our lives, the greatest challenges, a long-lasting, “till death do us part”- marriage, raising children, climbing a mountain, going thru graduate school to land a great career, or going thru the toil of what it takes to build a garden/ farm and keep the weeds and pests out to produce an abundant, beautiful harvest that you can be proud of, we see our greatest joys. It’s hard work! By going against what the Devil (serpent) would have us do, which would be nothing but be self consumed and miserable, no good to anyone else, destroying ourselves by breaking God’s commands, rather than being a blessing to others and making a difference in someone else’s life. What do you think?
September 12th, 2006 at 10:59 am
Good thoughts Dennis! Really appreciate you weighing in on this. Norman raised a very good question and you gave us something substantive to think about. There is something in the struggle that forms us in a way that nothing else does. Have never thought of it the way you described it. Thanks!
Norman, I believe you are correct that work became more difficult because of the curse. Work itself is not part of the curse but the degree of difficulty increased. I believe also that the degree of difficuly can be lessened when we learn Hebrews 4 to “enter the rest” of God. He is able to remove the difficulty and does so on occasion. He did that with the Israelites in the wilderness with the manna. He did it again in Canaan when He caused their fields years later to produce double in the sixth year so the land could lay fallow in the seventh. I think we could all benefit by learning more about the grace and rest of God.
September 12th, 2006 at 10:04 pm
It is refreshing to hear a message that is so real.
An attitude that “God will provide’ without any activity required by us seems to have afflicted so many Christians in recent years, including many high profile leaders of our faith whose message seems to be “You can buy prosperity by being a good Christian and supporting my ministry financially.”
September 13th, 2006 at 9:25 am
Rod; Thanks for writing in… I believe the activity we supply is the vehicle through which God supplies our needs most of the time. The activity is not about earning God’s favor but more about syncing ourselves with the ways of God. I believe God blesses our activity done in faith (faith without works is dead) and without activity (action) God has nothing to bless.
September 13th, 2006 at 12:23 pm
THe difficult task is to encourage others to see this as clearly as the Bible states it: The LORD God took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden to work it and watch over it. First, God “placed” Adam into the garden (the first job assignment); second, his job was to “work it” (an act of making something happen); and finally, he would have to “watch over it” (an act of protection and responsibility). This is a partial restatement of verse 8 “The LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there He placed the man He had formed.” Notice that God created the garden, and Adam did not. Additionally, the Bible never states that Adam had a choice in his assignment. Adam was “placed”. This tells me that since we are created by God that we should ALL be expected to do these three things: 1) Allow God to place us where he wants us, 2) Perform the tasks that He wants us to do, and 3) Protect what God has placed in around us (whether or not it’s our responsibility or within our ability to change that which is around us).
September 18th, 2006 at 9:46 pm
This was so good that Pastor really thought so….I have also always believed we should work as unto the Lord…there are many unsung heroes who do good work…And God refreshes them.