A Four Letter Word Called WORK (Part 2)

PART #2

 Selected Scriptures

Yesterday, we took a look at introducing our series on work.  We've discussed the intention of our study, as well as the cultural paradigm that exists in creating the current, non-Biblical views of work that exist.  Today's study will explore and debunk some of the common myths regarding work that are commonly taught in society today.

I.  Common Work Myths

As I’ve already stated earlier, there are some heavily tainted views of what work is all about, why it exists and so on.  Please understand my friends, that the word WORK is NOT a dirty four-letter word.  This Bible study will help you see God’s perspective on work so that you can look at it with God’s mind and heart in view.  But first, let’s dispel 4 common myths regarding work.

Myth #1 – Work began as a result of the curse on the earth and Adam & Eve’s fall by sin.

This is commonly believed, but couldn’t be farther from the truth.  That same philosophy has made its way into other cultures.  In Greek culture, the philosopher Homer writes about the common belief among his people that the “gods” hated mankind so much that they invented work as a means of punishment and persecution on mankind.  And so today, this same philosophy plagues our society, as people believe the only reason they work because God secretly hates all of us and wants to be a people most miserable.

If you look with me at Genesis 1:28, you’ll see God’s commandment to Adam regarding his responsibility toward Creation.  It reads, “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”  Look also at Genesis 2:15 which reads, “And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.”  Adam was told to subdue the garden, and to have dominion over it.  Adam’s responsibility was to cultivate the garden of Eden, to allow it to continue to flourish.  This required work.  It was no easy task to simply be in charge of literally everything that God has created in the Garden of Eden.

Now look with me at Genesis 3:17-19 – “And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; 1⁸Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;  ¹⁹In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”

This view of the earth and the Garden is much different now.  Why?  Sin has now entered into the world.  This passage implies that thorns and thistles did NOT exist before Adam and Eve sinned.  Also noted, is that the nature of Adam’s work is now intensified.  In verse 19, Adam’s work is now made more laborious and exhausting as the “sweat of [his] face” brings about his daily food.  What sin did, was NOT institute work, but simply change the nature of what work was.  What was once a duty Adam willingly fulfilled with no exhaustion, no sweat, no fatigue, became the work we know of today.  It changed work from being a pure blessing, to being a blessing with a curse on top

Myth #2 – Work is merely a necessary evil throughout life on this earth.

This belief is also wayward from what the truth actually is.  If work were a necessary evil, then evil had already existed before Adam’s sin as we just studied in Genesis 1 and 2.  God didn’t give Adam the duty of work as a punishment, it was out of joy and purpose that Adam got to work.  We’ll explore this more later, but God created Adam in His image, a triune being of Father, Son and Holy Spirit made man of body, mind and soul.  And inherently God is a worker, an aspect of our Heavenly Father we’ll look at in depth soon.  Therefore, to be made in the image of God as Genesis 1 refers to would invoke the natural institution of work and a work ethic.  God didn’t create bums.

But even though the curse has ruined the greater glory of work, this does not mean that work has now become some type of evil device that we must merely endure while we live.  Numerous times in Scripture, specifically the Proverbs, Solomon shows us the joy and the divine goodness of work.  It is a privilege that we have the skill, ability, and life breath to be workers for the Lord our Savior.  Read these verses to yourself in the book of Proverbs and see for yourself how work is exalted in the Scriptures.

                              Proverbs 6:6-11                               Proverbs 15:19

                              Proverbs 10:4                                  Proverbs 19:15

                              Proverbs 10:26                                Proverbs 20:4

                              Proverbs 12:24                                Proverbs 26:13-16

                                                            Proverbs 13:4

We should have dignity in the ability to work, and work in the image of God. This is part of the nobility of being a man. One writer says, “The teaching of the Old Testament on the subject of work may be generally summed up by saying it is regarded as a necessary and indeed God-appointed function of human life.  Since to labor is the common lot of mankind, it is important that men should accept it without complaining and thus fulfill with cheerful obedience the intention of the Creator for human existence.  The basic assumption of the biblical viewpoint is that work is a divine ordinance for the life of man.  The bottom line is, God honors a good worker and despises laziness (the slothful).  A true follower of Jesus Christ reflects God image that is stamped upon Him, in part by how He honors God in work.

Myth #3 – There will be no work in Heaven throughout eternity.

Apparently some believe that once we got to Heaven, we’ll do nothing more than stroll around the streets of gold, or forever lounge out on pillowed clouds playing our own personal harps for the Lord.  Not to sound sacrilegious, but that’s got to be the biggest waste of eternity I’ve ever heard of.  In short, no that is not what we will be doing.  There is nothing in Scripture to support such a ridiculous outlook on God’s eternity with Him.  Work is an eternal aspect we are endowed with and we will continue to work for the Lord and for His glory even in eternity to come.

Isaiah 65:21-23 makes this quite clear.  “And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.  ²²They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.  ²³They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them.”

Yes, you read that correctly.  As Isaiah prophesies in verse 17 about the new heaven and the new earth (also talked about in Revelation 20-21), we will be spending eternity laboring for the Lord.  The best part about this, is that our work will finally return to its original plan.  No more sweat, fatigue, strain, exhaustion.  It will be simply unrestrained, fulfilling work that is done as an act of worship to the God of all creation, who saw us as precious in His sight to redeem us through His Son on the cross.

Myth #4 – Secular work jobs are far less noble and dignifying than sacred jobs.

For some reason, this has been a subtle, yet destructive thought among Christians for a very long time.  Whether it be a minister’s or layman’s fault for its inception is beyond me.  What I do know is how God views ALL forms of work in regards to His glory and honor.  In the Jewish Talmud, there is a prayer regarding the view of work between a laborer and a Bible scholar.  This is how it reads:

As you can see, that is NOT a Biblical view of work.  Some believe this is what essentially launched Martin’s Luther’s attacks against the Catholic church with this common laity-clergy division in regards to work.  If you know 1 Corinthians 10:31, then you know how God views every type of work  - “Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”  William Tyndale said, “If we look externally, there is difference between washing dishes and preaching the Word of God, but as touching to please God, there is no difference at all.”