The Sanctity of Labor [32mb]

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This is a message that was preached in honor of Labor Day.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction:

A few moments ago I shared some historical information regarding the holiday we celebrate tomorrow – Labor Day. It certainly is interesting to learn about the admirable goals and accomplishments of those who championed the rights of individuals who were being mistreated in the early days of industrialization.

I felt that it would be appropriate for us to consider some biblical principles relating to the whole topic of work. I fear that many people in today’s American culture have a distorted view of labor and the rewards for labor. I admit at the outset that I am not an expert in labor relations issues or economics and don’t have answers for every problem that we face in our economy today.

Having said that, I do want to point out some biblical principles that emphasize the sanctity of labor.

I.       Work is sacred because God does it.

Gen. 1-2

If you read through the first two chapters of Genesis you will see that the Bible uses a few key words to describe God’s creative activity. We notice that most of the descriptions of God’s activity simply say, “God said…” then it was done. However, in chapter one I noticed several times the word “made” was used to describe God’s actions. (7,16,25,31)

Also in chapter 1, the word “created” is used several times. Again, I would acknowledge that God merely needed to “speak” and things came into existence, but the words “created” and “made” do seem to imply productive activity.

In Chapter 2 the Bible uses the word “work” to describe what God was doing. In fact, verse 3 actually uses three words that all refer to God’s activity. They are: work, created, and made.

Here are definitions of the Hebrew words. (From THE COMPLETE WORD STUDY DICTIONARY: OLD TESTAMENT, Warren Baker, D.R.E.; Eugene Carpenter, Ph.D.)

Work –  מְלָאכָה melā’ḵāh: A feminine singular noun meaning work, occupation, business, something made, property, workmanship. This word is used for God’s creative work (Gen. 2:2, 3); as well as for human labor (Ex. 20:9, 10); skilled craftsmanship (Lev. 13:48); and agricultural tasks (1 Chr. 27:26). [There are a few other occurrences where the word takes on a completely different meaning.]

Create(d) – בָּרָא bārā’: A verb meaning to create. Only God is the subject of this verb. It is used for His creating: heaven and earth (Gen. 1:1); humanity (Gen. 1:27); the heavenly host (Isa. 40:26); the ends of the earth (Isa. 40:28); north and south (Ps. 89:12[13]); righteousness; salvation (Isa. 45:8); evil (Isa. 45:7). David asked God to “create” in him a clean heart (Ps. 51:10[12]). Isaiah promised that God will create a new heaven and earth (Isa. 65:17).

Made – עָשָׂה ‛āśāh: A verb meaning to do, to make, to accomplish, to complete. This frequently used Hebrew verb conveys the central notion of performing an activity with a distinct purpose, a moral obligation, or a goal in view (cf. Gen. 11:6

The use of these words in the biblical text definitely imply activity that is not only creative but productive and it is being done by the sovereign Creator God. We know from other passages in the Bible that God is perfectly good, holy and righteous. Therefore, He only engages in activity or “work” that is in harmony with His own nature. That is why I stated, “Work is sacred because God does it.”

II.     Work is sacred because it was ordained by God.

I don’t know about you, but I get the feeling from many people these days that work is a curse and a “plague” that has befallen the human race. If they happen to be religious, they might even tie it in with Adam and Eve’s fall into sin in the Garden of Eden. They imply that if Adam hadn’t sinned or if sin hadn’t ever entered into the world, then we wouldn’t have to work even today. If you listen to these people, you would get the feeling that their idea of utopia is a place where every fleshly desire is satisfied with no physical energy expended. In fact, for these individuals, their concept of heaven is everyone floating around on clouds, sipping on their favorite beverage with a host of angels attending to their every need and desire while they simply submit to all the pampering.

However, I believe that the Bible gives us quite a different picture. Work was not a curse from God, but an assignment and a responsibility that was given to us so we can glorify God.

See Genesis

1:26-28  Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” ²⁷So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. ²⁸Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Have dominion – רָדָה rāḏāh: A verb meaning to rule, to have dominion, to subjugate. This Hebrew word conveys the notion of exercising domain, whether legitimate or not, over those who are powerless or otherwise under one’s control.

Subdue – כָּבַשׁ kāḇaš: A verb meaning to subdue, to bring into subjection, to enslave. It means basically to overcome, to subdue someone. It is used to describe God’s mandate to humans to subdue the created order (Gen. 1:28).

2:15 “Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend (KJV, dress) and keep it.”

Dress (Tend) – עָבַד ‛āḇaḏ: A verb meaning to work, to serve. This labor may be focused on things, other people, or God. When it is used in reference to things, that item is usually expressed: to till the ground (Gen. 2:5; 3:23; 4:2); to work in a garden (Gen. 2:15); or to dress a vineyard (Deut. 28:39).

Keep – שָׁמַר šāmar: A verb meaning to watch, to keep, to preserve, to guard, to be careful, to watch over, to watch carefully over, to be on one’s guard. The verb means to watch, to guard, to care for.

2:19-20a “Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field.”

All of these verses in Gen 1-2 indicate that God had specific tasks and responsibilities assigned to Adam even before the entrance of sin into the picture.

Some of you may be wondering what the curse was then, if the assignment of work isn’t it.

According to Gen. 3:14-19 I would describe the curse as follows:

·        Discord and hostility in animal kingdom and between animals and humans. (14-15)

·        Pain, sorrow and hostility among humans. (16)

·        Adverse environmental conditions for work resulting in hard toil, sweat and exhaustion that is associated with work. (17-19)

There are other biblical texts that further define and explain the curse of sin on all mankind, but these are enough to show that work in and of itself wasn’t the curse. The curse was primarily the adverse environment and consequences associated with work.

III.    Work is sacred because laziness and sloth are strongly condemned by God.

(One only needs to read through the book of Proverbs to understand what God thinks of laziness.)

If God condemns laziness and sloth in the Bible, then God must approve of and even require creatures that are made in His image to be active and productive.

(Before anyone jumps to the wrong conclusion right here let me say this: I’m not suggesting that individuals with physical handicaps and disabilities are violating God’s word because they are “not productive.” No one in their right mind would say that disability and laziness is the same thing.)

Obviously, as a result of the curse on the ground and the consequences for Adam’s sin, work is not usually easy. It often takes real effort and expends our energy and strength to the point of exhaustion. No one ever promised that work would be easy, but God still condemns laziness. Just because work is hard and life is hard, it doesn’t give any of us the right or the “license” to sit around and expect others to provide for our daily needs.

I know I run the risk of offending someone with some of my comments here, because they are not “politically correct.” But…People, in our society particularly, seem to have developed an attitude and mentality that says, “I deserve as much pay as possible for as little work as possible.”

We see many who think that the world owes them everything they need to live a carefree and comfortable life. If their parents won’t or can’t give it to them and their employer won’t give it to them, then they expect the government to give it to them. We sometimes refer to this as an “entitlement mentality.” “I’m entitled to have what I want provided by the hard work of someone else.”

IV.    Work is sacred because of other biblical principles.

A.     Honesty and integrity.

All of the passages in the Bible that speak about the importance of honest can be related to the way we do our work. That includes everything from doing a day’s work for a day’s pay, to making sure we do not cheat our employer in any way.

B. Justice and mercy.

The Apostle Paul has many statements in his epistles about the way that masters (employers) were to treat their slaves (employees) and vice versa. Being a ruler, master, or employer doesn’t give anyone the right to mistreat another person; nor does it give the work any right to cheat the employer.

Please notice that I didn’t say anything about the biblical principle of fairness. That is because it isn’t there. Fairness is based on the practice of each one of us looking around at the benefits that others have and demanding we get the same. Justice is doing what is right and what we agreed to do for the pay we were promised.
Conclusion:

As we close this message I just want to make reference to some spiritual analogies that are pointed out in Scripture.

In the Scripture reading that was given earlier, there was a distinct analogy presented between the concept of work and rest as it relates to the life of faith. I actually had intended to preach on that passage today, then felt drawn into this other emphasis as I was developing the introduction for that sermon.

None-the-less, I want to end today by reminding each one of us that God has spiritual rest for each one of us. There is a certain kind of rest implied when we cease from our labor in sin and come to the Lord for salvation and forgiveness. The passage in Hebrews 4 apparently talks about a different kind or level of rest for the “people of God.” Some think it is referring to heart purity and sanctification, while other scholars think it is referring to heaven.

I will address this some time in the future in another sermon.

But, let us all remember that God has a spiritual rest for each one of us to cease from the labor of sin and rest in the assurance of faith in what Christ has accomplished.