Work consumes our lives. According to one study, the average person will spend one-third of their waking life at work! Thankfully, the Scriptures are not silent on this topic. There is wisdom such as “whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys” (Prov 18:9). There are commands such as “Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labour, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need” (Eph 4:28).

As Christians, the above passages should shape our daily lives, but we should also dig deeper into the Scriptures and recover a doctrine of work that helps us understand the purpose of our work, how Adam’s sin affected our work, and how the Gospel transforms our work. Whether you labour in the trades, stay at home caring for your children, or work in an office environment, the Bible has the power to shape your everyday tasks. 

This article will focus on the purpose of work; future articles will look at how Adam’s sin affected work, and how the Gospel transforms our work.

God’s Work

The first time the term “work” appears in the Bible is in Genesis 2:2-3 where it appears three times in reference to God’s work of creation.  And the work of God has not ceased, for Jesus said in John 5:17, “My Father is working until now.” God’s first work was that of Creation and His ongoing work is that of Providence, where He cares for His creation (Matt 5:25-33).  This is significant: God works! God is not asking us to do something He refuses to do Himself.  More than this, work cannot be a necessary evil, if it is something that God Himself does. Work must be seen as valuable.

Man’s Work

In Genesis 2:15, we read, “The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.”  We must ponder this phrase. 

First, we must not overlook the fact that this command precedes Adam’s sin. Throughout history, many Christians have considered work a negative result of the fall. But Genesis 2:15 contradicts such thinking! Yes, the sin of Adam has impacted our work, but we must acknowledge that we were created to work.

Second, it becomes helpful to see how these two verbs “work” and “keep” are used elsewhere in Scripture. The first term, “work”, is an agricultural term meaning to cultivate!  Adam was to cultivate the garden in such a manner that life could thrive.  This is what a gardener does. The gardener does not create life but does create a place where life can thrive. Adam “worked” the garden! This term is used later in Genesis by Laban, “. . . should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?”  The Hebrew word behind “serve” is the same Hebrew word that is translated as “work” in Genesis 2:15. Here in chapter 29, Jacob is working for Laban; he is not cultivating the fields but rather shepherding the flocks. As a shepherd, he is working with the flocks in such a way that the lives of the animals can thrive.  And in doing so, he is serving Laban!

Moses will use this Hebrew word yet again in Numbers 18:7, this time for the work of the priests.  He writes, “And you and your sons with you shall guard your priesthood for all that concerns the altar and that is within the veil; and you shall serve. I give your priesthood as a gift...” It is fascinating that the translators have once again used the English word "serve" to represent this agricultural term. It is the same term we find in Genesis 2:15. Just as Adam “worked” the garden, so the priest is to “work” in God’s Tabernacle. The priest is doing work (sacrificing animals) so life might thrive! And this work is seen as a service, primarily to God!

What we can deduce from this short study is that work is meant to allow life to thrive. Whether you’re a stay-at-home mom or a high-powered lawyer, your God-given task is to work in such a manner that life can thrive and to do this work in the service of God and others. It is this thought that Paul will expand upon in Colossians 3:23, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” Ultimately, work is meant to be worship of God. 

Third, this leads us to the second verb found in Genesis 2:15, “keep”.  Interestingly, we find this same verb in the Numbers passage above.  In Numbers 18:7 the priests were to “guard” the tabernacle. This is the same Hebrew word behind “keep” in Genesis 2:15. Adam was to keep or guard the garden. Something he failed to do in the very next chapter (Gen 3:6), resulting in work being cursed going forward. We will examine this in the next article.  Similarly, the priests were to guard the priesthood and the activities within the Tabernacle.  We too, are to guard our spheres of responsibilities so that intruders will not take the life we are seeking to cultivate.

Conclusion

God has made man in his image, after his likeness. We are meant to reflect him.  And this is seen in our work. God works and therefore we work. Our work does not create life, but it does create spaces where life can thrive.  We work for the good of others!  And when we do so, we reflect him and thus we worship him as we work.

Let us work heartily unto the Lord!