Human Labor: A Curse or a Blessing?

Intro

Text - Genesis 3.17-19

Genesis 3:17–19 NKJV

17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: “Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life. 18 Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field. 19 In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return.”

Title - Human Labor: a Curse or a Blessing?

Main Point

How do Christians view human labor today?

Is it a curse to be endured or a blessing to be enjoyed?

Background

When Adam and Eve ate of the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, God put a curse on them -

the woman was cursed in her body and reproductive system

but for the man, the ground was cursed instead of his body

Since then, man has been toiling in order to live a life that he cannot save from death.

What has been man’s response to this curse?

Despair - accept their fate and surrender to endless toil

Reduce the effect

working hard in order to save and work less in the future

steal from others

Escape - suicide

Hatred - they have life and work

Man’s negative response to human work is borne out of a misunderstanding of life and its purpose -

the sluggard who hates work - he sees life to be all enjoyment and leisure

the workaholic who loves work - he works and works for fear of hunger, need, etc.

the average man - views work all for self enjoyment without accountability

Solomon’s Experiment

Solomon’s view on human toil

Ecclesiastes 1:8–11 NKJV

8 All things are full of labor; Man cannot express it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, Nor the ear filled with hearing. 9 That which has been is what will be, That which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun. 10 Is there anything of which it may be said, “See, this is new”? It has already been in ancient times before us. 11 There is no remembrance of former things, Nor will there be any remembrance of things that are to come By those who will come after.

at first he enjoyed his labor

Ecclesiastes 2:10–11 NKJV

10 Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, For my heart rejoiced in all my labor; And this was my reward from all my labor. 11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done And on the labor in which I had toiled; And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun.

later, he hated his labor

Ecclesiastes 2:17–24 NKJV

17 Therefore I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me, for all is vanity and grasping for the wind. 18 Then I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will come after me. 19 And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will rule over all my labor in which I toiled and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity. 20 Therefore I turned my heart and despaired of all the labor in which I had toiled under the sun. 21 For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; yet he must leave his heritage to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. 22 For what has man for all his labor, and for the striving of his heart with which he has toiled under the sun? 23 For all his days are sorrowful, and his work burdensome; even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity. 24 Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God.

he hated life

he hated his work

he turned to despair - “eat and drink for tomorrow we die”

Solomon’s Conclusions

Ecclesiastes 3:9–13 NKJV

9 What profit has the worker from that in which he labors? 10 I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. 12 I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, 13 and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God.

the profit of labor is enjoyment

Note - an atheist and nonbeliever could arrive at the same conclusion

but Solomon knows God and believes in human accountability

Ecclesiastes 12:13–14 NKJV

13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all. 14 For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.

Human work as God’s provision

Human labor was God’s provision for survival from the effects of eating the from of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

the effect was death and all its relatives - pain, suffering, hunger, disease and sickness, etc.)

the curse was on the human body and on the ground

the provision was human toil

Note: Human labor was not the solution to the curse

sin cannot be paid by human works

human work should not replace obedience to God’s Word

Human work as Service to God

God also designed work as a means of service to Him.

God taught man how to serve Him from the fruit of his labors.

God commanded Noah to build an ark

Genesis 6

Hebrews 11.7 “7 By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.”

Note - the name Noah means “rest”

Genesis 5:28–29 NKJV

28 Lamech lived one hundred and eighty-two years, and had a son. 29 And he called his name Noah, saying, “This one will comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord has cursed.”

the generations after Adam felt the effects of sin

Lamech “prophesied” of the coming rest from the labors of their time

Noah “rested” when he obeyed God’s instructions to him

Rest comes when man recognizes that his work is not merely for pleasure, but for the service of God

God introduced service rituals to Israel

Sacrifice and offfering will all come from their increase

Leviticus 23:10 NKJV

10 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest.

Numbers 15:18–19 NKJV

18 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land to which I bring you, 19 then it will be, when you eat of the bread of the land, that you shall offer up a heave offering to the Lord.

In fact -

Israel’s cycle of planting and harvesting is tied up to the service of the LORD

at the planting season, there is the feast of the trumpets and the feast of tabernacle

at the harvest season, there is the feast of the passover, feast of the firstfruits, feast of weeks (harvest)

God’s blessings to Israel are tied up to their service to God from the fruit of their labors

Malachi 3:10–12 NKJV

10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it. 11 “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” Says the Lord of hosts; 12 And all nations will call you blessed, For you will be a delightful land,” Says the Lord of hosts.

Proverbs 3:9–10 NKJV

9 Honor the Lord with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; 10 So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.

The Gospel provides us with principles on how to use human labor for the kingdom of God

Jesus teaches us to prioritize God’s kingdom over personal needs and pleasures

Luke 12:31–34 NKJV

31 But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. 32 “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

John 6:27–29 NKJV

27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.” 28 Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”

The apostles teaches us the virtue of human labor for the kingdom of God.

they preached and worked at the same time

1 Corinthians 4:12 NKJV

12 And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure;

1 Thessalonians 2:9 NKJV

9 For you remember, brethren, our labor and toil; for laboring night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God.

2 Thessalonians 3:7–9 NKJV

7 For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you; 8 nor did we eat anyone’s bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, 9 not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us.

they taught people to work

Ephesians 4:28 NKJV

28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.

1 Thessalonians 4:11–12 NKJV

11 that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, 12 that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.

Labors of Love

they are works done solely for the benefit of the ministry

1 Thessalonians 1:3 NKJV

3 remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father,

Hebrews 6:10 NKJV

10 For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

Conclusion

Don’t be slave of work

You are slave to your work when -

you are more worried with your work than with your service to God!

you work even when it is time to serve God

when you work for fear of needs

Matthew 4:4 NKJV

4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”

Malachi 2:2–4 NKJV

2 If you will not hear, And if you will not take it to heart, To give glory to My name,” Says the Lord of hosts, “I will send a curse upon you, And I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have cursed them already, Because you do not take it to heart. 3 “Behold, I will rebuke your descendants And spread refuse on your faces, The refuse of your solemn feasts; And one will take you away with it. 4 Then you shall know that I have sent this commandment to you, That My covenant with Levi may continue,” Says the Lord of hosts.

When you are slave to your work, human labor becomes a curse

Use your work to serve God!

Find work that will help increase your opportunities to serve God

you have more time for God

you have more gifts and offering to God

When you use your work to serve God, human labor becomes a blessing!

the blessing is the favor of God!

1 Corinthians 15:58 NKJV

58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Malachi 3:11–12 NKJV

11 “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” Says the Lord of hosts; 12 And all nations will call you blessed, For you will be a delightful land,” Says the Lord of hosts.

SONG

When I get to the end of the way