This passage — Genesis 2 — might be a familiar passage, especially when we resolved to start Bible reading plans at the start of the year. But have we thought about what God’s word says about work? As we begin this study on work, it is important for us to understand how God designed work! Otherwise we will be shaped by other voices!
(A) The divine work cycle: completing work and resting from work (Gen 2:1-3)
We begin this passage with Genesis 2:1, which tells us that the heavens and the earth were finished and all that is in it. This is the God that created all things and filled the earth with it and here, we are told that He is done with His work.
Following that, He rested from all the work He had done, blessed the day and made the day holy (Gen 2:2-3). Notice the repetition of the phrase “his work that he had done”. Moses was emphasising that God was the one responsible for creation and He is also a God that completes His work.
Why did He rest? Now, it’s not because God has finite strength and tired. Creation work is not wearisome to Him. In Genesis 1 we read of how He spoke the world into being. Everything He said, happened. Thus, there is no sense of strain in creation. He rested not because He was tired.
He rested because it was good and it was done. He rested as a way of ceasing from that work! All that He wanted to do was accomplished and He can now take a step back to enjoy what He has done.
This idea of rest was later picked up in the Law, with the Sabbath. As part of God’s creation, His people was to remember their limitations as a created being and the limitlessness of their God as they ceased their work. In Christ, we no longer need to adhere to this law, but there are important principles for us too. God calls His people to rest. How can we live out the spirit of this law? We live it out by remembering that though work is good, God did not work all seven days. He did not work every single minute of the day. He rested to appreciate the work He had done. Though we as fallen creatures do not always do perfect work, we also need to cease from work and be reminded of our limitations.
What does this look like practically? You can be successful at work, enjoy what you do, or be recognised for your work. Ceasing from work means letting go of what they are getting their self-worth from and to rest from work. In doing so, they are reminded that they do not get their identity from their own work, but to look to the One who has done all things for us.
For those struggling to meet the KPI, ceasing from work means trusting in God for sustenance and to go to Him in prayer and reliance. It means to remember that even in our lack at work, God is the one who created work. He is also the one who has given us our jobs.
Rest is not what we think rest is — chilling and watching Netflix. Rest is a leap of faith and requires us to trust in God as the one who worked better and set the pattern for us. We can trust in Him and can derive our self-worth from Him!
In God’s design for work, work is good, but it is not everything. It was designed to be put down, and in doing so, we are to look up to Him. It forces us to contemplate our limits and to worship the limitlessness of our Creator God.
Have you also started things and not seen them through to the end. Life in a fallen world is full of unforeseen obstacles. We read of failed building projects. We know our own personal shortcomings. Notice how God is not like this! God started and completed His work! What comfort this is for us!
God also makes this day holy. Remember that this was before the fall. Thus, rest was built into this perfect world, to stop from the good work to look at the good Worker we are to image.
(B) The Good Design for work: Creating, Providing & Commissioning (Gen 2:4-17)
In Genesis 2. Moses is zooming in to day 6 of creation in these verses. This is a retelling of the same thing in Genesis 1 that reveals a different aspect of who God is. Moses then delves into details of a slice of the creation narrative highlighting selectively and we can see two categories of creation — the creation of man and the creation of the garden. Broadly, we see the creation of the worker and the workplace.
God is addressed differently between Genesis 2:2-3 (“God”) and Genesis 2:4 (“LORD God”). LORD refers to the personal name of God — Yahweh. It reminds people of the covenant and how He is a personal God. Moses uses this to speak of a God who is God, highlighting in particular His personal nature.
As God’s people, we need to know God in the fullness of His nature. He is powerful and omnipotent as Genesis 1 shows us, but He is also very personal, as Genesis 2 will go on to show us.
Genesis 2:7-9 shows us the works of God. Let’s pick out the verbs used here:
Formed: We see a tactile act of working here. God is making man in His image (Gen 1:27) in a personal manner. He is personally making man and making intentional decisions like an artist would, like a sculptor would.
Breathed: There is no more personal action! It is a picture of giving oneself, as He is breathing into man.
Planted, made to spring up every tree that is good for food and pleasant to the sight: Don’t miss out the extent! God made all that man needed. He is generous and gives to man all that he needs for his enjoyment. He maximises the senses of man and does not waste it. God also enjoys beauty.
Remember also that planting is a tedious task. It involves preparing the soil, adding fertiliser, watering and also waiting. God does not stand at a distance. He is involved in the very act of creation. He plans all that man needs to flourishBlessed the seventh day: He desires to be in this place with man. He does not design it as we do with ant farms — just watching from a distance. Again, there is a sense of intimacy and labouring out of nothing and with creativity for the joy of it.
This is a God that enjoys what He is doing. He is not scared of getting His hands dirty and is involved in the process. This brings incredible dignity to work — strategic planning work behind creation, or getting hands dirty in the planting of the garden. No matter what work we do — business administration or resoling shoes — it images God.
How do we see work today? We may shun physical labour but see how God works. There is value as we serve others, provide for others and helping those around us.
How do you see others who work? Do we treat those in manual labour warmly? How do we approach them? Do we love them enough to share the gospel?
As we work, do we remind ourselves that the God who works is pleased with us working and imaging Him as we work — to bring order, to cultivate and create culture.
What are the outflowing of His creation? Genesis 2:10-14 speak of four rivers that begin in the Garden. Water is important for the growth of plants and the Garden itself is equipped with this source. This river clearly overflows and is not a tiny stream or trickle. It provides for the whole Garden! We are also given the details of the precious stones in the land and we can see that these lands are rich and fertile. This is the land that man is tasked to work, as we will see in subsequent verses.
What is work that God values? We don’t get the sense that it is one that merely seeks to achieve a KPI. Rather, we see that God works to bring about growth and flourishing of His creation.
We read of how God commissions man to “work it and keep it” (Gen 2:15). It was similar to what God did! Man was to image God in this way — to irrigate the land, till the soil, fertilise it etc. He is to take what God has done and to continue it. Man was also to protect the garden from things that would destroy the good in the garden.
Previously, we’ve seen the intentional act of putting man in the garden, but now it is unpacked even further, adding on the layer of being in the garden to work. In Genesis 2:5b, we see how Moses is implying that Man was put in the garden to work the ground. This is God’s grace at work too as He allows man to continue the work that He has done to bring about growth to bless the rest of the earth! How does this change the way you think about work? Is it the same or different from God’s view here? How are you working?
Now, this is not the world we live in. Our work is certainly affected by sin. Before we go there, let us just pause to remember that we are to image God even in our work. Work is not a punishment and a result of the fall. Work is not our way to make this place good again. Work is part of God’s design for us. We know this innately — that we need to apply ourselves and to work on something, otherwise something feels off. It’s just that we live in a fallen world and our work is imperfect.
God makes it clear what they can and cannot do, and He also tells them what the consequences are if they disobeyed (Gen 2:16-17). Notice that God allowed them to eat of every tree. Thus, God is not cruel and man is certainly not lacking in taste and flavours. God is not a God who has a temper and takes things away from man when He’s angry. Instead He is clear about the boundaries right form the start and also graciously reveals it to man. See God’s grace in revealing the boundaries!
Thus, we are to see the value in what we do. Some jobs may not be popular or unfashionable but see what God’s word says about the value of our jobs. We are doing good work by imaging God whoever He has placed us, regardless of what the world says.
(C) Help for the work: Providence 2.0 (Gen 2:18-25)
Here, we see that God observed that it is not good for man to be alone, without a counterpart and companion in the work that he has been assigned to (Gen 2:18). God acts immediately and see how He is very much involved in this act of solving this problem. God brings the animals to him, very much involved in the process! Man’s work here is in the naming of the animals (Gen 2:19). This was the authority that God gave man to image Him and to work in the garden. Let this continue to remind us that we were designed to work and our work has meaning!
But in Genesis 2, we also see that as a result, woman was created. Man breaks out into song and is joyful (Gen 2:23). Woman is his helper to complete the commission of God.
What does this mean for us? Let us also remember that our true Helper is not in the form of a spouse. In John 14:26, we read of how Jesus promised and He gave us the Holy Spirit as our helper. Whether married or single, our true Helper is not from a spouse. He has provided someone better, God the Holy Spirit. The Spirit works to teach and show us who Christ is and therefore, who our Creator God is, the one in whose image we are made. If you feel like you are alone and left to figure life and its struggles on your own, take heart. We are not orphans and He has sent us the Spirit for the tan He has commissioned us for.
This passage teaches us that God has a view on work. There is a cycle of work and rest to help us not lose sight of who God is. He is the God who creates, provides for and commissions man to work. We are given what we are needed to work — both through sustenance and also the Spirit. Work is how we worship, image and glorify Him!
How do you think about work? What is God teaching you about work today?