Sep24 Written by:Nathan Williams
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
I can't tell you how many times I've heard someone ask, "What was the ONE command given to Adam?" And everyone responds, "Don't eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil." I'm not sure why people have it in their heads that all Adam and Eve had to do at the very beginning was avoid transgressing this one covenant. The fact is, there were several commands given to them at the beginning.
1. Be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 1:28)
2. Subdue the earth (Genesis 1:28)
3. Cultivate and Keep the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:15)
4. Don't eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16, 17)
God gave man a purpose which was much larger than simply avoiding the forbidden tree. God gave him a great task. He gave man WORK to accomplish. Subduing the earth is not necessarily an easy task. We are still working at that one. On a smaller scale, Adam was to cultivate and keep the Garden of Eden. Before the curse in chapter 3 there were no thorns and thistles battling for supremacy in the garden, so Adam's task was likely a pleasant one. But you can see it was still work. Perhaps not back-breaking toil, but it was work.
God has ALWAYS wanted His creation to work. Our ultimate reason for being is NOT to make enough money so we can quit working for the rest of our lives. After all, our Father works continually. I know Genesis 2:3 says He rested for the work He had done in creation, but this means He stopped the specific work of creation - not that He stopped working altogether. Jesus said in John 5:17: "My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working." We ought to say the same thing.
God wants us to put our hand to GOOD and HONEST work. He created us for good works, which He prepared for us so we might walk in them (Eph. 2:10).
So...all of us who are "at work" right now, let's do it with all our might. We are working for God, not man. And when we "leave work," we understand we are simply resting from that particular work and moving on to other good works with our family, neighbors, and friends.
God bless your work today,
Nathan
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