Work
For contemporary humanity the meaning and character of work have been divorced from religion, being largely shaped by secular ideologies associated with Marxism and capitalism. This is radically different from the biblical concept of work, which is laden with theological significance. The expenditure of physical and mental energy to produce sustenance and culture, the activity that engages most of humanity's population and time (Augustine), has a profoundly religious inspiration and direction in both Testaments. The biblical evidence indicates that human beings must be guided by God's will in their work. Without this guidance, work will ultimately be useless.
The Old Testament. Creation. All human work is based on the analogy of God's work in creating the natural world as classically described in Genesis 1-2. God is depicted as effortlessly expending energy to create a world of exquisite beauty from nothing. Material, temporal, and spatial reality are made in a sequence of six days. The text climaxes with a poetic depiction of the creation of humanity, made in the image and likeness of God ( Gen 1:27 ). This poetic climax, as well as God's survey of his completed creation ( 1:31 ), captures something of the ecstatic joy in the Creator's mind evoked by the splendor of his work. On the seventh day, God rests from his work, celebrating his accomplishments.
In this creation text human beings are given a mandate to work, which is intimately related to their identity as the image of God ( Gen 1:26 ). As image bearers, the human race is to work by ruling and serving the creation. As God has shown his transcendence to the created order through his work, human beings replicate the divine likeness by having dominion over the creation ( Gen 1:26-28 ). Work has therefore an extremely wide scope, but the theological point is central: human beings are called to imitatio dei (imitation of God) through work. It is not to be drudgery but glory. The assumption, of course, is that work will be done in response to the divine will.
Whereas the first creation narrative presents a comprehensive vision of God's activity, the second ( 2:4-25 ) focuses on the creation of humanity, God's supreme work. The Creator is depicted as a potter and a builder crafting the human race. A poetic climax also concludes this account, when woman is created ( Gen 2:23 ). One of the prime tasks God gives Adam and Eve is the cultivation of the earth and the classification of the species of wildlife ( Genesis 2:5 Genesis 2:15 Genesis 2:20 ).
The creation texts confer a sanctity on work. God is involved in work, being its raison d'etre. Human beings have the responsibility and privilege of virtually replicating the works of God. The human race co-creates and co-rules with God as it replenishes the earth and exercises dominion over the universe. This attitude is fundamentally different from that found in the ancient Near East. In creation texts associated with Israel's neighbors, the divine work is not something to be admired, as creation emerged from either a struggle between the gods (Mesopotamia) or an act of defilement (Egyptbut cf. the Memphite theology). Work was regarded as a dreary burden. In fact, the gods made the human race as slaves to provide relief from the labor of running the universe (Mesopotamia). Although human beings are regarded as the divine image in some Egyptian texts, they are essentially "the cattle of the god" (Merikare).
The Fall. Sin transformed human work. The judgment of God affects the material world: Adam's efforts to extract a living from it is met by its resistance and his sweat ( Gen 3:17-19 ). The perspective of humanity has also been altered. The first couple's eyes have been opened to the reality of evil ( Gen 3:7 ) and closed to the reality of God's works and God's will. That is why they attempt to hide in creation from the Creator; it also explains how their firstborn son, Cain, can destroy God's climactic work, the image of God in the face of his brother ( Gen 4:8 ).