7.26.14

Genesis 2&3 — The Fall of Man, and its effect on My Job

“; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.” 2:2

He made the 7th day holy, as a day of rest. The rest of chapter 2 is a detailed account of the creation of man and woman, that he was made from the dust, and woman was pulled from his side

“This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman’ for she was taken out of man.” 2:23

They were together and

“The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.” 2:25

Chapter 3 opens “Now the serpent was more crafty…”3:1, immediately we move to the events leading to the fall of man. It seems to me that they were together when she was deceived, it says

“She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” 2:6

Adam was there, silently consenting to the deception. Immediately, they were aware of their nakedness

“; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.” 3:7

The awareness of our exposure comes with sin. What was once harmless and pure, becomes shameful and dirty. Sin has that effect, it turns innocence into guilt. Then God curses the snake, the woman, and the man, individually. To the woman:

“I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” 3:16.

To the man:

“Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it…to dust you will return.” 3:17-19

Here’s what I understand about work: My fulfillment cannot come from my job. I am only toiling to eat, painfully striving to feed my family, nothing more. My pursuits for wealth are completely meaningless, my striving for success totally without merit. I am useless to the point of pain regarding professional ambition. Essentially what I understand is that I’m being fed a great lie when I believe that my pursuits professionally are meritorious of themselves. More correctly I should understand that my job is being used as a tool for sanctification. The toil and hardship are burning out of me impure motives and desires, and I should commit to the Lord all that I do. I will in pain strive in my work all the days of my life, and then I will return to dust, hopefully going to see my creator in the day of rest. Any view of professional pursuit that exhalts work above that viewpoint is sinful and pulls me away from TRUTH.