Reflections on Genesis 1 - 11
Reflection - Work
The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. - Genesis 2.15
It is clear from this verse that we had a job in the garden of Eden. The LORD creates everything and in the midst of all creation a garden is created. We are left wit the task of tilling and keeping it. I can tell you that gardens don’t maintain themselves. It takes work on the part of the gardener. The gardener needs to prune, pull weeds, fertilize, mulch, plant seeds, transplant seedlings and the list goes on. This hard work keeps a garden from being over grown and becoming wild. This was our task in the garden of Eden to be gardeners. As part of Adam’s “dominion” over creation was the task of caring for where he lived. If he didn’t till and keep the garden of Eden it would eventually become over grown, wild and not the place the LORD had made for him to live and work in.
Two important concepts come out of this.
1. Work is not a curse but a blessing. Gardening can be enjoyable but it is hard work. The work the LORD gives us to do is a blessing for us. The New Testament makes it clear that we have work to do. Our work consists of continuing Jesus’ ministry on the Earth. We are given gifts from Holy Spirit that allow us to do the work we have been called to do.
2. We are still stewards of this world. For the foreseeable future this is the only planet we have to live on. Since this is the world the LORD put us on to live on we need to take care of it. Just as Adam and Eve had the job to caring for the garden of Eden we have the task of caring for the Earth.
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