A Biblical Understanding of Work
Stewardship, simply put, is the management of another person’s property. However simple the definition, the topic of stewardship is really quite broad. Of the 31,173 verses contained in the Bible, over 5000 (according to my count) deal in some way with money and possessions. That’s roughly 15% of the Bible. These verses cover several complimentary issues associated with stewardship that I want to address as we move forward in our exploration of this subject. The first is “work.”
It is clear that God’s intention for us is that we serve Him as stewards. We are managers not owners. We are subordinates as opposed to supervisors. As such we are seeking to wisely use the resources God has placed at our “disposal” to accomplish His objectives. As we accomplish His objectives, one by one, we bring glory to His name. God has a vision for the future. His vision is focused on bringing glory to Himself.
But where does God get all of His resources? Where does He get all of His money? Several years ago my wife (the little sweetheart) and I were visiting with some friends at church and I was lamenting the fact that I didn’t have a good place to raise a garden. These friends happened to live out in the country on several acres and offered to let me have a little patch on which to plant a garden. Naturally I was elated. I started making plans for all the different things I could grow: radishes, cucumbers, spinach, swiss chard, green beans, tomatoes, squash, corn, green peppers, carrots, potatoes, onions, lettuce, cabbage, kohlrabi, cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, and more that I can’t remember at the moment.
As I was enjoying myself shopping for plants and seeds, I ran across a package of seeds that said “Money Tree”. As you might imagine, I was somewhat surprised, curious, interested, skeptical, etc. because I had always heard that money didn’t grow on trees. You may have heard that expression too. Anyway, I bought a package of these seeds. I was especially intrigued because it said that this was a perennial. To my surprise one of the seeds germinated and produced about $2 a week that first year. Because this is a perennial it reseeded itself and now in the third year it’s producing about $15 a week. If you believe this story, I have some donut seeds and a couple of large/long bridges I’d like to sell you.
But, this raises the question “Where has God gotten the money He has provided for you to manage?” You say you had to work for the money He has provided for you. That’s what most people say when I ask that question. I know that sounds logical and reasonable but is it Biblical? To settle this matter let’s look at some of what God has said about work. How do these passages speak to you? What’s the point God makes in these passages?
Gen 2:1-3 __________________________________________________
Ex 32:16 __________________________________________________
Judges 2:7 __________________________________________________
Deut 32.4 __________________________________________________
John 4:31-34 __________________________________________________
I Kings 7;51 __________________________________________________
Gen 39:11 __________________________________________________
Gen 6:13-22 __________________________________________________
Ex 5:4 __________________________________________________
Ex 5:13 __________________________________________________
Ex 5:18 __________________________________________________
Ex 39:42 __________________________________________________
Ruth 2:19 __________________________________________________
Pr 31:10-13 __________________________________________________
Hag 2:4 __________________________________________________
I Thes 4:11-12 __________________________________________________
2 Thes 3:7-12 __________________________________________________
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Gen 2:1-3 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts. And by the seventh day God completed His work which He had done; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.
Ex 32:16 And the tablets were God’s work, and the writing was God’s writing engraved on the tablets. NAS
Judg 2:7-8 And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who survived Joshua, who had seen all the great work of the LORD which He had done for Israel. NAS
Deut 32:4 “The Rock! His work is perfect, For all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous and upright is He. NAS
John 4:31-34 In the meanwhile the disciples were requesting Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” But He said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” The disciples therefore were saying to one another, “No one brought Him anything to eat, did he?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work. NAS
1 Kings 7:51 Thus all the work that King Solomon performed in the house of the LORD was finished. And Solomon brought in the things dedicated by his father David, the silver and the gold and the utensils, and he put them in the treasuries of the house of the LORD.
Gen 39:11 Now it happened one day that he (Joseph) went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the household was there inside NAS
Gen 6:13-22 Then God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of them; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth. Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with rooms, and shall cover it inside and out with pitch. And this is how you shall make it: the length of the ark three hundred cubits, its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. You shall make a window for the ark, and finish it to a cubit from the top; and set the door of the ark in the side of it; you shall make it with lower, second, and third decks. And behold, I, even I am bringing the flood of water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is on the earth shall perish. But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall enter the ark– you and your sons and your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every kind into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. Of the birds after their kind, and of the animals after their kind, of every creeping thing of the ground after its kind, two of every kind shall come to you to keep them alive. And as for you, take for yourself some of all food which is edible, and gather it to yourself; and it shall be for food for you and for them.” Thus Noah did; according to all that God had commanded him, so he did. NAS
Ex 5:4 But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you draw the people away from their work? Get back to your labors!” NAS
Ex 5:13 And the taskmasters pressed them, saying, “Complete your work quota, your daily amount, just as when you had straw.” NAS
Ex 5:18 “So go now and work; for you shall be given no straw, yet you must deliver the quota of bricks.” NAS
Ex 39:42 So the sons of Israel did all the work according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses. NAS
Ruth 2:19 Her mother-in-law then said to her, “Where did you glean today and where did you work? May he who took notice of you be blessed.” So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked and said, “The name of the man with whom I worked today is Boaz.” NAS
Prov 31:10-13 An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels. 11 The heart of her husband trusts in her, And he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil All the days of her life. She looks for wool and flax, And works with her hands in delight. NAS
Hag 2:4 But now take courage, Zerubbabel,’ declares the LORD,’ take courage also, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all you people of the land take courage,’ declares the LORD,’ and work; for I am with you,’ says the LORD of hosts. NAS
1 Thess 4:9-12 Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you; so that you may behave properly toward outsiders and not be in any need. NAS
2 Thess 3:7-12 For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example, because we did not act in an undisciplined manner among you, nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we might not be a burden to any of you; not because we do not have the right to this, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you, that you might follow our example. For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone will not work, neither let him eat. For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies. Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread. NAS