Sunday: The Many Sides of Work
“I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil – this is the gift of God” (Eccles: 3:12, Eccles 3:13, NIV).
“Work” – that’s a solid Anglo-Saxon word with no frills. One syllable in English, yet it has many possible meanings. Out of necessity, we work to put food on our tables, pay the bills, and save a little for hard times.
Image © Darrel Tank at Goodsalt.com
Losing a job is often worse than putting up with a poor work situation.
Work can give a person a sense of worth. Work is a common way to answer the question “What do you do?” or even “What are you?” Most retirees continue to work part-time as long as they are able, whether for pay or as a volunteer. A job offers a reason for getting up in the morning. Give a teenager a job, and there’s one fewer candidate for delinquency.
Read Genesis 3:19. What is the context here, and what does it say to us about another side of work, at least for some?
Suddenly the work given before the Fall changes after the Fall. Here is reference to another side of work. For some, work means only the drudgery of daily toil, which will end with death. They labor on in jobs that they despise, hoping to retire while they still have their health. For others, work can even take over one’s life, becoming the center of one’s existence, even the all-encompassing source of one’s personal identity. Away from their work, these people feel depressed or disoriented, unsure of what to do or where to turn. In retirement, they may fall apart physically and psychologically, and often die prematurely.
Christians need to learn how to work God’s way. Work is more than an economic necessity. Man is more than just an employee. Rightly understood, one’s lifework is an avenue of ministry, an expression of one’s relationship to the Lord. Part of a teacher’s task is helping students find the work where their skills and God-given interests intersect with the needs of the world.
| What do you do? That is, what are you doing with your life, and how can you better glorify the Lord by doing it? |
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When I first applied for work with the Church in 1969 I was impertinent enough to ask how much I was going to be paid. I was told that the really important thing was that I was working for the Lord to finish the work and it didn't really matter how much I was paid. The problem was that I was planning to get married and knew that I would have to rent a place to live and buy groceries. I had a rough idea how much each of those would cost. So I signed up, travelled across the country 4500km by car, to arrive at the conference office in charge of the school where I would be working. And to be fair, as soon as I arrived they paid me my first fortnight's wage. And then I found out that I would be paid $10 less per week than I had been earning as a student worker in the Church's healthfood research lab for the last six months.
And so I started my work for the Lord by taking a 20% cut in pay. I have to admit that I have no real complaints, although I have seen the argument, "working for the Lord" used far too often to justify inequity of pay. It is somewhat ironic that in my last year on full pay, when I was on long service leave, accrued over 43 years, I was actually paid roughly the same as I would have been paid if I had been lecturing at a secular University,
It has not particularly worried me personally and to be fair to the church, it has grown and developed over the years in the area of remuneration.
What has that got to do with this weeks lesson? Well i think that often when we think of "working for the Lord" we often think in terms of workers and their relationship to the work. In fact, employers too have responsibility. They too must perceive their work as being in partnership with the Lord.
Paul had some good advice taken from Deuteronomy:
Hi Maurice,
Thank you for sharing your experience. It's true that some SDA institutions like to use "working for the Lord" like a "fishhook" to hire people, overall young people (your case and mine too), or keep secret key information; but I think it depends more on the kind of HR director.
When one of our SDA universities wanted me to work "for them", the HR director called me several times to explain me in detail every aspect of the work, the policy, payment, insurance, retirement, etc. He detailed every penny that I would receive and he said: "that's what
We can offer, we can't pay like a secular university (as any SDA institution). But remember, you're working for the Lord; working for Him is the best thing that You can do. He won't desert you".
With all the key information, I could accept or refute. But what he said to close his speech (besides the details) was the hook and another key for me. I always worked for the church for free, so I like to work for God and with God. But when someone presents you "working for the Lord" that way, it's very difficult to reject that offer (if you really want to "work for the Lord".
A question just to have your insight: Can someone "work for the Lord" having his/her own business? Or it's only working for the church?
Stay blessed!
I think our institutions have learned a lot about HR since I started working for the church. And you are right, a lot of it has depended on the personnel at the time. Times have changed and financial considerations are usually much more transparent these days. "Working for the Lord" is a given, independent of whether we are paid for it or not.
Thank You for your answer! 😀
Blessings!
I spent most of my working years as a self employed graphic artist. The feeling of self worth I have comes from knowing what kind of graphics are needed for a situation and knowing how to get it done.
The hardest physical labor I did was bucking hay. Some times on the hottest day of the year and some times in bitter cold in the middle of the night. I was good at it and I took pride in loading hay neatly, and in record time.
I don’t think God ever envisioned his people as being employees. The schools of the prophets taught independence and self sufficiency. In contrast the Christian schools of today teach that getting an education so you can get a good job. Yes, the challenges of today are far different than in the days of the prophets, and we need to act according to the ever changing markets, which may require working for someone. It’s not all bad considering that few things are as they should be; satan and his fallen angels certainly have turned everything upside down.
Before I met Jesus I lived from pay day to pay day, from party to party. But once I got to know him, (Jesus), I now live from Sabbath to Sabbath, from glory to glory. Don’t get me wrong. I really enjoyed my life before him but you can never be happier then being right with him. Knowing he looks down at you and smile’s because of who he sees his heaven enough foe me. It is so easy to be trapped in seeing out weakness, that we do not see him who promises to finish the work in us.
The earth is the Lord and the fullness thereof. Ps 24:1-3.
The Many Sides of Work
'What do you do? That is, what are you doing with your life, and how can you better glorify the Lord by doing it?'
As I became a teenager I start thinking different because situations started changing. As I graduated from school it was time to seek employment. Even back then employment was hard to come by. One woman from the church asked me to work with her to do her family washing of their clothing/laundry(with hands). I went every Sunday, sometimes she pays, sometimes paying was a problem. During the week I did voluntary work in different fields of work. It appeared that God was calling me to my specific field even from in my early 20+. I finally got the opportunity to be employed and go to training/college at the same time. Graduated, then leave for another country.
Living and working in another country was not easy workwise. I spent many time there dealing with all manner of worried, then after years, the Lord moved me on to another place.
One time I had to go to school and had two jobs, had children and spouse to deal with and be a mother. Many times people think immigrants are lazy and do not like to work or depends on handout from the government but I knew I was not the exception. When an immigrant leave their country of origin, the culture states that the person who is abroad should support the poorer ones who is struggling in some way or the other. I wrote before about supporting my families. Another time I had three jobs (one full time and 2 other part time) when I had plans to purchase something.
But the Lord was with me all the way. I totally depended on him then to lead me and he led me. He is still leading me. In all of this covid19 times he had provided for me and I am still employed.
The Lord is the one who gave me the strength to work and to figure things out. What to have and what not to, how to do things and how to manage finance after working. He is my all in all. I have the opportunity to be a witness and to witness for Jesus and I make the best use of it because I knew I might not always be there or able to witness as I do now. When others ask me how I am able to work so hard I point them to Jesus, the life giver and strength of my life.
Have had a similar experience, praise God he gives us the strength.
The Lord has certainly led me on a circuitous route for my lifework. I tried many different vocations before recognizing His call to teach. My first years of teaching were not for pay. I homeschooled my own children and taught Sabbath School classes at church. I taught in every department except Youth. I did some substitute teaching in the local Adventist School and I drove a school bus over a span of 23 years. When I was done homeschooling I started looking for other work. I had to wait a year but my local Adventist School was seeking a Teacher's Aide. I applied and got the position immediately. It was a 40% cut in pay from driving the bus, but I never lacked. The Lord has provided and over the years my position and pay have increased. I am now completing my degree in Elementary Education and the Lord has gently led me every step of the way. My satisfaction in my work has increased as the years have passed and I truly love what I do and I rarely worry about the money anymore. Life with Jesus is a grand adventure and I relish every minute of it. My cup runneth over. Tammy
Hi Tammy,
Indeed the Lord is good and He provides us a journey that includes many pleasant and wonderful experiences that enrich us! His timing is perfect!
The comment of the Author of this lesson on Sunday that, "Among the Jews, every child was taught a trade," I would say that this comment is a little off because with the Tribe of Levi every male child born to that Tribe was automatically born to do the work of "The Priesthood." I sure would not consider this work as any sort of "trade," for any male child of that Tribe but just as sort of a "profession" that any male child of that Tribe was born into. God chose the males of Tribe of Levi to do the work of the Sanctuary from the time they were born until they had to be retired for their "Old Age." And "The Tithe" from the remaining 11 Tribes of Israel supported these Males of the Tribe of Levi.
Not sure that you are quite right on that one Pete. From memory, the other tribes were given and inheritance (land) whereas the Levites had no inheritance. The tithe remuneration was to make up for that. The priesthood work did not take up all their time and in Jesus time, the "priestly roster" was only about 2 weeks per year from memory. It is probably worth doing a little more digging on that one.
The Levites had no inheritence because they were supported by the "Tithe" of the other 11 Tribes of Israel, Maurice. This is why God said that their inheritence was "The Lord." The Lord being their work of "The Sanctuary Services." This took up also their Daily sacrificing of a lamb in the morning and a lamb in the evening. Not to mention the Yeary Feasts etc. The daily sacrificing of a lamb in the AM and the PM was enough to take up daily cleaning of blood etc. and etc.
Also, Maurice Ashton, in Exodus 31:2 it seems rather clear that none of those of the Tribe of Levi (Priests) were involved in the building (Construction Trades, if you will,) to build the Tabernacle of God. Further proof, to me, that the Tribe of Levi was not required to learn any trades for their living but just to do the work of the Sanctuary services.
The Levite were given 48 cites with 1500 feet in every direction as pasture for their livestock. Numbers 35:1-8
13 cities were for the Aaronites.
13 cities were for the Gershonites.
10 cities were for the Kohathites.
12 cities were for the Merarites.
1Chron 6 -
Of the Levites 31 These are the men David put in charge of the music in the house of the LORD after the ark rested there. 32 They ministered with song before the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, 48 Their fellow Levites were assigned to every kind of service of the tabernacle, the house of God. 49 But Aaron and his sons did all the work of the Most Holy Place. They presented the offerings on the altar of burnt offering and on the altar of incense to make atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded.
See details of the work allocated to the rest of the sons of Levi between the ages of 30-50 in Num 3 & 4 to carry the Tabernacle, then when the Temple was built they were divided into 24 groups and took turns serving at the temple 1Chron 23 - 26 and starting age reduced to 20 yrs.
So the question is what were they doing the rest of the time? Being idle? Somehow I don't think so.
Pete, here is some more information about the shifts that the priests and Levites worked. Basically except for high days each group only worked one week per year! What were they doing the rest of the time? Looking after their flocks on the land around their cities?
The priestly divisions or sacerdotal courses (Hebrew: מִשְׁמָר mishmar) are the groups into which Jewish priests were divided for the purposes of their service in the Temple in Jerusalem.
Role in the Temple
The Book of Chronicles refers to these priests as "descendants of Aaron."[1] In the biblical traditions upon which the Chronicler drew, Aaron had four sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.[2] However, Nadab and Abihu died before Aaron and only Eleazar and Ithamar had sons. In Chronicles, one priest, Zadok, from Eleazar's descendants and another priest, Ahimelech, from Ithamar's descendants, were designated by King David to help create the various priestly work groups.[3] Sixteen of Eleazar's descendants were selected to head priestly orders, while only eight of Ithamar's descendants were so chosen. The passage states that this was done because of the greater number of leaders among Eleazar's descendants. Lots were drawn to designate the order of ministering for the heads of the priestly orders when they entered the Temple.
Each order was responsible for ministering during a different week and Shabbat and were stationed at the Temple in Jerusalem. All of the orders were present during biblical festivals. Their duties involved offering the daily and holiday Temple sacrifices, and administering the Priestly Blessing to the people. The change between shifts took place on Shabbat at midday, with the outgoing shift performing the morning sacrifice, and the incoming shift the afternoon sacrifice.[4]
According to 1 Chronicles 24, the divisions were originally formed during the reign of King David.
1 Chron 23:2 David assembled all the leaders of Israel and the priests and the Levites. 3The Levites, thirty years old and upwards, were counted, and the total was thirty-eight thousand. 4‘Twenty-four thousand of these’, David said, ‘shall have charge of the work in the house of the Lord, six thousand shall be officers and judges, 5four thousand gatekeepers, and four thousand shall offer praises to the Lord with the instruments that I have made for praise.’ 6And David organized them in divisions corresponding to the sons of Levi: Gershon,* Kohath, and Merari.
24 These were the sons of Levi by their ancestral houses, the heads of families as they were enrolled according to the number of the names of the individuals from twenty years old and upwards who were to do the work for the service of the house of the Lord. 25For David said, ‘The Lord, the God of Israel, has given rest to his people; and he resides in Jerusalem for ever. 26And so the Levites no longer need to carry the tabernacle or any of the things for its service’— 27for according to the last words of David these were the number of the Levites from twenty years old and upwards— 28‘but their duty shall be to assist the descendants of Aaron for the service of the house of the Lord, having the care of the courts and the chambers, the cleansing of all that is holy, and any work for the service of the house of God; 29to assist also with the rows of bread, the choice flour for the grain-offering, the wafers of unleavened bread, the baked-offering, the offering mixed with oil, and all measures of quantity or size. 30And they shall stand every morning, thanking and praising the Lord, and likewise at evening, 31and whenever burnt-offerings are offered to the Lord on sabbaths, new moons, and appointed festivals, according to the number required of them, regularly before the Lord. 32Thus they shall keep charge of the tent of meeting and the sanctuary, and shall attend the descendants of Aaron, their kindred, for the service of the house of the Lord.’
The fact is Shirley, that Exodus 31:2 excluded the Levites from having anything to do with the construction of the temple. So to answer your question as to what they were doing when they were not physically involved with the Sanctuary services, I would venture to say that they were supposed to be involved in doing some other "Spiritual Ministry" like praying with their other Tribe members and leading them to accept what the "True Symbolic Meaning" of the "daily spilled blood of the lamb," etc. And again, it was the "Tithe" of the other 11 Tribes of Israel that was supposed to support the Levites.
The Levites only served at the temple for 2 months a year (Chronicles 23–24) from the ages of 25 to 50 (Numbers 8:24-26).
The rest of the year they lived in cities, each surrounded by 750 to 1500 acres of pasture, fields and vineyards. The cities also needed certain services, such as potters, scribes, lawyers, sandal makers, etc. So it seems reasonable to assume that while the Levites were not serving in the temple, they supported their families by various trades and professions as well as farming.
One of the duties of the Levites was to instruct the people (2 Chronicles 35:3; Nehemiah 8:7), and I wonder whether they did this as traveling teachers or by establishing schools in various cities.
Well, Inge Anderson, this looks like a subject that is open for further study and investigation to support your conclusion about the Levites etc. But there is no doubt from what I have already read so far about the Priests and the Priesthood that God chose the Tribe of Levi to be priests from the time they were born (the males) till they were retired etc.
Pete, I agree with you, Aaron's descendants (the Priests) and the rest of the tribe of Levi (Assistants to the Priests) - were selected by birth into the tribe of Levi.
I believe that they were not trained in a 'trade', that was not necessary, because they were to be trained to fulfill their 'profession' of Priests or their Assistants because that is how they would receive funds to live.
When Moses numbered the children of Israel the tribe of Levi were excluded and the tribe of Joseph was divided into two to bring the number back up to 12 tribes who paid tithes which was used to support the tribe of Levi.
Naturally the Priests & Levites didn't start serving at the Tabernacle until they were 30 yrs old and retired at the age of 50 years old.
When Solomon's Temple was built they then only started serving from the age of 20.
Because there were so many of them they each only served at the Temple for 1 week at a time and then only twice a year. The rest of the time the majority returned to the 48 cites that belonged to them.
I would be intrigued to discover how they served the LORD when not on duty at the temple.
Wow, Shirley, this must have been the reason that Jesus, even though He was not born to the Tribe of Levi, that He nevertheless learned to be a Carpenter until the age of 30 etc., and etc. Yet, the Apostle Paul, in the Book of Hebrews says that Jesus was a Priest after the order of Melchizedek, (a priesthood that has only King Melchizedek as the only priest of that order in the Old Testament Record,) etc., and etc.
I found this link that described the Jewish education movement.
https://bibleresources.americanbible.org/resource/education-in-ancient-israel
Only in my later years, after my understanding of the Scriptures had improved, did I realize that there are always two aspects to life – the physical and the spiritual aspect. Work in all its forms and applications is included in this dual experience – physical and spiritual.
Col.3:17-25KJV (23,24) “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ."
Personally, I learned to bloom where I am planted. For me, doing the best of my ability is the baseline when sharing the community with my fellow man. It challenged my patience when I saw folks working half-heartedly and not giving their portion willingly and readily to complete the task at hand. Now, with the help of the Holy Spirit providing insights and strength to deal with it rightly, I am able to respond with forbearance.
Regardless where we find ourselves, is not our conduct that which gives honor and glory to the Father? Is not this spiritual aspect the main component of the Christian's testimony in any work being done? Once I discovered that holding this perspective will help bridge all the challenges I encounter, I was encouraged to work willingly, eagerly, diligently, and go the extra mile if necessary to complete the work I had agreed to do.
I cannot see this important spiritual aspect to be excluded from our efforts when studying and learning about ‘Work’! We engage in all forms of *work* throughout our life; having this dispostion can change our attitudes toward work no matter what or who its recipient is.
Ultimately, I hope that with this spiritual disposition we can say together with Paul: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me – Phil.4:13KJV, and "...know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them wo are the called according to his purposes" - Rom.8:28KJV.
In a world of sin, the believer must expect to find what God gives as a blessing, even in this present world, to be made into a degrading curse. When greed fuels ambition, laborers are oppressed by being over-worked, under-paid, put in unhealthy and even hazardous situations, and by the time of retirement, many have lost their health and strength. At the same time, many engage in work that is rewarding, and though requiring great effort, their work may result in joyful blessings and good health.
If we learn early in life to seek God's will that we might obey it, He will not lead us into work that would lead to our ruin, though we may need to face hardship, trials, and make great sacrifices for the advancement of His purposes and the benefit of others.