The early chapters of Genesis form a kind of introduction to themes found later in the books of Moses (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy). So when the text says that God put Adam into the garden of Eden in order to “till and guard” Eden, one has to read God’s purpose for the head of the human race partly in light of how that purpose is expanded, particularly for the Israelites and Moses.
It turns out that the verb “till” can be used of serving God in a religious sense and “guard” is commonly used of what one does to God’s commands and imposed religious duties. Perhaps more importantly, the combination of the two verbs is used of religious duties at the Tabernacle, the place God dwells and is served by the priests (Numbers 3:7-8, 8:26, 18:5-6 – Wenham).
The Tabernacle is like Eden. The entrance to the Tabernacle faced the rising sun. And on the east side of Eden, Adam and Eve are denied entrance into Eden after the fall. As the priests “tilled and guarded” (or rather served) before the very presence of God at the Tabernacle, so Adam “tilled and guarded” (in a religious sense) in Eden, where Adam and Eve walked and talked with God.
Only after the fall when Adam and Eve disobeyed God is the man cursed to work the soil with difficulty–thorns, thistles, sweat.
But the original context of work was religious service to God. And the priestly functions before God in some measure restored a relationship with God after the separation entailed by the fall. Sin separated mankind and God; priestly sacrifices were necessary to restore the breach.
Interestingly, the apostle John sees a vision of restored relationship in terms reminiscent of Eden. As a river flowed out from Eden to water the garden, so a river in John’s vision flows out “from the throne of God and of the Lamb.” As fruit bearing trees graced Eden, so in the vision, fruit trees are present, “and there will no longer be any curse.”
The text makes clear that the Lamb here is Jesus, whose death on the cross resembled the animal sacrifices in Moses’s day in the Tabernacle. Jesus was “the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” in John the Baptist’s terms. Easter, in other words, is a celebration of the restoration of Adam and Eve’s descendants (or some of them) to the service of God.
Work is cursed, but redeemed … eventually. God was the original source of all that is good and the creator of final good. The purpose of our careers, our callings, our labors ultimately is in respect to our relationship with God and to the cursing and blessing of God.
“Whatever you do, in word or deed, do it everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Colossians 3:17).
Happy Easter!
Tags: Easter, purpose of work
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