Adam’s Punishment and Our Work
In this final post about Adam and Eve, we will talk about the specific punishment that Adam was given related to the work that he would do. Of course, it is clear that God was not happy with them. He, like a good Father, told Adam what would happen if His rule was disobeyed. In Genesis 2:17, God informed Adam that eating of the tree would lead to death. What is interesting about this consequence God presented is that it appears that death was not a part of the plan. Furthermore, it appears that prior to eating the fruit, Adam did not have to engage in difficult work to tend the Garden.
As you read verse 17, it is clear that the bulk of the punishment doled out to Adam had to do with his work. “Cursed is the ground because of you.” Genesis 3:19 states, “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread…” and “…you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Genesis 5:5 refers to Adam and ends with “….and he died.” Well, that pretty much sums it up. We work, we sweat, we get bread, we eat, we die.
God promised work would require us to sweat, to toil to make ends meet, and this promise remains today. So what should we do to deal with this issue as there is not much we can do to undo the promise of God. Perhaps the best strategy to make our toil more enjoyable is to actively put things in order.
For many men, work is our #1. We are identified by what we do. Think about how many people you meet and the second question you ask them is “What do you do?” (the first question is usually their name). We are identified by what we do. Whether you are white collar or blue collar, we find so much of our identity in our work. In addition, working for the right company with the right benefits is such an important focus of our lives. Ensuring we have a good salary with a good retirement drives a lot of our focus. Even so, achieving wealth and success does not equate to achieving peace and contentment. All you have to do is look around and you can see people with everything they could ever want being as miserable as they can be. Why is this? Things are not in the right order.
Considering what Adam’s punishment related to work means is powerful. It was due to a lack of spiritual leadership that caused his work to be more difficult. Just remembering that due to Adam NOT intervening with Eve, that is what led to a cursed ground and to death. If you know any men who have things ordered correctly (i.e., God, wife, children, family, job), you may notice that they do not seem to have the same problems as those who have life ordered in a different way.
Yes to Action: Making certain the first things are the first things. Completely upending your life and the way you live is not realistic. Going cold turkey on reordering your priorities sounds great, but for many, it leads to failure. So, start small with this reorder. Simply start your day with one simple prayer. Before your feet hit the floor, prioritize God. You can choose a memorized prayer (e.g., Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be) or an impromptu prayer from your heart. Even something like,
“In the Name of the Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen. Dear Jesus, Order my priorities and allow my work to be placed in its correct place. Help me to become the spiritual leader my family needs. Bless me in this desire by allowing me to be able to lead spiritually while providing for my family’s physical needs. I trust You, Lord. In the Name of the Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.”