Joy to the Work: The Curse

There is an interesting interplay between two verses in the early Chapter of Genesis. In Genesis 3:21, God tells Adam that the land is cursed for his sake because Adam listened to the voice of his wife, ate the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil she offered, who was deceived by the beguiling suggestion of the serpent. Later, in Genesis 8:21, God tells Noah after the Flood that He will never curse the ground again (Genesis 8:21) and instead gives the rainbow as a sign of the Covenant between God and Man. Noah had offered up a pleasing burnt offering sacrifice to the Lord and the Lord removed the curse of water ever deluging the earth again.

Though the words for curse in Hebrew in Genesis are different in these two instances, and it is most logical to assume that the first curse was and is universally applicable for all time, we do see God beginning to reverse the consequence of the Fall in the second verse. Time begins to work towards redemption. If God is willing to take water of the Curse table, there is progress. Redemptive history has begun.

In the book, "Joy at Work" author Dennis Bakke writes that our work, whatever it is, should be and is, under the authority of the Lord, redemptive and restorative. Not all "work", like selling drugs or selling one's body in an exchange of sex for money, is redemptive. Yet, lawful work is redemptive. The worst curse indeed is to have no work at all. Bakke's work history detailed in the book was as CEO of AES, a provider and generator of electricity. He argues that a well-run power plant in a developing world country is ministry and that is hard to contest. Interesting, AES got engulfed in the Enron explosion, and although innocent of Enron's crimes, the collateral damage from Enron decimated the whole energy industry for a time.

So, the Fall is still in effect. Bakke lost his position as CEO as a result and retired from that calling to other endeavors. But, the point is well taken. If we offer our work like a sacrifice unto the Lord, He is well-pleased and will bless it. But it must be offered up. If we use our work to prop up only our egos, bank accounts, and status, the Curse awaits like a snake bearing it subtle words and fearsome fangs.