November 05, 2024
"before any plant of the field was in the earth and before any herb of the field had grown. For the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to till the ground.”"
- Genesis 2:5 NKJV
“The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it”
- Genesis 2:15 ESV
When God created man (Genesis 1:26-27), He blessed him with the dominion mandate (Genesis 1:28). The dominion mandate includes components that necessitate human effort to achieve its manifestation.
The manifestation of God’s blessing (on man) also depends on God blessing the works of man’s hands. Genesis 2:5b says, “For the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to till the ground”. Even though God had created plants, grass and herbs in Genesis 1:11, their manifestation was waiting on rain (from God) and a man to work the ground.
Rain symbolizes blessing. Deuteronomy 28:12 says, “The Lord will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow”. This shows that God may choose to withhold certain blessings, like rain, until an individual is prepared to put in the effort. Work, therefore, is required to actualize God’s blessing. Our breakthrough could be waiting for us to start the work God has prepared for us.
Work, therefore, is required to actualize God’s blessing.
“The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it” Genesis 2:15 ESV. To fulfil the mandate of fruitfulness, man must work. With the rain of God’s blessings on the work of his hands, man produces positive results from that work. To fulfil the mandate for multiplication, man must work. Again, with the rain of God’s blessings, man increases what has been committed into his hands. The same applies to subduing and dominating. In every case, the man is required to work.
God expects us to put in the effort so that what has been entrusted to us can grow. Proverbs 14:23 (NIV) says, “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty”. We are familiar with the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30. The two servants got to work with what their master had committed to them, doubling (increasing) their returns, while the third servant did not go to work, but was ‘merely talking’. In the end, that servant’s talent was taken off him and he was cast out.
As Christians, the concept of work cannot be overemphasized. In creating us, God pronounced the dominion mandate through a blessing (Genesis 1:28). Through work and the rain of God’s blessings, the mandate manifests in our lives.
Come on…let’s get to work.
Song of Worship
There shall be showers of blessing:
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the Savior above.
Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need;
Mercy-drops round us are falling,
But for the showers we plead!
Hymn: Showers of Blessing
Prayer - Dear Lord, thank you for the concept of work. Bless the works of my hands that I may demonstrate the dominion mandate in my life in Jesus' name, Amen.