DAY 1:

Reading Time: 7 minutes

INTRODUCTION

Do we live to work or work to live?

What good does work bring to our lives?

Is work purely a means to an end, or does it carry intrinsic value and purpose?

To answer these important questions, we must determine the meaning of work and its connection to the larger Biblical notion of calling.  This study begins with Creation.  As we’ll see, Genesis 1 sets forth that calling is first about knowing the Caller, not the call itself.  Calling is not a job description or a gut feeling, it goes beyond occupation and integrates what we do (our purpose) with who we are (our identity).

In this passage, we are introduced to a God who declares purpose and identity over His creation – a God who, at the pinnacle moment of creation, forms humanity in his image.  What this means is that He entrusts them to continue the work of creation; their calling is to be like their Creator.

Keep this emphasis in mind as you read the following passage.

Scripture:  Genesis 1

1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep.  And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.  4 And God saw that the light was good.  And God separated the light from the darkness.  5 God called the light Day and the darkness He called Night.  And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

6 ”And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7 And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse  And it was so.  8 And God called the expanse Heaven.  And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.

9 And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so.  10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together He called Seas.  And God saw that it was good.

11 And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so.  12 The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind.  And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.

14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night.  And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years., 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. 16 And God made the two great lights -the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night – and the start. 17 And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness.  And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.

20 And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.” 21 So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23 And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.

24 And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds – livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. 25 And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind.  And God saw that it was good.

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.  And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

28 And God blessed them.  And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29 And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with sed in its fruit.  You shall have them for food.  30 And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for foot.” And it was so. 31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.  And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1. What does the text reveal about the nature and character of God?

God’s voice/call has life-giving power.

God creates the universe and all that is in it through his Word.  Each of the six days of creation in Genesis 1 begin with, “And God said,” Psalm 33:6 and 90 tells us, “By the word of the LORD the heavens were made… For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.”  It is the direct speech of God that brings about every created thing; he Word “puts light in the midst of darkness, land in the midst of sea, air in the midst of water” More than this, the breath of God imbues a living spirit into Adam’s lifeless body. The voice of God, therefore, has a creative, life-giving power that brings structure and form to the earth.

But God not only spoke the world into being (Heb. 11:3, 2 Pet. 3:5), he also continues to speak directly to us in a way that is consistent with Genesis 1.  God’s words to us bring structure and flourishing; without them, we feel lost and chaotic.  The same power that created the entire universe, that commanded Adam and eve to live in the earth and steward all he had made, that voice still speaks order and direction into our broken world.

God is Creator; he is a working God.

The creation narrative in Genesis 1 presents us with a God who works.  Genesis 2 continues to describe God at work as well; he sculpts human bodies from duet (Gen.2:7, 21), he plants a magnificent garden (Gen 2:8), and he cultivates an orchard of all kinds of beautiful and edible trees (Gen 2:9).  Speaking may seem outside the accepted definition of “real” work, but God’s labor is much broader than we could ever imagine.  Yes, God is Creator, but he is also “sustainer, preserver, provider, revealer, and lawgiver – to mention only a few of his many other occupational hats.  God not only works, but he does so in a multitude of ways.

God creates to make his glory known.

“The entire creation is intended to show God’s glory,” says Wayne Grudem.  God was complete in himself before he created the universe; he did not need, nor does he depend on humans or the moon or infinite stars in order to have glory. Creatin was a totally free act determined by his sovereign will.  Nonetheless, his aim in and above all is to display his majesty, and he created the universe to exhibit his glory.

We exist to know and glorify God, but we cannot see or feel him with our bodily senses.  We understand and experience him – his omniscience, goodness, omnipotence, righteousness, love, etc.- through what he creates.  Paul writes in Romans 1:20: “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made” (NIV).  God creates to be glorified, and his glory is seen through what he makes.

2. In what ways are you discouraged, discontented, or disengaged at work?