10/27/2025
Easy Work Before the Fall?
In Genesis 2, we read that the garden was missing something after it was created by God (Gen. 2:5). The "something" was a human to "cultivate and keep it" (Gen. 2:15).
Anyone who has kept a vegetable garden of any size knows about the enormous amount of planning and effort that goes into setting things up properly. A gardener needs to choose 1) a spot where the soil has a good mix of organic material, sand, and clay. There needs to be 2) access to water and 3) consistent sunlight, and 4) the tools needed to help work the soil. Finally, the gardener needs to commit a large amount of 5) time and 6) physical effort to make it all come together.
While some of these six needs would have been a lot easier for Adam before the fall (especially the fertile soil and environmental factors, see Gen. 3:17-19), Adam would have still needed to spend a lot of time and physical effort to shape the soil for growing food.
The Hebrew word for "cultivate" in Gen. 2:5 and 2:15 is the word עבד. It's an interesting word that means "to serve, work, or labor". It's used many times in the Old Testament to describe work, worship, and also slavery. In this pre-fall context, it means "to work" the ground by breaking apart the soil in preparation for planting crops. The Hebrew form of עבד also indicates that this cultivating work was purposeful--the service Adam provided for the ground was part of the mandate God gave Adam to have dominion and steward the earth.
Even though Adam was given this job to cultivate the ground before sin entered the world, he would have dedicated time and effort to the fulfilling work of ‘cultivating’ and ‘keeping’ his garden. As a human, his body naturally used energy to work the soil with his hands or simple means, relying on the fruit of the garden’s trees for sustenance (Gen. 2:16). He would have needed sleep or periods of rest, following the pattern of God’s rest on the seventh day (Gen. 2:2–3), to renew his strength as part of God’s good design.
What does all of this mean for us today?
First, it means that God created work as good and necessary. Post-fall, work became more difficult and toilsome because of the curse in Gen. 3. But work itself is still good.
Second, God created work to be purposeful. Whether our work today is fulfilling or not, the gift of work brings purpose into our lives and can be used in many good ways.
Third, work may require a lot of time and effort, and that's also a good thing given to us by God. Just like Adam, even in the best and most fulfilling of work environments, work may take a lot of time and energy to complete.
So, wherever God has put us today to "cultivate" things in our lives, let's thank God for the work He has given us to do and the purpose He has given us in life, and embrace that work that may require our time and physical effort to complete.
"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ."
-Colossians 3:23-24
