A Biblical Theology of Work

You may be asking yourself, "Why is a finance company writing an article on work?". Well, wealth is the result of work, the fruits of our labor, the spoils of rightly applied ideas. At Dominion, we deal primarily with the stewardship and management of already created wealth, but it is near impossible to understand the nature and teleology of a thing without a robust understanding of its origin. This article was written with this in mind: in order to understand wealth, we must first understand work.

Creation: Work as Dominion and Worship

Textual Foundation: Genesis 1:26–28; Genesis 2:5, 15

The first pages of Scripture present God as a God who works. Before man lifts a hand or fashions a plow, God engages in purposeful, ordered, creative labor. Over the course of six days, God forms, fills, separates, names, and blesses. This labor culminates in His rest, which is not an act of exhaustion but an intentional cessation of active work to delight in the fruit of His finished work.

In Genesis 1:26–28, God speaks within Himself and declares His intention to create man in His image and likeness. This image-bearing includes a specific mandate. Man is to “have dominion” over the earth and all its creatures and to “subdue” the created order. The Hebrew word translated “subdue” is כבש (kabash), and it carries the idea of bringing something under control through strength and wisdom. The word for “have dominion” is רדה (radah), which denotes ruling or governing with authority. These two verbs establish a royal and functional framework for work. Work is not a neutral activity. It is a form of dominion under divine sovereignty, carried out in creation with responsibility and foresight.

Genesis 2 offers a more detailed account of man’s relationship to his environment. Verse 15 declares, “The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” The Hebrew words are עבד (abad), meaning to serve or cultivate, and שמר (shamar), meaning to guard or watch. Both verbs later appear in Levitical contexts, describing the duties of priests in the tabernacle (Numbers 3:7–8). This connection suggests that Adam's work in Eden was not merely agricultural but also priestly. Eden functioned as a proto-temple, and Adam was its first steward and guardian. Labor, in this sense, was a form of sacred service. Note the absence of a sacred/secular divide.

Man’s work was to extend the Edenic order into the rest of the earth. God could have completed creation in an instant, yet He chose to form a world with potential and then command man to develop it. The dominion mandate was not the end of the story. It was the beginning of man's part of the process. Man was to build cities, cultivate land, innovate tools, and form societies that reflected God’s character and truth.

“God created us in his image. God, as the creator of the world, who made all things from nothing, has asked us to create things from what he gave us. Work is not merely a means. It is an end.”

- David Bahnsen (Full-Time)

The fact that work is introduced before sin reveals its inherent goodness. Labor is not a punishment, but a privilege. Work exists because God works, and man is called to reflect his Maker.

The Fall: Work Cursed, Not Destroyed

Textual Foundation: Genesis 3:17–19

The fall of man introduces pain, conflict, and frustration into the human experience. It does not eliminate work, however. Genesis 3:17–19 records God’s judgment upon Adam after his disobedience. The ground is cursed. Thorns and thistles now oppose his efforts. Bread will only be gained through sweat and toil.

The significance of this judgment lies in its target. God does not curse work itself. He curses the environment in which work takes place. Labor remains a central human calling, yet now it is marked by resistance and the potential for futility. Man will work until he returns to the dust. The result is not the abolition of purpose, but the introduction of difficulty.

The theological implication here is profound. In a post-fall world, labor continues to serve as the means of provision and stewardship, but it also becomes a site of suffering and frustration. This new tension of work is not evidence that it is evil but a reminder of the brokenness of creation. This dual reality, work as ultimately good but cursed, defines much of the biblical narrative.

Ecclesiastes later echoes this sentiment. The author, קהלת (qoheleth), sees that “all is vanity” under the sun, yet he also acknowledges that to eat, drink, and find enjoyment in one's labor is a gift from God (Ecclesiastes 3:13). Work is now so closely linked to toil that he often just calls calls work "toil" (Ecclesiastes 1:3, 2:11, 2:22).The answer is not to abandon work but to pursue it in reverence and humility, recognizing the limits imposed by sin and death.

In this cursed condition, man is still charged with productivity. The call to fill the earth, subdue it, and rule remains intact. The dominion mandate is not rescinded. It continues, but now with hardship. Redemption does not eliminate labor, but will ultimately restore its original condition free from toil.

The Patriarchs: Vocational Life and Household Economy

Textual Foundation: Genesis 4:2, 17–22; Genesis 13:2–6; Genesis 39:2–6

The early chapters of Genesis portray the diversification of labor across family lines. Cain and Abel represent two different vocations. Cain tills the ground and Abel keeps flocks (Genesis 4:2). Both bring offerings to the LORD from the fruit of their labor. The narrative does not suggest that one vocation is inherently superior to the other. Instead, it highlights that work, regardless of type, is tied to worship and sacrifice.

Later in Genesis 4, the line of Cain develops cultural institutions. Jabal is described as the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. Jubal is the father of all who play the lyre and pipe. Tubal-cain is a forger of instruments of bronze and iron. These brief accounts illustrate the extension of the dominion mandate into new areas of craftsmanship, technology, and art. Human culture is the product of labor carried out by image-bearers.

The patriarchs demonstrate the continuation of this household-centered economy. Abraham accumulates livestock, silver, and gold (Genesis 13:2). His wealth is not measured in abstractions or equity, but in tangible assets. Land, servants, and animals form the basis of his estate. Isaac and Jacob follow suit. Their wealth also depends on productive land and wise management.

Joseph’s story brings a new dimension, asset management as work. In Genesis 39, Joseph works diligently in Potiphar’s house. God blesses the work of his hands, and Joseph is placed over all the master’s possessions. When he is elevated to Pharaoh’s court, his administrative abilities rescue Egypt from famine. His labor is both economic and temporally salvific. He becomes a type of Christ, mediating blessing through governance.

Work in the patriarchal narratives is tied closely to household leadership. Men provide for their families by cultivating land, raising livestock, and managing resources. Women contribute by overseeing domestic labor and productivity within the tent. The economy is not industrialized. It is familial. Production is an act of faith, tied to inheritance, land, and covenant promises.

Labor is not compartmentalized or secular. It is the ordinary outworking of covenantal responsibility. The patriarchs did not retreat from society to pursue holiness. They pursued faithfulness through the management of real assets in real time.

The Mosaic Covenant: Work is Regulated

Textual Foundation: Exodus 20:8–11; Deuteronomy 5:12–15; Leviticus 19:13; Leviticus 25:1–7

The giving of the Law at Sinai codifies the formal structure to Israel’s labor. The Fourth Commandment calls the people to six days of work and one day of rest. This prescription rests not on pragmatism nor on that specific covenant, but on creation. Exodus 20:11 roots the command in God's own pattern: “For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth... and rested on the seventh day.” The structure of time itself is divinely instituted to reflect a theology of labor.

“When men see how relevant the Ten Commandments are for economics, they should gain new respect for the importance of the laws of God for all of life...”

- Gary North

Deuteronomy 5:12–15 adds another layer. The Sabbath is linked to redemption: “You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt.” Rest is not laziness. It is covenantal freedom. Slaves cannot choose when to work. Free men can. The Sabbath thus affirms the dignity of labor by placing boundaries around it.

Levitical laws protect the rights of laborers. Leviticus 19:13 forbids the delay of wages. Deuteronomy 24:14–15 requires prompt payment, lest the laborer cry out against the employer to the LORD. God's justice is not abstract, and it includes the economic sphere.

Leviticus 25 outlines sabbatical and jubilee provisions. Every seventh year, the land is to rest. Every fiftieth year, land returns to its ancestral owners. These laws prevent the consolidation of power and promote multi-generational stability. They prevent a permanent underclass and preserve the dignity of labor across generations.

Under the Mosaic covenant, work is not only protected. It is sanctified. Farmers, artisans, judges, and priests all labor in different spheres, yet each serves under God's law. The entire economy is built on the assumption that work is good, necessary, and is to governed by righteousness.

The Wisdom Literature: Diligence, Justice, and the Limits of Labor

Textual Foundation: Proverbs 6:6–11; Proverbs 10:4–5; Proverbs 12:11; Ecclesiastes 3:13

The wisdom books provide practical theology for life under the covenant. Work is not addressed in abstraction but in concrete terms that reflect daily realities. Proverbs repeatedly exalts diligence and rebukes laziness. The sluggard is not merely inefficient. He is immoral. His refusal to labor disrupts the created order and threatens the well-being of his household.

Proverbs 6:6–11 offers a striking admonition: “Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.” The ant has no commander, yet she prepares her provisions in summer. The text celebrates not only action but foresight. Labor must be timely and seasonally aware. Idleness invites poverty. The danger is not merely financial. Laziness reveals disorder within the soul, a refusal to align one’s habits with the rhythm of creation.

Proverbs 10:4 states, “A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.” The Hebrew term for “diligent” is חרוץ (charuts), which carries the sense of decisive, determined effort. This is not frantic busyness. It is productive focus. The same principle appears in Proverbs 12:11, where the one who “works his land” will have plenty, while the one who “follows worthless pursuits” lacks sense. Our community is often guilty of confusing learning with working, and would rather study than actually accomplish anything, so take heed.

“Proverbs is a very practical book that teaches us how to live in this fallen world successfully."

- Phillip G. Kayser

Ecclesiastes brings a sobering realism. The Preacher observes that even when a man labors wisely and skillfully, he must leave it to another, and that other may be a fool (Ecclesiastes 2:19). Labor and its fruits, when pursued for its own sake or without reference to God, becomes vanity. Yet the same author concludes that it is good and fitting to eat, drink, and enjoy one’s labor. “This also, I saw, is from the hand of God” (Ecclesiastes 3:13).

The wisdom literature affirms that work is honorable but warns that it is not ultimate. Labor is to be done in the fear of the LORD. It must be productive, honest, and restrained by godliness. Wisdom does not idolize work. It places it within the larger context of human finitude and divine sovereignty.

The Prophets: Work, Injustice, and Future Restoration

Textual Foundation: Amos 8:4–6; Micah 6:8–11; Isaiah 65:21–23

The prophets confront the distortion of work in a covenant-breaking society. Their message is not only spiritual, but also economic. Labor and justice are intertwined. The integrity of work is a reflection of a people’s covenantal fidelity or apostasy.

Amos 8:4–6 rebukes those who “trample on the needy” and manipulate trade to exploit the poor. The merchants cannot wait for the Sabbath to end so they can sell inferior goods at inflated prices using false balances. The Hebrew term for “deceitful balances” is מאזני מרמה (moznei mirmah), which literally refers to scales of fraud. The manipulation of economic systems is not a clever strategy. It is a scheme, a sin against the LORD.

Micah 6 denounces similar practices. The LORD asks, “Shall I acquit the man with wicked scales and a bag of deceitful weights?” (Micah 6:11). The society under judgment uses economic tools to oppress rather than bless. Laborers are defrauded. Wages are withheld. Justice is subverted.

Isaiah 65 casts an eschatological vision of restored labor. In the new heavens and new earth, “they shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.” The Hebrew verbs בנה (banah) "build" and נטע (nata) "plant" denote intentional, skilled effort. “They shall not build and another inhabit” (Isaiah 65:22). Labor will no longer be stolen by others. The covenant community will fully enjoy the fruit of their work and the work is not toilsome.

The prophetic vision does not abolish labor. It restores it. The kingdom of God brings not only spiritual renewal but also economic justice. The righteous man works in truth, pays just wages, and builds institutions that reflect God’s Law.

Christ and the Redemption of Labor

Textual Foundation: Mark 6:3; Matthew 6:11, 33; Luke 12:42–48

The incarnation of the Son of God sanctifies every realm of human life (Can I get an amen?). Jesus Christ, before He preaches or heals, works with His hands. Mark 6:3 refers to Him as (τέκτων, tekton) “builder”, a tradesman skilled in building with wood or stone. We get our word 'architect' from this same root word. This vocation is not incidental. Christ is affirming that honest, manual labor is consistent with divine dignity.

The Lord’s Prayer teaches believers to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). Provision comes from the hand of God, yet it ordinarily arrives through the labor of man. Work and prayer are not opposites. They are complementary acts of dependence. God provides through means. Labor is one of those means.

Matthew 6:33 instructs believers to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.” This call does not eliminate concern for provision. It orders it rightly. Kingdom-seeking includes faithful work. The believer does not labor out of anxiety. He labors out of allegiance. We are privileged to be co-laborers under God, participating in His plan.

Luke 12:42–48 offers a parable of stewardship. The faithful servant works in the master’s absence, distributing provision to the household. The wicked servant exploits others and is judged. The parable hinges on the principle that those entrusted with responsibility must exercise diligence. “To whom much was given, of him much will be required” (Luke 12:48).

Christ does not abrogate the dominion mandate. He fulfills and reorients it. Those who follow Him are called to labor with eternal perspective. Vocation becomes service. Occupation becomes worship. The marketplace becomes mission.

The Apostolic Church: Faithful Vocation and Economic Witness

Textual Foundation: Acts 18:3; 1 Thessalonians 4:11–12; 2 Thessalonians 3:10–12; Ephesians 4:28

The apostolic writings continue the theological elevation of work. Paul labors as a tentmaker (Acts 18:3), refusing to rely financially on others except by necessity. His example undermines any false dichotomy between “spiritual” ministry and ordinary work. Vocation itself is part of ministry. While Paul certainly welcomes donations, he does not rely on them as the sole means of funding his work.

In 1 Thessalonians 4:11–12, Paul commands believers to aspire to live quietly, mind their own affairs, and work with their hands. The motivation is both ethical and evangelistic. The goal is to “walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.” Labor here is a form of public witness. The Christian life is not marked by meddling or idleness but by self-sufficiency and integrity.

Paul is more forceful in 2 Thessalonians 3:10–12. “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.” This instruction is not general advice, it is apostolic command. Those who are idle are “walking in idleness,” not in step with the tradition received from the apostles. Paul does not tolerate freeloaders within the covenant community.

Ephesians 4:28 adds a theological dimension. The thief must no longer steal but must labor (κοπιάτω, kopiato) with his hands at the “good” (ἀγαθός, agathos) work. The purpose is not merely self-preservation, but generosity, “so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.” Work becomes an act of love and restoration, and a clear distinction is made between bad labor (stealing) and good labor (being productive).

The New Testament church did not retreat into a cloistered spiritualism. Believers were expected to engage in all lawful trades, to provide for their families, to avoid public dependence, and to serve the broader community. Labor was dignified and transformed through union with Christ.

Consummation: Glorified Work in the New Creation

Textual Foundation: Isaiah 65:22–23; Revelation 21:24–26; Revelation 22:3

The biblical vision of eternity is not one of static bliss where we sit on clouds and play harps. Scripture portrays the new creation as a realm of sanctified labor. Isaiah 65:22–23 promises that the people of God “shall not labor in vain.” This labor is not temporary. It is glorified. Those who build shall dwell. Those who plant shall eat.

Revelation 21:24–26 speaks of the nations bringing their “glory and honor” into the New Jerusalem. This glory includes not only spiritual virtues but also the cultural goods developed through faithful labor. Art, architecture, music, governance, and trade, all lawfully pursued, are transfigured and brought into the presence of the Lamb.

Revelation 22:3 declares, “His servants will worship him.” The Greek word translated “worship” is λατρεύω (latreuo), which often means to serve in a liturgical or vocational sense. Those of you who engage in apologetics against Roman Catholics should be very familiar with the term. The redeemed will not be idle. They will serve God in a glorified state, unencumbered by sin or the futility it brings.

“Our work ultimately does help us provide for our families, donate to churches, and give us status amongst men, but those are not the fundamental reasons why work matters.”

- David Bahnsen

The new heavens and new earth fulfill the original dominion mandate. Labor, no longer cursed, becomes pure worship. There will be no theft, no injustice, no exhaustion. Every task will be fruitful. Every vocation will magnify the glory of God.

Conclusion: Labor as Covenant, Worship, and Hope

From Genesis to Revelation, work is presented as a holy calling. It is not merely economic, but covenantal. Man was created to labor under God’s authority, to exercise dominion, to build households, and to bless nations. Sin has marred this calling, but redemption restores and glorifies it.

The Christian must not despise labor, whether manual or intellectual. All lawful work, done in faith and obedience, contributes to the advancement of God’s kingdom. Fathers must labor for their households. Employers must honor their workers. Communities must structure their economies around justice and equity.

The doctrine of work is not peripheral. It is foundational to biblical anthropology, covenantal theology, and eschatological hope. Those who serve Christ are called to labor in faith, knowing that their work is not in vain.

One day, the curse will be fully and finally lifted. Work will remain.

In the meantime, we are not just called to be faithful workers, but faithful stewards of the wealth that follows good and productive work. In our current economic system, faithful stewardship is more complicated than ever, which is why we exist; to help you be a faithful steward over your accrued capital. If you would like to set a meeting with us for a distinctly Reformed, exegetical approach to finance, you can do so here.