Going Forth To Work | The Institute for Creation Research

Going Forth To Work

“Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labor until the evening” (Psalm 104:23).

This verse is a capsule job description of God’s plan for man after the Flood. Psalm 104 first deals with the initial creation (verses 1–5), then with the Flood (verses 6–9), and finally with God’s providential provisions for the life of the post-Flood world—plant life, animal life, and human life (verses 10–35).

As in the beginning with Adam (Genesis 3:17–19), man’s life would continue to be structured around his personal labor to provide for himself and the needs of his family. It is thus ordained by God for man to labor in some honorable vocation, but disgraceful for him not to work as long as he is able. “The desire of the slothful killeth him, for his hands refuse to labour” (Proverbs 21:25). Christians in particular are exhorted to be “not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord” (Romans 12:11). The Apostle Paul commanded “that if any would not work, neither should he eat” (I Thessalonians 3:10).

It is significant that the modern recognition of the dignity and importance of labor largely originated in Christian nations, especially England and America. Labor Day itself seems to have started with an annual parade in New York City back in the 1880s, organized by an early labor union, the Knights of Labor. It was in 1894 that Congress passed a bill making the first Monday in September a legal holiday. Like most holidays, however, its original purpose now seems to have become largely taken over by commercialization and recreation. The former six-day, dawn-to-dusk work week has given way to the 40-hour (or less) work week and the TGIF syndrone.

But this attitude should not characterize Christians. The job assignment God has given each of us to do should be done “heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto man” (Colossians 3:23), “forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (I Corinthians 15:58). HMM

The Latest
NEWS
Quietly ''Devolving'' Tomatoes?
Apparently, evolution (and natural selection) can do almost anything: If new forms appear, the credit goes to creative natural selection; if old...

CREATION PODCAST
Five Unforgettable Lessons Learned from the Scopes Trial | The...
The Scopes Trial is one of the most famous court cases in American history, and this year marks its one hundredth anniversary....

NEWS
Yet Another Revised Age for the Land-Animal Ancestor
An allegedly vital piece of animal evolution was first discovered in 1984 in Scotland. Conventional scientists suggested the fossil of Westlothiana...

NEWS
Dr. James S. Johnson Goes Home to the Lord
Dr. James S. Johnson, chief academic officer and associate professor of apologetics for ICR’s School of Biblical Apologetics (SOBA), joined his...

NEWS
Pluto’s Largest Moon Looks Young
When the New Horizons space probe captured images of Pluto and its large moon Charon as it flew by in 2015, conventional scientists were surprised by...

NEWS
55-Million-Year-Old Tree Frog…Is Still a Tree Frog
In the 1990s, Australian paleontologists discovered fossil frog bones during a dig in Murgon, Queensland.1 This new species of frog—Litoria...

NEWS
Pastor and Longtime ICR Supporter Dr. John MacArthur Now with...
Faithful ICR supporter and pastor Dr. John MacArthur went home to be with the Lord on Monday, July 14, 2025, completing his 86-year pilgrimage.1...

CREATION PODCAST
Setting Sights on Scopes: The Truth Behind the Infamous Monkey...
The Scopes Trial is one of the most famous court cases in American history, and this year marks its one hundredth anniversary. Often,...

NEWS
Did Earthworms Rewrite Their DNA to Survive on Land?
An earthworm news story was recently posted that openly questions Darwin’s gradual and slow evolutionary progress in the living world.1...

NEWS
Mysterious Erosion Confirms High Flood Boundary
Two separate research reports arrived at a similar conclusion.1,2 Both found an episode of mysterious erosion had occurred near the end of...