Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a nationwide holiday dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

Yesterday while visiting with a friend at the beach, we questioned what life might be like for men and women if Eve had never disobeyed God's instruction when in the Garden of Eden. Following is my "Labor Day" post...my thoughts expounding on that conversation with my friend at the beach:

In the beginning, along with the creation of the entire world and all things therein, God designed every detail of the creation and existence of MAN and provided for every need that man and women would encounter. An example of just one aspect of God's great love and care for mankind is found in God's provision of FOOD for sustenance for mankind. God created and provided a lush, food producing land in which man could live, thus supplying every necessary nutrient and providing a plan for healthy living for men and women. There was no need then for WORK or LABOR in order to produce or procure food to live.

(Genesis 2: 9-10) Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. And the Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. A river watering the garden flowed from Eden...

Prior to Eve's creation, God commanded Adam that he was free to eat of any tree in the garden EXCEPT of one particular tree that was OFF LIMITS.

(Genesis 2:16-17) And the Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”

This command Adam was given by GOD; but unfortunate for mankind, Adam did not insure that the command was followed. We all know the story: Eve was tempted by satan and allowed her temptation to turn to sin when she caved in and ate of the fruit of this tree. This was the first experience and occasion of sin...prior to that, there WAS NO SIN in man or on the earth. Adam was created like God...in His image. God is SINLESS, PURE and HOLY. From this very moment and this act of disobedience has come a change in the entire disposition and nature of mankind. From this point, man has been filled with sin; a new nature now is in man and that is a nature that is bent toward SIN and EVIL. Because of this nature of SIN that is now in man, mankind is now separated from the God. When once Adam and Eve walked and talked in the garden with God, now mankind is unable to approach God, who is by nature PURE, HOLY, SPOTLESS and who cannot look upon SIN. It is this reason (separation from God) that every one of us needs a Savior who can restore us into fellowship with God! Only through JESUS (because of His shed blood) can mankind reconnect us to his Master and Maker, GOD.

With all that said, I will get back to considering what life might have been like for mankind, had Eve not sinned. One consequence of the "fall of man" (the sin of Eve, actually) that the Bible speaks of is that God cursed man. (Read Genesis 3 for other consequences; and speaking of LABOR you will learn what God did to women!!!) In Genesis 3:17-19 God curses MAN by commanding that, from that day on, man will be forced to WORK to obtain his food and provide his sustenance.

Genesis 3:17-19) To Adam he (God) said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat of it,“Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”

My conclusion to the question that arose yesterday is that we will never know what life may have been like...until we get to heaven where we will be united with our Loving, Holy and Heavenly Father. Somewhere in the progression of eternity, for those whose names are written in the book of life, all things will be made new! SIN will be no more and we will be restored into complete fellowship with God, once again walking and talking, as in the garden, with our Creator and Father...SINLESS and NO MORE WORK!

It was not God's original plan that man should struggle and stress over his work and labor, but a result of the fall of man. God's plan always has been and always will be FOR man. GOD LOVES US and He provided GOOD things and a PERFECT plan for man until SIN got in the way of that plan.

On this Labor Day, 2008, my prayer is that every person would know the Truth of the Gospel and would commit their way and their life to loving and serving Christ, the Savior of mankind. In the meantime, until we reach heaven, man is forced to work BY THE SWEAT OF HIS BROW!
Would YOU like to be reconciled to God? That reconciliation to God is only found through Christ. If you have questions, please feel free to ask. If you don't want to comment, feel free to email me at: cklinegeertz@hotmail.com

Happy Labor Day and September 1st to all!