The Work of Our Hands

The Lord spoke to my heart today through Hosea 14. In light of the most recent big event, the acceptance of the scholarship application, I am once again reminded of His wonderful favor, His wonderful grace, both in the giving of gifts as well as the giving of work.

My good friend in Hong Kong has admonished me to continue in a pursuit of humility, in keeping with wisdom from Solomon, that pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall (16:18). It can be a temptation to see these developments in my life as something I have accomplished, something that I have done with my own hands. I am thankful that a number of the circumstances surrounding the scholarship are far beyond what I could accomplish on my own. In a way that makes it easier for me. And yet, the temptation is always there to boast in what the world likes to call 'my accomplishments.'

Hosea is writing to Israel (also called Ephraim), the northern ten tribes, because of their idolatry. They have abandoned the covenant and relationship with God, and He is calling them through Hosea to return to Him.

In the closing chapter of the book Hosea offers a final appeal.

"Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God,

for you have stumbled because of your iniquity.

Take with you words

and return to the LORD;

say to him,

"Take away all iniquity;

accept what is good,

and we will pay with bulls

and vows of our lips.

Assyria shall not save us;

we will not ride on horses;

and we will say no more, 'Our God,'

to the work of our hands.

In you the orphan finds mercy."

At this moment I do not sense that God's call to me in this passage is to return to Him. But it is instructive not to go the way of Israel so that He would need to call me to return. I hear Him saying, "Look at Israel. There is wisdom in remaining with the LORD. You know your own weaknesses; do not be drawn away by them. Seek me while I may be found."

In looking at my own life I see a dual tendency in my life, to exalt the work of my hands, and a haunting that reminds me to give glory to God for every gift He gives me, including ability, opportunity and success.

I may not necessarily always boast to others about my work or success, or try to get others to give me praise for my work. But I offer my time, talent, and treasure to my work as a 'living sacrifice' as Paul talks about in Romans 12:1. Far from the wood and stone (or even soap) carvings of idols we commonly think of when we hear the word 'idol', the idols of America handed down to us by our forefathers are sometimes hard to pinpoint.

What makes them so difficult to pinpoint is the fact that they are often gifts from God himself, to be enjoyed and intended to lead us into deeper worship and intimacy with God. They are in the things we do every day, even things that God created as necessary for life, like food. When we exalt these good things and lift them into God's rightful place, that is the essence of idolatry.

One of the most poignant illustrations of a good gift that threatened to become an idol is the story of Abraham and Isaac. God's promised son, whom Abraham had waited and waited for, even beyond hope and physical capability, threatened to become more important to Abraham, and so God tested him. God was asking Abraham, "do you love me more than my gifts?"

John Piper, in a book he wrote on fasting, writes this:

"God did not call for this "fast" because Isaac was evil. On the contrary, it was because in Abraham's eyes he was so good. Indeed he seemed indispensable for the fulfillment of God's promise. Fasting is not the forfeit of evil but of good." (emphasis mine)

Work itself is one of God's first gifts. Despite what we often hear about vacations, entertainment, and rest, they are all only good when balanced with a healthy amount of work (in the Pentateuch the proportion was about 1 in 7, plus a number of extra celebration days in the annual calendar). Work was given to Adam in the Garden of Eden before the Fall. Eve was given to Adam to help him in the work, also before the Fall. Men and women are both given the command to work, and it fits in the structure of the universe that God declared to be good, and very good.

I will admit, up through high school I was a loafer. I preferred the altar of the sluggard. But my senior year I discovered that if I worked hard I could actually do pretty well. I caught the success bug. Not that I stopped playing altogether (I still really like to play). But I discovered the joys of working and feeling the satisfaction of a good days work and the results that come with it. I was hooked. I used to watch T.V., play video games and seek satisfaction in entertainment. Now I don't even own a T.V.! I see it as such a waste of time. But my list of 'things to do' has grown, and often nearly overwhelms me. I put pressure on myself to work harder, to stay up later and do more. This threatens a healthy life balanced by periods of rest.

God, in his wisdom, created the world to work in cycles. Ecclesiastes highlights many of these cycles. We have four seasons that rotate. The earth goes around the sun, and around and around and around. Day and night repeat endlessly. "All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there they flow again." And God made a time for work and a time for rest.

Hosea ends his powerful book with these words from God:

"O Ephraim, what have I to do with idols?

It is I who answer and look after you.

I am like an evergreen cypress;

from me comes your fruit."

What does God have to do with my work? He is the one who looks after me, and gives me my fruit. In the midst of all the seasons of change, like an evergreen he remains the same.

"Whoever is wise, let him understand these things;

whoever is discerning, let him know them;

for the ways of the LORD are right,

and the upright walk in them,

but transgressors stumble in them."

Reminiscent of Proverbs, Hosea calls me to understand these things, to seek wisdom and not foolishness. And by this, turning to the LORD, the wise and discerning can be known, if they understand these things and put them into practice.