Exodus 1:11a So the Egyptians placed supervisors over them, oppressing them with heavy burdens.
Work should not be burdensome. Adam’s first assignment was work, not wife or family life. The LORD God took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden in order to have him work it and guard it (Genesis 2:13). The curse on the ‘work of our hands’ was a result of sin and rebellion against the Lord. “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life (Genesis 3:17b). However, the Abrahamic covenant is “an exception clause” to the Adamic curse. Gods’ covenant with Abraham was “through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” (Genesis 22:18). Abrahamic covenant is alive and active on all those who obey His Word. We are not under the curse of Adam but under the covenant of Abraham.
‘Exodus’ is a perfect paradigm of God breaking the bondage of forced labour and bringing His people into fertility, freedom and fullness. The burden of bondage stole the children, career and calling from the Hebrew slaves. They made their lives bitter..in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly (Genesis 1:14). The Lord broke their bondage and the burden of slavery.
Our occupation or business must be pleasurable and enjoyable. No boss, colleague or competitor has the power to make our life bitter, harsh or repelling. Monday mornings should be exciting not depressing as we are under the canopy of the Abrahamic covenant. The hamstring of God’s favour over the ‘work of our hands’ is “Obedience”.
Three tips to turn burdens into blessing:
1. Strife: When the Philistines saw that Isaac, (Abraham’s son) prospering, they tried to pick an unwarranted fight with him. They quarreled over the well that belonged to Isaac. However, Isaac did not fight with them. He moved on from there and dug another well (Genesis 26:22). Are you being blamed unjustly or treated ruthlessly? Don’t fight, God will fight your battle and make your barns overflow.
2. Struggle: Jacob, (Isaac’s son), worked in his father-in-law’s (Laban’s) business for 20 years. The Lord blessed Laban because of Jacob, yet, Jacob confessed, “he has cheated me, changing my wages ten times. But God has not allowed him to do me any harm” (Genesis 31:7). Are you deprived of your promotion, pay rise or perquisite that is lawfully due to you? Don’t strive, God will repay you in full.
- Survive: Covenant children should not live with survival mentality. We are called to thrive not survive. A lifestyle of eking and scraping insults God. King’s children don’t merely exist; we excel. We see the Abrahamic blessing overshadowing his son Isaac. Even during a severe famine, the man became rich and kept getting richer until he was very wealthy (Genesis 26:13). Pandemic is not a time to shrink or survive but thrive in our career and business. Remove the veneer of survival mentality and thrive.
We are not under the curse of forced labour. We are covenant children born to thrive.
Genesis 26:12 Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the LORD blessed him.
Prayer: Father God, Teach me to rind the mediocre mentality. Help me to break the burden of work and thrive. Amen.
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