God Creates and Equips People to Work (Genesis 1:26-2:25)

God lays the foundations for human work: dominion, relationships, fruitfulness, provision, and limits.

People Are Created in God’s Image (Genesis 1:26, 27; 5:1)

All creation displays God’s design, power, and goodness, but only human beings are said to be made in God’s image.

Dominion (Genesis 1:26; 2:5)

What does it really mean to exercise "dominion"?

Relationships and Work (Genesis 1:27; 2:18, 21-25)

Since God made us inherently relational, relationships are not just incidental to work; they are essential.

Fruitfulness/Growth (Genesis 1:28; 2:15, 19-20)

Why are we called to "be fruitful and multiply"?

Provision (Genesis 1:29-30; 2:8-14)

God's power and provision helps us in our work.

God Sets Limits (Genesis 2:3; 2:17)

God sets limits to our work. It's up to us to discern those limits and live within them.

The Work of the “Creation Mandate” (Genesis 1:28, 2:15)

God's original call to people to work occurred in Genesis.

People Fall into Sin in Work (Genesis 3:1-24)

Adam's and Eve’s decisions stretch all the way to the modern workplace.

People Work in a Fallen Creation (Genesis 4-8)

Because of the fall, our work is even more important to God's plan for the world.

The First Murder (Genesis 4:1-25)

Genesis 4 details the first murder when Cain kills his brother Abel in a fit of angry jealousy. Both brothers bring the fruit of their work as offerings to God. Cain is a...

God Works to Keep His Promise (Genesis 9-11)

God’s Covenant with Noah (Genesis 9:1-19)

Once again on dry land with this new beginning, Noah's first act is to build an altar to the Lord (Gen. 8:20)...

Noah’s Fall (Genesis 9:20-29)

After his heroic work on behalf of humanity, Noah falls into a troubling domestic incident. It begins—as so many domestic and workplace tragedies do—with substance abuse, in this case alcohol. (Add alcoholic beverage...

Noah’s Descendants and the Tower of Babel (Genesis 10:1-11:32)

In what is called the Table of Nations, Genesis 10 traces first the descendants of Japheth (Gen. 10:2-5), then the descendants of...

Conclusions from Genesis 1-11

In the opening chapters of the Bible, God creates the world and brings us forth to join him in further creativity. He creates us in his image to exercise dominion, to be fruitful...

Continue to Genesis 12-50

Please click here to read our commentary on Genesis 12-50: Genesis 12-50 and Work

What Is God’s Mission in the World?

First of all, God’s mission is to inspire people to work with the materials he provides to bring forth new and good...

How Does Human Work Connect to God’s Work?

When it comes to answering the question, ‘Does our work matter to God?’ most churches say yes. But they give different answers...

Finance Helps Us Fulfill the Creation Mandate to Be Good Stewards

Stewardship is the fulfillment of God’s mandate to fill the earth, subdue (or govern) it, work it, and care for it (Genesis...