God's direction for life on the job

Gods' direction for life on the Job

EMPLOYER
The verses mentioned on the day of rest as well as laziness previously mentioned apply to the employer as well as the
employee. The area that is most frequently mentioned in the Bible when it comes to the employer is in the matter of wages.

Prov 22:16 He who oppresses the poor to make much for himself Or who gives to the rich, will only come to poverty. (NAS)

James 5:4 behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you
and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. (NAS)

Deut 24:14-15 "You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your countrymen or one of
your aliens who is in your land in your towns. "You shall give him his wages on his day before the sun sets, for he is poor and
sets his heart on it; so that he may not cry against you to the LORD and it become sin in you. (NAS)

This is something the employer should consider when one of his employees needs some of his pay before the actual payday.
This verse requires that the pay be paid in full right up to the present time for the poor and needy. Furthermore the word
"oppress" should be carefully considered because it implies more than just not paying the wages for that day.

Webster's Collegiate Dictionary 10th Edition.
op.press vt [ME, fr. MF oppresser, fr. L oppressus, pp. of opprimere, fr. ob- against + premere to press--more at ob-, press]
(14c) 1 a archaic: suppress b: to crush or burden by abuse of power or authority 2: to burden spiritually or mentally: weigh
heavily upon syn see wrong -- op.pres.sor n

God requires that the employer does not abuse his power over the employee. The employer must be careful not to crush or
burden the employee. This may include mental abuse as well as overloading in work. God will be the judge of what is abuse so
this is a serious responsibility for the employer to consider.

Mal 3:5 "Then I will draw near to you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the adulterers
and against those who swear falsely, and against those who oppress the wage earner in his wages, the widow and the orphan,
and those who turn aside the alien, and do not fear Me," says the LORD of hosts. (NAS)

(In this case the oppression is specifically mentioned in the wages of the employee.)

Jer 22:13 "Woe to him who builds his house without righteousness And his upper rooms without justice, who uses his
neighbor's services without pay and does not give him his wages, (NAS)

The employer is also responsible for practicing righteousness. In other words he should do what is right. This would extend
beyond the employee and also to the customer. Like the employee the employer is responsible for their behavior and attitude.
Following are some more references where we can see this.

Eph 6:9 And, masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in
heaven, and there is no partiality with Him. (NAS)

Prov 29:21 He who pampers his slave from childhood will in the end find him to be a son.

Col 4:1-2 Masters, grant to your slaves justice and fairness, knowing that you too have a Master in heaven. Devote yourselves
to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; (NAS)

This does not mean that the employer becomes some sort of doormat. If the employee refuses to do what he is paid to do is
the employer responsible for supporting him?

II Th 3:10 For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone will not work, neither let him eat. (NAS)

The church is not expected to feed those who are able to work, yet refuse. Certainly the employer should not support the person
who refuses to work either. The Christian whether employer or employee should recognize that all they own is the
Lord's anyway. Therefore we should behave in a manner pleasing to the Lord.

Ps 24:1 The earth is the LORD'S, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it.

Hag 2:8 'The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,' declares the LORD of hosts. (NAS)

Luke 12:15 And He said to them, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an
abundance does his life consist of his possessions."

Eph 5:3 But do not let immorality or any impurity or greed even be named among you, as is proper among saints;

Col 3:17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks through Him to God the Father. (NAS)

REASONS TO WORK
Provide for ones household.
1 Tim 5:8 But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith, and is
worse than an unbeliever. (NAS)

The contrast with the unbeliever is because even the unbelievers know to take care of family obligations. I found it interesting
that this extended even to planing for the future. Following is the definition of the Greek word translated "provide" in this verse.

Strong's Definition of Biblical words
4306 pronoeo (pron-o-eh'-o); from 4253 and 3539; to consider in advance, i.e. look out for beforehand (actively, by way of
maintenance for others; middle voice by way of circumspection for oneself): KJV-- provide (for).

Work to share with others.
1Thes 4:11-12 make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we
commanded you; so that you may behave properly toward outsiders and not be in any need. (NAS)

Eph 4:28 Let him who steals steal no longer; but rather let him labor, performing with his own hands what is good, in order that
he may have something to share with him who has need. (NAS)

Working Women
Although in today's world the idea of working women is not uncommon at all.
The Bible has been around for a long time. Considering this fact I find it is interesting that during the oppression of women the
Bible condoned women working.

Gen 29:9 While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she was a shepherdess. (NAS)

Prov 31:10-16 An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he
will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life. She looks for wool and flax, and works with her
hands in delight. She is like merchant ships; she brings her food from afar. She rises also while it is still night, and gives food to
her household, and portions to her maidens. She considers a field and buys it; from her earnings she plants a vineyard. (NAS)
(Here we have a married business woman.)

Ruth 2:2 And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, "Please let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after one in
whose sight I may find favor." And she said to her, "Go, my daughter." (NAS)

Women who had money helped support Jesus' ministry.
Luke 8:1-3 And it came about soon afterwards, that He began going about from one city and village to another, proclaiming
and preaching the kingdom of God; and the twelve were with Him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits
and sicknesses: Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna the wife of Chuza,
Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who were contributing to their support out of their private means. (NAS)

INTERESTING QUOTES
Labor disgraces no man; unfortunately you occasionally find men disgrace labor.
(Ulysses S. Grant)

There's no labor a man can do that's undignified—if he does it right.
(Bill Cosby)

A huge gap appeared in the side of the mountain. At last a tiny mouse came forth.
(Aesop, The Mountain in Labor)

Folks who never do any more than they get paid for, never get paid for anymore than they do.
(Elbert Hubbard)

The highest reward for a man's toil is not what he gets from it, but what he becomes by it.
(Author Unknown)

Wanting to work is so rare a merit that it should be encouraged.
(Abraham Lincoln)

When a man feels the world owes him a living, he is usually too lazy to collect it.
(Author Unknown)

I never did anything worth doing by accident, nor did any of my inventions come by accident. They came by work.
(Thomas A. Edison)

He that would leave foot prints in the sands of time must wear work shoes.
(Author Unknown)

I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish humble tasks as though they were great and
noble. The world is moved along, not only by the mighty shoves of its heroes, but also by the aggregate of the tiny pushes of
each honest worker. (Attributed to Helen Keller)

Labor is prior to, and independent of, capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor and could never have existed if labor had not first
existed. Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration.
(Abraham Lincoln)