IBL06: Sixth Commandment

Work

Professor: Dr. R.J. Rushdoony

Subject: Prerequisite/Law

Genre: Speech

Track: 49

Dictation Name: RR130AA49

Location/Venue: ________

Year: 1960’s-1970’s.

Genesis 1:27 and 28. Genesis 1:27-28, and our subject: Work.

“27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.“

Our subject today being work, it may strike you as strange that we consider it in relationship to the sixth commandment instead of the fourth. Very obviously it does belong under the fourth; the fourth commandment declares six days shalt thou labor. Thus there has to be some compelling reason to consider it in terms of another commandment. It obviously belongs under the fourth, but it also belongs under the sixth. The reason for this classification under the sixth commandment is in the creation mandate. Man’s calling was to subdue the earth, that is, to work it, to exercise dominion over it, to establish God’s rule over every area of nature,by developing its potentialities and bringing it to its destined purpose under God.

Work continued after the fall but with the curse added.And the purpose of work after the fall was restorational. Man having through his sin brought the curse unto the world, was after his redemption, by work, to reestablish his dominion over the earth and to undo the consequences of the fall. The redeemed man’s purpose then is restoration; the restored kingdom of God. The goal of it is described by Isaiah 11:9, “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountains, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” This verse as well as others like it bring out the relationship to the sixth commandment.

The goal of our redemption is a world in which the hurt, the killing power of sin is nullified. So that they do not hurt nor destroy in all God’s realm. And the earth is as full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters of the sea. Work thus has an important part in the law; in all of scripture. In fact, the book of Proverbs is very extensively dedicated [not devoted] to bringing home to us the duty of work and the purpose of work. And it is full of many many choice verses: “He that gathereth by labor shall increase.” “The hand of the diligent shall bear rule, but the slothful shall be under tribute.” “The soul of the sluggard desireth and hath nothing but the soul of the diligent shall be fat.” “Seest thou a man diligent in his work? He shall stand before kings. “

It would be possible to go on for an hour, dealing with these verses, just citing the verses in Proverbs that deal with work. That emphasize that they who work shall bear rule, shall exercise dominion. Now as we analyze work and its significance, one of the things that we quickly realize is that the scripture is right. Work does have a restorational function, that is, a healing function. It’s effect on the mentally retarded has been extensively documented. Whenever morons and mentally sick people have been placed in factories or in a work situation, the effect on them has been dramatic. In a number of cases where morons for example, have been taken out of mental institutions,and put to work in factories the managers have declared that,as far as they’re concerned they can’t tell the difference between them or any of the other workmen. If anything the morons are the happiest ones and are as capable.

The same is true of mentally sick people. Some institutions used to, very few do today, emphasize work. And those that do find this to be the basic therapy. When people are given useful work, the effect on them is tremendous. A few years ago a very extensive bit of research was done by a couple of doctors entitled,Cultures and Mental Disorders. This was the study of Hutterites. And the point that was made was that the Hutterites do not believe in psychiatrists,and they will not institutionalize either their mentally disturbed or their mentally retarded. What do they do? They put them under the strict discipline that characterizes Hutterite life. The Hutterites are an extreme branch of the Amish, and you find them predominantly in the Dakota’s and in Canada.

These people are given a working place in the society. They must bend to the discipline that is required of them. And the results are remarkable, they have no problems with these people. And since work is the basic pattern for all in a Hutterite society, these doctors found that the Hutterites show a very low disease rate, because they combine a strong faith with highly disciplined work. The list of diseases and ailments to which they are, rarely ever, prey to, where there is an extremely low incidences, -takes almost two pages- here are a few of them, from the list:

They have lower chronic insomnia, drug addiction, asthma, food allergies, hay fever, suicide, urinary tract infections, male impotence, fear of death, coronary diseases, obesity, cancer, constipation, spastic colitis, menstrual disorders, female fertility, and the like. The curative power of faith combined with work, these doctors pointed out, is amazing among the Hutterites.And they have found that in other like societies, where you find these two things, the impact is tremendous. Thus we can say that the restorative function of work is well established. Work is necessary, especially necessary for men.And it has been over and over again pointed out, that men who because of financial circumstances do not need to work become, no matter how intelligent, somewhat immature. And as the years progress, such people become progressively more immature and the gap between them and other men widens. Work is man’s calling and destiny. Work, therefore, brings man to his self fulfillment. Man was created to subdue the earth and to exercise dominion over it; to work the earth under God and bring it to God’s destined purpose, so that when man does not fulfill that purpose under God he ceases to be truly a man.

American society and culture above all others has in its past been dedicated to work, so much so that until recent years - we can say until the twenties, wealthy people who did not want to work, left the United States and went to France or England to live,because the public contempt for the idol rich was such that a rich man either continued working in America,or he left the country. This of course has rapidly changed since the twenties. And yet, we see, in spite of all the evidence,and the body of literature that deals with the healing function of work is tremendous, there is a bitterness against work in our day,

feeling that it’s a burden and an extensive appeal of Marxism to many people. Because the heart of Marxism is that man is that man is fettered than work,and he must be freed from work; that work must be abolished! And today, of course, the basic teaching in our university is that we are the nation, we have arrived, utopia is here, and work is no longer necessary, and a society which demands that young people work is a society geared to the past.

Today’s West magazine in the L.A. Times, carried a statement describing college youth as no longer interested in preparing to work, but preparing for life and play; after all, work is obsolete in their estimation.

Thus we have a very curious situation. We have two contradictory facts. We have a growing body of literature which tells us, on the one hand of the curative, of the healing nature of work. And on the other hand we have a flight from work as slavery. Here is a real paradox! Work on the one hand declared to be healing, and on the other hand declared to be slavery and men running from it. How shall we understand this contradiction?

Well the contradiction exists first of all in man’s being,and therefore in man’s society and in man’s thinking. Man knows in his soul that work is his destiny under God. Man knows that he finds his self realization in assuming the responsibilities of manhood in terms of work, and in terms of the responsibility of work. He recognizes in his being that a man’s manhood is essentially tied to his ability to work. But at the same time, man comes face to face with a fact of the fall. God’s curse on his work; the frustration in work. And man runs from this reality. The curse is there and he knows it.The frustration is embedded there and man recognizes it.

But rather than recognizing that it is because he is a sinner, that he is in rebellion against God and the world is a fallen world, and it must be subdued by faith and the work of faith; man frets and rebels against work because work reveals to him, the fact of the fall and the curse. So, instead of saying, I am a sinner and therefore whatever I do the fact of frustration,the fact of the curse reveals itself therein. Man says the frustration and curse is in work and if I get rid of work then I get rid of the curse! And so the appeal of Marxism is precisely this! The moron may find contentment in work, but most men as sinners find in it their frustration.

Their self realization and the fact of self knowledge of what they are, and they run from it. And so the socialist dreamers capitalize on this fact. They offer a man utopia in which curse and work are separated, in which both are abolished by the abolition of a certain class of men. In other words the Marxist says, there is a curse. We agree! But the curse is in a certain class, the capitalists: the bourgeoisie. And if we abolish this class, if we eliminate them, execute them, then we abolish the curse from the face of the earth and we restore paradise!

And with paradise restored, then there will be no longer any problem for man, nor any curse. If fact, a man will not have to work but if he works, he can work as he pleases just for the pleasure of it. Karl Marx wrote, and I quote: “For as soon as labor is distributed, each man has a particular exclusive sphere of activity, which is forced upon him and from which he cannot escape. He is a hunter, a fisherman, a shepherd, or a critic of critics, and must remain so if he does not want to lose his means of livelihood. Well in communist society where no one has one exclusive sphere of activity, but each can become accomplished in any branch he wishes. Society regulates the general production and thus makes it possible for me to do one thing today.and another tomorrow. To hunt in the morning, to fish in the afternoon, rear cattle in the evening, criticize after dinner,just as I have a mind without ever becoming hunter, fisher, shepherd, or critic.”

In other words Marx said, communism will abolish the necessity of work; everything will be produced by society, automatically one way or another! So if you want to be {?} of an evening you can, if you want to be a cattleman in the afternoon just for the fun of it, get on a horse and ride cattle, you can!Work will now be a hobby, a play. So that you can be a half a dozen things during the day if you so choose. Now as Gary North has pointed out in his book, Marxist, Religion of Revolution” and I quote: “Marxist's concept of human alienation was used by him, as a substitute for the Christian doctrine of the fall of man.” Unquote.

And that is exactly the case. Socialism in every form whether Marxist or Fabian, recognizes that there is a curse! It recognizes that there is a fall. The Marxist term for it is alienation, but this curse, this fall, is to be eliminated by eliminating a class! In other words, sin is in a class, not in the heart of man. Because of their position, these socialists are engaged in a flight from reality and therefore from work. They cannot exercise dominion. They can kill. But they do not have the ability because they are not men under God, to exercise dominion. To subdue the earth and to develop it. They cannot work; they cannot produce - they are parasites.

And so today the worker runs from reality, seeks escape in play, in liquor, in anything and everything except responsibility. And the condition of man’s life today is one of chronic discontent. He is out of touch with reality. And of course, this is the best definition of insanity, that has ever been given; out of touch with reality. And modern man and society are out of touch with reality! The Marxist, the Fabianist, the Socialist, the Democrats, the Republicans, the Tory’s and the liberals, the Labor Party, go all over the face of the earth. Men today are out of touch with reality, and that is insanity.

As one Irish scholar scholar, Nile Brennan wrote, commenting on our mass insanity he said: “The poor may suffer from reality, but that is better than suffering from make-believe.” And this brings us to an important fact. In a socialist age; in an age that runs from reality, from work, you have a new hero. The master of make-believe. And so the actor becomes important; the actor sets the style - he sets the pace. Is it any wonder that in the past two generations the actor has been so important in our society,and one of the best people. A world that is running from work is a world living in make believe, it is a world concerned with appearances rather than production. Socialism cannot produce, it is parasitic. This’s why it’s materialistic; it has to conquer and eat up.It has to function always as a parasite.

It believes in appearances, not in production. And as a result, actors and actresses become the public idols and the pay setters. And the best politicians are those that are best at putting on an appearance and evoking, as Eisenhower did, a father image. Or as John F. Kennedy did, of the dashing young Galahad. And so on. The actors become the politician. The new religion becomes appearance.And appearance and the cultivation of appearance becomes a religious matter. A very interesting statement appears in a work by an Italian count, who is the leader in the jet set.And he quotes the opinion of one of the most famous hair designers, of Europe, who is important in the jet set and fabulously wealthy. And I quote from count Mon Franco Rosconey’s, The International Nomads. “Between the hair stylist and the woman”, Alexandria stated to me in a most articulate manner, caressing ever so softly his beard, “a complete communion is necessary, like in church. In order to reach this relationship there must be a full confession of the client to the man she trusts,with one of her most precious possessions, her locks.” Unquote.

Notice the religious language! Communion, church, confession. The religion of make belief takes over when men run from work. And such a society is appearance and consumption centered. It loses progressively it’s capacity to produce. It has an insane self absorption and enchantment with appearances. And this is why, all over the world, the rate of productivity of labor is diminishing,and the consequence of this will be international suicide. As of now, few countries like the United States and West Germany and Japan also,are producing and the rest are living parasitically on their production! But when the rate of production in these countries, which is diminishing disappears,the world will go down the drain, for the socialist is like the actor. He is enamored with [?] dreams; with appearances.

A socialist and and the actor as a result always have much in common. This is why inescapably Hollywood always has leaned to the left; it is concerned with appearances not with reality. With make belief rather than with work.

But God created man to exercise dominion, to subdue the earth, and after the fall to undo when redeemed the killing destroying effect of the fall. To restore the earth under God and to this end work is the means. It’s goal is the restored kingdom of God, a world in which they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

Let us pray.

Almighty God our heavenly Father We give thanks unto Thee for thy so great salvation, For the calling Thou hast given us to subdue, To work the earth and to exercise dominion over it. We thank Thee that Thou hast redeemed us from the world of make belief and appearances, To the world of work and responsibility to Thee. Bless us in our calling, And grant that by Thy grace we may erect a banner to which Godly men may repair, Unto the end that the kingdoms of this world might become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ. Grant us this, we beseech thee in Jesus Christ’s name we pray, Amen.

Are there any questions now first of all with respect to our lesson? Yes?

[audience member]

The process of restoration. Yes. The process of restoration is in it’s beginning stages now I do believe. But just as we never see a seed growing until it breaks through the ground,,so today much of it is still underground, invisible. I would say first of all, one of the greatest areas of restoration is the Christian school movement. I’m fully aware of the defects of the school movements and its weaknesses, but it is rearing children in the faith and making tremendous strides in spite of all its shortcomings. And it is a growing movement and the zeal with which it is being accomplished is tremendous.

This week for example, or last week, when I was in New Jersey I talked with one young man in Dover, New Jersey, who has begun a small school, a Christian school and a very fine one. And has started in areas round about kindergartens, which will have the first grade next year.He’s gone as far afield as Connecticut to start these kindergartens, And he has become a kind of traveling bishop over these schools. He hopes within a few years to start a hundred such schools; this is one young man!Now, there is tremendous area where there is restorational work.

Second, in the area of Christian philosophy. The work of men like Van Til and others. There is definitely tremendous and very important work, and we could go on and cite other such things that are as yet in their infancy. They are like sprouts beneath the ground, but they shall appear and grow rapidly.

[audience member]

Oh no, no. I thought had reference to the present. The work of restoration was begun, first of all after the flood through Noah and his family, the line of Shem, then with the calling of Abraham, then with the establishment of the chosen people, then with the establishment of Christ of the new chosen people - the Church the true Church of God, and through the centuries, as this has been developed and by trial and error,one false start after another has been [?]. God has been preparing the way for the real growth! And to us, the growth of evil seems very imposing,but we must realize that God says, repeatedly in scripture that even the growth of evil, is for a purpose. To prepare the way in terms of His sovereign decree. Yes?

[audience member]

Every one of us has a purpose in this. We are a part of the restoration to the extent that we bring our lives under the dominion of God, and to the extent that day by day,we are faithful to Him and serve Him honestly and faithfully in our calling.

Yes?

[audience member]

Yes, I didn’t cite the Amish as an ideal order,but simply that they have been studied extensively, as to the healing function of work. Of course their relationship being faith and work, but I also cited the evidence in factories of the healing nature of work,when it is applied to people who are mentally sick or mentally retarded. So I would not agree with the Amish and especially the Hutterites.I was just citing them as an example here. The healing function of work.

Yes?

Well first of all ,when man is out of tune with God, he is out of tune with everything. He is under the effect of the curse. And today a great deal is made out of the fact that work is more demeaning, more mechanical, and so on. Actually there is less unskilled labor now then there was fifty years ago. Unskilled labor is disappearing.And most jobs do require intelligence and skill!So it isn’t the work, it’s the person who’s working. And because he is chronically discontented he is running away from life. As a result you have growing incidence of escape mechanisms; gambling, liquor, drug addictions, anything and everything to run away from life. Because the problem is, as long as they are alive -as it were- they feel the effect of the curse. They know that they’re sinners.They know that they’ve got to reckon with God, and they don’t want to, so they run. And they always begin by running from work, because this is what it means to be a man, a man’s calling is work. Yes?

[audience member]

Yes, some people look upon work as the curse and there is no ground for this. In fact, in Revelations we are given a vision of the new creation,where a servant shall serve him; they shall be work, but there shall be no more curse, we are told on work, in the new creation. So the attitude that work is a curse, of course, is playing right into the hand of the Marxists!

Yes?

[audience member]

Yes, some years ago a Doctor Chaney of the University of California medical center, said that most men died within three years, according to a set of statistics he’d worked up in certain professions, within three years after retiring. And work is a man’s calling and it is necessary for a man to keep working. Some men are very sensible, when they are compelled to retire, they simply assume another kind of work where they don’t have that problem. But the compulsory retirement age, I believe, if the civil liberty union wanted to get active in a really helpful area,is a violation of a man’s civil liberties. And this is one of the reasons of why we have it. Our age is irresponsible. Now, under this irresponsibility you find that most administrators today,admit that this works a hardship on them in that they have to retire some of their most valuable men. But they don’t have the courage to fire those who say, at 67, or 68, or 75, or 79, or 83, begin to show incompetence. In other words, they’re gutless! They don’t have the gumption to say, sorry, we’re going to have to retire you. They prefer to have everything mechanical so it’s done automatically. The ability to fire is disappearing in business today.

Yes?

[audience member]

Yes. We have a number of scattered verses in the Bible which identify the image of God, and I can if you’ll remind me during the week, give you a list of those verses. The image of God as defined by the bible is knowledge, righteousness, holiness, and dominion.

[audience member]

Yes. So the image of God in us is this knowledge, righteousness, holiness, and dominion, we’ve been created to exercise. And in the fall of course these things are obliterated in us, and with redemption we again can function in terms of the image of God. We are recreated in His image.

[audience member]

Well, if you will check the Westminster Confession of Faith and the catechism you’ll find all the texts cited. So, look up the image of God.Let me see if it’s in here.I’m not sure the catechism is here, just the confession.

[audience member]

Yes. But if you have the catechism at home just look up the questions on the image of God, and it will be given there in full.

Any other questions?

[audience member]

Yes, for a long long time it’s been the attitude, well, he’s such a fine young boy he should go into the ministry! And so, the ministry has a corner on virtue!Well, this is not biblical! The minister should be a Godly man, but not in any special sense. In other words, the Christian in every calling should be equally a man of virtue, a man of Godly attributes. And it is a part of the very unbiblical identification of the Church with the kingdom of God.

Now this is a very important point.

During the middle ages, the Church and the kingdom of God were identified,so that if you wanted to be in the kingdom of God ,you were either in the church or under the church, therefore it was believed that the church should dominate the state and the school, the family, a man’s calling, every area of life or else they were not Christian! Now this of course led to ecclesiastical totalitarianism. The reaction to this on the part of the various monarchist was to assert instead the totalitarianism of the state. The church, school, family, every area should be under the state and it’s rule to be in the kingdom. So the kingdom of God was identified with the state, and of course, socialism was an aspect of this civil totalitarianism. But as Christians, we must believe in terms of scripture, that every area that is under God,is a part of the kingdom of God.

That no institution has an overall jurisdiction. The area of the church is the ministry of grace, the area of the state is the ministry of justice, the area of the school is education, the area of the family, of course an obvious one, for the wife to be a help-meet to the man,in his calling under God, and the children to be reared up under the discipline of their parents and the nurture and admonition of the Lord. A man’s vocation, wherever he is, is to exercise dominion and to subdue the earth, to extend the sway of Godly civilization and culture in that area.

Every area is equally under God. No one area is over another. Thus the school has no right to govern the state or the church,any more than the state and the church have a right to govern the school. Every area is on an equality with the others an equally under God. The kingdom of God is every area of life. Now, this identification of the kingdom with the church still plagues Christians, protestant and catholic alike.They feel well, if you’re an especially good boy you should be in ministry because that’s the place for good people! And every other man is somehow on a cut below, because he’s not as holy because he’s not in a holy calling. This is very very wrong, and it is hostile to the reprobation principles.

Well, our time is up, and we are adjourned.