Work and Worship — Part 2. Avodah in Eden: Priesthood
By: Mark Raja
Tags: Calling, Work, Theology Of Work, Christian Living, Worship

The Resurrection. By Jyoti Sahi, Oil on canvas.

Work and Worship — Part 2

God created Adam and Eve in his image and likeness. He planted a beautiful garden in the east of Eden and put them in that garden. God, man, and all creation were in perfect peace and unity. This is Shalom as Old Testament prophets call it. Adam was continually in the presence of God and was called take care and guard the garden.

“The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it (Avodah).” (Genesis 2:15)

When God led Israel out of Egypt, at Mt. Sinai, he made a covenant with Israel. He also gave directions to Moses to build his tabernacle so that he could dwell among his people. This tabernacle in many ways is a picture of the garden of Eden with the tree of life (lamp stand), gold, onyx, cherubs, etc. (In the Solomon’s temple we see more images of palm trees, open flowers, pomegranates etc.) Here God appointed a high priest (Aaron) to take care of the tabernacle just as Adam was called to take care of the garden.

Adam was called a priest like Aaron, to work, worship and serve in the garden which is the temple of God. This is our perfect calling. One day Adam and Eve as priests of God rebelled against God in his temple, and wanted to become their own gods. This led them out of the garden and out of God’s presence.

Today we neither have the garden nor the temple in Jerusalem. So, have we also lost our priesthood as well? Yes, we have lost the privilege to be God’s priests in his temple. But even though our rebellion turned shalom into chaos, God in his Love did not forsake his creation. He wanted to restore it all in Christ.

A temple is a place where God dwells in our midst. Adam as a priest, his Avodah was to keep it and guard it. Today Christ is our high priest, and our body is God’s temple. (1 Corinthians 6:19)

If we are his temple, we are ought to bring God’s presence and reign where ever we are placed. How then our priesthood look like today?

You may be a doctor or a janitor, an artist, a homemaker or a politician, your work, worship, and service can bring God’s dwelling place in our midst. Yes, in Christ our priesthood is restored so also God’s temple is being restored in the body of Christ.

This is not an easy task but, neither it is complicated. A friend of mine Anish Nath along with his wife Ashita Nath, faithful followers of Jesus, left their jobs in Delhi and headed to a small town near Lucknow to help young girls make their own choices. Ashita says, “Girls in rural villages don’t make their own choices. They don’t get to choose what to eat, how to spend the day, when or whom to marry and even when to have a child. When a girl is born, her future is decided and sealed.” So they started a girls’ only agri-based primary school called The Good Harvest School to help these girls make the right choices in an oppressive culture through wholistic education. Seeking justice for these girls is their Avodah to God.

May our priestly Avodah flow like a river that flowed out of Eden (Genesis 2:10) with righteousness and justice (Amos 5:24) in our broken world.

Dear father, let your kingdom come, let your will be done here on earth as it is in heaven. Amen!