"Chapter 24—Manual Training “Study...to work with your own hands.” At the creation, labor was appointed as a blessing. It meant development, power, happiness. The changed condition of the earth through the curse of sin has brought a change in the conditions of labor; yet though now attended with anxiety, weariness, and pain, it is still a source of happiness and development. And it is a safeguard against temptation. Its discipline places a check on self-indulgence, and promotes industry, purity, and firmness. Thus it becomes a part of God's great plan for our recovery from the Fall. Ed 214"
"And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it."
EGW explicitly refers to the creation account and the purpose of labor as described in Genesis 2:15. She directly connects the idea of working with one's hands to God's original plan and its continued importance even after the Fall.
"And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return."
The EGW passage directly references the changed condition of labor due to the curse of sin, which is a clear allusion to Genesis 3:17-19. The passage echoes the themes of anxiety, weariness, and pain associated with labor after the fall.
"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."
Both passages connect work with God's plan. Ephesians 2:10 speaks of being created for good works, while the EGW passage speaks of labor as part of God's plan for recovery from the Fall. The connection is thematic, not a direct quote or explicit allusion.
"The youth should be led to see the true dignity of labor. Show them that God is a constant worker. All things in nature do their allotted work. Action pervades the whole creation, and in order to fulfill our mission we, too, must be active. Ed 214.2"
"But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work."
The EGW passage states that 'God is a constant worker,' which directly echoes Jesus' statement in John 5:17 that 'My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.' This is more than a thematic parallel; it's a direct allusion to the concept of God's ongoing work.
"And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;"
The EGW passage emphasizes the dignity of labor and fulfilling our mission through activity. Colossians 3:23 encourages doing all things heartily as to the Lord. While not a direct quote, the principle of dedicating one's work to God aligns with the EGW passage's emphasis on the importance and dignity of labor.
"O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches."
Both passages highlight God's works and the activity within creation. Psalm 104:24 speaks of God's manifold works and wisdom in creation, while the EGW passage emphasizes that all things in nature do their allotted work. The connection is thematic, focusing on God's active role in creation.
"In our labor we are to be workers together with God. He gives us the earth and its treasures; but we must adapt them to our use and comfort. He causes the trees to grow; but we prepare the timber and build the house. He has hidden in the earth the gold and silver, the iron and coal; but it is only through toil that we can obtain them. Ed 214.3"
"For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building."
The phrase "workers together with God" is a direct allusion to 1 Corinthians 3:9. The surrounding context in EGW further elaborates on this cooperative relationship.
"And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it."
Genesis 2:15 establishes the principle of humans working with the earth. EGW's passage expands on this principle, applying it to various forms of labor and resource management.
"Show that, while God has created and constantly controls all things, He has endowed us with a power not wholly unlike His. To us has been given a degree of control over the forces of nature. As God called forth the earth in its beauty out of chaos, so we can bring order and beauty out of confusion. And though all things are now marred with evil, yet in our completed work we feel a joy akin to His, when, looking on the fair earth, He pronounced it “very good.” Ed 214.4"
"And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day."
The phrase "very good" directly quotes Genesis 1:31, and the surrounding context discusses God's creation and humanity's role in bringing order and beauty, echoing the creation narrative.
"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."
Genesis 1:28 gives humanity dominion over the earth. EGW's passage connects to this by stating that God has given us a degree of control over the forces of nature, which is a direct principle derived from the Genesis verse.