Sermon Central
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Labor Day 2014
Contributed by Stephen Belokur on Sep 5, 2014 (message contributor)
Summary: When looking at the roots of Labor Day seeing the evil & greed on both sides, it begs the question, "Is this REALLY something we should be celebrating?" What about the "labor strike" that started when humanity rebelled against God? How will it be settled?
Tomorrow is Labor Day!
Illustration:
Reaching the end of a job interview, the Human Resources Person asked a young accountant who was fresh out of school, "What starting salary were you thinking about?" The Accountant said, "In the neighborhood of 100,000 a year, depending on the benefits package."
The interviewer said, "Well, what would you say to a package of 5 weeks vacation, full medical and dental, Company Retirement Fund to 50% of salary, Executive Share Option Scheme, Profit Related Pay and a company car leased every 2 years - say, a 5 series BMW?"
The Accountant sat up straight and said, "Wow! Are you kidding?"
The interviewer replied, "Yes, I am, but you started it."
In the 1800’s during the industrial revolution some companies would use human workers like an expendable commodity! Inhumanely long hours. Subsistence pay. Child labor. Dangerous conditions. Withholding pay. Grinding them into the dirt knowing that there were many more who could replace those who became sick, were maimed or died.
Leviticus 19:13b says,
“Do not hold back the wages of a hired worker overnight.”
“Do not take advantage of a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether that worker is a fellow Israelite or a foreigner residing in one of your towns.
“Pay them their wages each day before sunset, because they are poor and are counting on it. Otherwise they may cry to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin.”
James 5:1-6 (NLT)
“Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you. Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags.
“Your gold and silver are corroded. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire. This corroded treasure you have hoarded will testify against you on the day of judgment.
“For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
“You have spent your years on earth in luxury, satisfying your every desire. You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter. You have condemned and killed innocent people, who do not resist you.”
Labor Day - celebrating humanity’s pathetic attempt to solve the heart of the problem which is sin in the heart of man! Did those being abused cry out to God? Did they gather and pray? Did they go to the Lord and ask for justice? Perhaps some did but instead Labor Unions were formed and reading the histories of some of the battles between corporations and unions it is easy to see that the Prince of Peace was not asked to the negotiations!
Strikes were called. Sometimes the intimidation of the strikers was arranged by the companies, even reaching the level of murder. Sometimes the strikers would bomb or otherwise beat and kill company officials, workers brought in to replace them or their fellow workers who dared to cross the picket lines.
In one shop where I worked I even heard one cowardly person actually state,
“If we go on strike and anyone crosses the picket line we know where their wife and children live and that was as recent as 1980.”
And then on top of that hatred and greed from both sides were the union bosses who fanned the flames of whatever would work to their advantage.
Labor Day. We love the day off but the battle still goes on, and I have to ask the question, is it something we should really be celebrating?
There was a time when Management (God) and the labor force (mankind) walked together in peace and harmony.
The Lord GOD had created everything including man and He had given man a purpose.
“The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”
It was paradise. The Creator had worked to create the world and all that was in it. He was still working to sustain the life of all of creation. Adam and Eve’s simple task was to take care of just one small piece of creation.
Now, we all know when the break in the management/labor relations came into humanity! Adam and Eve disobeyed the one command they had been given. They thought the Boss, the Lord GOD, was holding out on them.
From that point on it was mostly rebellion by humanity with God in pursuit, calling us back to Himself and most of us refusing …
So the Lord sent negotiators; Noah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Samuel, David, Solomon, Josiah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, John the Baptist.
