There are a lot of good things we can say about work. In the beginning God gave Adam and Eve some work. See Genesis 2:15. In the book of Proverbs Solomon tried to impress on his son the value of learning to work. See Proverbs 10:4-5; 15:19. Paul tells Christians to "work... that he may have something to share with those in need." And he also explains that someone who will not provide for his family is worse than an infidel or unbeliever. So there are many good things we can say about work.
However, it is also of great interest and significance that in the Old Testament God sometimes told his people not to work, to completely stop their work. And he was as emphatic about it as he could be. He said to them, "Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath... On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant nor your maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates..." (Exodus 20:8-11) For six days work is to be done, but the seventh day you shall rest; even during the plowing and harvest season, you must rest." (Exodus 34:21) "Whoever does any work on the Sabbath must be put to death." (Exodus 31:14ff)
And regarding the Day of Atonement when the high priest offered a special sacrifice for the Israel's sin for the year past, God was especially emphatic. "Do no work on that day because it is the Day of Atonement... Anyone who does not deny himself on that day must be cut off from his people. I will destroy from among his people anyone who does any work on that day. You shall do no work at all... It is a Sabbath of rest for you and you must deny yourselves." (Leviticus 23:26-32) It would be difficult to see how God could have more forcefully and emphatically told them to stop their work to make time for rest and worship.
Of course, it is true that we are no longer under the old will or testament but we are under the authority of the last will God has given which we sometimes call the New Testament of Jesus Christ. However, it would be a mistake for us to think that there is nothing we can learn from what God told his people when they were under the authority of the old will and testament, the law of Moses. Indeed, the apostle Paul says that the things written before were written for our learning. There are very important lessons we should learn from what was written in the Old Testament.
And one of the lessons can be learned from God's old law against working on the Sabbath. What was God trying to teach them and us by telling them over and over, "When the Sabbath Day comes, stop your work. Get all your work done in six days, and each Sabbath stop your work. Even in plowing and harvest season when you are most tempted to think that you cannot afford to miss work, even then, don't do any work on the Sabbath. And if you insist on working anyway, if you make no attempt to find even one day a week to rest and worship, then you must be cut off from your people and you deserve to die!" What lessons was God trying to teach us when he insisted that his people not work on the Sabbath?
God was saying that although work is important (For six days each week a man ought to work!), nevertheless, work is not that which is most important. There is in fact one thing even more important than our daily work. God is more important than work. And our relationship with God. And our walk with God and the worship of God. And we simply must not let our daily work crowd out room for (the worship of) God! This was Jesus' point when he said, "Don't work for the food that perishes but for the food that endure to eternal life." In other words, though working for food is important, concerning ourselves with eternal life and eternal things is even more important. We must not let earthly concerns crowd out eternal concerns. Christians are to "set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God" and to "set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."
God was saying that it is extremely tempting to become workaholics and to be so consumed with our jobs and the making of money that we can't even find time anymore for God or for prayer or for Bible study or a few hours one day a week for meditation and the worship of God. How else can you explain God repeatedly giving this command and threatening his people with such severe punishment for failing to rest every Sabbath?
What a lesson for Americans who live in a time when jobs are plentiful and money is to be made and pleasures and recreation are available on every hand. And for so many there is no time for God.
And what a lesson for the American church and for believers in our culture who tend to become like those around us living for the Almighty dollar with less and less time for God and for worship and for church. Our communities are all filled with people who profess to be Christians but who can't find a few hours on Sunday to meet for worship often because they are too busy with the making of money. Adults, take notice! Kids, be forewarned.
In the New Testament Jesus said that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. In other words, the Sabbath rule and every other rule God gave were made for us. They were designed by God to bless us. And when in the New Testament God tells Christians to keep coming to church (Hebrews 10:25) he knows that it for our good that we do.
Listen to what God is trying to tell us! Remember that there is one thing more important than work! Put God at the top. Take time for him each Lord's Day.
Stop your work in order to worship God. Trust him to take care of your financial picture even if you do. Show him that he is more important to you than even your work. It is for your own good that you do so.