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Labor

Introduction


One of the least favored holidays has to be Labor Day.  I mean, would anyone put it in their top three?  Top five?  Top Ten?  The only thing I think of regarding Labor Day was that it was the start of the chess season in Colorado.  The Colorado State Chess Association would hold their annual meeting and most prestigious tournament, the Colorado Open, on Labor Day weekend.  The 2021 Colorado Open was a disaster.  Local chess player and author of Tactics Time, Tim Brennan, summed it up this way:

Unfortunately, the tournament was not very well run.  There was an overwhelming number of new players (60+), computer issues, and not enough help.  The pairings were late, wrong, and in some cases nonexistent.  The open section had to skip a round because they could not get the pairings right.  People were paired in the wrong section, more than one section, and requests for half point byes were ignored, leading to unnecessary forfeit wins.

For example, I requested a third-round bye because I had a fantasy football draft Saturday evening.  I ended up getting paired against Jeff Baffo, who had to sit around and wait to claim a forfeit win, and then the next day the pairing sheet showed that I had won the game, when I wasn’t even there!

The event used to be 3 days to correspond with the day off on Monday.  However, too many chess players were caught up in all the festivities and celebrations of Labor Day that no one would show up for the final round.  Nah!  Just kidding, nobody had plans for that holiday.  It has no catchy hook to reel in the masses.  So, I thought maybe there was a Biblical connection.

See image on blog
For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands

While Chick-fil-A is closed on Sundays, they are open on Labor Day.  My son got his first job there.  My first job was at Dairy Queen.  I don't have a photo of my first day, but I did get to eat the labour of mine hands too!

Here are my top 12 verses on Labor:

Jesus On Labor


Matthew 9:37 King James Version

37 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;

Matthew 11:28 King James Version

28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Luke 10:7 King James Version

7 And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.

John 6:27 King James Version 

27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.

Labor In The New Testament


Acts 20:35 King James Version

35 I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

2 Thessalonians 3:8-10 King James Version

8 Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you:
9 Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us.
10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.

Hebrews 4:11 King James Version

11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

James 5:4 King James Version

4 Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.

Labor In The Old Testament


Exodus 20:9 King James Version

9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

Psalm 128:2 King James Version

2 For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.

Ecclesiastes 3:13 King James Version

13 And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.

Ecclesiastes 4:9 King James Version

9 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.

Conclusion Of The Whole Matter


There are nearly twice as many references for labor in the OT than the NT with most of them coming from the Wisdom literature.  So, I focused the OT choices on the Wisdom section, especially Ecclesiastes which includes one of my favorite chess verses.  Jesus has several references but none in the Book of Mark.  Paul dominates the NT mentions, even surpassing the total from Ecclesiastes.


128 Bible results for “labour” from King James Version.
  • Old Testament (82)
  • New Testament (46)

7% of the occurrences for “labour” are in the Torah.
  • Genesis (3)
  • Exodus (3)
  • Deuteronomy (3)

4% of the occurrences for “labour” are in the OT History Books.
  • Joshua (2)
  • Nehemiah (3)

34% of the occurrences for “labour” are in the OT Wisdom Books.
  • Job (4)
  • Psalm (9)
  • Proverbs (7)
  • Ecclesiastes (24)

19% of the occurrences for “labour” are in the OT Prophets.
  • Isaiah (9)
  • Jeremiah (4)
  • Lamentations (1)
  • Ezekiel (2)
  • Daniel (1)
  • Hosea (1)
  • Jonah (1)
  • Micah (1)
  • Habakkuk (2)
  • Haggai (2)

8% of the occurrences for “labour” are in the Gospels.
  • Matthew (6)
  • Luke (2)
  • John (2)

28% of the occurrences for “labour” are in the New Testament.
  • Acts (1)
  • Romans (2)
  • 1 Corinthians (6)
  • 2 Corinthians (4)
  • Galatians (1)
  • Ephesians (1)
  • Philippians (4)
  • Colossians (2)
  • 1 Thessalonians (4)
  • 2 Thessalonians (1)
  • 1 Timothy (3)
  • 2 Timothy (1)
  • Hebrews (2)
  • James (1)
  • Revelation (3)

12 results for “Labor” from previous Solomon's Colonnade studies.

Scripture contributions for August 2021 by: Paul Anderson, Matthew Anderson