Work Is A Holy Matter of Justice and Mercy

By the multitude of your iniquities,
in the unrighteousness of your trade
you profaned your sanctuaries;

Ezekiel 28:18

In this passage, God raises a lament over the king of Tyre, the genius merchant who steered the city-state to undisputed commercial superiority in the sixth century BC. Earlier in Ezekiel 28, God recalls the tremendous advantages he gave the king: closeness to God similar to that of Adam, splendor and prestige like the high priest, and wisdom surpassing even the most discerning Jewish prophet.

Why then does God turn to lament? God tells Tyre’s king, “you profaned your sanctuaries.” God isn’t concerned about the king mismanaging sacred duties in pagan temples he didn’t even approve of. Rather, the king’s commercial endeavors themselves are his sanctuaries. His very work is holy: “in the unrighteousness of your trade, you profaned your sanctuaries.”

This is one of the most remarkable passages in the Bible about the sacredness of work. Tyre and its king had no part in God’s special covenant with Israel. Yet behind the scenes, we see God’s intimate involvement in gifting and blessing Tyre. He holds them—and all—accountable for what he gives, and how they work with what has been given. By rivaling its trading empire with God the giver, Tyre’s trade is profaned. “You were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned,” God tells Tyre. Work became brutalizing and inhumane, which is sacrilege before God. Human beings are listed alongside mules and vessels of bronze in Tyre’s long inventory of merchandise.

You see, work is inevitably a holy matter of justice and mercy.

Work can be made holy again by prayer—that is, answering back to the God who is here speaking and confronting. God’s presence is what makes holy the sanctuaries of our trade. This passage indirectly invites Tyre back to God. Centuries later, God would address Tyre again, this time making Tyre his own sanctuary, coming himself as their new king: “And Jesus...withdrew to the district of Tyre” (Matthew 15:21).

What does God have to say about your sacred obligations at work, and how will you pray in response?

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Joel Kady is the Associate Community Group Director for Redeemer’s West Side congregation. He is part of the inaugural class of Reformed Theological Seminary's NYC campus and has a background in business analysis and research computing.