UNDERSTANDING STEWARDSHIP

Examples of stewardship in the Bible

Above, in Genesis 1:26-28, we observe that the concept of stewardship is woven into the fabric of creation. The desire to steward has been hardwired into the soul of every person, which explains why, in varying degrees, people have a desire to create and manage.

On this foundation, let’s take a look at some examples of stewardship in the Bible.

1.  Adam was called to work

From the very beginning, God had good intentions for work. In Genesis 2:15, we read, “The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.”
God called Adam to “work” and to “keep” the garden. Basically, God commanded Adam to take care of things on his behalf.

God’s call of Adam too wasn’t a burden, and God isn’t a vindictive taskmaster. Since Adam’s call to work preceded the entrance of sin (Gen. 3), we can see that God had a good purpose for work in mind.

2.  Joseph oversees Potiphar’s house

Joseph’s is arguably one of the best examples of biblical stewardship (Gen. 39).

After Joseph was brought to Egypt, the LORD made him a successful man. While Joseph was in the house of his Egyptian master, we read, _Gen. 39:4 “So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him, and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had”

Joseph didn’t own this home.
He didn’t own the furnishings.
He wasn’t responsible for generating income.
But he was given stewardship over the house and everything his master owned.

Referring back to the biblical stewardship definition above “the manager of a household” you can see why Joseph is the perfect example of what it means to be a Steward.

3.  Moses, let the land have a break

Remember, God owns the earth. As the owner of everything, He makes His desires for His creation known. We see just one example of this in Leviticus 25:1-5.

In this passage, the LORD told Moses to let the people farm the land for six years, but to make them take a break from farming the ground in the seventh year.

What does this have to do with stewardship in the Bible?

Simple.
From this passage, we see that God owns the earth, he oversees the growth of produce, and He knows how to handle his land.

(THIS POST IS IN 3 PARTS FOR EASE OF STUDY. YOU’RE READING THE THIRD PART. YOU CAN ALSO READ THE FIRST AND SECOND PARTS).

This post is credited to Adekunle