Work as slavery and oppression

Working in God's creation was meant to be a joy for humanity but due to sin it became a burden and struggle. In Exodus 1 we see how it becomes an instrument of oppression as the Egyptians try to control the growing population of Israelite "guest workers".

¹¹Therefore [the Egyptians] set taskmasters over [the Israelites] to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. ¹²But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel. ¹³So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves ¹⁴and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves.

Traditional slavery [buying and selling people] still exists throughout the world today.

But, slavery also exists in affluent western countries, as people are enslaved to careers, ambition, and financial debt.

The image is from here.