Millpond Musing – Of a Cursed Ground

It’s curious, but it is written “Cursed is the ground for your sake;” Genesis 3:17. How can God’s cursing the ground be for my sake? First, God could have immediately had Adam die, and hence all others would not have been born. The curse upon the ground prolonged and preserved Adam’s life, but did require his hard toil because of God’s curse against the ground. Yes, Adam would have to work that unforgiving ground. Consequently, God decreed that Adam would toil, but Jehovah also decreed when speaking to the Serpent,

“And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her Seed;
He shall bruise your head,
And you shall bruise His heel.” Genesis 3: 15

Accordingly, God gave Adam and His chosen progeny something to live for – a hope and promise of redemption, forgiveness of sin. In the meantime, the ground was cursed for the sake of those whom God would lead to look to His Son and be healed. You see, His children know that it is by hard labor – toil made light, since the yoke of Christ is light – that we learn to trust and to depend upon Him in all things. As the Apostle Paul said, we should likewise –

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Romans 8: 18

So, what, in sum, do I say to these things? I say our God did not curse us directly with labor since work could never save us, but through the curse of the ground, those who are drawn to Christ by free grace, are taught how to serve and grow in Him until the day of our glorification arrives.