# 42 You Gotta Pull Them Weeds

The Book of Genesis Day 42 Ge 3:17 Then to Adam He said, "Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat of it': "Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life. 18 Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field. 19 In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return." As God cursed the serpent, he now curses the ground. Henceforth it will be hemmed in with the obstacles of thorns and thistles. The ground, and it’s fertility will have limitations. Thorns, thistles, weeds, blight, will battle Adam and mankind. They will steal and overtake his crop and he will have to sweat to put food on the table. God makes no bones about this curse, it is placed on the ground of the earth as a direct result of Adam’s sin. The ground which had been fertile and easy to work with will now resist Adam, and Adam will not have rest from his toil until he dies, and, ironically, returns to the very dust that he has battled. Sinful, contaminated man dies and returns to dust and simply adds to the contamination. Sin has entered the world through one man and death through sin, and this death spread to all men, and all creation! But praise be to God! For as by one man’s disobedience all were made sinners, so also by one man’s obedience, (namely the Lord Jesus Christ) many will be made righteous. So that as sinned reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord! Those words inspired by the Holy Spirit in Romans 5:12ff speak of the overturning of the curse of the ground. Yes, because of Adam’s sin, the earth will grow old like a garment, but thanks to Jesus, like a new cloak, the earth and the heavens will be changed. Creation and redeemed man will once again be clothed in His incorruptible robe of righteousness. The ground was cursed for Adam’s sake, and when you think about it, this was necessary because it would not do for sinful man to have dominion over holy soil, and because of that curse, creation itself groans and labors eagerly awaiting the Day of our Lord’s return. (Rom 8:22) In that Day, the war between man and the ground and all of creation will be over. It will be a return to the tending and keeping of the garden rather than the toil and sweating brought on by sin. Reflect: What is your experience with gardening? Have you ever experienced the loss of a crop because it was overwhelmed with weeds? What must you do to prevent the loss of your crop? Do you see the connection between weeds and sin in your life? What must you do to stay on top of the situation? Pray: Father, thank you for this reminder of the effects of sin. Help us to stay on top of our own daily battles through confession, repentance, and faith in Jesus. We look forward to the Day. When the battle will be over!