In our study of Gen 3; where we see Satan's propaganda that leads to the deception of the woman and the fall of mankind last time in Gen 3:18-19; we saw the judgment of the man that also involved the creation itself and resulted in the mandate for the man to work.
We have seen how the curse on creation involves entropy and thorns. This means that the environment will be an impediment and that results in the ground bringing forth thorns and thistles in addition to the crops that are planted rather than freely giving of its production so man has to contend with them in his work.
Last time we saw that the Bible refers to thorns as being an impediment or something that hinders. In the fall of man thorns are associated with the curse of both mankind and nature.
In Jer 12:13; thorns are related to economic depression and disaster.
Thorns are used to describe the results of the administration of the fifth cycle of discipline to a client nation in Isa 34:13;
The unconquered Canaanites in the land of Israel were called thorns to client nation, Num 33:55; Josh 23:13; Judges 2:3;Net note10 they did not have the same values that God was teaching the Israelites and as a result they ended up distracting Israel and diverting them from serving the true God to serving idols. This is exactly what multiculturalism is doing to our nation today.
Thorns are related to negative volition, Prov 22:5; Prov26:9.
Thorns are described as distraction from positive volition to doctrine, Matt 13:22;
Our Lord wore a crown of thorns, which signified the doctrinal principle that He was made a curse for us when He became the substitute for our sins. Matt 27:29; Net note 43 Gal 3:13;
Thorns indicate the stages of Christian degeneracy, Heb 6:8;.
In this passage "thorns" refers to implosion or self-fragmentation; "thistles" refers to explosion or polarized fragmentation as the second stage of Christian degeneracy; "worthless" refers to reversionism as the final stage of Christian degeneracy.
"Near to being cursed" refers to the sin unto death; and "its end is for burning" refers to the burning of human good at the judgment seat of TLJC and loss of escrow blessing for eternity that is described in 1Cor 3:12-15;
Paul's "thorn in the flesh" hindered him from doing his work. 2Cor 12:7;
In the millennial rule of Christ, the ground and nature is released from the curse of the fall of man, Isa 55:13; Ezek 28:24;
Gen 3:19; "By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread (the curse of physical work) till you return to the ground (the curse of physical death), because from it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return." Net notes 56,57,58
We see in this passage that God places Adam under the double curse of life in the devil's world and physical death and establishes the mandate to the husband to work in order to fulfill his responsibilities to the family.
Following the universal flood, that destroyed the Nephilim, Noah was given authority to use all of the earth's assets for his own benefit.
Gen 9:2;- "The fear of you (Noah) and the terror of you shall be on every beast of the earth and on every bird of the sky; with everything that creeps on the ground, and all the fish of the sea, into your hand they are given.
v 3 "Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you; I give all to you, as I gave the green plant."
With all the plant life and animal life under the authority of mankind then all of the necessary requirements for survival are at his disposal. This means that there is no excuse for a person who can work not to have sufficient food.
2Thes 3:10b - Anyone who is not willing to work, should not eat.
v 11 For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies.
v12 Now such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to work quietly and provide their own food to eat.
The responsibility for providing sustenance to one's family falls on the husband and father: 1Tim 5:8; If anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever.
The sweat may be inward or outward so the labor may be physical or mental. Man must work to survive, earn a living, and control the animal world. This is the curse of life in the devil's world.
But God has turned cursing into blessing, so that there is the challenge of doing a good job as unto the Lord. Eccles 9:10; Col 3:23;