The Relationship Between Man and The Soil
The first man, Adam, was created from the soil. On the sixth day after God had finished creating everything, the Bible writes that He created man in His image and likeness. Adam was created from the dust of the ground and God breathed air into his nostrils and he started living.
The soil is the origin of man. Upon putting the man in the garden of Eden, God charged him not to eat the fruit of the tree in the middle because he shall die when he does so.
Unfortunately, both Adam and his wife were tricked into eating the fruit and God was upset at their disobedience. He pronounced their punishment that man shall not live forever but return to the dust of the ground from where he was created from.
The soil became the origin and final destination of man. Life changed for the man who was once promised to live forever. Reality dawned when the first death happened. The bible does not talk more about the death of Abel except that Cain killed him. He became the first person to return to the dust of the ground from which he was created.
Blessings of The Soil
God had blessed the soil before the creation and subsequent fall of man. On the third day of creation, God commanded the earth to bring forth all types of vegetation. Every tree in the garden according to its species sprout from the ground at God’s command. What a blessing!
On the sixth day, the soil was used to create the first man. Man became the most superior of all creation and God charged him with taking care of His creation. Man, created from the soil, was told to rule the earth and subdue it.
The food Adam ate was fruits from trees that grew on the soil. There was no cooking at that time and he survived on only food from the soil. The ground was a blessing to Adam because God had blessed it.
The Double Curse of The Soil
The initially blessed soil was cursed for Adam’s sake. God cursed it after the fall of man. It greatly displeased God that Adam would disobey him and eat from the forbidden tree.
He cursed the serpent for deceiving the woman. It was condemned to crawl on its belly forever and God put enmity between its offspring and that of the woman. Eve was condemned to bear children in pain. Her desire would be for her husband and she would submit to him.
The difference happened with Adam. God did not curse him. He cursed the ground for Adam’s sake. The ground that produced fruits and food for Adam was cursed to bring forth thorns and thistles.
Adam would no longer eat freely from the ground but will have to till it to get food. Thorns that would sprout from the ground after God had cursed it is an indication of pain and suffering. God sentenced the man to eat from his sweat because the ground would no longer produce food for him willfully.
This was the turning point of all the blessings God had put on the soil. The curse on the soil has never been removed throughout the generations to date. The grace of God sustains those who find favor before God.
The curse on the soil did not stop at Adam. When Cain killed Abel, the ground soaked his blood. God told Cain that Abel’s blood was crying for justice from the ground. For a second time, God cursed the ground for Cain’s sake and banned Cain from the face of the earth. He would be a vagabond that would roam throughout the earth.
Ripple Effect of The Curse on The Soil
The double curse on the soil by God has had everlasting effects on the life of man. All the struggles of man are attributed to it.
Death reigns on earth and people are buried in graves dug on the cursed ground. What does it speak of us? We are not free yet from God’s curse on the ground. We could be blessed but if we fail to secure our blessings in the Lord, we would still be tied to the curse on the ground.
Overcoming The Curse
We can overcome the curse of the soil if we seek to be blessed by the God who cursed it. He is superior to all creation and He has the last word on everything.
God has provided mechanisms to those who believe in Him to circumnavigate the curse He put on the soil. He promises to bless the work of our hands. Despite His condemnation on man to eat from the sweat of his brows, God offers to bless man’s effort.
Since He already cursed the ground, God can crown our efforts with His grace that we do not struggle like people who have no relationship with Him. God loves us and sought to establish an everlasting relationship with us. He sent His son into the world to die for our sins and reunite us with Him.
He who knew no sin bore all our sins and was crucified on the cross. The crucifixion of Jesus is symbolic because He was breaking the curse on anyone who is hung on a tree. Jesus was crucified on a wooden cross to break that curse.
When we are born again in Christ, we are free from two curses – the curse on the soil and that of hanging on a tree.
Eternal Blessings in Christ
Just as sin entered the world through the first man, so do blessings through Jesus. We can overcome the curse of the soil and generational curses when we commit ourselves fully to the Lord. Only Him is capable of commanding blessings where there is a curse.
In conclusion, the Bible affirms that there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. We inherit a new life in Christ and do away with our old nature. It is only in Jesus that we gain a new identity and become eligible to all His blessings.
