Topical Encyclopedia
Agriculture, as a fundamental aspect of human existence, is deeply rooted in the biblical narrative. The labor associated with farming is first introduced in Genesis, where Adam is tasked with working the ground as a result of the Fall.
Genesis 3:17-19 states, "Cursed is the ground because of you; through toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it will yield for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your bread, until you return to the ground, because out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return."
The toil of agriculture is thus depicted as a direct consequence of sin, marking a shift from the ease of life in the Garden of Eden to a life of labor and hardship. However, the narrative of Noah introduces a significant development in the context of agricultural labor.
Noah, a righteous man chosen by God to survive the Flood, is often associated with a divine promise that suggests a mitigation of the curse on the ground. In
Genesis 5:29 , Lamech, Noah's father, names him Noah, saying, "He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the LORD has cursed." This statement implies a hope that Noah would bring relief from the arduous labor required to cultivate the earth.
Following the Flood, God establishes a covenant with Noah, which includes a promise of regularity in the natural order.
Genesis 8:21-22 records God's words: "Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from his youth. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done. As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall never cease."
This covenant suggests a stabilization of the earth's conditions, which would inherently ease the labor of farming. The regularity of seasons and the assurance of seedtime and harvest provide a framework within which agricultural activities can be more predictable and less burdensome.
Furthermore, Noah's post-Flood life includes the establishment of a vineyard, as noted in
Genesis 9:20 : "Now Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard." This act of planting a vineyard signifies a return to agricultural pursuits and reflects a continuity of human responsibility to cultivate the earth, albeit under a renewed divine promise.
In the broader biblical context, the alleviation of agricultural labor through Noah can be seen as a foreshadowing of the ultimate redemption and restoration promised through Christ. The hope for relief from toil and the restoration of creation are themes that resonate throughout Scripture, pointing to a future where the effects of the Fall are fully reversed.
Thus, while the labor of farming remains a reality in the post-Flood world, the narrative of Noah introduces a divine assurance that the earth will continue to yield its produce, providing a measure of comfort and hope to humanity in its agricultural endeavors.
Torrey's Topical Textbook
Genesis 5:29And he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD has cursed.
Torrey's Topical TextbookGenesis 9:20
And Noah began to be an farmer, and he planted a vineyard:
Torrey's Topical Textbook
Resources
What is the significance of Galilee in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgWho are the Hutterites, and what do they believe? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the Shemitah? | GotQuestions.orgAgriculture: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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