That toil and sweat of the brow from our work comes at us just as it came at Adam. This verse points to more than just the thorns and thistles of work. It points to the fact that will be so evident later on. Eternal rewards are the only ones worth earning.
Consider Adam’s situation. He learns that he will have to work much harder to get any yield from the land now. He will do this in sorrow his whole life, realizing what once was. Yes, he would be able to get the herb of the field eventually. But, even when he did, it would seem so fruitless to him at times. The toil and sweat of his brow would make labor so tiring. And, after all that labor, what would he get? A physical body that would grow old, decay, and die.
God knew this. He didn’t want Adam to be surprised. He wanted him to be forewarned. He doesn’t always tell us every consequence of wrong actions. However, He tells us the important ones in His Word. The fact that Adam would have to toil and sweat now wasn’t mentioned specifically. It was, instead, a part of that warning back in Gen. 2:17 that he would surely die. This is because that phrase, literally translated, says, “dying, you will die.” In other words, the process of death would begin right away, and that process would continue until, at long last, Adam returned to dust. This verse, then, is telling Adam just how that would happen.
Of course, some work is more joyful than others. When Paul Harvey, the great radio commentator, passed away, there was a clip of him stating something to the effect that he’d never “worked” a day in his life. It was always so much fun.
That, however, is an element of God’s grace. It shows that God, in His perfect love, has created each of us with interests that, if we hone them, will grow into lifelong work that we’ll love. We’ll love it because God has matched us to that work. Paul Harvey still worked, of course. But, he had found that one specific thing which he could do that brought him pleasure. This is not a sign of salvation per se; plenty of saved people toil in unhappy situations, and plenty of unsaved love their jobs. What it means is that God loves us, and it’s one of the ways He shows that love to us. There is always that reminder – through how we age – that our bodies are but dust. However, he provides us with grace, so we can have life, and have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)
So, why didn’t God give Adam a job like He gave Paul Harvey, one where Adam could say that he “never worked a day in his life?” He might have. Adam’s attitude may have changed to where he grew to love farming. We don’t really know much about Adam’s life, unlike later Bible figures, except that he and his wife had numerous sons and daughters (Gen. 5:4), and that he died at 930 years. Perhaps he said with satisfaction, like King David, “I have never seen the righteous forsaken.” (Ps. 37:25) However, even if he was pleased with what he did, and enjoyed it a lot, he would come to realize something else very important.
That other important thing is the last part of that verse. He would return to the ground. Even if he was the greatest farmer, the greatest inventor, or whatever, it would all be for naught. Yes, Adam could receive God’s forgiveness. He would then have the certainty of that promise of a Redeemer. However, that would be for the hereafter. The only thing remembered on earth would be that he’d lived. Whatever he cultivated, all the things he had done in this life, would be treasures on earth. Ones that moth and rust can corrupt, and thieves can break forth and steal. (Matt. 6:19) He would not be taking it with him into the next life. That frail, physical body would simply return to the dust.
It is, therefore, vital that we lay up treasures in Heaven, where they can’t grow old or be stolen. (Matt. 6:20) This verse applies just as much to us as it does to Adam. We, too, have physical bodies that will return to the ground. However, we also have that promised Redeemer, Jesus Christ. He longs for us to turn to Him. He longs for us to be born again, through what He did for us on the cross, dying and rising from the dead. And, then, He longs for us to build those treasures iN heaven, so we don’t have to be empty-handed when we approach the throne of God. We can have crowns to lay at His feet. We can have wonderful, eternal blessings that go beyond this world, into eternity.
