The Discovery of Genesis (49 page)

Actually, they were a form of discipline (and indirectly even a blessing), to keep sinful man from idleness, which would only tend to increase the opportunity for wickedness. God’s concern for man’s welfare is revealed when He said, “‘Cursed is the ground for
thy
sake’” (Genesis 3:17 KJV).

The second character for
thorns, troublesome
, depicts the familiar two
trees
reminiscent of the Garden of Eden. Only now the trees are no longer accessible, for as God expelled man from Eden, “at the east of the garden of Eden he’ placed the cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life” (Genesis 3: 24). On each of the
trees
is a
border
, or fence. Adam and Eve are kept away from the two trees in the Garden. This character
for
thorns
is a reminder of the punishment and exclusion from Eden.

Man was demoted from lord to laborer by the dismal sentence: “In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the
ground
, for out of it you were taken; you are
dust
, and to
dust
you shall return” (Genesis 3:19). The ultimate fate was death and the
tomb
.

It is enlightening to compare the two characters
glory
and
grave
. The former has the
tree
(of life)
and represents immortal life, which was God’s original intention when mankind was given the tree of life. This, however, has been replaced by
dust
in the second figure, indicating that Adam became mortal and subject to death and the grave.