Thorns and Thistles
Question: How do we know that thorns and Brambles will be no more in God's Kingdom?
Having seen the 'Creation' article in our January 2017 Newsletter, the questioner wanted to know why we were so sure that thorns and brambles would be got rid of in God's Kingdom because Roses for instance are such beautiful flowers.
The main reference in question was:
Gen 3:18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field
We agree that all of God's creation is beautiful. All plants, fish, animals are wonderfully created, each with their own purpose within the cycle of life on earth. To be precise in Genesis, the two words for "thorns" and "thistles" do not necessarily correlate with exactly the same plants that we in England would recognise as "thorns" and "thistles". The words are in general describing two forms of prickly weeds. Once again, in their own right even prickly weeds have their own wonder and beauty, even if they grow
profusely in our gardens sometimes.
The passage in Genesis really relates to the curse that God was going to put on Adam. No longer would he be able just to walk around the garden helping himself to the fruit and food that naturally grows. Adam was now going to have to work hard to gather his daily bread. If he wanted to harvest corn and wheat, or gapes from a vine etc. he was going to have to work to suppress the thorns and thistles (literally - prickly weeds) that would come and choke the food that he was trying to grow.
This is the natural lesson that God was teaching Adam. Behind this natural lesson there is also a spiritual lesson. In our lives we are told in Galatians 5:22 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith...." Naturally humans do not do show these characteristics. Naturally we are much more inclined to anger, greed, antisocial behaviour etc. These are the equivalents of the prickly weeds in Genesis that grow rampant unless they are controlled. Hence in our lives we need to cut these down and allow the fruits of the spirit to be cultivated in their place.