As stated in Genesis 3:17b-19, "Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it. All the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you shall return"(NKJV).
Reading these verses, you might say "So what? This is just describing the curse upon Adam after he and Eve sinned... right?" And I say, yes, that's exactly what these verses are talking about, but let's take a closer look at one aspect of them.
Notice close to the beginning of verse 18 that one of the results of their sin was that the earth was going to bring forth thorns and thistles. Some people say that thorns are actually undeveloped blossoms, the exact opposite of a beautiful, thriving plant. So the result of sin was that these hard, sharp, dead plants would interfere with the growing of plants. This is a picture of what sin does in our life as well. On our own, sin causes us to whither until there's nothing left but a dead, shriveled up thorn of a heart.
Now, where else do we see an example of thorns in the Bible? Consider Mark 15:17-18, "And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and began to salute Him, 'Hail, King of the Jews!'" (NKJV).
These verses are describing the beginning of the torment that Jesus Christ received before He was crucified. When Jesus came to earth to die for the sins of all mankind, how fitting it was that He wear upon His head the first symbol of sin! Jesus came as God's sacrifice to wash away the sins of all people. What a beautiful picture of His plan for our redemption!
Next time you see a thorn, remember...
1. Thorns were part of the punishment for our sins
2. Jesus willingly wore the punishment of our sins upon His head!
3. We no longer have to be under the bondage of sin because Jesus has paid the price!
Praise the Lord!!!!