Genesis 5:29 - Easing the pain

And 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 hath cursed.

The ground which the LORD cursed comes from Genesis 3:17-19,

And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

The name Noah means rest. It was through his hard work and faith in building the ark that man was able to survive the flood. The flood cleansed and fertilized the whole earth which made it more productive and futile. Thereby, man was provided with comfort and rest concerning the tilling of the ground that God had cursed.

Genesis 5:22-24 - Walking to please God

And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him

The Interpreter's Bible makes a important point worth noting:

The description of Enoch shines like a single brilliant star above the earthy record of this chapter. The significance of many men may perish with their bodies. Their achievements have to do only with material things, they may sew their tents, raise their cattle, make their musical instruments, and work in brass and iron (Genesis 4:20-23). But the man who towers in meaning above all the others is the man who walks with God (Copyright 1952, The Man Who Walked with God, page 530)

Walking with God is achieved through perfecting and abiding in Jesus.

• Genesis 6:9 - ... Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.
  
• God.1 John 2:6 - He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
• 2 John 1:9 - Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God.He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
  

Hebrews 11:5 summarizes why God took Enoch, "By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God."

Genesis 4:21-23 - The ways of Cain

And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle. And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ. And Zillah, she also bare Tubalcain, an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubalcain was Naamah.

Can any good come out of Cain, the wicked one (1 John 3:12)? From out of Cain's lineage came Jabel, Jubal and Tubalcain; the fathers of nomads, music and metalwork. Cain himself built the first city mentioned in the bible. Are these the ways of Cain that Jude 1:11 warns us not go after ("Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain")?

Genesis 4:17 - City life

And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.

Joel F. Drinkard, Jr., a professor of Old Testament Interpretation, states the following regarding cities:

“The emergence of cities often marks the move to civilization…. Most of the commercial activity for the region was carried out in the city. Usually, the city was located on the main highway or intersection of highways and trade route through the area. The major sanctuary or worship place would be most frequently located in the city, making it a center of religious pilgrimages and celebrations…. Among the chief concerns a city would be built at a particular location was the presence of food and water nearby, along with the raw materials for shelter, tools and industry “ (Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright 2003, Cities and Urban Life, pages 301-303).

Genesis 4:15 - Sevenfold

And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.

Vengeance belongs to God (Psalms 94:1), however, sevenfold is also used in determining the penalty for thievery. Proverbs 6:30-31 states that "Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry; But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house."

Restoring seven times may seem like a hefty fine but not when considering the thefts that robbers get away with for "the tents of robbers prosper," Job 12:6.

Genesis 4:12 - Sin deminishes success

When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.

God cursed the fruits of Cain's labor because Cain killed Abel, his brother. No matter how hard Cain worked the ground it still wasn't going to yield up to it's potential. This was also the case for Adam and Eve, Cain's parents. They fell from God providing everything, to having to work for everything. Sin is sin and it's all relevant.

Genesis 2:15 - The consequence of sin

And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

Work is work and most jobs aren't pleasant. In the beginning, however, man didn't have to work for food was available and free to eat. All Adam had to do was to dress and keep the garden. Work wasn't meant to be but rather it was the consequence of sin:

Genesis 3:17 - And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life.

For those that don't like their job - accept it, keep strong, have courage and continue pressing forward with the confidence that things will get better.

Genesis 2:2-3 - The Sabbath

And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

Let's not forget the Sabbath, for even God rested on the seventh day. All business should be conducted within the first six days of the week and no business should be conducted on the seventh day;

Genesis 2:13-14 - Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.

Rest is not an option, it's a commandment;

Leviticus 23:3 - Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings.

Even Jesus needed time to rest;

Mark 6:31 - And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.

The seven day period is sacred, as in the following examples:

• Genesis 7:4 - For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth.
  
• Exodus 7:25 - And seven days were fulfilled, after that the Lord had smitten the river.
• Exodus 29:30 - And that son that is priest in his stead shall put them on seven days, when he cometh into the tabernacle of the congregation to minister in the holy place.
  
• 1 Samuel 11:3 - And the elders of Jabesh said unto him, Give us seven days' respite, that we may send messengers unto all the coasts of Israel: and then, if there be no man to save us, we will come out to thee.
  
• 1 Samuel 13:8 - And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.
• Ezekiel 3:15 - Then I came to them of the captivity at Telabib, that dwelt by the river of Chebar, and I sat where they sat, and remained there astonished among them seven days
• Acts 20:6 - And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days.
  
• Acts 21:4 - And finding disciples, we tarried there seven days: who said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem.
  
• Acts 28:14 - Where we found brethren, and were desired to tarry with them seven days: and so we went toward Rome.

Some more references to the Sabbath:

• Exodus 16:23 - And he said unto them, This is that which the Lord hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the Lord: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.
  
• Psalms 118:24 - This is the day the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
• Matthew 12:1 - At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat.
  
• Matthew 12:8 - For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.
  
• Mark 2:27 - And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:
  
• Hebrews 4:4 - For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.

Genesis 1:29 - God provided everything

And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

In the beginning man didn't have to labor because God provided them with everything.

Genesis 1:22 - Spiritual Blessings

And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.

To be fruitful and multiple is a blessing of one's off-spring. Although God give man the power to acquire material things such as wealth and riches, most blessings are more spiritual in nature, such as :

• An Everlasting Name, Isaiah 56:4-5 - For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant; Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.
• Spiritual Knowledge, Jeremiah 24:7 - And I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.
• A New Heart, Ezekiel 11:19 - Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
• Spiritual Rest, Matthew 11:28 - Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
• Keys of the Kingdom, Matthew 16:19 - And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
• Power of Evil Spirits, Luke 10:19 - Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
• The Holy Spirit, Luke 11:13 - If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children; how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
• Living Water, John 4:14 - But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
• Bread of Heaven, John 6:51 - I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
• Eternal Life, John 10:28 - And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
• Spiritual Peace, John 14:27 - But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
• A Spiritual Crown, Revelation 2:10 - Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

Other examples of blessings affecting one's off-spring:

• Genesis 9:1 And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.
• Genesis 12:2 And I will make o thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing.
• Genesis 17:20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall be beget, and I will make him a great nation.
• Luke 1:28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

Genesis 1:11 - The Yielding Seed

And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.

God created the seed within itself to grow and multiple on its own. However, the amount a seed yields is ultimately determined by God's blessing. This concept can be applied with any type of independent entity such as a person, business or church. To be successful, all that is needed is God's blessing.

Note: This is the first draft, for the revised version see Genesis 1:11 - The Yielding Seed.