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.