Hi
,
At the time of the curse, the Bible states that God caused the earth to produce thorns and thistles (Genesis 3:8). Indeed, it has! As children, we could hardly climb trees or walk through the bush country in South Africa without seeing thorns on most vegetation.
Thorns, though, are on the outside of plants. I find it interesting that no mention is made in Genesis about the inside of many plants, and the fact that the liquids contained in some of them are very poisonous. Thorns can cut and scratch, and in some cases cause nasty irritations due to chemicals on them. But the inside parts can kill you very quickly if ingested.
It couldn't have originally been that way because God told Adam that he could eat from any tree in the garden. Vegetation was food not only for man, but also for animals. So, poisonous saps must have been part of the curse, too.
Therefore, I find it interesting that a plant might be deceiving on the outside. A tree or bush might have nasty thorns, but might be quite safe to eat. On the other hand, a plant might have beautiful flowers and no thorns, but be deadly if ingested. We can't judge a plant from the outside.
It's the same with people. I Samuel 16:7 records that man looks on the outside, but God looks on the heart. The outside can be deceiving. It's what's in a man's heart that's important. My personal prayer is to not only be pleasant on the outside, but genuine on the inside as well!
