Agricultural Imagery and Analogy in the Bible

God loves a good garden.  God loves farming. 

And God loves using horticultural and agricultural imagery and analogy. 

From the very beginning of the Bible (Genesis) to the final chapter of Revelation, there are gardens and agricultural imagery which God uses to teach us about Himself and about the world in which we live. 

Mankind began as caretakers of the perfect world called Eden from which we were expelled on account of sin.  Now we take care of an imperfect world by the sweat of our brow.  But someday, we will experience a new and perfect world which we sometimes call Heaven, but is really a New Heaven and a New Earth (Revelation 21:1-5). 

We’re going to be living on the New Earth after Jesus returns.  None of this floating on clouds playing harps nonsense and having to earn our wings like Clarence helping George Bailey. 

There will be productive and enjoyable work to do which makes some of us cringe at the thought of working for eternity.  But work won’t seem like work does here.  I’ve gotta believe at least some of it will be agricultural with all the blessing and joy and none of the disease and drought and risk of losing the farm.

Food for thought:

What words would you use to describe work?  What makes work hard outside of Eden? Would you welcome or despise agricultural work?