Yes, humans must work and eat because of the curse that fell on creation after Adam's disobedience.
In Genesis, God told Adam that because he listened to his wife and ate the forbidden fruit, the ground was cursed. From then on, food would only come through painful labor, with thorns and thistles, until death. This curse affected all creation, not just humanity, and will remain until it is lifted.
Genesis 3:17-19 — This is the direct passage where God pronounces the curse on the ground and tells Adam he will eat bread by the sweat of his face.
After Adam sinned, God said, "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." This shows that work and eating are tied together as part of the curse. The ground no longer yields food easily; it now produces thorns and thistles, and people must labor painfully to get food. This continues until death, when they return to the dust.
Les Feldick teaches that the curse fell on all creation when Adam sinned, not just on the ground or Adam. He explains that before the curse, there were no thorns, briars, or predatory animals, and everything was perfect. The curse brought about the current ecology where animals hunt and kill each other, and where humans must work hard to survive. Les emphasizes that this is not the way God originally intended; it is a result of the curse. He also points out that all creation is groaning and looking forward to the day when the curse will be lifted, as described in Romans 8 and Isaiah 11.
Les Feldick teaches that before the curse, God's creation was perfect and without the problems we see today. He indicates that the current ecology—where animals feed on each other and creatures live in constant fear—did not exist originally. The curse changed everything, causing animals to become predatory and the ground to be less productive. This is why we have thorns, thistles, and the struggle for survival.
Les Feldick explains that part of the curse is that humans must eat bread by the sweat of their face. This means they have to labor for their food. The curse made food production difficult, so work became necessary for survival. This connection between work and eating is a direct result of the curse and will continue until the curse is lifted.
According to Les Feldick, when the curse is lifted in the future kingdom, the original conditions will be restored. He points to Isaiah 11, where carnivorous animals will eat grass like cattle, indicating a return to a peaceful state. However, his teaching focuses on the animal kingdom and creation's restoration; he does not specifically address whether humans will still need to work or eat in that future state. The Bible mentions that the curse will be lifted, but clear details about human labor and diet in the new creation are not provided in the given clips.
Understanding the Curse & God’s Promise of a Redeemer
A windstorm will knock off some shingles, a hailstorm may break some windows. Something is always going to make that thing deteriorate. Now the scientific word, of course, is entropy. Everything is constantly moving into a less usable state. You take a tree. It may have taken a hundred years for nature to grow that tree.
Ecology Changed by the Curse
Les explains that the present-day ecology, where animals eat each other, is a result of the curse, not God's original creation.
Creation Groans Until the Curse is Lifted
Les points to Romans 8, saying that all creation is aware it was subjected to the curse and is waiting for the day it will be lifted.
The Curse Fell on All Creation
Les teaches that the moment Adam sinned, the curse fell on everything—inanimate and animate—affecting all of nature, including deserts and animal behavior.
Animals Under Constant Stress
Les uses the example of a cottontail rabbit to show how animals live in constant fear and struggle for survival because of the curse.
The Curse Pronounced on Adam
Les explains that because Adam listened to his wife and ate the forbidden fruit, God cursed the ground and said Adam would eat bread by the sweat of his face until he returns to the ground.
Creation Groans and Travails
Les reiterates that all of creation is in constant duress, searching for food and avoiding being food, which is not how God originally intended it.
The Kingdom Reverses the Curse
Les explains that the future kingdom will be a reversion to the pre-curse economy, where even carnivores will eat grass like cattle.
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;
This verse directly connects Adam's disobedience to the curse on the ground, making work and eating sorrowful.
Genesis 3:18: Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
This shows the ground now produces weeds and thorns, making food production difficult.
Genesis 3:19: 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.
This explicitly states that humans must labor for food until they die and return to dust.
Romans 8:20: For the creation was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
This confirms that all creation was subjected to the curse and is waiting for deliverance.
Romans 8:22: For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
This shows that all creation is in pain under the curse, including the struggle for food.
Isaiah 11:6: The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
This depicts the peace that will come when the curse is lifted, contrasting with the current predatory nature.
Because God cursed the ground after Adam sinned, causing food to come only through painful labor and sweat. This is part of the curse that affects all creation until it is lifted.
Yes, according to Les Feldick, the curse fell on all creation, including animals. They now live in fear and struggle for survival, but this will end when the curse is lifted.
The Bible does not clearly state whether humans will eat in the future kingdom, but it does say the curse will be lifted and creation will be restored to a peaceful state.
Watch the Teaching: Understanding the Curse & God’s Promise of a Redeemer