Toil entered human experience as a direct consequence of Adam's sin. God cursed the ground, declaring that Adam would eat from it in toil all the days of his life, contending with thorns, thistles, and the herb of the field. In the sweat of his face he would eat bread until returning to the dust from which he was taken. What had been harmonious labor in the garden became a constant battle requiring every measure of physical and mental strength merely to survive and provide food. All days are now filled with labor, worry, and pressure that wear down the body and mind until death returns man to the ground. Solomon observed that this toil yields sorrowful days, burdensome work, and no rest even at night. Under the sun, every labor and striving of the heart produces nothing of lasting value and remains vanity. Yet the same toil, when joined to a relationship with God, supplies daily opportunity for growth in character. The burdensome task becomes a God-given means by which man learns to rejoice, do good, and receive the good of his labor as a gift from the Creator who alone knows the work from beginning to end. God therefore supplies rest that toil cannot provide. He promises His presence with His people and gives them rest, both in the weekly Sabbath and in the daily practice of coming to Christ, taking His yoke, and learning His gentle, lowly heart. Through obedience to the Sabbath command and continual trust in God, the heavy yoke of toil is exchanged for one that is easy and light. This rest anticipates the ultimate deliverance of creation from bondage and the entrance of the faithful into the eternal rest prepared for those who obey.