Enterprise Without God is Delusional

Dear Diary,

#Progress_Without_God_is_Delusive
#The_Cainites_Folly

Am working on our Sunday school curriculum and I decided to start it all in Genesis. You know, God created everything morally good but our first parents decided to screw it up. At first glance, the taking of the forbidden fruit seemed like a trivial matter, a mere misdemeanour. The serpent had boldly asserted that no harmful effects would be experienced, only a God-like awareness. But from Genesis chapter we quickly see that Satan’s promises were blatant lies. Adam and Eve fell and passed on the DNA of sin to their descendants.

Fast-forward, Genesis 4, Adam and Eve in obedience to God’s command to multiply and fill the earth, make love and voila! Behold two children, Cain a farmer and Abel a shepherd. In the course of time, the two boys bring sacrifices to God. Abel, by faith, brought a more excellent sacrifice that won God’s affection, but Cain’s agricultural produce is rejected. Overwhelmed with envy and anger, Cain plots to fatally eliminate his apparent competitor, in spite of God’s gracious confrontation and warning to master the sin that was crouching at the door of his heart. The unrepentant, rude boy was sentenced to more severe punishments-unproductive toil and restless wandering. However, God still assured Cain of His gracious protection, v.12-14.

Maximum speed, Cain left God’s presence and build himself a city. Why a sentenced restless wanderer would build himself a city in spite of God’s assurance of protection intrigues me, v.15. Did Cain build himself a city to thumb his nose at God? Cain attempted to build himself a settlement perhaps to distract his troubled mind and unproductive toil, v.16.

You see, Cain went out from the presence of God and dwelt at Nod. In fact, he got married, built a city to make a lasting name for himself and his descendants invented many enterprises and founded cultures, v.20-22. But, was God at the centre of Cainites inventions and enterprises? Well, I don’t think so. Why? Looking at the progression of events in v. 23-24, God is not at the centre of it all. Cain was sentenced to a life of wandering and unproductive toil and now he defied God by attempting to make a lasting name for himself without God’s presence-Enoch, v.17. His grandson, Lamech defied God’s plan for a monogamous family and married two wives, v.19. See how Cain’s pride reached an avalanche in Lamech, even by exalting himself above God, v.23-24. Polygamy and sensuality was drastic departure from God’s plan; violence and selfish ends, you see, Lamech boasts of murder. Indeed, progress without God makes people proud, arrogant, selfish, immoral and brazen murderers, v. 23-24.

We live in a world of dizzying hi-tech inventions and advancement. In our age, developments which are made to benefit man have become twisted to promote destruction; creative art e.g., music are perverted into wicked expressions and degradation of people made in the image of God. Inventions and enterprises without God have become daunting nightmares. Whatever is done apart from God’s presence is only delusive. If God is not at the centre of our enterprises and progress it is in futility.

Progress with God requires that we have faith in Him; it requires that we take Him at His word; it requires that we acknowledge our frailty instead of boasting of our wisdom and strength; it requires total dependency on God.

Faithful Scribbler,
NzakuNashipae