Is it God's will or have we all been conned?
When Cain challenges Abel with this question he is really voicing what so many people world-wide have thought and felt. The nature of God and His will has been hotly debated and is a constant source for theological enquiry. How many times do we look at suffering, pain, illness, poverty and ask is it really God's will? Have the Christians conned us into believing that there is a God? Surely the existence of suffering precludes the existence of a loving God.
What a challenge a single line from a song in a musical can present. Cain and Abel live in a world not too dissimilar to our own: a world where God is not physically present to walk and talk with us, a world where belief in God is built on faith and the knowledge and experience of previous generations. Whilst Abel follows his father in almost blind obedience, Cain questions and probes, not wanting to accept things on the say-so of his parents. What appears to be anger is really frustration and resentment at the confinement placed on him. In our previous study we looked at the question of 'going beyond' and breaking boundaries. Cain wants to test the imposed faith to find the answer to his own question.
The parallel between the wilderness and Eden is the same as that between our world and Heaven: one a harsh environment where one needs to survive and the other an idyllic realm where all is perfect. The question is why live in the wilderness if Eden is our true home? Surely this can't be the will of Father?
Schwartz and Caird provide us with great insight into the will of Father. Adam explains to young Cain that 'we were put here as a punishment'. The price of tasting the fruit of knowledge is a high one. The storytellers comment that 'one false step stays unforgiven'. Does Father forgive? Eden was a place of perfection and so once Adam and Eve disobeyed they could not return even with Father's forgiveness or Eden could no longer exist. The mere presence of 'sin' would stop Eden being Eden: perfect.
Genesis, the source material, provides a single verse which shows that, although they are expelled from Eden, God still cares. 'and God clothed them in garments of skin'. His provision continued beyond Eden. Cain has never seen Eden and is not aware of any provision that Father has made for them. All that he knows has been handed down from Adam and Eve, by the time he is in his late teens the promise of Father returning seems less and less likely.
Does Cain believe in Father? If so does he believe that Eden exisits?
Do we question the beliefs of our parents?
At what point does Cain make his decision to disobey and run off?
In Children of Eden we see that deep down Cain longs for the story of Eden to be true. When Father appears it is Cain that falls at His feet.
Is there a deep desire in each of us to believe in God?
Do we want the Bible to be true so as not to destroy our image and belief in those who have presented it to us?
The question of suffering is really a red herring in the arguments for and against God. The whole issue of Adam and Eve not returning to Eden was based on the principle that God would not compromise his own rules. In a 'fallen' world God is not going to break the laws of nature to prevent all illness and natural disaster. He does still care though, after all he sent Jesus to bring us back into relationship with Him, and to give us meaningful life in the face of the state of the world.
What aspect of God's will do you struggle with?
Do you feel conned?
What happens when you take God's perspective on those issues, remembering that he won't break His own created principles?
Why not post your answers to us below and we will feature them on the site soon.