Diaspora: People on the Move, God at WorkSample

Lesson 3 - People on the Move Because of Sin

As you move along in the Genesis narrative, you continue to see people on the move because of sin. Along the way, you see beautiful glimpses of God’s grace. Let’s look at three examples.

Cain - Adam and Eve had two sons named Cain and Abel. They both brought an offering to the Lord, but the Lord rejected Cain’s offering. Cain became angry and killed Abel. As a punishment, God declared that Cain would work the ground and have no crops to show for it, and he would be dispersed and wander over all the earth.

Because of his sin, he receives punishment and is set out into the diaspora. However, God again is gracious and gives Cain a mark so that no one who finds him will kill him. So Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden. (Gen 4:1-16)

Noah - During the time of Noah, the earth was corrupt and full of violence. God decided to bring judgment because of the sins of the people. By God’s grace, Noah walked faithfully with God and was found to be an agent of grace to save humanity. God directs Noah to build a boat and fill it with two of every kind of bird, every kind of animal, and every kind of creature. God brings the great flood.

As the boat settles, Noah, his family, and all the animals land on dry land. God reestablishes the mandate to be fruitful and increase in number, to multiply on the earth and increase upon it just as He had directed Adam and Eve. Noah’s descendants dispersed into the world and filled the earth with God’s image.

Tower of Babel - Noah’s descendants didn’t wholly follow the mandate of God to multiply across all the earth. They only went as far as the plains of Shinar. There, they built for themselves a city and a tower to reach heaven. They wanted to make a name for themselves rather than making the glory of God known across the world.

God confused their languages, so they could no longer understand each other. They were dispersed over the face of the whole world according to their language groups. Once again, God’s image bearers were moving to reflect God’s glory in all the world.

God consistently moves people and works to make His name great worldwide and among all nations. Did you know God brought over 1,000,000 Gujarati Hindus to North America? Take a few minutes and pray for them, trusting that God is moving them so they may seek Him and find him.

The final questions for us to consider today are: Why, Who, and What?

• Why did Cain kill Abel?
• Who did God disperse at the Tower of Babel?
• What did God do to those who didn’t obey?