Give God the Credit

I recently read Genesis 26 and was immediately struck by one small detail in verse 22. In this chapter, Isaac is in the Valley of Gerar digging wells with his servants. He digs one well but other herdsmen living there argue with him, claiming that the water belongs to them. So Isaac moved elsewhere and dug another well. They argued over that well, too. Isaac moved again and dug yet another well. This well was not contested. So Isaac called the well “Rehoboth, because he said, ‘For now the Lord has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land’” (Genesis 26:22). Isaac’s naming of this well is significant because it shows where his heart is. He gave God the credit for the provision of the well. He could’ve easily given himself the credit for finding the right location for the well and for the work he put into digging the well. He didn’t, though. He knew from where this blessing came and he appropriately gave God the credit.

The reason this one verse struck me is because I had just read the story of Cain. After having been cursed for killing his brother Abel, Cain married, had a son, and built a city. He named the city after his son Enoch (Genesis 4:17). The fact that he named the city that he built after his son shows where his focus was. It was on himself, not on God. He, unlike Isaac, gave no credit to God for the city he built. It isn’t difficult to see why given his history.

Earlier in Genesis 4 we see the story of Cain and Abel. When Cain brought his offering before the Lord, it was rejected. Pastor Robert Morris of Gateway Church explained that the reason God did not respect Cain and his offering, was because Cain did not bring of his firstfruits. Genesis 4:3-5 states, “And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering.” Pastor Morris explained that it is crucial to see the difference between when Cain and Abel brought their offerings. “In the process of time” Cain brought an offering but Abel “brought of the firstborn.” In other words, after some time had passed, Cain brought an offering and it was not a firstfruit offering. The reason we bring our first is because we are saying that our dependence is on the Lord and we recognize that the only reason we have anything at all to bring to God is because of what He has given us. If Cain could not bring his firstfruits to God, this means that he did not see his need for God nor did he acknowledge his blessings as coming from God. It is little wonder that later on when he built a city he was unable to see how it was God who endowed him with the skills and thought processes that enabled him to plan for a city and that it was God who created all of the materials necessary to construct a city.

As humans, it is easy to think like Cain thought. It is easy to work really hard at something and believe that it is our own efforts that bring us success. I’m not saying that our hard work is meaningless. It isn’t. In fact, it is necessary to do the work. Cain had to work the field. Abel had to tend to his flock. Isaac had to build the wells. However, we should always give credit to God because He is our provision. God has endowed us with the skills and abilities that allow us to do the work that we currently do. It is because of Him that we have the blessings that we have. Let us make sure we give Him the credit.