The Origin of Commerce

by Patrice Tsague, NPIM

"Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground" Genesis 4:17b - 19a.

Adam not sinned, everything we need to provide for our natural needs would be free. There would be no need for currency, banks, or even businesses as we know them today. According to Genesis 2:15 -17, when God created man, He placed him in the Garden of Eden to care for it and instructed him to eat from any tree in the garden that he desired, except for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The consequence of disobedience would be death.

15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die" Genesis 2:15-17.

What did this really mean? Most of us do not really understand what we had before we lost it all. During this time, man was in perfect communion with God. He had to work, but not as a condition to provide for himself but rather as an act of obedience to His creator. I would image that work brought man fulfillment and a sense of joy without any burden. Man's provision was unconditionally free of charge. Whether he worked or not, he would be able to have all of His needs met by his loving Creator. What an opportunity! No 9-5, no bills, no creditors, no need to worry about asking for leave from your employer. This truly was heaven on earth. I am not sure how long this lasted, but we soon learn that Eve - with Adam standing right beside her - is tempted by the devil to eat the forbidden fruit which she gives to Adam and he commits high treason. He violates the very instructions of the Creator; he eats of the fruit without asking any questions. When I get to heaven after meeting Jesus, the next people I want to meet are Adam and Eve. I will have a few earthly words for them. How could they so selfishly consider only themselves, their temporary pleasure, and their temporary satisfaction at the expenses of so many peoples' destinies?

The consequence of this act was not only a break in fellowship with their Creator, but the introduction of commerce into God's economy.

To Adam He said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,' "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return." Genesis 3:17-19

With commerce also came the transformation of the ground from a blessed ground that cooperates with man and yields perfect crops, to a cursed ground which yields thorns and thistles and requires a lot of effort before it produces.

Commerce is the trade of something of economic value such as goods, services, information, or money between two or more entities. Commerce is necessary when work becomes mandatory as a condition for provision. Prior to sin, work was not mandatory as a condition for provision therefore there was no need for commerce. After sin, not only does work become necessary as a condition for provision, but the ground now requires effort to yield good crops. All this is what made the Apostle Paul declare in 2 Thessalonians 3:10 that, "If a man will not work, he shall not eat." This means that eating without working is a violation of God's Word.

Though commerce is a consequence of sin, it has redemptive qualities; you know that a loving God would not require us to do something without an ultimate positive value for us. Once man sinned, he could no longer appreciate God's creation. Work creates an internal sense of appreciation for the creation of God. Without it, there would be waste and greater abuse of God's resources because man lost automatic appreciation because of sin. Though the curse of the ground brought labor pains and burdens, the coming of Jesus Christ brought us rest and fulfillment.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:28 - 29