†. Gen 4:13 . . Cain said to the Lord: My punishment is too great to
bear!
His punishment was actually very lenient. It's true that Cain would struggle
to survive; but at least he was allowed to live. His kid brother was dead.
How is that fair?
FAQ : How did Cain get off with only a slap on the wrist? Why wasn't he
executed for murder since God himself mandates capital punishment for
murderers as per Gen 9:5-6, Ex 21:12-14, Lev 24:17, Lev 24:21, and Num
35:31-34? Does God practice a double standard?
Answer : Murder is intrinsically evil, yes; however; according to Deut 5:2-4,
Rom 4:15, Rom 5:13, and Gal 3:17, laws of God enacted ex post facto are
too late, i.e. they're not retroactive.
This wasn't an oversight on God's part. The incident with Cain served to
introduce very early in the Bible one of Christianity's foundational principles,
which is: "Where there is no law, there is no transgression." and "Sin is not
imputed when there is no law."
†. Gen 4:14a . . Since You have banished me this day from the soil,
and I must avoid Your presence and become a restless wanderer on
earth--
Cain wasn't actually banished from the soil-- he could still farm if he wanted to;
only he wouldn't be very successful at it. And who said he must avoid God's
presence? Somebody can be a ceaseless wanderer without losing touch with
God; I mean, after all: He's everywhere at once.
Avoidance was Cain's decision, just as it was Judas' decision to abandon Jesus.
Both men could've turned it around if they wanted; but didn't. Cain walked out on
God of his own volition. Now he would face life very insecure.
†. Gen 4:14b . . anyone who meets me may kill me!
I'm curious as to who Cain feared might slay him. The Adams family were
the only people on earth at that time.
†. Gen 4:15a . .The Lord said to him: I promise, if anyone kills Cain,
sevenfold vengeance shall be taken on him.
Humanistic senses of right and wrong demand that Cain pay for murdering
his kid brother. But up to that point in God's association with humanity, He
had not yet announced any edicts related to criminal justice. So then, were
somebody to go after Cain and execute him for the crime of murder, they
would be nothing less than a lynch mob taking the law into their own hands;
which is clearly a very serious thing to do.
†. Gen 4:15b . . And the Lord put a mark on Cain, lest anyone who
met him should kill him.
The nature of Cain's mark is totally unknown. However, the mark wasn't so
people would hoot at Cain wherever he went. It was a "No Hunting" sign so
future generations of the Adams' family would know Cain was a protected
species; so to speak.
God allows ignorance as an excuse; to a point. However, information creates
responsibility. When a person knows an act is wrong, and goes ahead and
does it anyway, they are in much deeper trouble than one who did not know
that a particular act was wrong.
No one had been forbidden to kill Abel, nor forbidden to kill any other man
for that matter. But soon it would become widespread public knowledge that
God strictly forbade killing Cain. Therefore, anyone who ignored God would
pay dearly for knowingly, and willfully, ignoring His wishes; just as Adam
died for tasting the forbidden fruit because the tasting was willful, and done
in full understanding of both the ban and the consequence. (cf. Num 15:30
31, Matt 11:20-24, Luke 12:47-48, Heb 10:26-27)
†. Gen 4:16a . . Cain left the presence of the Lord
Cain's departure from the presence of the Lord wasn't a forced eviction as
had been the Adams' departure from the garden. And even though the
Adams were driven from the garden, they weren't driven from God. The
family kept that connection and brought up their boys to keep it too.
Cain's self-imposed exile has the aura of a dreadful finality. He renounced
God, and his native religion, and was content to forego its privileges so that
he might not be under its control. He forsook not only his kin but also their
worship, and cast off all pretenses to the fear of God— apparently putting
out of his mind God's statement: "If you do what is right, will you not be
accepted?"
Gen 4:16a is a terrible epitaph upon the tombstone of Cain's life, and you
can almost feel the concussion of a dreadful thud as the mighty doors of
perdition close solidly behind him; sealing his passage into permanent
darkness.
Why didn't God plead with Cain to stay in touch? Well, that would be like
throwing good money after bad. God had already tried that approach at Gen
4:7.
Of all the things that Cain had done up to this point, walking out on God was
his worst mistake. Yes, he would have to scrounge for food; but that was a
mere slap on the wrist compared to loss of contact with his maker. People
need to think that over. No matter how harsh your circumstances are, and
no matter what life has thrown in your face, loss of contact with your maker
is much worse. It is wise to stay in touch with God even if your life is a train
wreck and God seems oblivious to your circumstances.
†. 1Cor 7:24 . . Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide
with God.
When the Adams fell, God drove them out of the garden; but not out of
contact. When Cain fell, he wasn't driven out of contact either. He took the
initiative to break contact of his own volition. Though doomed to the life of a
nomad, he should have made the best of it and tried to maintain some sort
of connection with his maker.
†. Ps 103:8-14 . .The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger,
abounding in steadfast love. He will not contend forever, or nurse His anger
for all time . . As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has
compassion for those who fear Him. For He knows how we are formed; He is
mindful that we are dust.
That Psalm's encouragement is restricted to "those who fear Him". The Cains
of this world are of course eo ipso excluded.
Cont.
/
bear!
His punishment was actually very lenient. It's true that Cain would struggle
to survive; but at least he was allowed to live. His kid brother was dead.
How is that fair?
FAQ : How did Cain get off with only a slap on the wrist? Why wasn't he
executed for murder since God himself mandates capital punishment for
murderers as per Gen 9:5-6, Ex 21:12-14, Lev 24:17, Lev 24:21, and Num
35:31-34? Does God practice a double standard?
Answer : Murder is intrinsically evil, yes; however; according to Deut 5:2-4,
Rom 4:15, Rom 5:13, and Gal 3:17, laws of God enacted ex post facto are
too late, i.e. they're not retroactive.
This wasn't an oversight on God's part. The incident with Cain served to
introduce very early in the Bible one of Christianity's foundational principles,
which is: "Where there is no law, there is no transgression." and "Sin is not
imputed when there is no law."
†. Gen 4:14a . . Since You have banished me this day from the soil,
and I must avoid Your presence and become a restless wanderer on
earth--
Cain wasn't actually banished from the soil-- he could still farm if he wanted to;
only he wouldn't be very successful at it. And who said he must avoid God's
presence? Somebody can be a ceaseless wanderer without losing touch with
God; I mean, after all: He's everywhere at once.
Avoidance was Cain's decision, just as it was Judas' decision to abandon Jesus.
Both men could've turned it around if they wanted; but didn't. Cain walked out on
God of his own volition. Now he would face life very insecure.
†. Gen 4:14b . . anyone who meets me may kill me!
I'm curious as to who Cain feared might slay him. The Adams family were
the only people on earth at that time.
†. Gen 4:15a . .The Lord said to him: I promise, if anyone kills Cain,
sevenfold vengeance shall be taken on him.
Humanistic senses of right and wrong demand that Cain pay for murdering
his kid brother. But up to that point in God's association with humanity, He
had not yet announced any edicts related to criminal justice. So then, were
somebody to go after Cain and execute him for the crime of murder, they
would be nothing less than a lynch mob taking the law into their own hands;
which is clearly a very serious thing to do.
†. Gen 4:15b . . And the Lord put a mark on Cain, lest anyone who
met him should kill him.
The nature of Cain's mark is totally unknown. However, the mark wasn't so
people would hoot at Cain wherever he went. It was a "No Hunting" sign so
future generations of the Adams' family would know Cain was a protected
species; so to speak.
God allows ignorance as an excuse; to a point. However, information creates
responsibility. When a person knows an act is wrong, and goes ahead and
does it anyway, they are in much deeper trouble than one who did not know
that a particular act was wrong.
No one had been forbidden to kill Abel, nor forbidden to kill any other man
for that matter. But soon it would become widespread public knowledge that
God strictly forbade killing Cain. Therefore, anyone who ignored God would
pay dearly for knowingly, and willfully, ignoring His wishes; just as Adam
died for tasting the forbidden fruit because the tasting was willful, and done
in full understanding of both the ban and the consequence. (cf. Num 15:30
31, Matt 11:20-24, Luke 12:47-48, Heb 10:26-27)
†. Gen 4:16a . . Cain left the presence of the Lord
Cain's departure from the presence of the Lord wasn't a forced eviction as
had been the Adams' departure from the garden. And even though the
Adams were driven from the garden, they weren't driven from God. The
family kept that connection and brought up their boys to keep it too.
Cain's self-imposed exile has the aura of a dreadful finality. He renounced
God, and his native religion, and was content to forego its privileges so that
he might not be under its control. He forsook not only his kin but also their
worship, and cast off all pretenses to the fear of God— apparently putting
out of his mind God's statement: "If you do what is right, will you not be
accepted?"
Gen 4:16a is a terrible epitaph upon the tombstone of Cain's life, and you
can almost feel the concussion of a dreadful thud as the mighty doors of
perdition close solidly behind him; sealing his passage into permanent
darkness.
Why didn't God plead with Cain to stay in touch? Well, that would be like
throwing good money after bad. God had already tried that approach at Gen
4:7.
Of all the things that Cain had done up to this point, walking out on God was
his worst mistake. Yes, he would have to scrounge for food; but that was a
mere slap on the wrist compared to loss of contact with his maker. People
need to think that over. No matter how harsh your circumstances are, and
no matter what life has thrown in your face, loss of contact with your maker
is much worse. It is wise to stay in touch with God even if your life is a train
wreck and God seems oblivious to your circumstances.
†. 1Cor 7:24 . . Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide
with God.
When the Adams fell, God drove them out of the garden; but not out of
contact. When Cain fell, he wasn't driven out of contact either. He took the
initiative to break contact of his own volition. Though doomed to the life of a
nomad, he should have made the best of it and tried to maintain some sort
of connection with his maker.
†. Ps 103:8-14 . .The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger,
abounding in steadfast love. He will not contend forever, or nurse His anger
for all time . . As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has
compassion for those who fear Him. For He knows how we are formed; He is
mindful that we are dust.
That Psalm's encouragement is restricted to "those who fear Him". The Cains
of this world are of course eo ipso excluded.
Cont.
/
