Gen 4:5b-8

  • Welcome to Christian Forums, a Christian Forum that recognizes that all Christians are a work in progress.

    You will need to register to be able to join in fellowship with Christians all over the world.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!


†. Gen 4:5b . . Cain was much distressed and his face fell.

He was a whole lot worse than distressed. Cain was blazing mad. The word
for "distressed" is from charah (khaw-raw') and means: to glow or grow
warm; figuratively (usually) to blaze up, of anger, zeal, jealousy. Cain is
actually in a passionate rage over this and certainly in no mood for a lecture.

†. Gen 4:6 . . And The Lord said to Cain: Why are you distressed, and
why is your face fallen?

God made an honest effort to talk things over with Cain and resolve their
differences; but Cain didn't respond; he was too busy sulking in a black
pout.

†. Gen 4:7a . . If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?

Cain believed in the existence of a supreme being; that was good, and his
ritual was correct; that was good too. But Cain's piety was flawed, i.e. his
personal conduct didn't meet God's standards, viz: Cain wasn't devout, thus
his impious ways tainted the offering and made it unacceptable. (cf. 1Pet
1:18-19 where it's implied that Christ's blood is an acceptable offering
because the man's ways were acceptable.)


FAQ: How could Cain possibly know God's standards without a written code
to inform him?


A: Luke 11:49-51 says that Cain's kid brother Abel was a prophet; so Cain
at least had a verbal source, which is adequate enough. For example Gen
18:17-19 where God predicted that Abraham would pass his spiritual
knowledge on to his posterity. Seeing as there's no biblical evidence that
Abraham's knowledge was in written form, then I propose that we can safely
assume it was all in his head, i.e. verbal.

But to the point: Cain's association with God was thwarted by his conduct.
That principle is a universal axiom; it governs everybody: Christians
included; they are not exempt. When Christians do what's right, they get
along with God just fine; but when they don't do what's right, they get the
cold shoulder just the same as if they were heathens.

"This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that
God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have
fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the
truth." (1John 1:5-6)

That is an irrevocable principle, and comes out very early in the Bible
because it is so foundational to humanity's association with its creator. Well;
Abel did do right and that's why his gift is said to be offered in faith.

Cain's situation is well illustrated at Isa 1:11-20. Moses' people were offering
all the covenanted sacrifices, they were praying up a storm, and observing
all the God-given feasts and holy days. He rejected all of it, even though He
himself required it, because the people's personal conduct was unbecoming.

"The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to Yhvh." (Prv 15:8)

Perhaps the classic example is the one below.

"You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure
in burnt offerings." (Ps 51:16)

When David wrote that; he had only just committed the capital crimes of
adultery and premeditated murder. There was just no way that God was
going to accept his sacrifices and offerings on top of that; and David knew it
too.

†. Gen 4:7b . . But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at
your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.

This is the very first instance in the Bible of the word "sin". The Hebrew word
is chatta'ah (khat-taw-aw') and/or chatta'th (khat-tawth') which are
ambiguous words that technically mean an offense; as in repeat offender. In
other words; not just an occasional slip-up, but a life style; viz: a habit.


NOTE: John 1:29 implies that Christ's primary purpose for coming the first
time was to take away the world's sin, which is singular rather than plural;
strongly suggesting a reference to the very "sin" that God spoke about with
Cain right here in Genesis.

Whatever it was that God found displeasing in Cain's life at the time of the
minchah disaster was moved to the back burner at this point because
something far worse is looming on Cain's horizon; and it wasn't his kid
brother's murder; no, it's something far more fatal to one's spiritual welfare
- a perpetual unwillingness to talk things over with God and get some things
straightened out between the two of you. This is not just serious, it's
extremely serious and apparently quite common among people with Cain-ish
attitudes; for example:

"But they refused to pay attention, and turned a stubborn shoulder and
stopped their ears from hearing. And they made their hearts like flint so that
they could not hear the law and the words which the Lord of legions had
sent by His spirit through the former prophets" (Zech 7:11-12)

That attitude is one of the very reasons why some people end up in the
wrong place.

"This is the condemnation: that the light has come into the world, and men
loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For
everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest
his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light,
that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God." (John
3:19-21)

†. Gen 4:8a . . Now Cain talked with Abel his brother;

Cain probably complained to his brother that Yhvh was unfair. But the poor
man couldn't have picked a worse sounding board because Abel was a
prophet (Luke 11:50-51). In Cain's dispute with the Lord, Abel no doubt took
Yhvh's side in it. That was too much. There's no way a man like Cain was
going to take a lecture from his own kid brother. Abel's popularity with God
was bad enough, but preaching only made it worse and added insult to
injury.

No doubt Cain was very jealous of his kid brother's on-going popularity with
God. Poor Abel lost his life just because he was a pious man.

"This is the condemnation: that the light has come into the world, and men
loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For
everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest
his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light,
that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God." (John
3:19-21)

One of the boys involved in the April 20, 1999 Columbine High School
shooting incident shot and killed a girl in the cafeteria just because she
believed in God. Isn't that amazing? That boy was nothing in the world but a
twentieth century Cain with a gun.

†. Gen 4:8b . . and when they were in the field, Cain set upon his
brother Abel and killed him.

Whether or not Cain premeditated his brother's death that day is difficult to
tell. The word for "killed" is from harag (haw-rag') and just means: to smite
with deadly intent. Harag is not the same Hebrew word for murder which is
ratsach (e.g. Ex 20:13). So the attack on his kid brother, whether
premeditated or not, was definitely meant to end Abel's life rather than to
just rough him up and teach him a lesson.

How Cain planned to explain Abel's death to his parents isn't stated. He
couldn't very well blame it on a carnivorous predator since man and beast
were on friendly terms in the days prior to the Flood. It's my guess he set
up the crime scene to make it look like an accident.

Cont.
/

Blog entry information

Author
Webers_Home
Read time
6 min read
Views
959
Last update

More entries in General

More entries from Webers_Home

  • Gen 50:10-26
    †. Gen 50:10 . .When they came to Gorena ha-Atad, which is beyond the...
  • Gen 50:1-9
    †. Gen 50:1 . . Joseph threw himself upon his father's face and wept...
  • Gen 49:22-33
    †. Gen 49:22 . . Joseph is a wild burro, a wild burro by a spring--...
  • Gen 49:16-21
    †. Gen 49:16 . . Dan shall govern his people, as one of the tribes of...
  • Gen 49:8-15
    †. Gen 49:8 . .You, O Judah, your brothers shall praise; your hand...

Share this entry