Genesis 4: "Cain vs Abel" "Cain vs God"

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Ben Abraham

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Chapter 4 of Genesis "Cain vs Abel" = "Cain vs God"



We see the birth of Kayin and Hevel (Cain and Abel) They were born with the sin nature, and we see in both boys, the direction of the world that would follow. Some would choose holiness and all that is good and others would choose the unholy and all that is evil.

There came a time when they both had to offer sacrifices (that is why I said that Adam and Eve must have taught them to do the same). Abel chose to obey and Kayin chose to disobey. Kayin offered a sacrifice, but it was not a blood sacrifice, rather it was a “grain offering” nothing wrong with a grain offering, but a blood sacrifice was needed. Therefore, it was rejected. When we see the sacrifices in Exodus, blood sacrifices are often times accompanied by "Minchot" (grain offerings). In this case, God wanted the boys to understand the meaning of "shed blood" on an innocent animal, to cover "Kippur" their sins.

Hebel however, offered the correct sacrifice, a blood sacrifice, and it was accepted. This caused anger and jealousy in Kayin and we know the story, Kayin rose up and murdered his brother Hebel. Yet YHVH Elohim still offers him an opportunity to repent and confess his sin, but Kayin does not. Then YHVH Elohim says;

“The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground” (4:10)

the Hebrew word is “damei” or “bloods” it is written in the plural. But why is this? This is eluded to the idea (which is written in the Talmud) that “he who saves the life of one person is as if he has saved a whole nation, and he who takes a life of another, is as if he has murdered a whole nation.” It is as if the souls of all the “would have been” descendants of Abel were crying out for vengeance because they would not be permitted to be born. “the voice of thy brother’s bloods cries out…” the many “bloods” cry out in “one voice” so it seems. (I know, "bloods" is bad English)

Abel is slain, his blood is sacrificed, and Kayin goes away, runs away to the land of wandering (Nod), and becomes a vagabond, just wandering, living off the fruit of trees and whatever grows of itself. Now his farming days are over, YHVH curses the land he farmed as punishment.

However, God gave Kayin a chance to repent and think over why his offering was rejected. Kayin in sinful pride paid no heed to God. He chose to reject God's voice and carried out his plot of murder. Murder out of jealousy.

We can see here again a shadow of Yom Kippur. In Yom Kippur, two goats were selected, one was sacrificed and the other was “sent away” Here, Innocent and righteous Hebel is sacrificed, and Kayin “goes away” yet this “going away” is in the negative light, he “goes away” from the presence of Adonai, while Abel goes “into the presence of Adonai”

There is a saying that goes like this; “you can mix good apples with bad apples, and the good apples will never correct the bad, rather the bad-rotten apples will corrupt the good ones. Well, that is the way the “world turned” way back then, as the years pass, the descendants of Kayin mixed with the descendants of Seth, (who was born after the death of Abel)

“And it came to be that when men began to increase on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of Elohim saw the daughters of men that they were fair, and they wives for themselves of all whom they chose. And YHVH said ‘My Ruach (Spirit) will not strive with mankind forever in his going astray. He is flesh, and his days shall be 120."

There is a great population explosion since the time of Seth. Remember that the longevity of pre-flood mankind was 800-900 years, and they had children throughout those years. can you imagine, let's just say, someone lived for 500 years. If the wife was pregnant every year, or every other year. How many children would that couple have? at least 250. and those would grow and intermarry and so forth.

"The Nephilim (in some translations, the giants) were on the earth in those days and when the sons of Elohim came into the daughters of men, they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men of old, men of name (fame)". 6:1-4

There are two schools of thought when the issue of “B’nei Elohim”(sons of God) comes up. Some believe that it refers to the godly line of Seth mixing with the ungodly line of Kayin. The other school of thought which is more probable is that the “sons of God” refer to the fallen angels that were kicked out of heaven together with HaSatan. These “b’nei Elohim” somehow and transformed themselves into flesh and blood, and the offspring of those “demon-human” relationships were the “giants”. (mutant genes)

The word “Nephilim” means “fallen ones”. It does not mean “giants” …however…those “mighty men of old” may have been those “giants” We have examples; Goliath of Gath, Og, king of Bashan. The Anakim, Zumzumim, of the land of Canaan that the Israelites saw.

There is archeological and paleontological evidence of a race of giants in the pre-diluvian world. Many fossil skeletons have been found some 20 and 30 feet tall. The Indians of the South-West USA claim that there was a race of red-haired giants who were cannibals, they could run after a herd of buffalo, catch one and bite off a leg, and eat it on the run. These giants were destroyed during the flood, however, their DNA still survived. “His days shall be 120”

What is it saying here? YHVH has decided to destroy and cleanse the earth by a universal flood, and Noah and his family were found to be the only righteous people around. Noah will receive instructions to build an ark and the wicked population will have 120 years to repent, which they did not. This was a very short time being that thousands of years ago, people lived 800 or 900 years. 120 years would be like a week in our times. Noah was a “Tzadik” a “righteous person”. He went “against the flow”. Imagine a school of fish going in one direction, and you are going in the opposite direction.

How about you? If the world is going down the tubes, headed for destruction, will you follow the world? Or will you remain with Yeshua and go HIS way? The choice is yours. The only way we can be a true “Tzadik Ben Elohim” (a righteous child of God) is through faith in Yeshua HaMashiach/ Jesus the Christ, through faith in HIM trusting in HIS one-time atonement for sin.

We can choose to follow Cain or Abel, Cain or Noah, Cain or righteous Enoch, Cain or Abraham. The world led by Satan or "The WAY" Wide is the road that leads to destruction but narrow is the road to Salvation (Yeshuah) and eternal life. Because there is only "One Way" the "Way of the Master" the Way of the Living Torah. We all have a choice. Make the right choice before it is too late. Too late is a few seconds after your heart quits beating.



Shalom,

Ben Avraham


Maybe this place is similar to the Garden of Eden.
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Webers_Home

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Gen 4:4-5 . .The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on
Cain and his offering He did not look with favor.

The thing to note is that God looked upon the men + their offerings, rather
than looking only upon their offerings. So Cain himself is where we need to
focus our attention because that's where God put the emphasis when
speaking to him person to person.

Gen 4:6-7 . .Then the Lord said to Cain . . . If you do what is right, will you
not be accepted?

The most obvious not-right conduct in Cain's life was animosity towards his
brother.

"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that
your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the
altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your
gift." (Matt 5:23-24)

In point of fact, Cain not only eventually slew Abel, but even resented his
brother's piety, viz: Cain hated Abel for the simple fact that he was a good
man.

1John 3:12 . . And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were
evil and his brother's were righteous.

You know, God has as much right to pick His own BFF as anybody else;
and people like Cain are just too incompatible; I mean; just look how rude
the man was in answering his creator's inquiry.

Gen 4:9 . . The Lord said to Cain: Where is your brother Abel? Cain
responded: I don't know, am I my brother's keeper?"

Cain's response was not only rude, but also quite dishonest.


NOTE: God cautioned Cain about living life on his own terms.

Gen 4:7b . . But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your
door;

This is the very first instance in the Bible of the word "sin". The Hebrew word
basically means an offense; as in repeat offender. In other words; not just
an occasional slip-up, but a life style.

Gen 4:7c . . it desires to have you, but you must master it.

This is the first mention of self control in the Bible. In other words: God
created humanity with the capability to choose bad ways for itself; but that's
only half the story. God also created humanity with the capability to choose
good ways for itself; so He wasn't requiring something impossible from Cain
like touching his right elbow with the thumb of his right hand.

** Christians are not exempt from self control.

"Do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do
not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but
rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death
to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of
righteousness." (Rom 6:12-13)

"If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and
do not live by the truth." (1John 1:6)
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