Indignat Of A Great Gift

Have you ever complained about something? That's a silly question isn't it, I think it is safe to say all of us have complained about something at on time or another. Have you ever complained when someone did you a favor or something nice for you? How about when they gave you something more than you deserved. That is exactly what Cain did. Welcome to this week's study in Genesis.

Genesis 4:13-15

13 And Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is greater than I can bear! 14 Surely You have driven me out this day from the face of the ground; I shall be hidden from Your face; I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth, and it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill me." 15 And the LORD said to him, "Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold." And the LORD set a mark on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him.

Cain complains

Cain offered up an inferior offering, and then he got mad and killed Able. God of course knew what Cain did and He gave him a chance to repent. Cain did not repent and so God passed sentence on Him. Cain was going to be allowed to live, just not in the way he had been use to. God spared Cain's life and what did he do? Cain complained about the sentence passed on him, as hard and severe.

Now some say that Cain spoke in the language of despair. They read it as, “My iniquity is greater than can be forgiven”; and so what Cain says is an accusation and insult to the mercy of God. There is forgiveness with the God of pardons for the greatest sins and sinners. However those who refuse to repent can not be forgiven. With Cain this is so, he showed no remorse for his sin, but does just the opposite by blaming God.

Cain it seems spoke the language of indignation: “My punishment is greater than I can bear”; and so what he says is a criticism and insult to the justice of God, and a complaint, not of the greatness of his sin, but of the limits of his punishment. It is as if Cain thought this were disproportionable to his sin. Instead of justifying God in the sentence, he condemns Him, not accepting the punishment of his iniquity, but quarreling with it. He thinks he has been rigorously dealt with when really he is favorably treated.

Cain descants upon the sentence.

Cain saw himself excluded from the favor of his God, and concludes that, being cursed, he was hidden from God's face. In reality Cain had already turned his back on God. That is indeed the true nature of God's curse; the unrepentant sinners will find it so, when it is said to them, “Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.” (Luke 13:27).

Cain saw himself expelled from all the comforts of his life, and concluded that, being a fugitive, he was, in effect, driven out that day from the face of the earth. He saw himself exposed by the curse to the hatred and ill will of all mankind: “It shall come to pass that every one that finds me shall slay me.” Wherever he wandered, he went in peril of his life, at least so he thought. There were not any alive but his near relations; yet he was even afraid of them because he been so brutal to his brother.

Cain Is Given Protection By God (v. 15)

But God, in His mercy, assured Cain of his continuing presence and unending protection. He set a sign on him-evidently a mark or designation to indicate that Cain belonged to the Lord God and must be spared bodily harm. There is no evidence that the 'mark of Cain' was a sign to announce to the world that he was a murderer. It was, rather, a special mark of loving care and protection. Cain would continue always in the safekeeping of the covenant God. Though a murderer, he was the recipient of God's favor. God declared “Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold." God having said basically in Cain's case, “Vengeance is mine, and I will repay whoever harms him,” it would have been a daring trespass for any man to take the sword out of God's hand, and contempt put upon an express declaration of God. Note, God has wise and holy ends in protecting and prolonging the lives even of very wicked men.

How he is marked in wrath: What this mark was, has given rise to a number of frivolously curious conjecture. Some say he was paralytic, this seems to have arisen from the version of the Septuagint, “Groaning and trembling shalt thou be.” Another of the speculations say,” A sword could not pierce him; fire could not burn him; water could not drown him; the air could not blast him; nor could thunder or lightning strike him."

The author of Bereshith Rabba, a comment on Genesis, says the mark was a circle of the sun rising upon him. Abravanel says the sign was Abel's dog, which constantly accompanied him. Some of the doctors in the Talmud say that it was the last Hebrew letter "taw" marked on his forehead, which signified his contrition, as it is the first letter in the word t¦shuwbaah (OT:8666), repentance. Rabbi Joseph, wiser than all the rest, says it was a long horn growing out of his forehead!

What ever it was the Lord set a mark upon Cain, to distinguish him from the rest of mankind and to notify them that he was the man that murdered his brother, nobody must hurt him, but they could ostracize him. God stigmatized him, and put on him a visible and indelible mark of infamy and disgrace that would make all wise people shun him, so that he could not be anything more than a fugitive and a vagabond.