It Is Your Choice

Good morning, sorry I am a couple of days late. I pray this finds you well. Last week week looked at the relationship between Cain and Able. We saw that Cain was a farmer and Able was a herdsman. We also saw that Cain was not as concerned with his relationship with God as Able was. As a matter of fact God was disappointed with Cains offering, while He was pleased with Able's offering. Today we see just what kind of person Cain really was.



You know and I know we all lose our temper every now and then. We all get angry about something and some times we even say something we shouldn't or do something we shouldn't. Our Heavenly Father knows this as well. What is important is what we do after that happens. We can be like those who say, "I don't get mad, I get even." Or we can keep letting it eat at us until we do something worse. Or we can ask God for forgiveness and get on with our lives. It is your choice.

Oh just one more thought, the person you are mad at or blew up at is probably all ready over it or doesn't even know you are still mad at them. Why be miserable, give it to God and enjoy life.


Gen 4:8

8 Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.

CAIN COMMITS MURDER (v. 8)

Cain did not improve his offering to God, either in the attitude with which he gave it or what he gave as an offering. Though God spoke to him from heaven he did not listen. Instead he talked with Abel his brother. We do not know what they talked about, just that they talked. The Septuagint supplies the words, "Let us go into the field."

What ever was said something had transpired that did not just irritate, but made Cain so mad he was ready to kill Able. When they were in the field, and therefore out of view, Cain, under the impulse of fiery passion, to a deed of violence, he could scarcely have been ignorant of the effects that might follow. Yet Cain rose up against his brother and killed him.

The deed was done that could not be undone. The motives that led up to the murder were various. It seems selfishness, wounded pride, jealousy, and a guilty conscience were all at work. Here, is seen sin following sin, proving the truth of the warning given in the merciful forbearance of God.

Gen 4:9-12

9 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" He said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?" 10 And He said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground. 11 So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. 12 When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth."

GOD’S JUDGEMENT (vv. 9-12)

Defiance grows with sin, and punishment keeps pace with guilt. Adam and Eve fear before God, and acknowledge their sin; Cain boldly denies it, and in reply to the question, "Where is Abel thy brother?" declares, "I know not, am I my brother's keeper?" God therefore charges him with his crime: - (from Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament: New Updated Edition, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1996 by Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.)

We have here a full account of the trial and condemnation of the first murderer. Civil courts of judicature had not been set up for this purpose yet, as they were afterwards (Gen 9:6), God Himself sat as Judge; Why? Because He is the God to whom vengeance belongs, and who will be sure to make inquisition for blood, especially the blood of saints.

Abel was missing, his place empty where it did not use to be empty. The God of heaven takes notice of all His creation. Cain was asked, not only because there is just cause to suspect him, he having malice against Abel and having been the last one with him. God also asked Cain the question because God knew Cain was guilty. Just as God had asked Cain's parents a question He already knew the answer to; he asked him, “where is Able, your brother?” He did this so that Cain would have a chance to confess his crime. To be justified before God you must first confess your sin, and then repent.

Cain's plea? Innocent: he pleaded not guilty, and added rebellion to his sin. He attempt to cover a deliberate murder with a deliberate lie: “I don’t know,” he knew well enough what had become of Abel, and yet had the impertinence to deny it.

God did not answer his question, but rejected his plea as false and frivolous: "What hast thou done?” “You make light of it; but have you considered what an evil thing you have done, how deep the stain, how heavy the burden, of this guilt is? You really think you can conceal it? The evidence against you is clear and incontestable: The voice of your brother's blood cries." God speaks as if Able's blood itself were both witness and prosecutor, because God's own knowledge testified against Cain and God's own justice demanded satisfaction.

The sentence passed upon Cain: And now art thou cursed from the earth, v. 11. Cain was cursed, separated to all evil, laid under the wrath of God. It is the same today, all the unrepentant ungodliness and the unrighteousness of men brings the wrath of God in the form of eternal separation. Cain's rebellion fell immediately upon himself: You are cursed.

He is cursed from the earth. The cry came up to God, and the curse came up to Cain. God could have taken vengeance by an immediate stroke from heaven, by the sword of an angel, or by a thunderbolt. Instead God chose to make the earth the avenger of blood, to let Cain live out his days on the earth, and not immediately to kill him. He would have to live with the memory of his actions and the consequences of those actions.

He had been a farmer, now the earth would no longer produce for him and he was not allowed to settle down and begin to build a life for himself and his family. Building a settlement on the earth was here denied him: To unending disgrace and reproach among men, to the unending anxiety and horror in his own mind. His own guilty conscience would haunt him wherever he went, all the rest of his days.

Cain either in premeditated malice or in a fit of passion killed his brother Able. And he would have to live with the consequences of that. But had he with a truly repentant heart asked for God's forgiveness he would not have had to live with the eternal separation from God. Cain was not however willing to admit his wrong doing, let alone repent of it and that is why he was cast out to wander the rest of his days, never permitted to establish a permanent home or settlement. To bring this closer to home, we are all sinners when judged by God's standards. We all deserve to be cast out, to be eternally separated from God. Romans 3:23: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, However if you come to the Father with a truly repentant heart He will forgive you; Romans 6:23: 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Yes you still have to deal with the earthly consequences of your sin, but the eternal consequences will be settled in your favor.