Well, after a long period to adjust to the curve ball life just threw at me, I have returned.
We ended our discussion last time with Adam and Eve being driven from the garden that lay in Eden and a cherubim and a flaming sword keeping the way to the Tree of Life.
And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. Here we have the first recorded live birth. Adam and Eve were parents and it is of note that Eve knew who had blessed her with a son. Having sinned, she still knew God and His bounty.
And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. I find it also interesting that Cain was a man from the Lord and here Abel is a breath (definition of Abel). Does this mean, as many commentators suggest, that she believed him to be the fulfillment of the promise in chapter 3 verse 15? I can only read that she attributed him to have been given by the Lord. Another special note to make here is that from the beginning we have farmers and shepherds.
And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. Cain knew to whom he owed his livelihood and he brought a tribute.
And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: Abel also knew to whom he owed his livelihood and also brought a tribute to the Lord. There was a significant difference between Cain's tribute and Abel's tribute. It was significant to the point that one God accepted or respected and the other He did not. Can you see the difference?
But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. Cain knew also that God did not accept his tribute which made him very angry and it showed.
And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? God knew the heart of Cain.
If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. God explains to Cain that if Cain makes God happy (yatab translated 'doest well') he would be accepted. Universal truth being stated here. God accepts those who make Him happy or does that which is right. Second truth: If you don't do right, offence only waits to enter and desires you, but you rule over sin.
Lessons From This Text
1.) Our children come from the Lord. We must always remember who is the beginning of life and the bestower of our blessings.
2.) Our tribute or offering to God should aways be our finest and our first. Abel brought the firstfruits of his flock. Cain simply brought of his field. The difference? Abel's firstfruits were accepted because He gave to God the first of his herd who gave it to him. Abel recognized this truth, Cain did not, thinking that any old fruit would do.
3.) If we do that which pleases God, we shall be accepted by God. If we do not, God will not accept us or respect our offering.
4.) If we do not that which pleases God, sin waits at the entrance. when we open the door, it will enter and consume us. Yet we have the dominion over sin. We can keep the door shut or indeed throw sin out.
Christian
Why Does It Matter?
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He remembers what the squall was, but his mom and dad never even had a
clue. Not even when the event took place. There is nothing quite like the
experience...
5 years ago
4 comments:
Christian, I had wondered how God could judge/reject Cain's offering, of course applying our standards of 'fair/unfair'. That didn't seem fair, until someone pointed out: Rom 10:17- So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Heb 11:4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. -
As we study the Word we need to realize that as it says in John 21:25 --And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.-- And the same goes for God and the history of the world.
Deuteronomy 29:29 The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.
And as we are told in 2Peter 1:3 --According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: --
we are given ALL that we need to know so that our faith...and our life can be according to God's will. And that is sufficient.
Since we know that God is not unfair; and we know that faith cometh by hearing; we may conclude that God had TOLD Cain and Abel what he wanted; therefore Abel offered what God had instructed, and Cain offered what he thought would be okay. Kind of like a lot of folks today, wouldn't you say?
Very sad smile. Deboraw
Christian, 1Peter 5:8 Be sober, be watchful: your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour,
1Pe 5:9 whom withstand stedfast in your faith, knowing that the same sufferings are accomplished in your brethren who are in the world.
Satan still 'waits at the entrance', seems so easy to open the door. Sometimes I think the roaring lion pushes on the door. Not at all a laughing matter, huh! Deboraw
Deboraw,
Too often we think like Cain and attempt to give God our leftovers. God requires the best of us, not the second best. He has shown throughout the history of man that He does not settle for second. Statements like Abel bringing the firstfruits, "I am the Lord thy God", "thou shalt have no other gods before me" all illustrate this fact.
Satan does indeed walk about taking advantage of any and all opportunities that we present him.
Christian, and how often does anyone really consider that they are giving God the leftovers? Deboraw
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