Genesis 4
We started this section learning that Adam and Eve had to two boys. First she had Cain, her firstborn then her second born was Abel. We don’t know how far apart they were, so Cain could have very well been much older than Abel or they could have been born within a year or two of each other. Either way, it doesn’t matter. lol
I always wondered why God just hated Cain’s offering. I mean, the guy grew veggies. He worked the soil therefore his offering could never be like the offering of Abel who offered meat, and as we read God absolutely LOVES the smell of meat, I mean, who doesn’t? But it wasn’t that God hated the fact that Cain offered veggies to God. Let’s read, “Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering and to the Lord. And Abel also brought an offering-fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock.” This has nothing to do with what I just wrote but wouldn’t it be cool if we knew that all those who attend livestock are descendent of Abel and those who are vegetable farmers are descendants of Cain? Sorry, okay back to what I was trying to get to. Well, we read that Cain brought “some” of the fruits of the soil BUT we read that Abel even though he brought “some” of the firstborn of his flock, Abel was more deliberate about picking specifically the firstborn of his flock (It could very well be that Cain did not chose his first Harvest, he just went and picked some of his harvest up). Secondly, Abel purposely labors himself to cut away the meat and select the fat portions of his flock (I’m gonna go off a limb here and say that Cain didn’t go through his Harvest to choose the most perfectly intact fruits of the soil and set them aside for his offering, BUT what do I don’t know? Just sayin). When both offerings were presented guess who’s offering was NOT accepted? I don’t think it had anything to do with what they gave but it was their heart with which they gave it and how they presented it with that God saw and felt. Pretty sure here the offering presented by Cain’s was not working for God. But can you blame him? Cain half assed his offering thinking it didn’t matter and would be accepted either way. Just like many of us with our jobs, homes, families, relationships, church, etc etc. Eventually, soon everyone gets to know your real heart and your real intentions and its a matter of time before that nasty person hidden inside you is publicly rejected. Cain gets so mad that God doesn’t accept his offering and again, God is so sweet! He gently asks Cain what is wrong with him. “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast?” Now, listen to what God says to Cain and us, because God could sense Cain’s heart and feelings. “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” Being angry, resentful, insecure, hateful or any other negative strong feeling that is in you is sin and God here is clear in telling us to watch out! We need to keep an eye on these feelings because they are waiting to be let in, they are desiring us, so it can overcome us and we then react or do something we later will regret because it was anger, hatred, resentment that did it- not us. God clearly tells us we must rule over it! God here is giving us the authority and power to rule over these feelings. We have the power to over come them. It is in us to stop any stupidity that we want to do because our feelings are leading us to do it. Don’t be like Cain. He kills his only brother, at the time, and God curses him, “What have you done? Listen! (Oh, He’s mad) Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. (The truth always come out, no matter what!) Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops to you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.” DAMN! That’s real, that’s deep, that’s messed up. When Cain told God his curse was more than he could handle, God still freakin made sure Cain so screwed that he made sure to have it be known that no one was to kill him. God is a righteous God.
WahbeeSaby 