Watch Out!

Day #2 of bible reading - today's reading Genesis 4-7. This is the part of the bible where we learn about Cain and Abel, the rest of Adam and Eve's family and finishing out with Noah. A couple of things stood out to me as I was reading, I'll start with our buddy Cain.

So here's the setup: Cain and Abel both just brought offerings to the Lord. Cain, being a farmer brought produce and Abel, being a shepherd, brought "several choice lambs from the best of his flock." God wasn't buying Cain's offering, but was well pleased with Abel's. This really upset Cain, I mean downright ticked him off. When I imagine (emphasis on imagine) Cain and Abel, I see that Cain is working the land, that's hard work, while Abel is tending to sheep, ok hard in it's own right, but really what "work" was there? So I think that may have led Cain to already be jealous of his brother and the life he was leading. And who knows how things were at home, were Adam and Eve the perfect parents? Don't think so. So, maybe Abel got the better bedroom and got to stay up later and got to go to the local hangout because he got his work done while the work of a farmer is never done. Who knows, but it's clear to me that there was history between Cain and Abel and this was not the first time that Cain was feeling mistreated.

The bible says he felt dejected. Have you ever felt dejected? It's a horrible feeling. The definition is: depressed in spirits; disheartened; low-spirits. I can relate to that feeling and the unclear and ungodly thoughts that accompany it. Cain blamed feeling this way on his brother. 

So, here's what jumped out at me. It begins in Genesis 4:6-7. This is where God reaches out to Cain, recognizing Cain is clearly upset, God asks Cain why. Then God tried to help Cain, God actually flat out gives Cain the answer to the test, let's read it. 

6 "Why are you so angry?" the LORD asked him. "Why do you look so dejected?

7 You will be accepted if you respond in the right way. But if you refuse to respond correctly, then watch out! Sin is waiting to attack and destroy you, and you must subdue it." 

 

I have never noticed this before - God asks Cain a question and before Cain answers God tells him - "Look, if you think before you speak and respond in the right way I will accept you just as I accepted your brother. However, if you choose to respond in the wrong way - well, you don't wanna know what's going to happen!"

 

God warned Cain, that is love. God offered the same reward to Cain that was given to Abel, that is grace. We don't read an audible response from Cain, instead we read about the action which was his response loud and clear. In the next verses Cain takes Abel out to the fields and he kills his brother. This was a thought out, planned action. It was not a heat of the moment decision. The warning is the same for us...

 

thinking about sending a flirty text to your co-worker? Watch out!

considering watching that movie that's all the latest rage? Watch out!

pondering lying to your boss? Watch out!

 

Watch out! Sin is waiting to attack and destroy you! So, watch out!!!!!!! 

(I will share my other thought from the passage in a separate post)