A Daily Genesis

Genesis 4:7b-8

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[B][COLOR=#ff0000]†.[/COLOR] Gen 4:7b . . But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.[/B]

This is the very first instance in the Bible of the word "sin". The Hebrew word is [I]chatta'ah[/I] (khat-taw-aw') and/or [I]chatta'th[/I] (khat-tawth') which are ambiguous words that technically mean an offense; as in repeat offender. In other words; not just an occasional slip-up, but a life style; viz[B]:[/B] a habit.

Whatever it was that God found displeasing in Cain's life at the time of the minchah disaster was moved to the back burner at this point because something far worse is looming on Cain's horizon; and it wasn't his kid brother's murder; no, it's something far more fatal to one's spiritual welfare. It's a perpetual unwillingness to talk things over with God and get some things straightened out between the two of you. This is not just serious-- it's extremely serious and apparently quite common among people with Cain-ish attitudes.

"But they refused to pay attention, and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears from hearing. And they made their hearts like flint so that they could not hear the law and the words which the Lord of legions had sent by His spirit through the former prophets" (Zech 7:11-12)

That attitude is one of the very reasons why some people are sent to hell.

"This is the condemnation: that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God." (John 3:19-21)

[B][COLOR=#ff0000]†.[/COLOR] Gen 4:8a . . Now Cain talked with Abel his brother;[/B]

Cain probably complained to his brother that Yhvh was unfair. But the poor man couldn't have picked a worse sounding board because Abel was a prophet (Luke 11:50-51). In Cain's dispute with the Lord, Abel no doubt took Yhvh's side in it. That was too much. There's no way a man like Cain was going to take a lecture from his own kid brother. Abel's popularity with God was bad enough, but preaching only made it worse and added insult to injury.

No doubt Cain was very jealous of his kid brother's on-going popularity with God. Poor Abel lost his life just because he was a pious man.

"Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you." (1John 3:12-13)

One of the boys involved in the April 20, 1999 Columbine High School shooting incident shot and killed a girl in the cafeteria just because she believed in God. Isn't that amazing? That boy was nothing in the world but a twentieth century Cain with a gun.

[B][COLOR=#ff0000]†. [/COLOR]Gen 4:8b . . and when they were in the field, Cain set upon his brother Abel and killed him.[/B]

Whether or not Cain premeditated his brother's death that day is difficult to tell. The word for "killed" is from [I]harag[/I] (haw-rag') and means: to smite with deadly intent. So the attack on his kid brother, whether premeditated or not, was definitely meant to end Abel's life rather than to just rough him up and teach him a lesson.

How Cain planned to explain Abel's death to his parents isn't stated. He couldn't very well blame it on a carnivorous predator since man and beast were on friendly terms prior to the Flood. It's my guess he set up the crime scene to make it look like an accident.

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