Title [Genesis 4:1-8] The First Murder
Adam's family, which started in Eden as the happiest family, was destroyed by disobeying God's Word. The text records the murder between Adam's two sons, Cain and Abel. As we well know, it is a murder case in which the older brother Cain killed his younger brother Abel in the field. Today, I will focus on this case.
1. It is an event brought about by envy, jealousy, and anger.
Cain and Abel made sacrifices to God in their own way. However, God only accepted Abel's offering and did not accept Cain's offering. We do not know the exact reason for this, but according to Hebrews 11:4, it can be inferred that Abel's sacrifice was acceptable because it was offered "by faith." Please keep in mind that God accepts only sacrifices offered by faith (worship, gifts, service, devotion). In any case, Cain developed jealousy and jealousy toward his younger brother, eventually leading to hatred and anger, resulting in the death of his younger brother. Envy and jealousy are the hearts of the natural. It is the same with anger (Galatians 5:20). If you were a normal person, you had to repent to God and correct your mistakes. We must let go of envy and jealousy. Hatred and anger must also be cast away. As it is with the fleshly things, it is even more important to throw away these feelings thoroughly while doing the spiritual things. If you see that the priests and Jewish leaders tried to kill Jesus because of this jealousy (Matthew 27:18, Mark 15:10), you should know how terrible this feeling is. And you have to throw it away completely.
2. It's because they couldn't control their sins.
“If you do good, how can you not be welcome? If you do not do good, sin is at the door. Its desire is in you, but you must rule over it” (7). An important lesson about sin can be learned from these verses.
① You can know the nature of the sin. It can be said that sin refers to the devil, and he says that the devil prostrates himself at the door of his heart and seeks opportunities. Therefore, the saints should not always be vigilant. In addition, you should know that sin is trying to attack you with a vicious spirit, even though it says that you have a wish of sin. Once you get caught, you should be prepared for it, knowing that you have a personality that will stick to the end and will not let you fall.
② You can see that you must control your sins. To rule means to defeat and overcome. It also means to oppose. James 4:7 says, “Oppose the devil, and he will flee from you.” We must put away our passive attitude and become saints who actively oppose and defeat the devil. However, it is difficult to defeat it by our will or ability. We need God's help. Ephesians 6:11 says, “Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist the schemes of the devil.” The full armor of God is the Word, faith, and prayer. Let us become saints who rule over sin.
③If you actively do good, sin cannot approach you. “If you do not do good, sin lies at the door” (7). The devil cannot approach those who are diligent in their religious life. The devil cannot approach those who serve diligently, those who pray diligently, those who diligently attend worship services and meetings, and those who diligently preach the gospel. I only approach people who are passive and barely come and go. Please do not forget that a cross-legged believer is always plagued by the devil. We hope that we will become people of God who have the power to overcome sin.
3. It was because we ignored God's words of reproof and warning.