Title Protecting Cain/Genesis 4:1-15
Contents The protection of Cain/Genesis 4:1-15
The Korean dictionary defines sin as a morally or religiously bad thing. From the biblical point of view, sin is rebellion against the will of God. Disobeying God's will is called sin. Furthermore, sin also signifies man's declaration of independence from God. Human beings are God's creations and must be under God's providence. Adam and Eve, who disobeyed God's command and were expelled from the Garden of Eden, had brothers Cain and Abel. Although Adam and Eve's pain of being expelled from Paradise did not go away, they found great joy in bearing children.
However, perhaps because of their sinful parents, Cain, the older brother, killed his younger brother Abel in the field, making him the first murderer of mankind. Cain was jealous that God did not accept his own sacrifice and only accepted Abel's, so he lured Abel into the field and killed him where no one saw him.
The text does not clearly explain why God accepted Abel's offering and not Cain's. However, some say it was because Abel offered blood sacrifices and Cain offered agricultural products. But Exodus 23:19 says, “Take the first of the firstfruits of your land and offer it to the house of the LORD your God… … .” Since Cain made a sacrifice with agricultural products, it cannot be said that God did not accept his sacrifice. This is because it is proper and proper for farmers to offer their agricultural products to God.
1. God who accepts the sacrifice offered by faith
The reason God did not accept Cain's sacrifice was because he did not offer it by faith. The problem is not with the offering, but with the person offering it. To offer a sacrifice is to offer the sacrifice along with the offering itself. Soon he himself will die. However, Cain was angry when God did not accept his sacrifice, and his complexion changed. This shows that the ego did not die but was alive.
The sacrifices of the Old Testament are today's worship, and God does not accept self-centered worship. Whether it is the Old Testament sacrifice or the New Testament worship, it is important to offer it by faith. Hebrews 11:4 tells us that by faith Abel offered a better sacrifice to God than Cain, thereby obtaining evidence that he was righteous. What you do by faith is righteous, and what you do not do by faith is evil. To offer a sacrifice by faith means to offer life itself as a sacrifice.
2. God Gives Opportunity to Repent
Cain's complaints and dissatisfaction turned into anger and envy, which brought a new tragedy. Anger and hatred lead to murder. Therefore, verse 7 says, “You shall rule over sin.” It is an opportunity to repent. Jesus also gave Judas Iscariot an opportunity to repent. God clearly gave Cain a chance to repent, but Cain lured Abel into the field and killed him.
The murder was carefully planned. It was not an accidental killing out of a momentary rage. He lured them into deserted fields and killed them. Cain thought that no one would know what he had done. We can deceive the eyes of men, but we cannot deceive the eyes of God. God is in heaven and in hell. He reveals and judges hidden sins.
Psalm 139:2-3 says, “You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You know my thoughts from afar; You see my way and my lying down; You are familiar with all my actions.” But Cain tried to cover up his sin from God. When God asked Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?” and asked.
As an older brother, Cain had to protect his younger brother Abel. Instead, he killed him. Ladies and gentlemen, the righteous who live by faith suffer from the wicked who do not live by faith, and sometimes even die like Abel. John the Baptist was also unjustly beheaded by Herod. But the blood of the righteous is never in vain.
3. God Hears the Calls of the Righteous
God hears the pleas of the righteous. God intervenes in the power of evil to judge. God listens to the sufferings of the good, hears the painful pleas of the righteous, and reveals His righteousness at the decisive moment. God punished Cain. Verse 12 says, “If you plow, the earth will no longer give you its effect; you will be a refugee and a wanderer in the land. The punishment God gave Cain was too light compared to the sins Cain committed. Still, Cain says that your punishment is too heavy to bear. There are many people like Cain in our society. He can't bear even the slightest pain, even though he uses reckless remarks that hurt and hurt his brother.
The first punishment that was inflicted on Cain was to lose the benefits of the land. Cain is a farmer. But the farm is bound to fail. Those who do not have a right relationship with God in this way cannot enjoy the benefits in the other created world that God has created. Humans are born on the earth and are meant to eat the produce of the earth. But if you don't get those benefits, you'll have a hard time.
The second punishment on Cain is to avoid people and gain an advantage. If you sin, you cannot enjoy freedom of conscience. To the person who has sinned, humans are the object of fear and hostility. Cain was engulfed in fear of blood revenge. “Whoever finds me will kill me.” He pleaded with God his desperate feelings.
4. God Protects Cain
Dear classmates! When any sinner appeals to God, God does not turn away and gives grace. Verse 15 says, “The Lord said to him, “It is not so. Whoever kills Cain will be punished sevenfold. And he gave Cain a mark, so that anyone he met would be spared the death of anyone he met.” God protected Cain from killing him by giving him a mark.
Ezekiel 33:11 “As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from their ways and live. O house of Israel, turn and turn. depart from your evil ways. How do you want to die?” he said. God forgives and protects any sinner, no matter what sin he commits or murder, if he repents.
Dear classmates! Retaliation breeds retribution. Therefore, leave it to God to take revenge, and live a life that overcomes evil with good, which causes the enemy to feed when he is hungry and drink when he is thirsty. No matter what sin we have committed, we can be protected when we come before God.