Sabbath: Cain and His Legacy
Image © Pacific Press
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Genesis 4:1-26, Hebrews 11:4, Micah 6:7, Isaiah 1:11, 1 Corinthians 10:13, 1 John 3:12, Genesis 5:1-32, Genesis 6:1-5.
Memory Text: “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it” (Genesis 4:7, NKJV).
In Genesis what follows immediately after the Fall, and then the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Eden, are mainly births and deaths, all in fulfillment of God’s prophecies in the preceding chapter. As parallel chapters, Genesis chapters 3 and 4 contain many common themes and words: descriptions of sin (Genesis 3:6-8; compare with Genesis 4:8), curses from the ’adamah, “ground” (Genesis 3:17; compare with Genesis 4:11), and expulsion (Genesis 3:24; compare with Genesis 4:12, Genesis 4:16).
The reason for these parallels is to highlight the fulfillment of what went on before, the prophecies and predictions that God had given to Adam and Eve after the Fall. The first event after Adam’s expulsion is full of hope; it is the birth of the first son, an event that Eve sees as the fulfillment of the promise that she heard in the Messianic prophecy (Genesis 3:15). That is, she thought he could be the promised Messiah.
The next events: the crime of Cain, the crime of Lamech, the decreasing life span, and the increasing wickedness are all fulfillments of the curse uttered in Genesis 3:1-24.
Yet, even then, all hope is not lost.
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, April 16.
(24)
For those who may be interested, I would invite you to carefully reflect upon the Memory Verse (Genesis 4:7) as you study the lesson this week. In this verse we have God revealing, unmasking the true nature of sin.
Notice where God outlines the consequences of sin arise from. Do the consequences arise from something outside of, beyond and independent of sin? Or does sin inherently act upon the sinner to devour them? In other words, does sin inherently produce the detrimental consequences? How does Genesis 4:7 align with Galatians 6:7-8 or James 1:14-15? And how do these verses align with Romans 6:23?
Finally, in light of what you discover for yourself as you search out the above, what do your findings suggest about the nature of what we term "curse/cursing/cursed"? Within pagan religions, curses are something produced by the gods. Is that the same with God - or does the curse/cursing arise from the phenomenon God was describing in Genesis 4:7? I will leave you to decide for yourself...
Phil - thank you for finding and sharing the salient Scripture passages in your comment to help us reflect on the Truth about Sin as you see it and to share your conclusions. I learned that not doing ‘well’ requires/implies that I have the awareness of that which is considered by God as ‘well and not well’ and make the right choice.
I also concluded that entertaining/dwelling on/remaining in this state of contemplating to do that ‘wrong’ should send up in the believer's conscience a ‘red flag’ of warning.
I think that becoming aware of the presence of this desire, by itself, is were the battle starts for the believer. If it is not rebuked right away, it will draw the believer deeper and deeper into wanting to actually commit that which he/she knows is not the right choice; we end up giving in to ‘sin which lies at the door of temptation’ – James1:14-15.
One could look at temptation as actually a 'span of time' in which the believer contemplates the act; just like Adam and Eve did in God's Garden.
You also pointed out Gal.6:7-8, thank you! This passage is clear to let everyone know that God is not arbitrary or allows to have the power of His Faith taken lightly.
It is so very important for the believer to understand that we need to take our heavenly Father at His Word.
Any parent of more than one child is aware of sibling rivalry. I fought with my brother and to a lesser extent, my sister. My children competed with one another, and my grandchildren seem to have inherited the same tendency. It does not have to be that way, so to balance my statement so far, I acknowledge that there are siblings who are very supportive of one another too. It's just that I don't know too many of them.
And it is somewhat disturbing to know that the issue of sibling rivalry gets column space so early in the Bible. While this week's lesson will probably concentrate on the theology of the situation, there are also lessons to be learned in the competitive/collaborative space of work, social interaction, and even church relationships. What do we need to learn in the space where we share ideas and how do we learn to contol our competitive natures.
In light of the 'theology of the situation':
1. Consider whether there is actually rivalry or one-sided, build-up of situation. Is there a correct mindset?
a. Cain did not have the right mind/heart - which is what is really to be set on the altar. He brought pride and was seeking praise, not to give praise/thanks. (Ps 51:17)
b. Abel's focus was on his heart/mind relationship w/God. The sacrifice was but a symbol. He was seeking to praise, not be praised.
c. there is no evidence that Cain figured into Abel's thoughts, as whose sacrifice was 'better'. there is only evidence that Cain wallowed in the unwanted consequences.
2. Should there be rivalry/competition?
a. What is the goal?
b. Who/what is being glorified by end result? (self/selfless)
c. What is the consequence of competition? (cohesion/division) (growth, revelation/adulation)
d. How timeless is the result/consequence of the rivalry/competition? (1 Jn 2:17, Matt 6:20)
If you do well, will you not be accepted?
From Genesis to Revelation God is transparent.
Every idle word a man shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. Matthew 12:36
How do I do well? What is my safeguard?
23 Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalms 139: 23-24
1) God should search me: Not my neighbor, not my coworker because God searches my heart.
2) Test me - test reveals my sinful nature.
3) Lead me - having learned who am I now I can be led to life everlasting.
Will you allow Him to search, test and lead today?
Would it be reasonable to look at the conflict between Cain and Able as manifesting the two influences humanity is impacted by – the physical desires and the spirit's work of developing man's awareness of right and wrong established by its Creator?
2Cor.6:14 warns about not being ‘unequally yoked’, ” .. for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness”? Does it not point out that the believer cannot ‘straddle the fence’, that he/she has to be on one side or the other? Conflicts arrise when two different influences clamor for 'dominance' in the relationship of two that are unequally yoked.
I think the entire account depicting Cain and Abel’s relationship portrays the dilemma of the human race – enmity, strife, covetousness, jealousy, violence between those who were born to be spiritual brothers and sisters in the human family formed by the same Creator.
We, living now, have perfect hind-sight. God, through His Son and His spirit of Truth, shows mankind all over the world the basis for the right way to conduct his affairs – love God with all your heart, and one another as I have loved you!
I went through the study of Sabbaths introduction to the study of this week's lesson. The (OTL) make mention of three main points and or major events that transpired. 1) Fall 2) The birth of cain and Abel and 3) Lameck Saga. Then I noticed that there were no memories or recordings of the birth of any female.
Question the great minds Maurice, (let me call you our) kindly 🙏 enlighten your humble servant I'm much obliged.