Genesis 4:8 is an
interesting verse. Cain was purported to have told his brother Abel about what God
revealed to him concerning his need to harness his anger. He must have told him
what God said would happen if anger was not harnessed. The question we ask is why
then was Abel willing to go to him into the field? We may not have the exact
answer except to say that God’s words, when unheeded, always will happen as He
had foretold it. And it was so. Cain led Abel into the field and there had him killed.
What happened underscores for us the importance of taking the word of God seriously.
But it also reinforces the idea concerning the freedom of choice God had given
to man. Though God had spoken, the decision to move in tandem with His
revelation rests with us man. He had made us beings with the freedom to make moral
choices. He did not insist that Cain should act in a certain way. He left the
choice to him. But we know that wisdom dictates that we need to learn how to
make right moral choices with His help. Praise God that we have the Holy Spirit
alongside us to help us do that today.
One thing we must
always bear in mind that God is fully cognizant of what we do in life. He is all-knowing.
Nothing is hidden from him. The murder of Abel and how God dealt with Cain tells
us so. God came to him inquiring about Abel his brother. It’s not an issue of God
not knowing what Cain had done. It was asked to elicit appropriate response and
action. The question asked of Cain was to help him to be honest with himself
and with God. But unfortunately like Adam, his father, Cain gave an evasive
answer that bordered on rudeness. His response to God was, “Am I my brother’s
keeper?” This is a question we all need to answer too. If we are to help each
other fulfill the greater plan of God, everyone must seek to be our brother’s
keeper. Our calling as a member of God’s family is to help each other in the journey
of faith. Just imagine what God can do through the church, when we brothers and
sisters in the Lord, look out for each other and help each other to adjust and
live a godly life.
Through Cain’s incidence,
we see another attribute of God. He is a just God. Hence justice must be served.
The blood of Abel cried out for vengeance from the ground. God could not stand
idly by and pretend as if nothing had happened. Remember, both Cain and Abel
were conceived with the help of God. Hence God had every right to intervene in
their lives. Accountability was expected of Cain and also from everyone. We
cannot imagine how chaotic the world wold be without a moral judge. Justice
must prevail if we are to have a peaceful and orderly world. God dealt with Cain
where it matters most. As a farmer and tiller of the ground, he needed the ground
to be fruitful and be able to yield to his work. But God had placed a judgement
on it. The ground that once yielded and gave him plenty to harvest became
barren and fruitless. His effort in life would be frustrated and he would be a
stranger even to what he was accustomed to do. He would be driven to become a vagrant
and a wanderer seeking a means to live by. Yet he refused to change and
surrender to God.
In verses 13-14, we
see how defiant Cain continued to be. Just think of what would have happened if
he had taken a softer stance, and with a contrition of heart sought for God’s forgiveness.
Knowing God’s nature, we dare to say that God would have dealt with him
differently. But Cain would not yield to God. He was defiant. He still did not
concede that whatever outcome was the folly of his own action. He defiantly accused
God for his plight and had chosen to depart from God’s presence. He chose punishment
over repentance. He would rather be a vagrant and a wander and be outside of
God’s protective hedge, even if death was a threat. Verse 15, in keeping with
His nature, God cannot deny Himself. He still could not allow injustice to run
rampant. His absolute moral character cannot allow it. He still wants man to experience
justice no matter how wrong one can be. So He saw to it Cain would be justly
dealt with. He placed a caveat over him to ensure that he would not be
destroyed without cause.
In Cain, we see a
case of strong defiance. Given an opportunity to act right and be right with
God, he turned it down. He chose to continue in his stubborn streak and be an
affront to God. He would rather suffer the plight than to admit his need for
God. This is the nature of sin. It causes a person to live contrary to God’s
will. Meanwhile God with His love and outstretched arms, still long for man to
return to a restored relationship and fellowship. For us, remember to keep short
accounts with God, keep in mind the Cross! It is the greatest monument of God’s outstretched
arms and love. Oh what a love! We truly stand forgiven at the Cross. Never
forget that!
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