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Humanity’s Firstborn
Read Genesis 4:1-26
Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" "I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's keeper?" Genesis 4:9
He would have been Prince Cain, heir to all the earth. But his father lost it all through disobedience. So he ended up a farmer. How did humanity’s firstborn turn out in life?
Arrogant: “I will offer what I want.” When rejected, he sulked. Disrespectful and rude: ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’ Unrepentant, he even negotiated judgment with the Holy God. Defiant, he overruled God’s sentence to restless wandering and built himself a city. If his parents had thought that they could be like God (Genesis 3:5), this spoilt brat definitely thought he was God.
How did God deal with such irreverence, such rebellion? To Him, the offering was unacceptable but the person who offered was not. God patiently tried to reach out to an unappreciative Cain, to correct and to warn. He had hoped that Cain would change. But when murder was committed, His righteous judgment had to fall. While Cain remained unrepentant, God’s amazing grace abounded towards him. God still protected him. This is our God – ever reaching out to undeserving sinners in hope, grace and mercy.
Lamech, devoid of godly influence, took Cain’s arrogance to a higher level. He defiled God’s marriage ordinance and took two wives. He boasted of murder and completely usurped God’s position by proclaiming protection upon himself. But a glimmer of hope flickered for humankind as Seth’s descendants learnt to worship, using Yahweh’s holy Name.
Do we detect some subtle and disguised traits of Cain in ourselves?
Read Genesis 4:1-26
Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" "I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's keeper?" Genesis 4:9
He would have been Prince Cain, heir to all the earth. But his father lost it all through disobedience. So he ended up a farmer. How did humanity’s firstborn turn out in life?
Arrogant: “I will offer what I want.” When rejected, he sulked. Disrespectful and rude: ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’ Unrepentant, he even negotiated judgment with the Holy God. Defiant, he overruled God’s sentence to restless wandering and built himself a city. If his parents had thought that they could be like God (Genesis 3:5), this spoilt brat definitely thought he was God.
How did God deal with such irreverence, such rebellion? To Him, the offering was unacceptable but the person who offered was not. God patiently tried to reach out to an unappreciative Cain, to correct and to warn. He had hoped that Cain would change. But when murder was committed, His righteous judgment had to fall. While Cain remained unrepentant, God’s amazing grace abounded towards him. God still protected him. This is our God – ever reaching out to undeserving sinners in hope, grace and mercy.
Lamech, devoid of godly influence, took Cain’s arrogance to a higher level. He defiled God’s marriage ordinance and took two wives. He boasted of murder and completely usurped God’s position by proclaiming protection upon himself. But a glimmer of hope flickered for humankind as Seth’s descendants learnt to worship, using Yahweh’s holy Name.
Do we detect some subtle and disguised traits of Cain in ourselves?
Scripture
About this Plan
Scripture Union Peninsular Malaysia's Bible reflections are devotional readings from the thoughts and insights of Asian writers. Consisting of 8 volumes, they cover the whole Bible in four years. Each volume contains books from the Old and New Testaments, and has a mix of historical, poetic and prophetic books, the gospels and epistles. Using this you can cultivate the discipline of a regular, systematic engagement with Scripture and gain an understanding of its magnificent story.
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