In chapter 3 of the book of Genesis, we saw God cursing the serpent, both Adam and Eve and the ground. Now we get to see the curses being practical in chapter 4 of this very same book. This is when Cain rose up against Abel to murder him. This is the first man dying in the history of creation, and the first man dying is the innocent man. At this point and time, the creation has fallen because Adam had sinned. As for their children, they are both sinners because of their parents and their blood was not yet washed by the blood of the Lamb.
Look at this story, “Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, ‘I have acquired a man from the LORD’. Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell” (Genesis 4:1-5).
Let’s first establish that these children were both under the sinful nature and none of them was made righteous until this point of giving offerings. They both gave their offerings to God of which I think they represent the way they see themselves before God. Abel offered a sheep and Cain offered the fruit from the ground. The sheep/lamb is the picture of our Lord Jesus Christ while the fruit of the ground is the picture of the self-efforts works. Abel is the picture of a man who acknowledges his sins and who depends on the Lord Jesus’ blood to be washed and justified while Cain is the picture of a man who depends on doing good.
I want to touch this part whereby Cain murdered Abel, and try to answer why. Abel was probably a naughty child and Cain a well-behaved child. Now Cain came to God knowing that he deserved to be respected by God because he was not a bad-behaving child. However, the opposite occurred, the good received not the good from God not because he was not good but not before God, because he did not show dependence on God. Abel, the bad, received the good because he depended not on himself but on God. In fact, he depended on the blood of the Lamb which is our Lord Jesus Christ to have his sins washed away not on his self-efforts works.
These two sons are actually the example of the two sons the Lord Jesus made an example of in the Prodigal Son Parable. Let us see in the parable, “Then a certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living” (Luke 15:11-13).
The father divided to both of them, the older and younger; now the younger wanted his portion because of greed. This is the picture of the family of Adam and Eve, the older being the picture of Cain and the younger Abel. The younger is like he was saying, ‘Father, I have waited for you to die but you are not dying, so give me what you have intended to give me already.’ This is murder already according to the law as stipulated in the Ten Commandments, referring to the last commandment. The older son had no problem with their father; he respected him and obeyed his commandments according to his words.
The Prodigal Son’s life became difficult when he was away from his father and did not even have food to eat. The Prodigal Son is the picture of a Christian who knows about God’s provision but still falls away because of greed and lust. After some time when things become difficult he remembers how God blesses people. He remembered how the servants of his father had enough food to eat. This is what made him to go back to his father’s house. The one who has truly accepted Jesus as his Lord and Saviour will always remember His goodness and will always come back to Him.
Then look at this at its continuation; “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him” (Luke 15:20). The younger son out of greed and evil thinking he left his family to spend what he was given in a prodigal living. The Lord Jesus says that, there where this son was, there was famine after he had finished what he had. He was the hired to feed pigs and he also helped himself with the food which he was feeding the pigs.
Now he thought within himself that even the hired servants in his father’s house have food enough to eat and he was out there with no food. He said he was going back to his father to be at least one of the hired servants. But now, when he was just far away, his father saw him coming. The father must have been waiting for his son to come that is why he saw him from afar off. He must have been gazing at the horizon every morning, eagerly hoping that one day he will return.
I want to task you dear reader, that you may read the whole Luke 15, not only from verse 11 to 32. You will find that the lost are not neglected but are given the high priority to searched for and found. When someone among your congregation if you are a leader of the church is lost or straying, your part is not to condemn them but to show them love even more, win them back to Christ.
Look at this, “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry’” (Luke 15:21-22). According to the Jews, the best robe would be reserved for the older son. But now here the joy that is in this house even made the best robe to be put on the younger son. The priority is given to the second son who derailed along the way. Now take note, every blood sacrifice in bible, is the picture of our Lord Jesus Christ dying for the forgiveness of sins for the guilty.
This is the story of Abel and Cain. Cain might have said to himself, I have been respecting my parents, I do not lie and I do not get drunk. I deserve to be respected by God and Abel who is probably doing all these things received honour from God. Cain became jealous and angry he decided to murder his brother. Almost the same thing happened within this family, because the older brother became angry at this act of his father of honouring his younger brother.
Let’s read, “Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant” (Luke 15:25-26). He was very annoyed at this point because he was doing all that was right. At the end of the day, he feels betrayed. He expected that maybe his father to discipline and scold his brother. Now remember that this would be happening in Jewish the family, that his may practice the law, of course the story is fictious. What does the law say concerning this son?
Let us read, “If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and who, when they chastened him, will not heed them, then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city, to the gate of his city. And they shall say to the elders of his city. ‘This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard’. Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death with stones; so you shall put away the evil from among you, and all Israel shall hear and fear” (Deuteronomy 21:18-21).
According to the law, he was not supposed to receive the good that he received. He received all the good he did not deserve to receive by grace. He was protected by God’s mercy from the death which he deserved. The Lord Jesus here introduces the grace of God (hesed Elohim) through this family carefully showing that the bad do not always receive the bad and also the good do not always receive the good. What matters is the blood of Jesus as in the example of the offering of Abel. We are justified by Jesus’ blood and not by our self-efforts good works.
Look at the older son’s reasoning towards this whole event; “So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this son (my brother) of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him” (Luke 15:29-30).
I thought we have just read that the father divided his livelihood among them. Which means the older sons had the opportunity to feast; all that the father had was his also. But he just could not see how much blessed he was. How many people are blessed today but they cannot see that they are blessed? This young reminds his father about his ‘behaviour’ and how the younger brother has devoured your livelihood with harlots. He has a point right? But not before his father.
The father here in this story is the picture of God, the elder son Israel and the younger son the Gentiles. Those who practice the law feel like they deserve to be blessed than those who are on grace. This is because they view themselves as holy or careful and that those on grace are carefree. This drives them to the self-righteous syndrome which gives birth to pride. Maybe that is why God is not interested on works but on faith.
See this, “For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness’” (Romans 4:2-3). What did Abraham believe? Look at this, “Then He brought him outside and said, ‘Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them’. And He said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be’. And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness” (Genesis 15:5-6).
So in essence, we have to believe right so that we can live right. Adam and Eve’s believing was not right. If they had a good opinion of God, they would not have resorted on breaking the commandment. Then this was passed on to Cain, whom I believe was his parents’ favourite. Abel on the other hand, understood that his sins needed to be put away, and the lamb’s blood could do that and today is by the blood of Jesus. Everyone’s sins could be put away by the blood of Jesus Christ if they believe.
God forgave Adam’s sin when God covered their nakedness with tunics of animals’ skins. Although God forgave them their sins, but the consequences of their sin had to come pass first. This is what happened, “Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him” (Genesis 4:8). There you have it folks, Abel died because of the disobedience of Adam and Eve. But guess, by the blood of Jesus we are all forgiven if we believe in Him.
So if Adam and Eve had not disobeyed the commandment of God, no man would die. God’s plan for humanity was for mankind to live forever on earth being like God on earth. Man was supposed to be the ruler of all living things on the earth; we were not supposed to fear to walk on certain areas. Today, there are areas where we cannot walk because we fear certain animals. The whole creation fell because of Adam and Eve, animals started eating each other, and some trees grown thorns to pierce man.
Can this be reversible? Yes it will be reversible at the Millennium Rule of the Lord Jesus Christ. We saw once during the time of Noah in the ark the picture of how things were in the Garden of Eden. All animals and men were in the same place without ever of thinking of harming one another. Why was that? Because of the righteousness of one man and that man is Noah. He was found to be blameless before God, just like Adam was before he fell, and all the animals were Herbivores, but when Adam fell, the whole creation fell also; others depended on the flesh of others to survive and others on the blood of others to survive.
In short this is what the bible says, “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox, the nursing child shall play by cobra’s hole, and the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:6-9)
Stay in health through grace and favour
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