“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23

From the very beginning of the creation of mankind, “sin crouches at the door” ready to distract, deceive, and destroy our relationship with God along with all other relationships among our family and friends. 

The first man and woman, created in the image of God, give birth to two sons.  These two sons are the first brothers to live on earth together.  They work at tasks that fit their abilities.  They have a relationship with their father and mother as well as with God. The measure of their relationship with God is evident in their offerings to God.  One offering is given from a heart who wants to please God.  The other offering is given merely to appease God. There is a stark difference in the two offerings so God uses this as a teachable moment to help one brother understand that his motivation is wrong.  It is not the gift but the motivation of giving this gift that is the heart of this discussion. 

At times, when all does not turn out well for us, we become depressed and ask, “Why me, Lord?” But the most appropriate question to ask is; “Lord, what are you trying to teach me?”  Our motives tell the story of the condition of our hearts. 

Genesis 4

Cain and Abel

4 Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man.” ² Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.

Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. ³ In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. ⁴ And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, ⁵ but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

⁶ Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? ⁷ If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”

⁸ Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

⁹ Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”

“I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

¹⁰ The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. ¹¹ Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. ¹² When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.”

¹³ Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is more than I can bear. ¹⁴ Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”

¹⁵ But the Lord said to him, “Not so; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. ¹⁶ So Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

¹⁷ Cain made love to his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch. ¹⁸ To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech.

¹⁹ Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah. ²⁰ Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock. ²¹ His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play stringed instruments and pipes. ²² Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron. Tubal-Cain’s sister was Naamah.

²³ Lamech said to his wives,

“Adah and Zillah, listen to me;
    wives of Lamech, hear my words.
I have killed a man for wounding me,
    a young man for injuring me.
²⁴ If Cain is avenged seven times,
    then Lamech seventy-seven times.”

²⁵ Adam made love to his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, saying, “God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.” ²⁶ Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh.

At that time people began to call on the name of the Lord.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

We readily learn how sin gives birth to more sin in the story of Cain and Abel.  The sins of jealousy, pride, and envy build like plaque on a once healthy heart.  This condition of a weak heart is evident when Cain’s offering to appease God is not accepted.  God knows his heart, He created him; but Cain refuses to acknowledge that God knows. 

Sin escalates to arrogance and rage within Cain who has lost control over evil and the character traits of evil.  Evil is feeding the heart of Cain with all that is not of the character of God.  Cain who was also created in the image of God is becoming more like the evil that is consuming him.

God shows His love for Cain with the most important compassionate advice  for all mankind; “if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”

Cain does not listen to the advice from God for a disciplined heart.  Instead, raging with the jealousy of comparison, Cain takes the matter in his own hands with premeditated murder.  “Let’s go out in the field.”  Cain sins against his brother Abel and against God.

DATELINE

Cain kills his Abel and then tries to hide the body—like most crime shows we see today or read about in news and social media!  Why anyone thinks they can get away with murder is beyond my thinking.  But one who refuses all warnings and does life completely on their own, relying only their own resources, is easy prey for the enemy. The evil that is “crouching at the door” to our hearts convinces us that we can get away with all sin by deceiving us when we are weak.  It is in our weakness of heart, mind, and soul that we readily listen to the tempter’s lies if we do not “have rule over it.”

Down through the ages, as the family tree grows, the story of Cain and Abel is orally passed down to each generation.  It is the story good and evil.  The story is the story of relationship between God and His Created.  It is the tale of two brothers who worked hard in their chosen professions but with different motivations of the heart.  Both were created in the image of God.  One gave an offering of the first and best to God from a thankful heart for God.  The other brother, not wanting to be seen as doing less than his brother, gathered some fruit (maybe even the leftovers not needed by him) as an offering to merely appease God with his actions.

We see the difference but how do we respond in our lives today?

Pause, pray, reflect, and evaluate the condition of our hearts with a check up daily!

• Who do we seek to please most?  Do we seek to please others and be seen by our acts of service as good by them?  Or are we driven to please God in all we think, say and do—even if it does not please those we see day to day?  Sin is crouching the door of our hearts, too, as we decide! 
• Who has the most power over us? Who are we allowing to feed our hearts and minds and fill our souls?  Is it God’s Holy Spirit who leads us to all that is right and true or Evil who tempts to do what will ultimately destroy our relationship with God and others who believe in God? 
• We have two choices—God or Evil.  All other daily decisions come from the first choice we make with who we choose to rule our hearts.  Choose wisely.  It is a matter of life or death!

Rather than confess his sin, Cain tried to hide it to keep it from God. Consider this truth: Those who keep secrets from God keep their distance from God. Those who are honest with God draw near to God. Secrets erect a fence while confession builds a bridge.  As we evaluate our hearts today, we might ask ourselves: What am I trying to hide from God? Let us confess our sins and our desire to live life independent of God. He wants us to live in full fellowship and communion with him.  What the evil one hates most are believers who humbly fall to their knees, cry out to God, and confess sins in Jesus Name.  Evil flees from people who do exactly that for I can testify to this truth.

Since the Fall; “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” So, run to God who knows our hearts and is ready to forgive and welcome us back into His Presence—In Jesus Name.  “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:23

Lord,

Cleanse my heart, renew my mind, refresh my sou with your new tender mercies, and restore the joy of your salvation at work within me that strengthens our relationship with you and with others.  Confession is good for the soul who wants to be set free!

In Jesus Name, Amen