Rebekah Wilson, Discipleship Coordinator
Rebekah Wilson 0:07
Welcome to Elmhurst CRC’s daily dose of the word of God. Today is Monday, November 7th and Sunday is coming! This is Rebekah Wilson and today I’ll be reading Genesis 4: 1-9 in the NLT.
Rebekah Wilson 0:22
“Now Adam had sexual relations with his wife, Eve, and she became pregnant. When she gave birth to Cain, she said, “With the Lord’s help, I have produced a man!” Later, she gave birth to his brother and named him Abel.
Rebekah Wilson 0:34
When they grew up, Abel became a shepherd, while Cain cultivated the ground. When it was time for harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the Lord. Abel also brought a gift- the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The Lord accepted Abel and his gift, but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected. Why are you so angry?’ the Lord asked Cain. ‘Why do you look so dejected? You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.’ One day Cain suggested to his brother, ‘Let’s go out into the fields.’ And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother, Abel, and killed him. Afterward the Lord asked Cain, ‘Where is your brother? Where is Abel?’ ‘I don’t know,’ Cain responded. ‘Am I my brother’s guardian?’”
Rebekah Wilson 1:39
God doesn’t ask a question to learn information. He sees the heart, the inner thoughts, of every person in all creation. He knew exactly why Cain was angry and He knew why Cain looked so dejected. Why then would he ask Cain those questions? Why did Jesus ask so many questions to the disciples and Pharisess and people who heard His teachings? The LORD asks questions so that we learn something. God knew the intent in Cain’s heart, that he was envious and jealous that Abel’s offering had been accepted and not his. He knew this envy would be carried out in the first murder. This was just one generation into life outside the garden. God was trying to warn Cain of the seriousness of sin and the consequences of letting it overcome us.
Rebekah Wilson 2:23
This picture of sin “crouching” or “lurking” at the the door makes me think of a lion ready to pounce on its prey. In I Peter 5: 8 we are told to, “Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour.” So what chance do we stand against a roaring lion? What kind of success can we expect to have if sin is crouching and waiting for us? Thanks be to God that we have victory in Jesus. It is because of Jesus that we can pray to God and call out for help in our time of need. 1 Corinthians 10: 13 says, “God is faithful. He will keep the temptations from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it.”
Rebekah Wilson 3:29
Let’s pray. Lord- we praise you for being our Rock, our Refuge and our Redeemer. We are so lost and alone without your love and grace. Please help us to be vulnerable and honest with You and with each other, to share our struggles, to ask for help, to cry out in our time of need. Thank you that You are a God who does not put us to shame or abandon us. Amen.