The Devotional Journey
Bible Reading 3
Yahweh’s mercy towards the first family
Read Genesis 4:1–26.
This chapter is the account of what happened to Adam and Eve’s family—the first family. Though they had rebelled against Yahweh and were suffering the consequences, yet God did not abandon His plan for humanity. God’s image bearers would continue with His plan. They would have children and take care of creation. But the task was now marred by sin.
Adam and Eve’s first two children were Cain and Abel. The two sons each brought what was theirs to give as an act of worship. Abel brought the best firstborn lambs while Cain brought what he cultivated—crops.
While Abel brought his best, (the fat portions means the best lambs), Cain didn’t seem to care about what he brought before God as the Bible didn’t say that Cain brought his best crops. Cain’s offering was not rejected because it was a non-animal offering, but because his heart, or attitude towards God, was not right. His worship of God was hollow. He was not really interested in God and it was just mere action.
So God did not favour Cain’s offering. But notice verse 6. God spoke to Cain and encouraged him to do what was right. God was being patient and encouraging. He told Cain why his offering wasn’t accepted and what he should do. He warned Cain that sin was like a predator—it was crouching at the door of his heart. Cain had to overcome the temptation to sin.
Yahweh presented Cain with a choice. He could choose to do what was right or rebel by doing what was wrong. God didn’t force him one way or another.
But Cain didn’t respond well to God’s encouragement. Notice that Cain didn’t actually have an argument with Abel. He was angry with God. But instead of examining his heart attitude, he chose to harbour jealousy and bitterness against his brother Abel. In the end, his bitterness took over and he chose to kill his very own brother!
At this point in history, Yahweh had not put in place capital punishment for murder, and so He banished Cain from society and cursed him so that the ground would no longer cooperate with Cain’s farming.
Yet, notice once more how merciful God was in verses 13–15. When Cain expressed fear that other people would kill him for what he had done, Yahweh said He would protect Cain from others. Though he had done something terrible (murdered his brother) and faced consequences for it (God cursed him), yet God still extended mercy by preventing others from harming Cain. Though his brother Abel had died because of him, God allowed Cain to continue his life, get married and have children.
But Cain never reconsidered what he had done and went on to have negative influence on his family members. The Bible records that in just a few generations, the pride and arrogance of Cain’s descendants got a whole lot worse! Cain’s descendant Lamech killed a man for simply hurting him. What an overreaction!
We can observe the negative influence that family members can have on each other so we ought to be careful in what we say and do.
We need to recognise how jealousy and bitterness have serious consequences if they aren’t dealt with. Let’s pray that God will help us to never harbour jealousy and bitterness in our hearts.
But can you also see what Yahweh’s character is like from this chapter? What do you think of Him?
God continually encourages us to do what is right. Pray that God will help us respond in the right way each day and in each situation.