You Must Master It

Adam lay with 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.” Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. (Genesis 4:1–2, NIV 1984).

My Musings – In the garden, there were “all kinds of trees [growing] out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food.” (Genesis 2:9, NIV 1984). Just reach out and eat. In the garden, full of innocence, “the man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.” (Genesis 2:25, NIV 1984). As God had said, “it was very good.” All they knew was good. Then they ate the forbidden fruit and “[their] eyes [were] opened…knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:5, NIV 1984). Evil that they let in.

No longer could they reach out and eat. They could not eat the produce of the land unless they “worked the soil.” No longer unashamed of their nakedness, they “kept flocks” to provide clothing as well as food. Out of covet came shame. lurking around the corner, jealousy would bring more evil – murder. Within one generation physical death came to mankind, by an act of violence. And the spiritual health of mankind spiraled downward.

Act 1. “In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So, Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.” (Genesis 4:3–5, NIV 1984). Why did God favor Abel’s offering and not Cain’s? Abel brought the “fat portions” and “firstborn.” Cain merely brought “some.”

Act 2. “Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 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 master it.'” (Genesis 4:6–7, NIV 1984). Cain did not “do what [was] right.” His offering of “some” was not fitting for the Creator. “Sin,” a new word since the tree, was crouching at the door fueled by Cain’s jealousy of and anger towards his brother Abel.

Act 3. “Now Cain said to his brother Abel, ‘Let’s go out to the field.’ And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.” (Genesis 4:8, NIV 1984). Not an impulsive act of passion. It was premeditated, “let’s go out to the field.”

My Advice – Sin will always be “crouching at [our] door” in a fallen world. But we must do our best to “master it.”

Epilogue. “Cain said to the Lord, ‘My punishment is more than I can bear.'” (Genesis 4:13, NIV 1984). It is for all of us. That’s why Christ bore the cross on our behalf.