His Presence

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

HIS PRESENCE

Gen 4:13-16

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; if anyone kills Cain, he 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.

NIV

No one has any idea what this mark was that the LORD put on him, although, as many theologians of old there are, there are just as many different ideas. However, there is something else here which strikes a chord with us. We notice that Cain was concerned because he was going to be driven from his homeland, and hiden from the presence of the LORD, that is, he would no longer be part of his family, or his family's worship of the LORD. Of course, he already disobeyed the LORD by killing his brother Abel. Nevertheless, now to be banished from his family was more than he could bear. Interestingly, the verbiage is very similar to what Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica about those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power. This was the judgment of Cain: to be shut out, hidden from the presence of the LORD. Yet the Psalmist asked, "Where can I flee from the Lord's presence?" If he went up to heaven, God is there; if he went to the depths, God is there; nothing would hide him from the presence of the LORD. Yet Cain was shut out, banished from the presence of God.  We are and will for the rest of this life be grateful that for Jesus, and that we have been accepted, adopted as a child of God. We are assured we will always be in his presence. Just as the LORD put some kind of mark on Cain, he has marked us with the Holy Spirit. Just as no one would be able to kill Cain because of that mark, no one can kill us because of the Spirit. Yes, our bodies may be destroyed somehow, killed, or simply die in some manner, but we will never die, because we have the Spirit of God dwelling within, and Jesus promised that although we die, we will live. Cain went to the land of Nod and found a wife, whom we will get to next, and there again, much has been said about who those people in Nod were. But for now, let us live in the wonderful presence of our Lord, giving him all the praise and honor he is due for his great love and compassion toward us in the person of Jesus Christ, who paid the price for us, and brought us back from the land of banishment, the land of darkness, into his wonderful light and his presence. 

Anger's Answer

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

ANGER'S ANSWER

Gen 4:8-12

8 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. 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."

NIV

Just as a side note, we have discovered that this request of Cain, "let's go out to the field," does not appear in the original text; rather, it says, "Cain talked to his brother, and it came to pass when they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, and slew him. Not that it is important to the truth in this narrative, just interesting. The fact still remains that the attitude of anger became action. Cain was so upset and angry,  first at God because his offering was not respected as Abel's was, then his anger turned toward his own flesh and blood, his brother. Although Cain did not have the teachings of Jesus, as we do, when he quoted one of the Ten Commandments, "Do not murder," but then went on to teach that anyone who is angry with his brother is subject to the same judgement as a murderer. After this horrible act by Cain, God asks a similar question that he asked Adam and Eve after hiding. "Where is your brother, Abel?" God knew exactly where Abel was, but he was giving Cain the opportunity to confess his sin and seek forgiveness. But just like Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent, Cain's answer was evasive, actually a lie, "I don't know". But then made matters worse with what appears to be a question: "Am I my brother's keeper?" Why always some excuse, which caused him to be judged and to be under a curse, being driven from his home. His chosen field of endeavor, farming, was taken from him, as the ground would no longer yield its crops for Cain. It would have been far better for Cain, first, not to allow anger to master him, second, not to allow his anger to become action,  but even then, he could have repented, although he did not, so we do not know how God would have dealt with his repenting heart. We should note that we are never allowed to adopt an angry attitude or become angry because we think someone offended us. Just because we are believers and under the grace of God does not mean we are free to disregard the teachings of Jesus, that anger is under the same judgment as murder. If we follow Jesus, we would learn from him and be people who are gentle and humble of heart, which would preclude ever becoming angry, and instead listen to anger's answer. 

The Path Outward

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

THE PATH OUTWARD 

Gen 4:1-7

:1 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." 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 But Abel brought 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 master it."

NIV

This was a time of joy, for now Adam and Eve had become parents. Their firstborn was a son, and not long after, a second son. This should have been a great time in the lives of that first family, but that joy would soon be turned to sorrow, as we know what happened. But that is next; for now, let us consider what was going on in the mind of Cain. The reason for this look into the mind of Cain is that we are told the Lord did not look with favor on his offering of some of the fruits of the soil. However, the LORD did look with favor on Abel because his offering was from the firstborn of his flock. Cain did not bring the first fruits, just some fruit, and we believe that was the major problem with his offering. Can we say that God was not interested in some of, but wanted the first of? However, because Cain did not receive favor from God, or the respect of his offering, his countenance fell, he became downcast, angry, most likely at God first, but then his anger turned toward his brother Abel. This is why God asked Cain about his anger. If he had brought what was right, the first fruits of the land all would have been right. This anger was sin crouching at the door of his heart. He could have turned that rebuke, or correction of the LORD, into doing what was right, but he refused correction, and as we know what happened next, he did not make an effort to master his anger, but allowed it to master him. Perhaps that is our lesson from this narrative. What sinful attitude or behavior do we allow to master us? Is there an attitude that we enjoy too much to even try to master it? Is there a behavior we enjoy too much, even if it is not pleasing to the Lord, that we do not want to even make an effort to master? However, even if we try to look good, keep that façade in place, so others think we are a "Good Christian", we might harbor an attitude that we enjoy too much to take any correction, rebuke, or teaching from the Lord about it. Could we be guilty of thinking, "My will" instead of "His will"? That could have been Cain's problem, as he was more concerned about himself and what he wanted to give, rather than asking the LORD what he should give. Although we know that we have Jesus and a way back in, Cain allowed his anger to lead him down the path outward. 

 

A Way Back In

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

A WAY BACK IN

Gen 3:20-24

20 Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living.

21 The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. 22 And the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." 23 So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. 24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

NIV

Well, well, they got kicked out of the paradise of God because they did not listen, pay attention, believe, or obey the word of God about that tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The word used is banished, as the Hebrew word means sent away, or the man was kicked out of the garden of Edon. He was sent out to work the ground from which he was taken. Now Adam had to labor for his food, which was once just there for the taking. And if being sent out, kicked out, or driven out, God placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim, some kind of angelic being, together with a flaming, flashing sword going back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. Therefore, Adam and Eve no longer had the option of eternal life; they were going to die because of their sin. This case of Adam and Eve was sad, but at the same time, it gives the rest of mankind an example of God's justice: that he is always faithful to his word. He told them that if they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they would die, and that is exactly what happened to them. Knowing what happened, we should make sure that we listen, pay attention, believe, and obey the word of the Lord. God's justice will always prevail; His will is always going to be accomplished. However, he has also provided a way back into his paradise. It may not be the exact same Garden of Eden; in fact, it won't be, but Jesus has prepared a new paradise, and by his coming to earth to pay the penalty for our sins, or our not paying attention, not obeying the word of God. In a sense, we have a way back into the Garden of Eden, and it is not through some effort or payment of ours, for Jesus made the effort and the payment so that we can now eat from the tree of life. Jesus made so many references to him being the life. He is the vine, and we are the branches. The only way for the branch to live and bear fruit is when it is connected to or lives in the vine. He is the only way, the only truth, and the only way to life. We are told in the letter to the church that he or whoever overcomes will be given the right to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. We are also told in that same revelation that was given to John that running down the center of the great new city of God is a river with on each side is the tree of life bearing twelve crops of fruit every month and that those who are blessed are those who washed their robes, that they may have the right from

            

the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. We have been washed in the blood of the Lamb, and so we may enter into the paradise of God and eat from the tree of life, for Jesus made a way back in. 

The Judgment

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

THE JUDGMENT

Gen 3:16-20

16 To the woman he said, "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you."

17 To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,' "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. 18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return."

20 Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living.

NIV

The serpent was judged, and now the LORD God spoke his judgment on the woman first, and then on the man. What God said to the woman has been either forgotten or deliberately disobeyed. Because women usually experience pain during childbirth, it would make sense that the full judgment must come true, which is that the wife should have a desire for her husband and that he rules over his wife. There is no way around this, as the Hebrew word translated as rule carries the meaning of having dominion over, to govern, to reign, rule, or have power over. Perhaps there are two problems at work in our post-modern culture in our country.  First, there is the disobedience of many women in submitting to their husbands. The second is that the husband is not being the man he should be. God's first judgment of Adam was because he listened to his wife instead of being the head of their household, which would or should have prevented Eve from listening to the advice of another. There is much said about the relationship between a husband and a wife in the New Testament that bears out this truth. God spoke to both the man and the woman, but it does seem as though much of this truth has gone by the wayside, left behind, forgotten, or disregarded. The judgment against the man was that through painful toil, or work for our sustenance, all the days of our lives. How many men work all the days of their lives? It seems most men have taken up, disobediently storing up wealth for their sixty-fifth year, when they decide to stop working all the days of their lives, to do nothing, or whatever they decide to do as a retiree. It would also seem that many men have abdicated their responsibility as head of the household, putting their wives under pressure; they were not designed by God to experience. In fact, because so many women have desired to be equal with men and have entered the workforce with a vengeance to gain positions of leadership, more women now die of heart attacks than men. The point is that many men have failed to be the husbands God designed them to be. Many women have also failed to be the wives God designed them to be. Can we solve this dilemma? Only if we live according to the truth of God, according to his judgment. 

The Sentence

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

THE SENTENCE

Gen 3:14-15

14 So the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this,

"Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. 15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."

NIV

Much has been said by the theologians of old regarding who this serpent was and what it became. However, we notice that, whatever this creature was, it had no defense; it could not blame anyone, as both the man and the woman had. Whatever creature it was, apparently it stood upright, maybe not two-footed, but maybe a quadruped; however, it was of the highest order above all other of the livestock and wild animals. The sentence was pronounced on this creature, changing it from whatever it was to becoming something like a snake, or maybe even an earthworm, for they literally eat the dust. Whatever the agent was that tempted the woman, it was just an agent of Satan, and this sentence was against him, more than upon the agent he used. We have been subjected to agents of Satan all our lives; in fact, because of the sin of Adam and Eve, all their offspring, all mankind, were born with what has been labeled as "original sin". There is none righteous, not one, we have all turned aside from God.

The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Romans, quotes that truth from the Psalmist. So what are we to do? The tempter has been sentenced; he is doomed, he will eat dirt, so to speak. He is the lowest of the lowest, the least of the least; his future is to perish, yet he continues to try to bring us down with him. He may have thought he stuck the heel of Jesus, but Jesus crushed his head, demolished his stronghold on man. The tempter  no longer has any power over those who have decided to follow Jesus. He may try to tempt, he may use some agent to bring about our temptation, but all he can do is create an illusion, because we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within. There cannot be two spirits in our being; the tempter cannot be within us. He cannot speak to us as he did with Eve. There may be times we fail, we fall, but it is not the tempter's fault; it is our own. We might be able to blame Satan, as that old Flip Wilson saying, "The Devil made me do it," indicates. But the truth is, no one makes us do it, except ourselves. The tempter has been judged and sentenced. We, who are in Christ, will not be judged, for we have already been declared innocent, holy, and pleasing in the eyes of God. Jesus broke that chain that we were connected to Adam and Eve with; He broke us free, and because Jesus set us free, we are free indeed. This is the sentence. 

Where Are You?

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

WHERE ARE YOU?

Gen 3:8-13

8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?" 10 He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid." 11 And he said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?" 12 The man said, "The woman you put here with me — she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it." 13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."

NIV

What is referred to as the fall of man is the central theme of this act of feeling shame and covering their nakedness. We have the conversation between God and the man and the woman when God finds them hiding among the trees and asks that penetrating question, "Where are you?"  Surely, God knew exactly where they were physically hiding among the trees, but he wanted them to expose themselves, to come out and admit where and why they were trying to hide from him. Much has been said about the man making the excuse, actually blaming God for putting the woman here in the garden with him, that it was her fault, she gave him the fruit to eat. Of course, the woman blamed the serpent. But what may have been missed in this narrative is that incredible question from God, "Where are you?" This is the question he could be asking any of us at any time in our lives. Could there be times when we think we might be able to hide from God? When we start to listen to our own heart, wanting our own way, thinking we can choose what we do, how we do it, and when we do it, then perhaps we are either deceiving ourselves or being deceived by 'the serpent'. God is asking us, "Where are you?" Where are you spiritually? Where are you in your spiritual journey? Where are you in either your obedience or rebellion?  Have you chosen religion instead of me? Have you eaten from the tree of religion, rather than from the tree of life? Have you chosen good works instead of my grace? "Where are you?" Why do we try to hide from God, even when we want what we want, when we want it, which ends up being sin? Do we think he will reject us, throw us out of the garden, as he ended up doing with Adam and Eve? The major difference is that Jesus is "The Gate." He made it clear when he said, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. Whoever enters through me will be saved". Jesus opened the way back into the garden, into the paradise, the very presence of God, where we can walk with him, talk with him, and he will tell us we are his own, and joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known. If God ever asks, "Where are you?" we need to answer, "I am here, Lord".