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.