Good Morning.
Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, ‘I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9)
How is it that two brothers, conceived in the same womb, raised by the same parents can be so diametrically opposed to one another? It is just another example of the truth that, from the beginning until the end of time, two opposing “seeds” will continue to grow in the same field. Cain and Abel are one of the first examples of how tares are sown in midst of the wheat in order to steal, kill and destroy. In this case, tradition says that Cain struck Abel over the head with a stone prompting God to inquire of his brother’s whereabouts?
Like the exchange that occurred between God and Adam, the Creator asks a question that He already knows the answer to. Apparently, once again, He intended to provoke an admission of guilt and, most likely, a request for forgiveness. Instead it was met with a lie and an aggressive comment. Thus, Cain not only becomes first recorded murderer but he also becomes the first recorded liar. He was acting out what God had warned him of — sin had pounced on and taken hold of him. In so doing, Cain began to emulate the attributes of his “father,” the Adversary.
“For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous.” (1 John 3:11-12)
Messiah made it clear that, regardless of who your earthly father is, you can still qualify as being of “your father the devil.” The tell-tale sign is the fruit you produce. Because God’s Word did not abide in Cain – “if you do right will you not be accepted?” – another “word” (seed) entered into his heart. That other word was spawned by his father the Serpent, Devil and Adversary.
Here is the point: when someone rejects God’s Word (the Good Seed), by default they embrace another word; that borne of the Adversary. In other words, if we reject the truth we will absolutely receive a lie that will eventually produce its fruit. This accentuates why it is critical that we open our hearts to all that the Father wishes to impart to us. It is critical that we are willing to receive His instruction and, when necessary, His rebuke. To reject His Word sets us up to follow a path that leads to bitterness and despair. So then, may our hearts be soft, pliable and receptive to all that God wishes to speak to us today
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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