Good Morning.
So the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” (Genesis 4:6-7)
With these words, it seems that God is suggesting that Cain knew what was right. In fact, it’s unlikely that Abel would have understood the need for the shedding of blood and that Cain would not. Both would have learned this from Adam. So basically God was telling him, “You know what is right; do it, because if you don’t, sin is waiting to pounce and lead you to act wickedly. In other words, God intervened and tried to prevent Cain from committing sin. He warned him that if he didn’t rule over the evil inclination, it would rule him.
God likens sin to a ravenous beast that waits to pounce upon its prey. In the garden, the Adversary is introduced as a serpent who stalks his prey. In Genesis 4, sin is now likened to a beast. Peter takes up this analogy and warns God’s people to beware.
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.” – 1 Peter 5:8-9
From the beginning of time, mankind’s failures have proven that, as soon as we open the door to our evil inclination, sin comes in. This is especially true when the “house” is not occupied by that which is good. Messiah alluded to this when He spoke of how an unclean spirit will return to inspect a house it had once occupied (Matt. 12:43-45).
So, like Cain, we are challenged to overcome the temptation of sin and not open the door to the evil inclination. We who are in Messiah have the ability to overcome the Adversary because Yeshua has “overcome the world” (Jn. 16:33). We know what is right, so let’s do it.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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