Image by Rudy and Peter Skitterians from Pixabay
A Tale of Two Brothers
Cain was a sod-buster, a tiller of the ground, or more simply put, he was a farmer.
Imagine being the first child ever born, in all of history. Cain was the third human being to live. His father, Adam, was the first person and his mother, Eve, the second.
Farming was and is important. Without growing their own food, it was going to be more difficult to eat. So, it was only natural that Cain became a farmer.
Back then, there were no books on farming and no Farmer’s Almanac to help understand the weather. It was all trial and error. Using his wits as well as watching the wild herbs grow, Cain was able to grow crops to feed him, his brother, Abel, and his mother and father.
Abel raised sheep. Through his insight and wisdom, he kept and grew his flock of sheep.
Anger Kindled
One day, both brothers brought an offering to the Lord. Each one wanted to please the Lord. Cain brought some of the produce he had grown while Abel brought some of the firstborn of his flock.
God respected Abel’s offering but not Cain’s. We don’t know why.
Maybe Cain didn’t give his best effort and needed to try a little harder. Or maybe it was just a bad season. But instead of trying again, he got angry. And unfortunately for Cain, when his anger kindled it got the best of him.
It was in the field that Cain killed his brother, Abel. Perhaps that field was the very crop Cain had been growing and brought to the Lord as an offering. If so, then it is no wonder why the ground was cursed for Cain from that day forward.
God did not reject Cain. Cain still spoke with God and God set a sign to protect Cain. But God knew that Cain’s future was going to be difficult because of his actions.
The First Family
Do you think your family has problems? Well, welcome to the first family.
Adam, the first man, followed his wife into sin and messed things up for mankind so badly, it would take an act of God to fix.
Eve believed the lies of the serpent and broke the one law that had been given to them; do not eat from this one tree. She compounded her sin by convincing her husband to break that same, singular law.
Cain was the first murderer to ever live and became a fugitive and vagabond. He would take a wife and his direct descendant, fifth removed from him, would be recorded as the second murderer.
Abel raised sheep and the Lord was pleased with his effort and offering. It was his blood that broke the ground for his brother, Cain, who had been a farmer.
I believe this first family was reconciled in heaven. The first family knew God, face to face and surely would have known that forgiveness goes a long way in restoring relationships.
Today we know forgiveness comes through Jesus Christ and through Him all things are possible.
Why Should Laws Exist?
Although Cain was the first murderer, sadly, he was not to be the last. 6000 years later we can see what has become of mankind. For those who think we are evolving, how do you reconcile the violence mankind increasingly displays?
What we are seeing today is the battle between good and evil that goes back to the beginning with the first family. What Cain started all those long years ago, has become so prevalent in society that we no longer question where it came from or why.
Nor do we question the need for laws. It is evident that good people dwell in a world with crime, therefore laws are needed to maintain order. In heaven, it is not that way.
Laws do not Exist in Heaven
The apostle, Paul, said, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23 If we are taught these things on earth, then it stands to reason we will live by this in heaven.
In heaven, there are no laws because there is no need for them. Each person will have the fruit of the Spirit in their hearts and in their conscience. Therefore, in the absence of crime and evil, why should laws exist? And if laws do not exist in heaven, doesn’t that make Heaven lawless?
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Genesis 4:1-15
Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the LORD.” Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.
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.”
Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.
Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?”
He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”
And He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground. So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth.”
And Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is greater than I can bear! Surely You have driven me out this day from the face of the ground; I shall be hidden from Your face; I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth, and it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill me.”
And the LORD said to him, “Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the LORD set a mark on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him. Genesis 4:1-15
1Timothy 1:9-10 (partial)
“Knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine.” 1 Timothy 1:9-10 (partial)