10 Question 2

Let’s read that story.  It’s found in Genesis 4:1-10 – “And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.  And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.   And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.  And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:  But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.   And 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 slew him. And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper? And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.”

This is the sad account of the first two people ever born…and one of them killed the other one.  Cain and Abel were both born after their parents, Adam and Eve, had sinned, so they would have had to agree with the writings of David when he said in Psalms 51:5 – “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.”  While Adam and Eve were created in innocence, because of their rebellion and sin, their children were born with a sinful nature.  According to the account we read in Genesis, when it came time for these two to sacrifice unto the Lord, Cain offered the “fruit of the ground”, while Abel offered “the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof.”  Cain’s offering came from a ground that had been cursed.  We read the Lord’s words to Adam in Genesis 3:17 – “And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life.”  Abel’s offering showed a proper understanding of what the Lord required.  His offering was a sacrifice that included death and the shedding of blood.  This is a type of the Lord Jesus Christ who died and shed His precious blood for us.  Even with the very first sin, that of Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit, death occurred and blood was shed to cover theirs nakedness.  Genesis 3:21 says, “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.”  These coats of skins required the death and the shedding of the blood of animals.  So, because of the refusal of Cain’s sacrifice, he became jealous of his brother and killed him.

Your question, “Why didn’t God intervene?” is a question that has perplexed man for centuries.  What does God allow evil in the world?  Why doesn’t the Lord stop sin from happening?  I suppose the best way for the Lord to prevent sin would have been not to create the world in the first place.  That would have prevented sin.  Yet, we would need to look ever further back.  The Lord should not have created angels.  That would have prevented Lucifer from sinning.  However, the Lord in His infinite wisdom and knowledge chose to allow men to be able to choose between good and evil.  We can choose between obedience and disobedience.

Listen to the words of Joshua in Joshua 24:15 – “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”  Joshua challenged the people to choose whom they would serve.  He then commits himself and his house, or his family, to serve the Lord.

For the believer, we have the promise of God that no matter what happens; it will work together for good.  Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”  All things means all things.  What good came out of the murder of Abel?  Well, first of all, Abel went to be with the Lord.  Secondly, his act of faith is still being used today as an example to us all.  Hebrews 11:4 tells us, “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.”  So, although dead now for centuries, Abel still speaks to us of the righteousness that comes by faith and obedience to the Word of God.

You have a choice, too.  Deuteronomy 30:19 says, “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.”  What will you choose?