July 25, 2023
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. (Romans 12:1 NIV)
I recently was reading in Genesis 4 the account of Cain killing his brother Abel, when I discovered something that challenged most of what I can remember ever being taught and understood about this story as to why God did not accept Cain’s sacrifice. For reference, here is a portion of the scriptures that tell this story:
In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 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 rule over it.” Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” The LORD said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. (Genesis 4:3-10 NIV)
What I had been taught, was that the reason that God did not look with favor on Cain’s offering of the fruit of the soil that he tilled, was because he somehow knew that God would only accept the blood sacrifice of an animal. However, I am not aware of where this is stated anywhere in the scriptures. You can make a case that it is inferred based upon many other scriptures about animal sacrifices even before the establishment of the Levitical priesthood and its sacrifices regularly offered at the tabernacle in the wilderness and later at the temple in Jerusalem.
It will be helpful for me to explain why I was reading Genesis. There is much disagreement amongst Christians about how to read and understand the scriptures in the Bible. These disagreements have often led to people who profess faith in Jesus, withdrawing from one another, condemning one another, and even killing and going to war with one another all in the name of Jesus. These kinds of disagreements and their sad consequences are not limited to Christians. The same thing has happened between professing Jews, Muslims and other groups as well as between these groups and Christians. All these people claim to be following the scriptures in their holy book and therefore they are pleasing to “God”. The most learned people of the Hebrew scriptures (what we often call the Old Testament…. Jesus called them the scriptures) often were very critical of Jesus because he ate and drank with tax collectors and sinners. From their perspective, there was no way that Jesus could be pleasing to God. At one point Jesus told them, “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” (John 5:39-40 NIV)
After Jesus’ resurrection, his own disciples still did not fully understand what he taught them or who he is. Therefore, after his resurrection, “beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.” (Luke 24:27 NIV) This is the reason I was reading Genesis. I wanted to read those scriptures from the perspective of Jesus being the way, the truth and the life and that he is the exact expression of God our Father.
So back to the story of Cain killing Abel in Genesis 4. In my quest to read the scriptures in the Emmaus way (see Matthew 24:13-35), and to ask Jesus to open up those scriptures to me in a new and fresh way, I decided to start with Genesis 1:1 which eventually led to Genesis 4.
I have learned to read the scriptures in multiple translations and to watch for significant differences between the versions. Often, my pondering of those differences has led to something significant that I had not understood before. In my recent reading Genesis, I have been comparing the wording in the KJV, NIV, Complete Jewish Bible and the Orthodox Study Bible. The Complete Jewish Bible was translated into English from Hebrew manuscripts by a Rabbi who is a Messianic Jew (a Jewish follower of Jesus). Therefore, he often brings out things that a non-Jew might not understand the way that a Jew would. The Orthodox Study Bible is based upon a modern English translation of the Septuagint, which is a Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures (Old Testament) that was widely in use among the faithful Jews who lived in cities of Greek culture at the time of Jesus’ appearing as the Son of God. Please read and compare Genesis 4:3-13 from the three translations as noted below. For reference, I have included the New American Standard Bible (NASB), of which the wording is similar to most English translations. Look for the significant differences in the three translations other the spelling of names. I have highlighted in bold the ones that got my attention.
Let’s look at these differences and ask some questions.
In verse 5 and 6, the English words in the phrases very angry and extremely sorrowful are not synonymous. The Hebrew word that is translated as angry is chârâh (H2787), which literally means to glow or grow warm and figuratively means to blaze up in anger. The Greek word from the Septuagint that is translated as sorrowful is lypeō (G3076), which means cause grief, grieve, be in heaviness, be sorrowful and be sorry.
As I pondered the significant difference between being angry and sorrowful, I thought of 2 Corinthians 7:10 (NASB) which says, “For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.” From my own personal experience, godly sorrow is when by the work of the Holy Spirit, I see the truth of the horror of what my thoughts and actions have done to harm another person physically, financially, emotionally, relationally, etc. It leads to repentance, which means to change my thinking, so that I agree with the truth, which then leads to crying out to God for mercy, grace and forgiveness so that the wrong I have done can be made right. All of this leads to salvation by the Holy Spirit, which literally means, to heal and make whole, both myself and the one that I have wronged. However, worldly sorrow produces death! Again, from my experience, worldly sorrow is when I have done something wrong and then got caught….I am only sorrowful for getting caught or exposed not because I myself am wrong. I then respond in self-preservation by blame shifting, making excuses, anger, etc. to protect my reputation, status, etc. Nothing is made right because of worldly sorrow!
In verse 7, the differences are more than one word. The quoted translations present an entirely different understanding of what God told Cain as to why he did not accept Cain’s sacrifice. As I stated in the opening paragraph, what I had been taught, was that the reason that God did not look with favor on Cain’s offering of the fruit of the soil that he tilled, was because he somehow knew that God would only accept the blood sacrifice of an animal. Go back and read verse 7 again in the Orthodox Study Bible. It seems to be saying that the reason Cain’s sacrifice was not accepted was because there was some sort of conflict between Cain and Abel and that Cain was unwilling to admit his role in the conflict and to seek reconciliation with his brother. It says that Cain brought it rightly but failed to divide it rightly… that was his sin, which made it unacceptable.
What could the phrase, failed to divide it rightly, mean? Genesis 1:29 gives the account of God telling Adam and Eve what their source of food was to be: “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.” The scriptures do not state that God gave them animals for food. Many years later, after the time of the flood, Genesis 9:3 quotes God saying, “Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.” My conclusion is that since Cain was a tiller of the soil and that Abel kept flocks of animals, that it was God’s intention that they be mutually dependent and submitted to each other. Cain was to use his skills as a farmer to produce crops for food for himself and others who lived nearby. Abel was likewise to use his skills as a shepherd to produce wool from his animals for use in making clothing for himself and others who lived near him. This reminds me of the flowing scriptures.
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. (Ephesians 5:21 NIV)
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. (Philippians 2:3-4 NIV)
Could the phrase, failed to divide it rightly, mean that Cain did not share his crops with Abel because of some unresolved conflict between them? All of this reminds me of the following scriptures:
You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise. (Psalms 51:16-17 NIV)
“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift. (Matthew 5:21-24 NIV)
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. (Romans 12:1 NIV)
Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment. (James 2:12-13 NIV)
Another difference to ponder is in the latter half of verse 7. The Orthodox Study Bible states, “Be still; his recourse shall be to you; and you shall rule over him.” The phrase “be still” seems to be a parallel thought to do well and do what is good from the other two translations. My experience has been that when my emotions are running high, due to someone having committed an offense towards me, whether it was an actual offense or my perception, that if I am not still till the emotion has fallen and I can hear and obey what the Holy Spirit is saying, then I will react in a way that will only cause further hurt and relational separation.
The phrase, his recourse shall be to you; and you shall rule over him, seems to be an expression of “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your strength and love your neighbor as yourself.” The English word recourse means, the use of someone or something as a source of help in a difficult situation. The Greek word translated as rule is archō, which means to be a chief, to lead, to rule over. This reminds me of Jesus’ words to his disciples when they were arguing and were offended with each other over the matter of who would sit at his right and left hand in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:25-28 NIV)
I think verse 9 is a key in understanding what Cain’s sin was. In this verse, God, who knows everything about us (see Psalm 139), comes to Cain, after he had killed his brother Abel. Cain’s actions were an act of passion, that resulted from him not listening to God telling him to be still when he was angry.
Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9 NIV)
Cain did not answer God’s question truthfully. Both he and God knew where his brother Abel was. Cain then reveals what was in his heart by adding, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” I think this was the sin that made his offering not acceptable, that being that he did not love his brother as himself (See Mathew 5:21-24 quoted above) and was not willing to humble himself and do everything he could to be reconciled to his brother.
Next, notice the difference between the three translations of verse 13. The Orthodox Study Bible quotes Cain saying, “My guilt is too great to be forgiven” versus “My punishment is greater than I can bear” in the other two translations. I think both statements are true from Cain’s perspective, but not from God’s perspective, which is the only true perspective. Cain’s parents, Adam and Eve, likewise had a wrong perspective of the nature of God our Father, therefore they hid from him in fear, after they believed the lie of the Serpent who had deceived them.
The true perspective of the nature of God our Father is stated in 1 John 4:18, “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” However, we hear the English word love applied in so many ways that I need help in understanding what it means that God is love. Paul the Apostle gave us additional words to help us understand what the love of God looks like. He states in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails”.
Since God is love and he is the source of all love, then I can confidently say, that the words that describe love in 1 Corinthians 13, are speaking of God our Father. He is patient, kind, does not envy ………. He always protects, always trusts, always perseveres, he never fails! This is further expressed in the following scriptures:
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. (1 John 4:18 NIV)
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble (Psalms 46:1 NIV),
Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. (Psalms 62:8 NIV)
Cain’s response of “My guilt is too great to be forgiven” or alternately, “My punishment is greater than I can bear” is evidence that he did not know God our Father. If I know that God is love, then will I not run into his arms and confess my sin “with the confidence that I will receive mercy and find grace to help me in my time of need”? (Hebrews 4:16 NIV).
So, what is my conclusion after looking at the story of Cain with a new perspective? I want to heed Paul’s advice from 1 Corinthians 8:1-3, “Knowledge puffs up while love builds up. Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. But whoever loves God is known by God.” Therefore, I will sit with the scriptures below and pray that I may take them into my heart and trust the Holy Spirit to produce his fruit in me. In short to obey his leading. Will you join me?
“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister. For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him. This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.” (1 John 3:1-24 NIV)
Blessings,
Kevin