The tale of two Brothers

Genesis 4:1-7

This story takes place somewhere close to the Garden of Eden, and it is about the first family, not the one in the White House, and it is centered on two sons, Cain the first born and his younger brother Abel.  Now Cain was a farmer and his brother was a keeper of sheep, and they both wanted to please God, so they each came up with an offering; Cain’s was from the ground and Abel’s was the very best of his sheep.  If we look at Genesis 4:4-7, we begin to see that God was pleased with the younger brothers actions and offering and not the older brother.  Have you ever asked “why?”  That is what God asked Cain, look at verses six and seven; “The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen?  If you do well, will you not be accepted?  And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door.  Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.”

Wow, it looks like both you and sin could be the subjects, and to be a subject it must be a noun or pronoun, and that necessitates it to be a person, place or thing.  Sin is not a place or thing, it is used as a person in this sentence.  I’m very poor at grammar so I ask for help on this from an English professor, and this is what she said about that second sentence; “In the second sentence, you is the subject of the dependent clause (and if you do not do well), and sin is the subject of the independent clause (sin is crouching at the door).  The predicate verb for each subject is do, do and is waiting.”  This person “sin” is waiting or crouching at the door, sin is going to do something to Cain, in fact God tells Cain that the person, “sin,”  “Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.” 

I was the younger brother and if I’ve learned anything, it is that the older brother expects to out perform his baby brother, and yet God is pleased with Abel’s offering and not happy at all about what Cain has offered.  It is a vast understatement to say Cain is upset with God, but like so many that have followed Cain’s model, he transfers his anger to the one whom he believes has shown him up. 

Do you remember that the person “Sin” is waiting for Cain, and because God is so good, He always gives us a way out, the following is what God meant about ruling over “sin”; “He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.”  Our Father is merciful and was waiting for Cain to agree with Him that his actions and his offering were not up to God’s standards, and to ask for forgiveness, both from God and his brother.  Cain chose to reject God’s mercy, God’s forgiveness, and Cain chose to ignore the person called “Sin” and fell into the trap that was set by the enemy of our souls.

From the Back Porch

Bob Rice