Genesis 4
Sin is infectious; its corrupting influence spreads
with disastrous consequences just like a single rotten apple quickly spoils the
whole bag. We see this process
beginning in Chapter 4. Why God preferred Abel’s animal sacrifice to Cain’s
fruit and vegetables is not clear, but importantly Cain himself was not
rejected by God. His reaction, however, as one of extreme jealousy towards his brother that drove him to murder followed
by the futile attempt to deceive God (vs 9).
The consequences for Cain were severe - he was thrown out of the garden
- but God in His mercy did not desert him totally. He was promised protection (vs. 15) and went
on to have many offspring. However, the
bible leaves no doubt that in the developing story of mankind things get no
better as sin continues to flourish and evil permeates the very fabric of
creation. The consequences are all too
familiar in the annals of history: abusive words and actions, shattered
relationships, dysfunctional families and breakdown of societies that when
taken to the extreme leads to genocide and war.
Harry Patch, interviewed just before he died, said: “The First World War, if you boil it down, what was it? Nothing but a
family row. That’s what caused it. So we need to guard against allowing
our own selfish desires and sense of importance to get the better of us for the
results can be far reaching. Jesus has
strong words for us on some of the steps we may need to take (see Mtt 5:21-28,
one of the passages for tomorrow).
(member of the congregation)