Choices

Genesis 4:8-16
8Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.
9Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?”
10And the LORD said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground.
11And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.
12When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”
13Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is greater than I can bear.
14Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”
15Then the LORD said to him, “Not so! If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the LORD put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him.
16Then Cain went away from the presence of the LORD and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

Everyone has some advice for us - everyone. There's always an opinion as to how you should live or what path you should take. In most cases that advice is worth what you're paying for it. At the end of our reading yesterday, God advises Cain to be aware of the fact that sin was stalking him and he needed to get control of that beast. In the book of Jonah, God advises the people of Nineveh to repent or be destroyed. They did repent as a nation and God spared them. So here we have God advising people on two separate occasions, one group listens and is spared, and one man chooses to ignore God and do what he wants. The results for Cain are not good. He does not listen to God's counsel and the path of his life is changed forever.

We don't know if this is the first murder to take place among God's people. It's the first recorded murder. Clearly, God is displeased and takes action. But once again, we find that God is merciful. He does not kill Cain, but instead protects him from being killed by others. God places a mark upon Cain that signifies to the people that they are not to take vengeance for Abel's death. We do not know what that mark was. Anyone who says they know is only speculating. The text is silent about that. All we know is that this mark set Cain apart and served to put others on notice. You may not kill this man. It was more than Cain deserved. But God's grace is always more than any of us deserve. Our Father always takes the right action and gives us grace.

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