Disdaining Worship/ The way of Cain.

Cain and Abel making their sacrifice to ADONAI.

Too busy to worship.

Sadly, many people choose to look away from their daily prayer time to do something else important. Reading the Bible, praising, and praying to YHWH ADONAI is the most important thing we could be doing, especially because we are born-again Christians, called by His name, and are His children. We belong to the kingdom of God, and are empowered by His Spirit to do His purpose. Just as the guitar or any stringed musical instrument is created to make music, or cows and bulls are domesticated animals to help with farming, so is mankind created with the purpose of fellowshipping with ADONAI. Luke 8:14; Phil 4:13;

Cain, the supposed deliverer.

Cain, the firstborn of Adam and Eve, became the first murderer of his innocent brother, Abel. Both brought their sacrifice to ADONAI, but He did not have regard for Cain’s sacrifice. This was the first time but certainly not the last. ADONAI instituted the sacrificial system to engender a relationship with Him in which the people brought sacrifices to atone for their sins, for thanksgiving and praise, and to strengthen their relationship with God.  Hebrews 11:4 tells us: “By faith, Abel offered a better ( far greater, generous and abundant) sacrifice than Cain. By faith, he was commended as righteous when ADONAI approved his gifts. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.” Genesis 4:2-10.

 Cain and his descendants continued to go downhill, all because he turned his back on ADONAI.  His descendants made impressive gains in building cities, living in tents and domesticating livestock, crafting bronze and iron implements, and making stringed and wind musical instruments. All pioneers, three generations, but far from God. Lamech married two wives and pioneered polygamy.

Lamech and his boast.

The climax of violence is found in his boast to his wives. He told them that he had killed a young man for injuring him and that he would be avenged 70 x7. In other words, if and when he did something violent or killed anyone, no one could hold him accountable. He could kill as he wished and he would not be avenged. If someone did kill Lamech, then killing would continue unabated. This showed how much violence and killing had escalated among the people of Cain.

Cain wandering nowhere.

When Cain turned his back on God and went to the land of Nod/ wandering, ADONAI protected him from revenge by placing His protection upon him.  Abel’s brothers were the avengers of blood. But ADONAI stopped further bloodshed to enforce life. (Numbers 35:19, 26-27;  Deut 19:11-12). If someone did kill Cain, he would be avenged 7 times. Cain was Lamekh’s inspiration to do worse than he did.

What is the way of Cain?

Jude calls the way of Cain when he warns against false believers.  Jude 3-4,8, 10-18.  They have some allegiance to ADONAI but on their own terms. Adam and Eve thought he was the promised Seed/ the Messiah, who would take them back to the garden of Eden and restore all that was lost. But Cain’s heart had turned away from God and hardened even before he brought the sacrifice. The sacrifice was only the first visible sign that he had rebelled against ADONAI.  The Father counselled him to turn away from sin and rule over it, but Cain had already moved away from God and did not accept His love or submit to His authority.

All this led to the murder of his innocent brother Abel, ADONAI intervening to curse Cain; Cain in turn refused to admit that he killed his brother and repent for his sin.  Cain was banned/ banished from his family and sent away. The firstborn son of the first parents of the world turned into a nightmare of rebellion and produced a line of progressively evil generations after him. The farmer who was tied to his land was sent to wander, homeless and a fugitive, forever hiding from fear of being murdered himself. He would always carry his guilt and shame till he died. The land would not yield its crops to this farmer because the land belongs to ADONAI and it will do as it is told.  Abel’s blood continues to cry out in grief and sorrow for justice and retribution.

Disdaining worship and its outcome are obvious here. It is the same for us here and now. When our hearts work against ADONAI, HE counsels us to turn from sin and to return to Him and do what is good and righteous.  Oftentimes, we think that our prayers are mechanical and boring, and we stop reading the Bible, praying as a family, and unwittingly open the door for satan to walk in and wreak devastation as he did for Cain. Yet, it is the family altar, where we gather together and lift our hearts in prayer and song to ADONAI. It binds us to ADONAI and to one another. He is the giver of all good things. He discerns the heart and is not fooled by our excuses. He knows who/what you prioritize.

Yeshua redeemed 70x7 when Peter asked how many times he should forgive his brother? Matthew 18: 22-23.  Maybe Peter was thinking of Matthew the tax collector who walked with him as a disciple of Yeshua or of other brothers who troubled him no end.  Yeshua offered unlimited forgiveness and mercy to this brother and to us. It boils down to forgiving twice every minute in 16 waking hours. Not just that, ADONAI will take revenge for us; we must forgive and bless (Deut 32:35; Romans 12: 19). That takes faith to know how great and awesome our YHWH is, how mighty to save, and that He will bring forth His goodness into every situation. ADONAI will bless, protect, and prosper the work of our hands. To know Him closely and to walk with Him is through reading Scripture, led by His Holy Spirit, doing His will and purpose, and bringing glory to Him as Abel did.

 Shalom.