Jesus Christ and the Story of Cain and Abel

[ugmug]

Jesus Christ and the Story of Cain and Abel

The story of Cain and Abel is more than a one brother killing another. The story of Cain and Abel is a prophetic account of the ministry of Jesus Christ. In the story you have Cain and Abel presenting their offerings to God. While God accepted Abel's offering he rejected Cain's. Cain then became angry because of God's rebuke and shortly thereafter killed Abel.

At the beginning of Jesus Christ's ministry Christ went to John the Baptist to be baptized. At the moment of baptism the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus and God said that Jesus was his son and that he was well pleased.

In the story of Cain and Abel you have God saying that Abel's offering was pleasing to him and also at Jesus Christ's baptism you have God saying the same thing. Clearly the story of Cain and Abel depicts the life and death of Jesus Christ at the hands of his brothers, the Israelites.

It is clear that when God placed favor on Jesus Christ he knew this would enrage, not only those on earth, but Satan as well. Hence you have the journey into the desert for 40 days and 40 nights that culminated in Satan's anger being foisted on Christ in the form of temptations. This journey into the desert is also mentioned in the story of Cain and Abel where Cain lured Abel into the field to kill him. Ultimately Satan didn't succeed in killing Christ in the desert but he did manage to eventually bring about Christ's death on the cross.

After the murder Cain was punished by God to be a restless wanderer of the world which is exactly the present state of those in the Jewish faith.

The moment that Christ received baptism and gained the favor of God he knew from the story of Cain and Abel that at that moment he was a marked man for it instantly brought out the anger in those who would reject him as the messiah leading to his death.

The story of Cain and Abel didn't end with the death of Christ. When a person finds salvation in Jesus Christ he becomes one with Christ and receives the same favor from God as did Christ, along with the same Holy Spirit. God's favor will now bring the same anger from all non-believers against Christians as in the story of Cain and Abel. Which is why Christ said that he didn't come to bring peace. When anyone receives the forgiveness of sin through a belief in Jesus Christ they receive God's favor and the anger from those whose offering's (other religions) God has rejected.

God Bless

Genesis 4
Cain and Abel
1 Adam[a] made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the LORD I have brought forth[c] a man.†2 Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.
Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. 4 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, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.
6 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 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.â€
8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.â€[d] While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
9 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?â€
“I don’t know,†he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?â€
10 The LORD said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. 11 Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.â€
13 Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is more than I can bear. 14 Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.â€
15 But the LORD said to him, “Not so[e]; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.†Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. 16 So Cain went out from the LORD’s presence and lived in the land of Nod,[f] east of Eden.
17 Cain made love to his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch. 18 To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech.
19 Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock. 21 His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play stringed instruments and pipes. 22 Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged all kinds of tools out of[g] bronze and iron. Tubal-Cain’s sister was Naamah.
23 Lamech said to his wives,
“Adah and Zillah, listen to me;
wives of Lamech, hear my words.
I have killed a man for wounding me,
a young man for injuring me.
24 If Cain is avenged seven times,
then Lamech seventy-seven times.â€
25 Adam made love to his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth,[h] saying, “God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.†26 Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh.
At that time people began to call on the name of the LORD.

 

[stovebolts]

Very well put together, thank you!

I've never made those connections before, but I thought you've done an excellent job.

Moving forward from Cain and Able, the story repeats itself through the Exodus, except in Exodus God calls Israel his Son. But prior to that, Pharaoh is killing the children. Fast forward to the birth of Christ, and Harod is also killing the children..

There are many connections that repeat themselves in scriptures where the story is retold with simply different details, but as a theme, the idea of blessing and exile certainly repeat.

Again, thanks for sharing.

 

[smaller]

Cain and Abel. Very discerning account if all the parties to the transactions come into view.

Why was the offering of Cain not acceptable in Gods Eye?

There 'is' a reason. Jesus advised us of that reason. If we take His statements and then re-read through His Divine Understanding, spiritual knowledge is imparted to those whom God allows to see:

Matt. 13:
24Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
25But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
26But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
27So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?
28He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
29But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
30Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

In the above account there are basically 'two' seeds in the same ground. Wheat and tares. God does not accept tares. They are to be burned.

There was a more important 'thing' going on with Cain, shown us in the account of the rejection of Cain's offering to be learned to all of us:

Genesis 4:7
If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

It is quite futile to see the rejection of the Cain offering apart from the influences of the Tare. The Tare is a depiction of the evil one, the devil. Sin is after all 'of the devil.' And Cain was 'of' the evil one:

1 John 3:12
Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.

If you desire to view what happened to Cain, you should also look to Cain's compatriot in the flesh, and that would be the Devil. There is Cain and there is the impetus of sin in the ground of Cain, the Tare, the wicked seed, the seed of Satan. This assuredly does not mean Cain was the devil whatsoever, but as we should all know quite well we 'all' sin and sin is factually of the Devil, period.

It is then quite pointless to see simply Cain, or try to apply this account to a certain set of people such as Jews or in some bizarre applications, even minorities or certain tribal groups. The entire events of Cain summarize the 'problem' that well all have in 'our own ground.' That being the tares present therein, which are and never will be 'acceptable' to God.

Yet, as Jesus shows us, both do grow together. All have sin, have sinned, and all such sin is factually 'of the devil.' (1 John 3:8) There is no logical way to remove the devil from any equation of sin from 'thought' through 'deed.'

Matthew 13:38
The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one

Any believer who desires to view themselves honestly will not be 'Abel' to say they have no sin, and this places children of the wicked one in your ground, your Body and Mind. These, children of God, are not you.

If you read the scriptures properly, you will see those children who cannot be viewed any other way but through the Eyes of God and how He Sees us all, and that would be 'not' as alone in flesh or in mind.

We overcome and show who we are by Love to our neighbors and resistance to the children of the wicked one who attack us all continually.

Our 'works' reveal who is in control.

Cain was obviously in control of a murderer. John 8:44 is clear about the identity of the murderer who was so from the beginning.

enjoy!

smaller

 

[Eventide]

Amen, awesome preaching.. I thoroughly enjoyed this !

 

[Jennie]

Wow! Thanks both of you!
I did see the connection of the original poster of the Jews and I ALSO saw the larger picture of all men.

Applies to one person, groups and nations - all of us.