Looking Firmly at the Cross

[Davies]

When you're AWARE of your sin, it makes it that much easier to repent.

Yah1,

I couldn't help but adding one more thing. I think people act in two different ways when they are convicted of sin: People experience godly sorrow and humbly repent, or, people will hate God and sin all the worse. The latter is what I think Cain expressed.
Genesis 4:6-8

New King James Version (NKJV)

<sup class="versenum">6 </sup>So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? <sup class="versenum">7 </sup>If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”
<sup class="versenum">8 </sup>Now Cain talked with Abel his brother;<sup class="footnote" value="[a]">[a]</sup> and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.

- Davies

 

[Yah1]

When the day came to make an offering to God, Cain and Abel brought their tribute. Abel brought some of the very finest from his flocks, while Cain deliberately brought an average-quality offering from his crops. Cain could have done better, but he chose not to for some reason. Perhaps he thought that the all-knowing God would not notice.

God accepted Abel's offering with favor, but He rejected Cain's offering. It wasn't due to a preference of meat over vegetables, but rather that Abel had brought the best that he possibly could, and had done it willingly. Cain knowingly brought not his best, and even then brought it grudgingly. The very same offering would have been accepted if it had been the best that he could do, and if he had offered it with the right attitude. Abel was cooperative and generous; Cain was selfish and miserly.

Even though the rejection was his own fault, the incident made Cain very jealous and angry with Abel, entirely without cause. Abel had merely done what God expected of him. The rest of the tragedy is well known. Cain allowed his jealousy to turn to anger, and then his anger to hate. Instead of bringing himself up by doing better next time (as God plainly explained to him in Genesis 4:7), he chose to take Abel down - he committed the premeditated murder of his own righteous brother.

Abel is described as "righteous" in the New Testament. He didn't live very long in this life, but he will more than make up for it in the next. With whatever he had to work with, he had simply made his best possible effort - exactly what God expects of us today.

My response - When you feel yourself slipping into darkness, just know that he's always there with you, keep praying on what you should be doing in your daily walk. I think that Cain lacked faith and committed the sin of sloth. At the end of the day it's our choice to live in the light or the darkness.

Have Faith and Trust in the Lord - Yah1 Romans 8:26

 

[Mitspa]

When the day came to make an offering to God, Cain and Abel brought their tribute. Abel brought some of the very finest from his flocks, while Cain deliberately brought an average-quality offering from his crops. Cain could have done better, but he chose not to for some reason. Perhaps he thought that the all-knowing God would not notice.

God accepted Abel's offering with favor, but He rejected Cain's offering. It wasn't due to a preference of meat over vegetables, but rather that Abel had brought the best that he possibly could, and had done it willingly. Cain knowingly brought not his best, and even then brought it grudgingly. The very same offering would have been accepted if it had been the best that he could do, and if he had offered it with the right attitude. Abel was cooperative and generous; Cain was selfish and miserly.

Even though the rejection was his own fault, the incident made Cain very jealous and angry with Abel, entirely without cause. Abel had merely done what God expected of him. The rest of the tragedy is well known. Cain allowed his jealousy to turn to anger, and then his anger to hate. Instead of bringing himself up by doing better next time (as God plainly explained to him in Genesis 4:7), he chose to take Abel down - he committed the premeditated murder of his own righteous brother.

Abel is described as "righteous" in the New Testament. He didn't live very long in this life, but he will more than make up for it in the next. With whatever he had to work with, he had simply made his best possible effort - exactly what God expects of us today.

My response - When you feel yourself slipping into darkness, just know that he's always there with you, keep praying on what you should be doing in your daily walk. I think that Cain lacked faith and committed the sin of sloth. At the end of the day it's our choice to live in the light or the darkness.

Have Faith and Trust in the Lord - Yah1 Romans 8:26

I am sorry Yah1 but you have added your own opinion to the scriptures and are in a place of error? The ground had been cursed, Cain in his sweat attempted to offer to God, what God had cursed. We see that today, the Law is cursed and many attempt to offer their own labor in law back to God? God will not accept mans work by law.

Able offered a lamb from the flock, blood, a picture of Christ, the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world. An offering of faith!

Just as then so it is now, those like cain, hate their own brothers and have murder in their hearts for us who offer only Christ Jesus by faith.

 

[Davies]

Can't-Sleep-Early-Morning Yah1,

The Genesis account is rather vague regarding Cain and Abel. Another piece of this scene is given to us in Hebrews.
Hebrews 11:4

New King James Version (NKJV)

Faith at the Dawn of History

<sup class="versenum">4 </sup>By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.



The stress in this statement, I think, is that Abel made his offering by faith. This would lead me to believe that Cain did not make his offering by faith. One of the reasons why I think looking at the cross is essential for everyday living is because it provides the right motivation to serve the Lord. Hebrews goes on to say that we cannot please God without faith, and I don't think there is anything more powerful than the cross to move us to faith. It's not so much that we have to worry about what we will do. The work that we should do will present itself, but rather, our focus should be on what God has done for us. That will instill faith in us by which we can present our bodies, a living sacrifice, and know what is the perfect will of God (Romans 12:1-2). If Cain was able to present his vegetables in faith, then we might have read a different story. Instead, we have the example of Abel, though dead, still speaking to us today. This is very difficult for us because it requires us to trust what we can't see. Often, things don't happen right away when we pray, so we are prone to think God doesn't answer our prayers. But if we learn to trust, and wait upon God, then we will see the fruits of our labor. I still struggle with this, probably from a lack of prayer and sin in my life. But over the years, God has been very patient, and tough with me, but I trust both means are from a loving God.



I take your exhortation to have faith and trust in the Lord to heart.


- Davies

 

[Carolyn]

I love your quotes from Spurgeon. But when I see crosses by the road, I think about someone dieing there. Then I wonder if they knew the Lord. I also wonder how long we will be able to put up crosses anywhere--the stone of stumbling and foolishness to unbelievers. No longer can we display the 10 commandments. Nor can we put up nativities in public places. Obama abolished the day of prayer and no longer allows chaplains to pray in Jesus' Name. And so our priviledges are disappearing. But they can't take away a rainbow, which reminds me that God keeps all of His precious promises. So glory be to God for the Cross, and for the promise of His faithfulness in the Rainbow.

 

[Davies]

I love your quotes from Spurgeon. But when I see crosses by the road, I think about someone dieing there. Then I wonder if they knew the Lord. I also wonder how long we will be able to put up crosses anywhere--the stone of stumbling and foolishness to unbelievers. No longer can we display the 10 commandments. Nor can we put up nativities in public places. Obama abolished the day of prayer and no longer allows chaplains to pray in Jesus' Name. And so our priviledges are disappearing. But they can't take away a rainbow, which reminds me that God keeps all of His precious promises. So glory be to God for the Cross, and for the promise of His faithfulness in the Rainbow.

Good morning Carolyn,

We've seen for some time, now, the chipping away of our liberties, but I imagine us to be very spoiled children here in America. You hear of the reports in different countries where real persecution is taking place, and you wonder, 'Can it be?' It seems that every generation had their reasons for thinking the Lord was coming in their day. I think we have our reasons too. Regardless, our lives are too short to not take the Bible seriously, and I pray that we will remain faithful to the end.

It's interesting that the gay community adopted the the rainbow as one of their symbols. When I see one where ever it appears, I take it as advertisement for prayer. May God have mercy.

I've never read anyone quite like Spurgeon. What I think I like about him is that he puts into his own words what the Scriptures are saying, and far from perfect, you know the man knew his Bible and believed it. I need to be around people like that. Let's look at the cross together.

Have a nice day,

- Davies

 

[Yah1]

I am sorry Yah1 but you have added your own opinion to the scriptures and are in a place of error? The ground had been cursed, Cain in his sweat attempted to offer to God, what God had cursed. We see that today, the Law is cursed and many attempt to offer their own labor in law back to God? God will not accept mans work by law.

Able offered a lamb from the flock, blood, a picture of Christ, the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world. An offering of faith!

Just as then so it is now, those like cain, hate their own brothers and have murder in their hearts for us who offer only Christ Jesus by faith.

Where in my statement did i go wrong?
Wasn't the ground cursed for both, was it just lack of faith by Cain?

 

[thisnumbersdisconnected]

I am sorry Yah1 but you have added your own opinion to the scriptures and are in a place of error? The ground had been cursed, Cain in his sweat attempted to offer to God, what God had cursed.

Actually, Yah is right. The food from the ground was also given to the animals to eat, so it had nothing to do with the ground being cursed. It has to do with the way by it was cursed. Before God cursed the ground in Genesis 3:17, He also indicated, in the cursing of Satan, that all the cattle and all the beasts of the field were cursed as well.

Genesis 3
The LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this,
Cursed are you more than all cattle,
And more than every beast of the field;
On your belly you will go,
And dust you will eat
All the days of your life;
​

This was an indication that the curse God spoke on all the Earth was not to make the things of the Earth useless or defiled in and of themselves, but only by the disobedience of Adam. Created to be infinite, all things were now finite in nature, knowing and end as well as a beginning. Therefore, it wasn't the nature of the sacrifice, but the nature by which it was offered. Abel gave the best available to him. Cain offered "some" of what he had produced. Attitude, not substance.

 

[Davies]

God accepted Abel's offering with favor, but He rejected Cain's offering. It wasn't due to a preference of meat over vegetables, but rather that Abel had brought the best that he possibly could, and had done it willingly. Cain knowingly brought not his best, and even then brought it grudgingly. The very same offering would have been accepted if it had been the best that he could do, and if he had offered it with the right attitude. Abel was cooperative and generous; Cain was selfish and miserly.

Hi Yah1,

What you said about Cain's offering could be true, but we are not given the specifics of the fashion in which he brought his offering.
Genesis 4:3

New King James Version (NKJV)

<sup class="versenum">3 </sup>And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord.



That's all the Bible says in Genesis about the way Cain made his offering. To read more into that from the information provided would be speculation. We do come to understand that God did not approve of Cain's offering, but we are not provided an explanation in Genesis. Let Scripture interpret Scripture. I reiterate Hebrews 11:4.


Hebrews 11:4

New King James Version (NKJV)

Faith at the Dawn of History

<sup class="versenum">4 </sup>By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.



What can we learn from this? The most important thing we can learn is that Abel made is offering by faith. I'm thinking that Abel understood what kind of offering to make, a blood sacrifice. This is ultimately a shadow of what was to come in that the Father would sacrifice His Son. The passage doesn't say that, but it does say, "God testifying of his gifts." That means God approved of what Abel was offering him, and more importantly why Abel was offering what he did. Abel showed that he was righteous by what he did because it was faith that led him to do it. This is a great passage that shows the proper relationship between faith and works. It's not only important what we do for the Lord, it's important to do it with the right motivation, by faith. Maybe Cain should have understood what God did in the beginning when he sacrificed animals to cover Adam and Eve for their sin? I would think this sacrificing of animals had to continue to cloth their children. It could be that when we think of our clothes, instead of what's fashionable, we should think about how God covers our shame. My mind is tired now.

Good night,

- Davies

 

[farouk]

It could be that when we think of our clothes, instead of what's fashionable, we should think about how God covers our shame. My mind is tired now.

Good night,

- Davies

Hi Davies:

Interesting point you make about clothing.

Maybe in Scripture clothing can speak of more than one aspect.

For example, in Ezekiel 16, Zion needs washing and clothing, because she is bare and unwashed.

But also, what God puts on Zion is a picture of imputed righteousness, the clothing, jewelry, etc that He puts on her could be a picture of imputed righteousness, 'perfect through my righteousness that I had put on thee'.

Blessings.

 

[Davies]

Hi Davies:
But also, what God puts on Zion is a picture of imputed righteousness, the clothing, jewelry, etc that He puts on her could be a picture of imputed righteousness, 'perfect through my righteousness that I had put on thee'.

Hi farouk,

You bring up a great point. When God clothed Adam and Eve, He was providing a covering for them. I think this is a shadow of what God was going to do through Jesus. Jesus is sacrificed, and when we repent and trust in Him, He places on us the righteousness of Jesus Christ. But we haven't actualized the complete transformation yet. As we struggle to live the way that God wants us to live, I think it's good to remember our sin, not so we can condemn ourselves or to think of an excuse not to believe in God, but to recall how much God has forgiven us by which we will have a greater understanding of His grace that far surpasses our understanding. If you want to remind yourself with tattoos, jewelry, and clothing of Jesus' righteousness, or His grace, ok. In my freedom in Christ, I don't need to do those things to remind me of God's grace, but we do need to where clothes. Now you have a second motivation that was not previously mentioned in your threads to get a tattoo or a piercing, not because it's a popular. I walk away from the subject of tattoos and piercings with some level of peace. On this subject, you may consider me weak in my faith. I ask you to leave me in peace over the subject.

Romans 14:1,13

New King James Version (NKJV)

The Law of Liberty

14 Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things.

<sup class="versenum">13 </sup>Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.

Peace,

- Davies

 

[Yah1]

This was an indication that the curse God spoke on all the Earth was not to make the things of the Earth useless or defiled in and of themselves, but only by the disobedience of Adam. Created to be infinite, all things were now finite in nature, knowing and end as well as a beginning. Therefore, it wasn't the nature of the sacrifice, but the nature by which it was offered. Abel gave the best available to him. Cain offered "some" of what he had produced. Attitude, not substance.

I don't know about you guys but the older i get the less that earthly things excite me.
It's time we dust off the old spiritual box and start wondering what's next.

 

[farouk]

"The things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace."