We all fall

 

Genesis 4:1-9

1 The man had sexual relations with Havah his wife; she conceived, gave birth to Kayin [acquisition] and said, "I have acquired a man from ADONAI."   2 In addition she gave birth to his brother Hevel. Hevel kept sheep, while Kayin worked the soil.   3 In the course of time Kayin brought an offering to ADONAI from the produce of the soil;   4 and Hevel too brought from the firstborn of his sheep, including their fat. ADONAI accepted Hevel and his offering   5 but did not accept Kayin and his offering. Kayin was very angry, and his face fell.   6 ADONAI said to Kayin, "Why are you angry? Why so downcast?   7 If you are doing what is good, shouldn't you hold your head high? And if you don't do what is good, sin is crouching at the door - it wants you, but you can rule over it."   8 Kayin had words with Hevel his brother; then one time, when they were in the field, Kayin turned on Hevel his brother and killed him.   9 ADONAI said to Kayin, "Where is Hevel your brother?" And he replied, "I don't know; am I my brother's guardian?"
“Kayin and Hevel”, Cain and Abel are a story and an example of how we live as a society today. Adam and Eve display the example of what we are seeing in couples today but this study is about the relationship between mankind. This example reaches all the way to Isaac and Ishmael. It reveals the misunderstanding that can be created if communication is not utilized. Most people fault Cain for his actions but there is two sides to every story. What did Abel do wrong and/or right?
First let’s look at both brothers. In verse 3, Cain brought the fruit of his garden, or “produce of the soil”. We can assume that this fruit wasn’t just some fruit but award winning fruit that would have taking first place at any county or state fair. Cain brought the best and most delicious fruit. But why, in verse 5 did God not accept Cain’s offering. Let’s first examine Cain, throughout the Bible Cain is given a bad rap sheet. In Jude 11 it says, Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam's error; they have been destroyed in Korah's rebellion. 1 John 3:12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brothers were righteous.  In Proverbs 29:10, the nature of Cain is given as a “bloodthirsty man who hates the integrity of a man and will seek to kill the upright”. In studying Hebrew text the translation is “mortal bloodshed hate pious and therefore straight search out a breathing creature”. All of this demonstrates the actions of Cain. You see Cain was doing something wrong and, from my point of few, did not acknowledge it and accept the correction God was giving him. What was it? Verse 7 of Genesis 4 is where a lot of the questioning of what Cain did comes to light. God asks him why is he angry, in verse 6 and 7 God tells him “if you are doing good, shouldn’t you hold your head up”? If you are doing what is not good, sin is crouching at your door-it wants you, BUT YOU CAN RULE OVER IT”. God gave some words of inspiration to Cain, God saw what was wrong, acknowledged it, and gave him a way to overcome it. Isn’t that like with most of us, when we get into a situation, The Silent Whisper tells us how to get out of it, but we handle it in our own way. Sounds familiar huh Cain? Even Judah had this situation in Genesis 44:16 "What can we say to my lord?" Judah replied. "What can we say? How can we prove our innocence? God has uncovered your servants' guilt. We are now my lord's slaves--we ourselves and the one who was found to have the cup."
In later offerings God gave instruction on how various offerings are to be given unto Him. Leviticus 2: 1 “‘When someone brings a grain offering to the LORD, his offering is to be of fine flour. He is to pour oil on it, put incense on it  2 and take it to Aaron's sons the priests. The priest shall take a handful of the fine flour and oil, together with all the incense, and burn this as a memorial portion on the altar, an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD.
Let’s define flour, Flour is a powder which is made by grinding cereal grains, beans, or other seeds or roots. It is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many cultures, making the availability of adequate supplies of flour a major economic and political issue at various times throughout history.
Now let’s define sacrifice, the act of giving up something that you want to keep especially in order to get or do something else or to help someone.
So to put this into perspective, the sacrifice of flour represents the physical human. Our bodies are made of many molecules. Which then present the various functioning parts that make us human beings. As stated in Leviticus 2, the preparation process is simple mixing oil, flour, and incense. Flour being the staple food represents a human being, which without a human or human’s a culture could not exist. Now animals do have cultures but only a human is able to order and be an example of wisdom. The oil is the blessings that holds everything together because without it we would continue to fall apart. The incense is what we present as an acceptable demeanor in Gods Glorious Eyesight. All three create the complete sacrifice to God that can be acceptable. Offerings have a preparation process that it has to go through before it can be acceptable for sacrifice. This can be seen on the physical level when Christ was taken through a preparation process before eventually dying on the cross as the Ultimate Sacrifice. In Cain’s issue God saw what was in Cain’s heart yet Cain did not recognize it. I caught an important statement in the sacrifices of Cain and Abel, ….God accepted Abel and his offering but did not accept Cain and his offering…. God did not accept Cain, which means that there was something wrong with Cain. Cain needed to correct himself before he brought a sacrifice for an offering. We all need to look at this, me-I-you-we need to check ourselves before we can be acceptable to God for sacrifice; which is a daily task for me I might add.
Hebrew 11:4 By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.
Rom 10:17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.
I use to think Abel did something wrong because of his answer to Cain is not written down. My feeling was that Abel should have explained to Cain what he may have been doing wrong. But God has put me into Abel situations and I have found that people, once in an anger or resentment stage, will shoot you down regardless. I now understand that I have to maintain an Abel mind and get out of God’s Way so Adonai can handle the individual person. I have to stand in faith while I continue to strive in the proper work ethics acceptable to the Standards of El Shaddai.
Cain and Abel are examples of how we treat each other and carry ourselves today. In all of life everything starts off with the individual. It’s not about mama, daddy, or neighbors, but what the individual person manages in life. What the individual person is, is the sacrifice in today’s society. We have to prepare ourselves and maintain that preparation in order to be a continual sacrifice to God. God has plans for all of us and we all have to find that place in life where God can use us.
Proverbs 27:17 as iron sharpens iron, so shall one man sharpen another.
Proverbs 28:14 Blessed is the man who always fears the LORD, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble.

Proverbs 24:16 for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again…

Micah 7:8 Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light.

Psalms 34:19 A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all;

Stand and rejoice in the Lords Everlasting Mercy, no matter what we have done in the past; Mercy says we can overcome. Just as he told Cain, we all can rise up when we fall in the Eyesight’s of the Almighty because He delivers us out of all situation. Create inside me a righteous man Oh Father, help me to be pleasing in your Sight. We can find Shelter in our Lord but we, me, I have to acknowledge my wrong doings and strive to be righteous in Eyesight’s of The Almighty.