Wow, I can't believe how quickly this last week went! Got a lot done and a lot to share, but I am TOTALLY wiped out, so I'll try to make this quick. This week, I got through Genesis chapter 5, and only missed Friday. Not bad for the first week, but still short of the goal. Good thing God's grace is sufficient ;) Here's a quick recap of what these 5 chapters are about:
Genesis 1: The universe is created
Genesis 2: Adam is put in charge of the Garden of Eden and Eve is created
Genesis 3: Adam and Eve sin and are cast out of the Garden
Genesis 4: Cain and Abel are born, Cain murders Abel in a field
Genesis 5: Adam's lineage is traced down to Noah
I want to focus on Chapter 4 today, because it's got some pretty striking stuff in it with respect to worship. Just about everyone knows the story of Cain and Abel, and how it was the first murder recorded in the Bible. A lot of scholars make a big deal out of the fact that it's the first murder, but it's a lot more than that. Let's take a look at what precipitated the act, starting in verse 3 and ending in verse 8.
"And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. So the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 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." Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him."
It's pretty clear that Cain was jealous of Abel because Abel's offering was more pleasing than his own, but why? Well, Cain's offering was just "an offering," according to verse 3, but Abel brought "the firstborn of his flock and of their fat." Abel's offering represented the best of his efforts, but Cain's offering was mediocre, at best. Basically, Cain wanted to get God's blessing without having to give Him the best of his fields, but Abel brought nothing but the best he had to offer. Cain started to sulk about it, and God admonished him, telling him if he had put forth his best efforts, his offering would have also been accepted.
I don't really know why Cain was lazy in his offering, but I'd like to think it was because he was being selfish and wanted to keep the best of his field's produce all to himself. I'm reminded of the parable of the talents in Matthew 25, where three servants were given various talents. The first servant received five talents, the second received two, and the third received one. The first two servants invested their talents and doubled them, but the third did nothing. Upon returning it to the master, the third servant went so far as to insult the master saying "I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you." Of course, the third servant was banished because of his laziness. The main point here is that laziness kills effective worship. I'll be the first to admit that this is a hard pill to swallow. There have been plenty of times where I didn't feel like reaching out to someone for Christ, or doing the best job I could at work, or fill in the blank. It's easy to get lazy because the perceived payoff is immediate, but laziness can really cause your relationship with Christ (as well as any other relationship) to suffer.
Taking this one step further back, it seems like I'm having to ask God for help with a LOT of things lately, which is hard to do for me because I'm a stubborn, type-A person. But I have to say that with all the conviction I've been feeling lately, there is a definite sense of peace that comes with knowing that I don't have to handle this myself. Which reminds me of another passage - Matthew 11:28-30, which says: "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and my burden is light." It seems I've heard those verses a million times, but I think I'm finally starting to understand.
Well that's all I have for tonight. If you have anything you'd like to share, feel free to do so in the Comments below. Otherwise, have a safe week, talk to you soon!
Ben
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