Sibling Rivalry

Week 7 of Bible Study

Read Genesis 4: 6-7

God is warning Cain--and us--that Jealousy can lead to Sin.

Cain is mad that Abel's offering was accepted and his was not.

Cain's anger is misplaced.

Abel did no wrong.

Cain should be mad at himself for not trying harder.

He does not want to accept responsibility for his own wrong.

And his feelings will lead him to action---and to sin.

Read Genesis 4:8

The first murder occurs.....

+

Read Genesis 4:9-10

God already knows what has happened--as evidenced in verse 10

Here was an opportunity to repent, but Cain did not.

How does this apply to us today?

Re-Read Genesis 4:6

This tells us that God knows our heart.

He knows our joys, our sorrow.

He doesn't need to see our expression on our faces.

He doesn't have to wait for us to tell us.

He knows the heart of every person on Earth, every single minute of the day.

Re-Read Genesis 4:7

God is not just warning Cain---He is warning all of us that we can

easily succumb to sin.

He is warning us to stay in control,
master our feelings,

so we are not lead into sin.

Re-Read Genesis 4:9

God knows all, God sees all.

We can not hide anything from God.

He knew Cain's feelings and warned him.

He saw what Cain did and punished him.

And God does the same for us.

Read Genesis 4: 13-15

Although Cain's sin must separate him from God for the rest of his days,

God still loves and protects Cain by marking him.

Had God punished Cain with death, then Cain and his crime would be forgotten.

But because Cain was forced to wander, 

Cain could tell and warn others not to murder.  

He could warn them to guard against jealousy and hatred.

Because God marks Cain He is telling us that we are His creations and only God is Just in our deaths; We are not to murder.

And that includes Abortion

(new technology shows an mri of a 20 week old fetus that is still able to be aborted legally)