Genesis 4:1-9
Cain and Abel were the first sons and first siblings. They grew up together, depending upon one another because there were not a lot of other kids in the neighborhood. We are not told if their relationship was close, or if it was marred with sibling rivalry. Because of what happened, it seems that there might have been a great deal of tension between them.
We don’t know how much information they possessed about God. We do know that God was accustomed to spending time with their parents in the Garden, before the great fiasco called sin. It seems likely that they would have passed on this knowledge of God to their two sons. We do know that Cain and Abel possessed a desire to offer sacrifices to God. That is where the problem started.
Able was a shepherd and Cain was a farmer. Both were noble professions. It seems natural and right that a shepherd would offer a lamb, and a farmer would offer grain, as their sacrifices. Although Cain and Abel did not have the advantage of reading the book of Leviticus, both lambs and grain were acceptable offerings to God. There does not seem to be anything about the offering itself that caused a problem.
Therefore, if the gift was acceptable, the problem must have been with the giver. This is one of those places where we wish the Bible provided a little more information. I would like to know why the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering; but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard.
The Bible is very clear that God often has respect for specific individuals and we are not always told the reason. When God despaired that He had ever created humans, we are told that Noah found favor with God, but we don’t know anything about him. God frequently demonstrated favor to Joseph, but from what we are told about his childhood, most of us would call him a spoiled brat. Samson was greatly blessed by God, which seems totally inappropriate considering his lifestyle.
The only consolation is to realize that God knows much more than we know about one another. God sees the inner being; He knows the heart. Noah, Joseph, Samson, and all the others proved to be useful to God. In the same way, Abel had been singled out by God.
Cain did not like being second fiddle, since he was the first-born. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell . The "countenance" refers to a person’s face. To say that a person’s countenance fell is a graphic description of what is seen in their face, their expression. Cain was angry and it showed on his face.
He was angry enough that even if God did not know Cain’s heart, He could tell that his countenance had fallen. God offered him the opportunity to explain his anger. Perhaps this is the first example of therapy. Picture Cain, lying on God’s couch, and God says, "Tell me about your anger, why are you so mad?"
Cain left his session with God and went straight to his brother Abel. We don’t know if he went to apologize or to continue to vent his anger. We are not told about Abel’s response. Was he understanding? Supportive? Frightened? What did he say? Whatever it was, it was the wrong thing. The next time they were in the field together, Cain rose up and killed his brother Abel.
The biblical writer would never make a good fiction author. He is too matter-of-fact. As we read the story, we are in hopes that Cain and Abel can work out their problem. Especially after speaking with God and unloading his anger, we would hope that things would be better between them. Then, all of a sudden, he killed his brother.
Human history is filled with murders. They are the source of great fascination. A novel or a television drama seems incomplete without a murder mystery. Even in real life, a dramatic murder always captures our attention. No doubt, you have heard of O.J. Simpson and Scott Peterson. Murder has been a problem since the beginning of time.
When God arrived at the first murder scene, His investigation began with the penetrating question to Cain, the lead suspect. "Where is Abel your brother?"
Like any good suspect on television’s Law and Order, Cain denied his involvement, "I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?"
He quickly discovered the answer to his question. He is definitely his brother’s keeper. We are all keepers of our brother (and sister). This is the lesson that Adam needed to learn as well. In order for the human race to multiply, it was imperative that he assume his position as keeper of the brotherhood.
Authentic stewardship requires that we care for one another. We do not live in isolation. From the beginning when God saw that it was not good for man to be alone, community was imperative. At first, it was a community of two. However, the community quickly multiplied and eventually split into multiple communities.
What Adam learned from the failure of his first two sons is that we are responsible for one another. An isolated hermit is not a good steward because he avoids being his brother’s keeper. In our time, when communication and travel push us toward becoming a global community, this concept is especially important. Because I can communicate with someone on the other side of the planet means that I can also affect their life for good or evil. The ability to travel from the top to the bottom of the earth in a matter of hours means that my neighborhood is very extensive.
Authentic stewardship means that we expand our area of concern far beyond our immediate family and next-door neighbors. We are global citizens. The lifestyle choices I make for myself create a ripple effect that can circle the globe.
Remember when you were young and your mother placed a meal on the table that did not qualify as one of your favorites. After picking through the vegetables and moving the meat around on your plate, you were finished. However, your mother, who was concerned about your diet, knew that you did not eat enough. If you resisted long enough, you might hear a comment like this – "Clean you plate because there are kids in China (or name another third-world country) starving to death!"
I was always smart enough to know that stuffing my face with meatloaf was not going to pacify a hungry child in China. I am also confident that my mother was not trying to solve the world hunger problem. She was simply trying to motivate me to eat.
However, there is a real sense that what I do makes a difference around the world. When I over consume the world’s resources, there is less available for others. Yet, it is also true that when I purchase goods and services, it puts money and resources into the pockets of others. It is a very delicate balance.
Since we have defined authentic stewardship as living in a healthy relationship with God, that means we are interconnected with one another. As we are related to God, we are related to one another. We are family. Families have responsibilities to one another. Healthy families fulfill these responsibilities; unhealthy ones do not.
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