There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. —Soren Kierkegaard. "…truth is true even if nobody believes it, and falsehood is false even if everybody believes it. That is why truth does not yield to opinion, fashion, numbers, office, or sincerity–it is simply true and that is the end of it" – Os Guinness, Time for Truth, pg.39. “He that takes truth for his guide, and duty for his end, may safely trust to God’s providence to lead him aright.” – Blaise Pascal. "There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily" – George Washington letter to Edmund Randolph — 1795. We live in a “post-truth” world. According to the dictionary, “post-truth” means, “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” Simply put, we now live in a culture that seems to value experience and emotion more than truth. Truth will never go away no matter how hard one might wish. Going beyond the MSM idealogical opinion/bias and their low information tabloid reality show news with a distractional superficial focus on entertainment, sensationalism, emotionalism and activist reporting – this blogs goal is to, in some small way, put a plug in the broken dam of truth and save as many as possible from the consequences—temporal and eternal. "The further a society drifts from truth, the more it will hate those who speak it." – George Orwell “There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.” ― Soren Kierkegaard
EAST OF EDEN — Public opinion was heavily divided this week after accused murderer Cain raised $1,000,000 in crowdfunding donations after killing his brother, Abel.
All three of the members of Earth’s population were surprised to learn that, despite murdering his own brother, Cain was able to raise funds in excess of one million dollars through the donations of people who visited his crowdfunding page.
“Please consider contributing to the ‘Help Cain’ fund by donating to Cain,” said Cain. “I’m going through a really tough time in my life right now. I’m afraid I’m going to be unfairly targeted based on what everyone has been saying about me. I’m having to uproot my life and move to an entirely different place for my own safety. Any help you could provide would be much appreciated.”
When reached for comment, Abel’s father was outraged that the killer was profiting from his son’s death. “Where is the justice in this?” Adam asked. “Are there actually people who are feeling bad for the man who killed my son? Who is donating to this fund anyway?”
Early reports indicated that Cain had already used some of the donation money to purchase a new $800,000 home in the land of Nod and planned to use more of it to invest in some new farming equipment. “I deserve a fresh start,” Cain said. “After all I’ve endured since the incident, I think it’s the least I could ask for.”
At publishing time, Cain had reportedly started a second crowdfunding drive to pay for his wedding after proposing to his sister.
Babylon Bee subscriber – montgump – contributed to this report. If you want to pitch your own headline ideas to our staff, click here to check out all of our membership options!
Meet Juan. He came to this country with a dream to commit crime. This is his story.
If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. Genesis 4:7
suggested further reading: Ecclesiastes 8:1–14
God will pronounce a dreadful sentence against Cain if the man hardens his mind in wickedness and indulges himself in his crime. The warning is emphatic; God not only repels Cain’s unjust complaint but shows that Cain could have no greater adversary than the sin that he inwardly cherishes.
God so binds the impious man in these concise words that he can find no refuge. It is as if he says, “Your obstinacy will not profit you, for, though you would have nothing to do with me, your sin will give you no rest but will sharply drive you on, pursue you, urge you, and never allow you to escape.” Cain rages in vain but to no profit. He is guilty by his own inward conviction even though no one accuses him. The expression “sin lieth at the door” refers to the interior judgment of the conscience that convinces man of his sin and besieges him on every side.
The impious may imagine that God slumbers in heaven. They may strive to repel fear of his judgment. But sin will perpetually draw these reluctant fugitives back to the tribunal from which they flee.
The expression of Moses has peculiar energy. Sin lieth at the door, meaning the sinner is not immediately tormented with the fear of judgment. Rather, gathering around him whatever delights he can to deceive himself, he appears to walk in free space and to revel in pleasant meadows. However, when he comes to the door, he meets sin, which keeps constant guard. Then conscience, which before was at liberty, is arrested, and he receives double punishment for the delay.
for meditation: When we sin and God convicts us of that sin, we run from judgment in many different ways. But why is it impossible to escape the effects of sin? What kind of punishment can we expect when we finally stop running?1
1 Calvin, J., & Beeke, J. R. (2008). 365 Days with Calvin (p. 24). Day One Publications; Reformation Heritage Books.
“Cain brought an offering to the Lord of the fruit of the ground. And Abel … brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and for his offering; but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard” (Gen. 4:3–5).
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True discipleship is characterized by obedience to God’s Word.
In John 8:31 Jesus issued an important statement to a group of people who were showing an interest in Him: “If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine.” Sadly, they rejected His words, proving themselves to be less than true disciples. Jesus went on to explain why: “He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God” (v. 47). They listened but didn’t really hear. They were interested but not truly committed. They were hearers of the Word but not doers (James 1:22).
In contrast, Abel did what God told him to do. He was, in effect, the first disciple. He was probably a better person than Cain—more friendly, moral, and dependable. But that’s not why God accepted his sacrifice and rejected Cain’s. Abel trusted God, and his faith was counted as righteousness. Like Abraham, whose faith was evidenced by his willingness to obey God and to sacrifice his son Isaac (James 2:21–22), Abel’s faith was evidenced in his obedient offering. He didn’t rely on his own goodness but acknowledged his sin and made the prescribed sacrifice.
Perhaps God indicated His acceptance of Abel’s sacrifice by consuming it with fire, as He did on other occasions in Scripture (Judg. 6:21; 1 Kings 18:38). But whatever means He used, God made his pleasure known to Abel.
Abel’s brief life conveys a simple three-point message: we must come to God by faith; we must receive and obey God’s Word; and, sin brings serious consequences. If you hear and heed that message, you’ll walk the path of true discipleship and will be assured of God’s pleasure.
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Suggestions for Prayer: Make it your goal to please the Lord in everything you do today. Seek His wisdom and grace to do so faithfully.
For Further Study: Read the following verses, noting what they say about pleasing God: 2 Corinthians 5:9; Ephesians 5:6–10; Philippians 2:12–13; Hebrews 11:6; and Hebrews 13:15–16, 20–21.1
“By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain” (Heb. 11:4).
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True worship requires coming to God on His terms.
At the heart of every false religion is the notion that man can come to God by any means he chooses—by meditating, doing good deeds, and so on. But Scripture says, “There is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). That name is Jesus Christ, and we come to Him by confessing and repenting of our sin, trusting in His atoning death on the cross, and affirming His bodily resurrection from the grave (cf. Rom. 10:9–10). There is no other way to God.
Centuries before Christ’s death, God provided a means of worship and sacrifice. Genesis 4:3–5 says, “It came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the Lord of the fruit of the ground. And Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and for his offering; but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard.”
Apparently God had designated a special time for sacrificing because “in the course of time” (v. 3) literally means, “at the end of days”—at the end of a certain period of time. Additionally, He initiated a particular pattern for worship and sacrifices. Otherwise Cain and Abel would have known nothing about how it was to be done.
God required a blood offering for sin. Abel came in faith, acknowledged his sin, and made the appropriate sacrifice. His offering was better than Cain’s because Cain neglected the prescribed sacrifice, thereby demonstrating his unwillingness to submit to God and deal with his sin.
There was nothing intrinsically wrong with Cain’s offering. Grain, fruit, or vegetable offerings were included in the Mosaic Covenant. But the sin offering had to come first. Like so many today, Cain wrongly assumed he could approach God on his own terms. In doing so, he became the father of all false religions, and his name became synonymous with rebellion and apostasy (cf. Jude 11).
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Suggestions for Prayer: Thank God for graciously providing salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. ✧ Be careful never to approach Him irreverently or presumptuously.
For Further Study: Read Jude 11. How did Jude describe the false teachers of his day?1
“By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks” (Heb. 11:4).
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The character of your life will determine the legacy you leave to others.
Bible scholar James Moffatt wrote: “Death is never the last word in the life of a … man. When a man leaves this world, be he righteous or unrighteous, he leaves something in the world. He may leave something that will grow and spread like a cancer or a poison, or he may leave something like the fragrance of perfume or a blossom of beauty that permeates the atmosphere with blessing.”
That’s illustrated in the lives of Adam and Eve’s first sons—Cain and Abel. Cain was an unrighteous man who sought to please God by his own efforts. God rejected him (Gen. 4:5). Abel was a righteous man who worshiped God in true faith. God accepted him (v. 4).
In a jealous rage, Cain murdered Abel, becoming the first human being to take the life of another. He forever stands as a testimony to the utter tragedy of attempting to please God apart from true faith. For “without faith,” Hebrews 11:6 says, “it is impossible to please Him.” Cain tried and failed—as have millions who have followed in his footsteps.
Abel, on the other hand, was the first man of faith. Prior to the Fall, Adam and Eve had no need of faith in the same way as their descendants. They lived in the paradise of Eden and had direct contact with God. Their children were the first to have need of faith in its fullest sense.
Cain’s legacy is rebellion, heartache, and judgment. Abel’s is righteousness, justice, and saving faith. His life proclaims the central message of redemption: righteousness is by faith alone.
What legacy will you leave to those who follow? I pray they will see in you a pattern of righteousness and faithfulness that inspires them to follow suit.
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Suggestions for Prayer: Praise God for righteous Abel and all who have followed his example. ✧ Ask Him to guard you from ever rebelling against His Word.
For Further Study: Read Genesis 4:1–16 and 1 John 3:11–12. ✧ What was God’s counsel to Cain after rejecting his offering? ✧ Why did Cain kill Abel? ✧ How did God punish Cain?1
1 John 3:11-18 In this week’s studies, we look at the second of three contrasts, which continue the themes of the earlier three tests.
Theme
The Example of Cain
Here John is in perfect accord with the Lord’s teaching regarding murder as found in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus said, “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old, Thou shalt not kill and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of judgment; but I say unto you that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of judgment; and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council; but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire” (Matt. 5:21-22).
In Christ’s day the rulers of Israel had taken the sixth commandment of the Decalogue, which said, “You shall not kill [murder],” and had combined it with a verse in Numbers that demanded death for anyone who unlawfully took another person’s life (Num. 35:30). The implication was that the sixth commandment referred to nothing more or less than this ultimate and external act. “But is this what murder is?” asked Jesus. Is it nothing more or less than this ultimate act? Is there no guilt connected to the man who would like to kill his brother but is afraid to do it or too weak to carry it out? “No,” said Jesus. True murder is that which is conceived in the heart. For from within, out of the heart of man, come “evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man” (Matt. 15:19-20). Consequently, a person is guilty before God for heart attitudes as much as for the outward, visible actions that flow from one’s sin. By God’s definition hatred is as much murder as the unlawful taking of another’s life.
John has taken Cain as an example of hatred because Cain’s murder of Abel is a perfect contrast to Christ’s giving of Himself for His brethren, which is to come next. But we must not miss the fact that the nature of Cain is seen in jealousy and hatred even though actual murder does not always flow from it. This truth is now unfolded in verse 13, for John moves easily from the actions and attitudes of Cain toward Abel to the attitude of the world toward Christians. “Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.” Cain is the prototype of this world; the devil is the prince of this world, as he was the spiritual father of Cain. It is therefore only to be expected that the spiritual progeny of Cain will continue to hate and persecute the spiritual progeny of Abel.
Just as jealousy and hatred in a life indicate that the person involved is of the world and not of the family of God, so also do love and self-sacrifice indicate that such a one has passed out of the world and into God’s family. John therefore turns to an analysis of Christian love, elaborating his statements over against the background of the world’s hatred and murderous designs. In this section he restates and elaborates upon the social test itself, digs deeper into love’s essential nature, and finally suggests two ways in which Christians may show love practically.
Once again John brings forward the social test, but this time he does so in the context of a black and white contrast with the world’s hatred. In the Greek text the opening pronoun is in a prominent position and therefore emphasized. It has the effect of saying, “Whatever may be the attitudes and actions of the world, we who are Christians are different; we love one another. This is evidence of the fact that we are God’s children.”
Study Questions
How did Jesus get to the crux of the problem of hate and sin?
What are some passages you find that pertain to the hostility between the world and God’s people?
Application
Application: What expressions of hatred do Christians experience today from the spiritual progeny of Cain? How ought Christians to respond to such persecution?
Key Point: Cain is the prototype of this world; the devil is the prince of this world, as he was the spiritual father of Cain. It is therefore only to be expected that the spiritual progeny of Cain will continue to hate and persecute the spiritual progeny of Abel.
For Further Study: Download for free and listen to James Boice’s message, “The Grace of Giving.” (Discount will be applied at checkout.)
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