Bible Study Cont.

Cain: Genesis 4

What kind of relationship did Cain have with God?2.) According to the story, who is responsible for our sins?

Student: "Cain was not dedicated to God's service, he didn't give him the best, he just gave him what fell on the ground. When God spoke to Cain he didn't respond. He did not communicate with Him. As with some of us today, God speaks and we don't listen, yet when we get in trouble we think that God has did us wrong."

Teacher: "On the contrary, I think that Cain had a very close relationship with God. He knew God personally. He talked with God and God talked with him. The last thing he wanted was to be banished from God. He even made an offering to God without any promptings. I only wish that I had such a close relationship with God as Cain did. What went wrong?"
I don't know if Cain did not "heed" the warning. He certainly did not take it to heart. It seems that he followed his own heart instead of God's.

Two more questions concerning Cain: the first one is obvious, but needs to be asked. How does Cain treat his brother Abel?

And the second one is, from a literary standpoint, who does Cain represent in this story?

What was Cain's real "sin" that caused this further separation from God? That is, if Adam was banished from the Garden for being self -centered and not placing God first, what MORE did Cain do in order to be banished from God's presence?

Could it be so simple as to say that murder is wrong because it does not show love to one's neighbor? When we murder, we once again give in to ourselves (become our own god) thus usurping God's place in our lives?

This is a surprisingly difficult lesson isn't it? I think we hit on the essential issue, though. It's not the shedding of blood that is the issue as much as "hate." Even the Commandment does not really say "You will not kill." It is” You will not murder." Hatred, I think turns killing into murder. HATRED, as "joe"reminded us, IS MURDER. Cain hated his brother and he feared God. For this, I think, he was expelled from God's side, though he still maintained God's protection. Cain is us Christians in a very real way. We are saved and therefore we have God's protection. But what keeps us from truly getting close to God? We hate our neighbors and we fear God. WE are Cain.