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Daily Devotions

Genesis

Genesis 
Day 
Day 18

"The Lord tests the righteous; but the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates. Upon the wicked He will rain coals; fire and brimstone and a burning wind shall be the portion of their cup." Psalm 11:5-6

Text: Text: Genesis 4:1-26

THE BLOOD OF ABEL CRIES FOR JUSTICE

Cain thought that if he could just quietly dispose of the body of Abel, he could escape detection. He was wrong. He could not escape the eyes of the Lord. Confronting Cain, the Lord said,

“…What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries
out to Me from the ground. So now you are cursed from the earth,
which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood
from your hand. When you till the ground, it shall no longer
yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be
on the earth.”

GENESIS 4:10-12


A STRONG PROTEST

Mercilessly, Cain slew his brother. Yet as God judged him, he protested that his punishment was more than he could bear!

“My punishment is greater than I can bear! Surely You
have driven me out this day from the face of the ground;
I shall be hidden from Your face; I shall be a fugitive
and a vagabond on the earth, and it will happen that anyone
who finds me will kill me.”

GENESIS 4:13-14

Cain was a farmer. Few things could be as frustrating as not being able to farm effectively anymore. The ground would no longer yield its strength to him! He could plant, but his efforts would be in vain.

A farmer’s life is pretty much tied to his farm. His movements would be fairly limited. Throughout the year he would have to attend to the needs of crops. Suddenly, Cain becomes a vagabond, shifting from place to place. Always he has to hide his face in the shadows, for he fears that someone might take revenge on Abel’s behalf and kill him!

There was no asking for forgiveness! There was acceptance that from here on, God’s face would be hidden from view. Cain had become hardened in heart overnight!


THE MARK ON CAIN

The mercy of the Lord was graciously extended to Cain. He would give him protection, even as requested

“Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken
on him sevenfold.”

GENESIS 4:15

To seal this word of promise, God “set a mark on Cain”. We are not certain what that “mark” was. But in any case, it meant that he would receive divine protection from anyone who might have murderous thoughts towards him! How gracious and kind God was towards a cold-blooded murderer like Cain.