Lent is over, we actively observed Holy week, and we celebrated Easter.
Did you find some Sabbath in the midst of everything last week?
This week we are starting a new series. This five-week series came to mind as we spent last summer looking at the women at the Bible. For the next five Sundays we will look at dudes with bad attitudes.
Any guesses on the five we will look at? I will give you a few clues…
They are all guys
They are all from the Old Testament
I’ll wait a moment for you to write down your guesses… maybe if someone guesses all five, they will get a prize. No cheating if you have looked ahead at the worship schedule.
Over the next five weeks we are invited to look at these five fellas from the Old Testament that made poor choices and what we can learn from them.
This week we will be looking at Cain, this is a fascinating story. It is found in Genesis chapter 4, starting at verse 2b…
2b Abel cared for the flocks, and Cain farmed the fertile land.
3 Some time later, Cain presented an offering to the Lord from the land’s crops 4 while Abel presented his flock’s oldest offspring with their fat. The Lord looked favorably on Abel and his sacrifice 5 but didn’t look favorably on Cain and his sacrifice. Cain became very angry and looked resentful. 6 The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why do you look so resentful? 7 If you do the right thing, won’t you be accepted? But if you don’t do the right thing, sin will be waiting at the door ready to strike! It will entice you, but you must rule over it.”
8 Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” When they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
9 The Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”
Cain said, “I don’t know. Am I my brother’s guardian?”
10 The Lord said, “What did you do? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground. 11 You are now cursed from the ground that opened its mouth to take your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you farm the fertile land, it will no longer grow anything for you, and you will become a roving nomad on the earth.”
13 Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is more than I can bear. 14 Now that you’ve driven me away from the fertile land and I am hidden from your presence, I’m about to become a roving nomad on the earth, and anyone who finds me will kill me.”
15 The Lord said to him, “It won’t happen; anyone who kills Cain will be paid back seven times.” The Lord put a sign on Cain so that no one who found him would assault him. 16 Cain left the Lord’s presence, and he settled down in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
What stands out to you in this story?
Are you more surprised by Cain’s actions or God’s actions in this story?
What does this story reveal to us about who God is?
Let’s talk about it on Sunday.
~ Pastor Dustin
