April 12, 2008 - Day 4 - Genesis 4
Genesis 4:
I struggled a lot with this chapter because it’s nonsense. It opens with a sex scene, and then we have Cain and Abel. Cain is a farmer and Abel a herder I think. Abel brings a sacrifice of animals which God really gets a kick out of, though lowly Cain brings an offering of crops and - MAN O MAN - God is just not down with that. I assume God isn’t a vegan. You better bring the right offering !! The perception of God here by the author is rather fickle.
Cain gets all butthurt and God reminds him that sin can consume him. This is about the only part of the chapter that makes any sense. This word “sin” has been used as a weapon to condemn for so long that it’s hard for me to hear it and not cringe. I think sin is just whenever we hurt us. “Us” being humanity; I really think it’s that simple. I think we all know what this is, regardless of what we believe. God’s reminder to Cain here is a reminder to all of us.
Well then Cain just up and kills Abel, right after this reminder from God. I guess it didn’t sink in! How often do we hear from someone else what we should probably not do, and then do it anyway? Sounds familiar.
God asks where Abel is (dead) and Cain gives a nice smart ass response. So God rhetorically asks what Cain did and then says the blood of Abel cried out from the ground. This is likely allegorical lol.
So God gets all pissed again and tells Cain that the ground won’t give him food anymore and that he will be homeless. Cain whines that the punishment is too harsh and that someone will come and kill him (not sure why he’s concerned about a hitman but okay).
So God has mercy on Cain, marks him, and says anyone who hurts him will be avenged sevenfold (yes, the band).
FULL STOP. I’ve read through this chapter four times today and it seemed like straight up nonsense until just now. I’m sitting on a flight from Denver to Seattle, and it dawned on me.
Aside from the seven-fold vengeance (which is likely just an add in by a primitive people being tribal), this seems to be about mercy. Even though Cain is a bitter baby and a murderer, God yet still has mercy on him. By any human standard, Cain is certainly not "deserving" of mercy. Humans sure love to know that someone is going to be punished, but what if God is above that?
After this we have a lot of genealogy that isn't terribly interesting, followed by a guy who has two wives and kills one person (or two?) Adam has another son and then we are told that at this time people started to call on the name of the Lord, whatever that means.
Most of this chapter is bizarre but I don't think we should overlook the mercy in the message.
I struggled a lot with this chapter because it’s nonsense. It opens with a sex scene, and then we have Cain and Abel. Cain is a farmer and Abel a herder I think. Abel brings a sacrifice of animals which God really gets a kick out of, though lowly Cain brings an offering of crops and - MAN O MAN - God is just not down with that. I assume God isn’t a vegan. You better bring the right offering !! The perception of God here by the author is rather fickle.
Cain gets all butthurt and God reminds him that sin can consume him. This is about the only part of the chapter that makes any sense. This word “sin” has been used as a weapon to condemn for so long that it’s hard for me to hear it and not cringe. I think sin is just whenever we hurt us. “Us” being humanity; I really think it’s that simple. I think we all know what this is, regardless of what we believe. God’s reminder to Cain here is a reminder to all of us.
Well then Cain just up and kills Abel, right after this reminder from God. I guess it didn’t sink in! How often do we hear from someone else what we should probably not do, and then do it anyway? Sounds familiar.
God asks where Abel is (dead) and Cain gives a nice smart ass response. So God rhetorically asks what Cain did and then says the blood of Abel cried out from the ground. This is likely allegorical lol.
So God gets all pissed again and tells Cain that the ground won’t give him food anymore and that he will be homeless. Cain whines that the punishment is too harsh and that someone will come and kill him (not sure why he’s concerned about a hitman but okay).
So God has mercy on Cain, marks him, and says anyone who hurts him will be avenged sevenfold (yes, the band).
FULL STOP. I’ve read through this chapter four times today and it seemed like straight up nonsense until just now. I’m sitting on a flight from Denver to Seattle, and it dawned on me.
Aside from the seven-fold vengeance (which is likely just an add in by a primitive people being tribal), this seems to be about mercy. Even though Cain is a bitter baby and a murderer, God yet still has mercy on him. By any human standard, Cain is certainly not "deserving" of mercy. Humans sure love to know that someone is going to be punished, but what if God is above that?
After this we have a lot of genealogy that isn't terribly interesting, followed by a guy who has two wives and kills one person (or two?) Adam has another son and then we are told that at this time people started to call on the name of the Lord, whatever that means.
Most of this chapter is bizarre but I don't think we should overlook the mercy in the message.
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