Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the
soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an
offering to the LORD. But Abel brought
fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his
offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was
very angry, and his face was downcast.
Then the LORD
said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do
what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right,
sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.
Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s
go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his
brother Abel and killed him. (Genesis 4:2b-8)
Of course, it's impossible to know
what was going through Cain's mind as he hated and killed his brother.
Consider, however, that Cain was born first, but Abel's occupation is listed
first. Cain followed in his father's footsteps. He tilled the soil. It was hot,
sweaty, backbreaking work among weeds and thorns thanks to the God's curse on
the ground. It may have seemed to Cain that Abel wandered around and the
animals followed him. And what would the live stalk eat if it weren't for all Cain's
hard work? Cain brought the sacrifice first. It might even have been his idea
for them to make the sacrifice, but Abel's was accepted.
If you follow history, it happens
over and over. Ishmael and Isaac (consider that ongoing sibling rivalry). Jacob
and Esau. Rachel and Leah. All the
brothers and Joseph. All Jesse's other sons and David. "Siblings"
become "nations", then "races" with the sons of Africa
(which some are now proclaiming to have been the older) and the sons of Europe
(supposedly younger but somehow with all the advantages.) Then, in the 19th
Century, the word "sibling" was changed to "class" but it's
still the same old story: the oppressed rising up and mastering his brother
instead of the sin that crouches at his door.
Our world is filled with Cains and Abels, and
I'll admit, I feel like Cain a lot of the time. There are lots of people who
seem to sail through life while it seems to me like I have to shed blood, sweat
and tears to survive. I have no doubt that there are lots of people who would
look at my life and say that I'm Abel. I wander around and the animals follow me,
eating what they have worked so hard to grow. To them, I don't know the meaning
of oppression or hardship. I have to wonder what would happen if instead of
gazing resentfully at what our Abel has, we dealt with our sin. I have to wonder
what would happen if we followed Booker T. Washington's adage: "I
shall allow no man to belittle my soul by making me hate him."
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Birthday of Joseph
Lister (father of disinfection for whom Listerine was named) Booker T.
Washington
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