Genesis 4 (Cain and Abel)
Cain and Abel both look like good worshipers. But in their hearts, only Abel is good. Cain is evil. When God rejects Cain’s sacrifice, Cain gets discouraged, angry and jealous. This shows his worship was actually all about himself.
What does God do with Cain the sinner?
- God is caring and concerned. He warns Cain when Cain first gets angry. He questions him afterwards. He even protects Cain after Cain is forced out. God shows his LOVE.
- God makes things right by punishing evil. Because Abel’s blood cries out, God curses Cain. God shows his FAIRNESS.
It’s great to see God’s love and fairness. But the story still has a sad ending, doesn’t it? It makes us wish God had a better way to show love and fairness at the same time—a way with a happier ending.
Well, he does. When we sin, we can know that God’s FAIRNESS means the sin gets punished. But his LOVE means Jesus took that punishment instead of us.
The blood of Jesus cries out too. Like Abel’s blood, it tells God to be fair. But because Jesus has already been punished instead of us, being fair means God will forgive us.
So if we belong to Jesus, we know God forgives us. We know it because of his love and his fairness.
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