April 25
Cain
Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. Genesis 4:8 (NKJV)
You’ll have a hard time finding someone who doesn’t know the story of Cain and Abel. Embedded in most of our memory banks is the knowledge that Cain murdered his innocent brother Abel. Even the very name of “Cain” has become synonymous with something bad and evil. When was the last time you heard of a newborn baby being named Cain?
Granted, what Cain did was incredibly evil, but it’s interesting how God responds to Cain after murdering Abel. He doesn’t just write him off or destroy the man. Incredibly, God goes so far as to protect Cain from anyone who would try to do the same thing to him that he did to his brother:
And the LORD said to him, “Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the LORD set a mark on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him. (Genesis 4:15 NKJV)
The Lord sets a mark of protection on Cain, despite his guilt. And in doing so, He’s setting a precedent for mankind, a precedent of His grace abounding in the presence of man’s sin.
Such is the case when it comes to all sin. To a certain extent, all of us are as guilty as Cain was. Maybe not when it comes to murdering a fellow human being, but when it comes to meeting God’s perfect standards, all of us have fallen short…which means we all fall into the category of “sinners.”
But in the presence of our sin, the grace of God has abounded in the form of His Son, who was punished on the cross in our place. God graciously protected Cain even though he didn’t deserve it, and it’s a good thing for us that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more… (Romans 5:20 NKJV)
Think About It…
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
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