grace

Cain’s Mark

/ EloquentMuse / Leave a comment

The story of Cain and Abel brings up so many questions.

Was Cain’s mark a visible thing or just a sign between him and God? The world had become populated enough that it wasn’t possible for word of mouth to travel. Not everyone would know to not kill Cain or harm him without worse harm in return. Why did God do this for him? Why would he be worried that others would know about his bad reputation with God and yet not know that God didn’t want him killed? Why didn’t God want him killed?

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. And Abel also brought an offering—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 rule over it.” Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. – Genesis 4:2b-8

Most of us know the story of Cain and Abel. There was a rivalry between two brothers, a jealousy that ran amok, and a man who turned into the first murderer on Earth. The most interesting theory on their rivalry states that they weren’t just at odds in this one sacrifice but rather “which one would have the Temple of Jerusalem built in his domain.” (biblicalarchaeology) Throughout the Bible, there could only be one temple. It was the place where sacrifices were made, and one could not build a temple or altar without the express permission of God. It’s a possible explanation.

Once God confronted Cain about his murder, He set a punishment upon him as a wanderer who would never again be able to farm the land.

Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is more than I can bear. Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” But the Lord said to him, “Not so; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. So Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden. – Genesis 4:13-16

In various parts of the Bible (Ezekiel 9:4; Revelations 7:3, 13:6) God marks his people on their forehands and hands to show ownership and protection. The Beast or Antichrist in Revelations does the same to his followers. We know only one of those will be able to follow through in His protections.

It’s hard to say with as little information is given, so we can’t tell if Cain repents of his actions or simply is afraid now that there are consequences. So, either God is expressing his forgiveness or He felt wandering the Earth (a symbol of being spiritually lost) without the gift he once had (agriculture) was more punishment than death.

So, what was the mark, exactly? No one knows, so it’s all wild speculation, and like everything else, some people used these wild speculations as reason to use the Lord’s name in vain. Yeah, they used the Bible to explain why they were breaking it. One racist idea was that the mark was black skin. People used that as a reason to treat others as lesser than. First, that’s not being love to others. Second, being hatred and blaming it on God is literally using the Lord’s name in vain.

This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead that this law of the LORD is to be on your lips. For the LORD brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand. – Exodus 13:9

You shall bind them (commandments) as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. – Deuteronomy 6:8

Just as observances were to be like signs/marks and the commandments were to be attached to your hands and forehead (not necessarily literally) as reminders of God’s ways and relationship with His people, God’s mark on us would serve as a reminder that we are His. Cain’s mark served as a reminder to everyone Cain met that God would punish those who harmed him. He is God’s and all punishment remains with God.

It does seem, though, that it was a physical or obvious mark for everyone to know not to harm Cain. However, it could’ve been a figurative mark, or sign, between God and Cain like a promise of protection. In this situation, if anyone didn’t believe Cain that God didn’t want him killed, he or she would be met with consequence.

However, when we read that Cain “went out from the Lord’s presence” to live even further from Eden, we get this sense that Cain was separated from God’s presence. He went to the Land of Nod, which uses the root of the Hebrew word “to wander.” His world is upset, and he no longer is connected to God’s creation as a farmer. He establishes a city, but it’s hard to say whether he settled there or merely established it before his family settled there eventually. Whether he was ever able to live in that city, he remains spiritually lost and disconnected from God and the grounded-ness of his former profession.

This is a story that serves as a reminder that, without God, we’re all awash in a sea, lost, and disconnected from our roots, like Cain. Also like Cain, God gives every possible chance for salvation.

One hopes Cain eventually repented and accepted God’s grace.

God bless!

Sources other than Bible:
https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/people-cultures-in-the-bible/people-in-the-bible/cain-and-abel-in-the-bible/
https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/bible-interpretation/what-happened-to-cain-in-the-bible/
https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/mark-cain/
https://nakedbiblepodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/NB-171-Transcript.pdf
https://www.blueletterbible.org/faq/don_stewart/don_stewart_715.cfm
http://www.biblestudy.org/basicart/what-is-the-mark-of-cain.html
http://apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=6&article=5098
https://www.baslibrary.org/biblical-archaeology-review/6/6/4

You are Genesis

/ EloquentMuse / Leave a comment

Most of us read Genesis, even the origin story of humanity, and automatically imagine Adam, Eve, and their children as specific individuals. What if I told you that literalism may not be the only intention of this story?

There are as many ways to translate the Bible as there are people in the world. We’re all reading the books from our own perspectives, experiences, cultures, and in our own languages. However, it’s important to remember that the Bible is made up of several forms of literature, including poetry, wisdom works, parables, history, war stories, and of course origin tales. We should know the writers’ intentions for each book and what literature traditions influenced them.

Since creation stories in many cultures were very symbolic, it’d be in keeping with this tradition that the beginning of Genesis would be much the same. This is about people who show up as our first humans: Adam, Eve, Cain, Able, and Seth.

Adam’s name is Enosh in Hebrew, which means simply man or mankind. Eve’s name is Chavah, which means breath or living. Together, they are humanity and the ability of creation and birth.

There is plenty of Biblical evidence that they were real individuals. Genesis delves into the beginnings of the genealogical tree naming a hundred “begats” and the age of each person when they died. It’s not unreasonable, however, to entertain the possibility that, although these may have been real individuals, they also performed the double function of symbolizing humanity.

Adam and Eve have parallels in the New Testament. Jesus is referred to as the last Adam in 1 Corinthians 15:45.

The Scriptures tell us, “The first man, Adam, became a living person.” But the last Adam–that is, Christ–is a life-giving Spirit.

Wives, and Eve as the first wife, are referred to as the Church in Ephesians 5:32.

In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. Indeed, no one ever hated his own body, but he nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church. For we are members of His body. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This mystery is profound, but I am speaking about Christ and the church.

Consider this:

And from the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man, He made a woman and brought her to him. And the man said: “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for out of man she was taken. – Genesis 2:22

It states that Eve came from Adam’s rib because the church comes from Jesus. When it states that Eve was bone of Adam’s bone and flesh of his flesh, that’s because the church is the body of Christ. Eve was the mother of all living, spiritual alive, but her childbirth is painful because it’s a difficult process to be reborn in Christ.

Finally, in Revelations 12, the woman clothed with the sun is just like Eve.

A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days…

When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach. Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus. – Revelations 12:1-17

Eve was cursed with painful childbirth, and she gave birth to the twelve Israelite nations, some who fell from grace. The dragon is reminiscent of the serpent in the garden, and the male child the woman gives birth to is a clear parallel to Jesus who will rule all nations. Obviously, that child was brought back up to heaven for awhile. Yet, the woman (the church) is still pursued by evil (the dragon), but God has protected us. The offspring of the church is all of the Children of God.

Adam and Eve were the original groom and bride. Jesus referred to the church as a bride or virgin/maiden waiting upon His return eagerly (Matthew 25). Even Revelations refers to the woman clothed with the sun and a star crown, which draws several parallels with Eve and the church.

Onward to their children, Cain, Able, and Seth. There’s a lot to unpack with all this, most of which we won’t be doing today.

Cain in Hebrew is Kayan, which means acquired or possession. Able is Hebhel, which means breath or vanity. Seth is Sheyt, which stands for compensation. Cain’s parents acquired him from God, Able was a new life (breath), and Seth was their compensation for what they lost. Some sources state Cain was preoccupied with possessing and acquiring, which very much may be true, but I’ve found nothing to substantiate it to my satisfaction.

Cain was raised to carry on Adam’s livelihood, agriculture, but Able became a herder. We typically assume the first time God handed down rules or ways to worship Him was with Moses, but there’s signs to indicate that’s just not true. Cain and Able made offerings of grains and lamb, respectively, which indicates some sort of communication about sacrifices. It’s abundantly clear that God spoke with them regularly because when God speaks to Cain before and after Able’s death, he isn’t terrified like most people are in later Bible stories. In fact, he’s quite sarcastic with Him.

And the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I do not know!” he answered. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” – Genesis 4:9

So, we have reason to believe God gave them specific instructions, and Cain didn’t follow them.

This is my own take on the subject of their symbolism. When his gift was rejected, we know his fury became out of hand.

So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. The Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.’ Genesis 4:3-8

Cain could be symbolic of trying to gain salvation or approval by works alone while Able is symbolic of gaining salvation through faith. They both appear, on the outside, to be good; obviously, Cain offered from “the fruit of the ground.” In the same way, Jesus shames those who display themselves as holy but inside are rotten.

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. – Matthew 23:27-28

Please compare to the Pharisees of Jesus’ time who would rely on their own works to bring them into God’s favor, believing that following the letter of the law made them superior. In jealousy of Jesus, who lived by faith and the spirit of the law, they murdered Him, also referred to as a type of shepherd. We could also see Cain as the Israelites losing their privileged place as the first born, giving the lineage of Jesus to Seth just as the gentiles were given the ability to join as Children of God. It’s a strong parallel and an important lesson about all sins stemming from the heart.

Cain receives the punishment of being a wanderer (which is symbolic, too, of a lost soul). Cain is afraid of being killed due to his new reputation. This, combined with the fact he’s being punished, indicates that God not only already told Adam, Eve, and their family that murder is wrong, but everyone else they would come across already knew that law too.

Notice, though, something God does when Cain expresses his fear.

But the Lord said to him, “Not so; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. So Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden. Genesis 4:15-16

God continues to place Cain in His protection, attempting to express His love. There is a possibly that Cain could be saved. God wishes for no one to perish, not even Cain. Not even the Jews, who would have the chance to be reborn, too.

Every one of these characters is us. We are the humanity who holds promise of creativity and rebirth, we are the humanity that falls like stars from a crown, we are the humanity that is protected by God’s graces and willingness to save, we are the humanity who is raised once again to live amongst God in His Kingdom back where we belong.

It’s fascinating that a single Bible story could tell of our entire history, present, and future in so few words.

Sources other than Bible. Some are related to this article; some are just interesting:
http://www.ancient-hebrew.org/articles_cainandabel.html
http://evidenceforchristianity.org/could-characters-like-cain-and-abel-be-symbolic-or-presentativer/
https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4480857,00.html
http://whatthebiblesays.info/AdamandEve.html
https://biblehub.com/commentaries/genesis/4-26.htm
https://www.chabad.org/theJewishWoman/article_cdo/aid/335943/jewish/Chavah-Mother-of-All-Life.htm
Strong’s Concordance
https://biblehub.com/library/bunyan/the_works_of_john_bunyan_volumes_1-3/a_discourse_upon_the_pharisee.htm
http://modeoflife.org/cain-and-abel-and-the-publican-and-the-pharisee-accounts-in-parallel/
https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2954&context=auss

How Do I Know I’m Saved?

/ EloquentMuse / Leave a comment

How do I know if I’m saved? What if I’m not good? What if I keep on sinning?

Before I was aware of the intricacies of salvation, I was afraid. In an earlier post, I wrote a testimony about my childhood experience of God “speaking” to me. There seem to be so many rules, especially when you focus on the old testament, and it overwhelmed me because I couldn’t even remember them all. Forget following them. So, I asked God to give me anything I could remember, so no matter what I faced in life, I would know I was doing the right thing. I wasn’t exactly expecting anything, but if I got a summary of His laws, it would probably be at least a paragraph. A single word came to mind:

love.

So, I set upon my Bible immediately, and it fell right to this verse:

“And when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they themselves gathered together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested Him with a question: “Teacher, which commandment is the greatest in the Law?”

Jesus declared, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:34-40

Love here is the Greek ἀγαπήσεις, which means have preference for, wish well to, regard the welfare of, welcome with desire, or long for. (strongs)

It seemed impossible for a word to sum everything up, yet it’s never proved itself wrong no matter what I’ve experienced so far in life. God is love, and it makes more and more sense as time passes by. So, what does this have to do with Salvation?

First thing you need to know is that salvation didn’t start when Jesus came to Earth as man. If you say it was because he was good man, you’re dead wrong.

“What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.

But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness . . . . Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised. . . . Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.” (Romans 4:1–5, 9–10, 16)

No one has ever in the history of ever been saved because they were good enough, nor because they did enough good works to make up for sins, nor because they were able to completely stop sinning at some point in their life. Case in point: Abraham. Before there were Jews, Christians, or even the Israelite nation, there lived Abraham (aka Abram). We aren’t told much about him before God called on him.

“The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

“I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.”

So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him.” Genesis 12:1-4

God was making Abraham promises before he took a single step. God chose Abraham before he’d done anything righteously noteworthy. Essentially, God was saying, have faith, believe in my promises, and I’ll give them to you, and these were Earth-shaking promises. Abraham believed God. The next section, we see Abraham lying to a pharaoh and almost causing his wife to commit adultery or be raped. God saved her from this, but seriously, Abraham. He doesn’t seem perfect to me. Then, he started worrying that God wasn’t going to follow through with His promises when he and his wife grew old and childless. How would his children grow into a nation if he didn’t have children? He started making plans to make a servant an heir. It says,

“Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness.” Genesis 15:6

He had momentary doubts and worries, but he decided to continue having faith in God. So, God considered Abraham righteous. Did you see it say that Abraham did this great thing, he had a heart of gold, and stopped making mistakes, so God credited to him as righteousness? Nope. It said God considered Abraham righteous because he believed God. Abraham was saved. He was righteous. Because he had faith in God and His promises.

Let’s rewind back to love.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Yep, it’s the same word from Greek here. Do you notice that part of loving someone, including God, means you trust them? You can’t love God and not trust Him. That is faith. He sees what we don’t, and we won’t always see the top of the staircase, even if we’re called to walk up it. Abraham worried, too, what the next step would be because he couldn’t see the top, and the staircase was getting a little lengthy.

Abraham loved God eventually, but it started with trust and faith. That’s how he was saved.

I’m going to drag this out a little, forgive me, but I want to illustrate this further so you can fully understand.

God is called our father and we His children. Now, for those of you who have children or even someone you love a whole lot, picture this scenario.

Imagine y’all are walking along, and you see a sharp ravine. In the ravine are railroad tracks. You warn them to not get too close, but nevertheless, they suddenly slip and fall. It’s too steep for them to climb themselves out and now there’s a train bearing down, whistling a sharp note of warning. The only one who can save them is you. Do you:

1) Consider whether they have been good to you first

2) Reach out a saving hand for them to grab

I’m guessing for most of you with a heart, you’ll grab them without a second thought. If you would do this, and you’re a mere fallible human, don’t you think the King of the Universe, God of love and light, would do at least this?

“What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” Luke 11:9-13

When you fall from grace, God is the only one who can save you. He will save you, no questions asked. Also, consider this.

Imagine the same situation as before, and as you reach our your hand, your child/loved one refuses to take it. Imagine they turn their back. Imagine they try to climb up the side to save themselves despite your urgent cries. What do you feel? These are the unsaved. They refuse God. They don’t trust Him. They don’t believe in Him.

Now, imagine they refused but suddenly the train is at their back and they realize, last minute, they need your help. They finally blessedly take your hand in time for you to pull them to safety. Would you:

1) Consider the fact they refused and distrusted you up to this point and refuse them help for their last minute change of mind

2) Reach out and save them anyway

I’ve heard of some who believe a death-bed conversion is not a truly saved person. First, that’s between the person and God. You can never know a person’s heart like God does. Second, if they are converted, they are saved. They are still saved. God will still save them. If you would save your child or loved one in the above situation, more so will God.

Now, let’s summarize. We aren’t saved because we do good works. We do good works because we’re saved. God changes us mind and soul, sends His Holy Spirit to guide us because we believe in Him. When God reaches out a hand, we take it. We trust He will save us. That is salvation. If we fall again into the ravine, God will come save us again and again. He doesn’t wear out his forgiveness, and I doubt any of you would allow your loved one to die just because they are constantly falling into the ravine.

Now, is constantly falling a possible sign that someone doesn’t actually have faith in God? Yes. He warned them, and they didn’t believe Him. Or, they decide to live their life thinking God will forgive them in the end. They obviously don’t actually love God.

You return again. None of us are perfect. That’s the very reason we need God.

Please believe and love. Have faith in His words. He already loves you. He already believes in you. He already has His hand outstretched waiting to embrace you on the top of the ravine.

Sources other than Bible:
Strong’s Concordance