5 Jan. Genesis 4:1-16

5 January. Cain is punished for killing his brother

"Adam had sexual relations with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. Eve said, 'With the LORD's help, I have given birth to a man.' After that, Eve gave birth to Cain's brother, Abel."

"Abel took care of flocks [as a shepherd], and Cain became a farmer."

"Later, Cain brought some food from the ground as a gift to God. Abel brought the best parts from some of the firstborn of his flock."

"The LORD accepted Abel and his gift, but he did not accept Cain and his gift. So Cain became very angry and felt rejected."

"The LORD asked Cain, 'Why are you so angry? Why do you look so unhappy? If you do things well, I will accept you, but if you do not do them well, sin is ready to attack you.'..."

"Cain said to his brother Abel, 'Let's go out into the field.' While they were out in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him."

"Later, the LORD said to Cain, 'Where is your brother Abel?' "

"Cain answered, 'I don't know. Is it my job to take care of my brother?'"

"Then the LORD said, 'What have you done? Your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground. And now you will be cursed in your work with the ground, the same ground where your brother's blood fell and where your hands killed him. You will work the ground, but it will not grow good crops for you any more, and you will wander around on the earth.'..."

"So Cain went away from the LORD and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden."

          (Genesis 4:1-16)

 

 

The Biblical story moves on to c.5000BC – at the beginning of Jewish folk history passed down orally from one generation to the next.

Adam and Eve, the parents of mankind, had two sons, Cain (meaning ‘begotten’ or ‘born’) and Abel (meaning ‘son’). Abel became a shepherd (he was a nomad who wandered from one pasture to another), but Cain was a farmer (who grew arable crops around a permanent home).

The two sons brought offerings to God. The LORD accepted Abel and his offering (the choicest first-born lambs in his flock), but he was displeased by Cain’s attitude and by his offering (just a small part of his harvest – and not the best).

Cain was angry and killed his brother Abel in the fields because he was jealous. As a punishment for killing his brother, Cain was condemned by God to be a homeless wanderer (a nomad).

He was sent away to live "in the land of Nod" (Genesis 4:16), east of Eden, away from the LORD's presence. Nod is the Hebrew for ‘wandering’ - it is the 'land of wandering' away from God.

The photo shows a shepherd with his flock at Bil'in, a village in Palestine (by Mahmoud Burnat).

You can read more from the Book of Genesis @ https://www.thebiblejourney.org/biblejourney2/23-the-journeys-of-adam-enoch-noah-abraham/cain-is-sent-on-a-journey-to-the-east-of-eden/

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