The Man Who Smart Mouthed God

Genesis 4 tells us a story about Cain. When God rejected his offering of fruits and veggies, Cain was very angry. God confronts him and asks what is wrong, saying, If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door (verse 7a).

The next we know, Cain kills his brother Abel.

God again confronts him, Where is Abel thy brother? (verse 9)

Cain responds with a lie, I know not. Then, he directs a smart remark to God: Am I my brother’s keeper? (verse 9)

Are you shocked that Cain talked to God like that?

When I was a teen, I smart mouthed my mother. My father overheard and, rightly so, was furious with me. He said something like, “Don’t you ever talk to your mother like that again!” I never did. I was so ashamed. I never wanted to hurt my parents like that.

Cain talks that way to God. He disrespects God to His face!

Let’s backtrack a little and analyze what actually happened.

God doesn’t accept Cain’s non-blood offering. Cain has decided to worship as he pleases, even though he obviously knew that God required a blood offering, like his brother offered. The Bible says without shedding of blood is no remission (Hebrews 9:22).

God sought out Cain and talked to him. (verse 7a) Notice that God goes to Cain. Then Cain, instead of responding in repentance and deciding to do right, takes out his anger on the innocent man, his brother Abel, who pleases God. (This happens all the time. When a person doesn’t want to play by God’s rules, he takes it out on someone who’s doing right. Sad.)

In this context, Cain kills Abel. (This shows how sin poisons a person’s brain. Cain only had one brother at this time, only one companion besides his parents. Cain thinks only of his own feelings, and in that moment of anger, he slays his brother.) 

When he’s caught, he lies, and he sasses God.

Lessons from this story:

• Obey God’s laws. You’ll be much happier. (Yes, Abel died, but he pleased God. Until the moment of his death, he had a clear conscience before God.)
• Respect God. God deserves our greatest respect. He is perfect, and He is good.
• When we do wrong, we should repent. (1 John 1:8-9)
• When we do wrong, we can expect punishment. (Cain was doomed to be a fugitive and a vagabond . . . in the earth, verse 12.)
• Remember that God extends grace to all sinners. (God protected Cain from being murdered—which he deserved. God wanted to restore Cain to Himself.)

Isn’t it wonderful that God reaches out, even to people who worship as they please and not as God pleases?

Isn’t it beautiful that God takes the initiative to restore people to Himself?

Isn’t it a blessing that even murderers can be forgiven, if they accept Christ as Savior? 

I think so.

By the way, do you think Cain ever repented? I’d like to hear your thoughts.