Do Not Be Afraid, Cain

Back on October 19, I posted a devotion titled Do Not be Afraid. In this devotion, I mentioned there is said to be 366 do not fears in the bible. My disclaimer is that I do not know this to be fact, but Sara Adkins unknowingly challenged me by stating what a great study this would be. Or perhaps a journaling exercise...so I have begun to do this myself.

All of my references do not contain the exact words, do not be afraid, but I feel in each selection, the meaning is there. These are the first 5 I've done.

“The LORD said to him, ‘It won’t happen; anyone who kills Cain will be paid back seven times.’  The LORD put a sign on Cain so that no one who found him would assault him.  Gen. 4-15 (CEB)

When I worked at Carolina Power and Light many years ago, we had a sort of mantra which was, “Do right things right.”  It’s entirely possible to also do right things wrong, and I feel that is what Cain did here in this passage of Genesis.  It seems he was on the path to do the right thing, but his sacrifice just didn’t measure up.  This caused me pause – why did the sacrifice Cain brought get rejected?

To answer this question, I had to go to the Believer’s Bible Commentary.  The commentary points out that in verse 3 of chapter 4 it mentions the process of time, or some time passed after the births of Cain and Able.  It is the opinion of the commentary writer that at some point before these first sacrifices were offered, both Cain and Able were made aware of the need of a blood sacrifice.  They would have been instructed that sinful man could approach the holy God only on the ground of the blood of a substitutionary sacrifice.  Cain presented a bloodless sacrifice; Able however believed the divine decree and offered slain animals, thus demonstrating his faith and justification by God.

From here we know the rest of the story; Cain was angered by God’s rejection.  Jealousy and envy reared its ugly head and the result was Able’s murder. 

The LORD said to Cain, “what did you do, where is your brother Able?”  Cain’s response is a well-known one, “who am I, my brother’s keeper?”  God already knew the answer and the judgment cast upon him was that his life would not be easy.  Cain would be a wanderer and the land that he farmed would not produce.

Cain proceeds to complain about his judgment and is even worried that someone may kill him.  Even in his sin, the LORD soothes Cain with the first “Do not be afraid” I encountered.  Although the verse above does not actually use that phrase, that is what I see. 

In his sin, in his evil attitude of rage and unrepentant heart, God offers protection.

Does He not do the same for us today?  We have only to ask.

Today’s prayer comes from www.dailyprayers.org :

Lord Jesus, remove from my thoughts all feelings of resentment and anger.  Help me to see only your endless love for me and fill my heart with your peace.

Amen