Reading Through The Bible: Number 17
As I continue through the book of Genesis (the book of beginnings) I am amazed at the rapid downward trend that sin leads us along. Chapter 4 reveals that the very first child of the once innocent Adam and Eve also became the first murderer! While I have no idea of the amount of time that elapsed before that happened, nevertheless it is very significant that it happened in the FIRST generation of their offspring.
I can only wonder what the unchecked impulses were that led Cain to kill his own brother. Was it jealousy that his brother’s obedient response to God’s requirement of a lamb as a sacrifice to atone for sin, met with God’s approval while his did not? It seems that way, but you can be sure that such a horrendous crime as murder was not the first sin in Cain’s life.
Sin is progressive in nature. Small, seemingly insignificant violations of God’s law open the way for the more gross sins. Covetousness precedes stealing and adultery, anger gets the OK before violence against a fellow human etc. etc. How important it is that we surrender self daily and seek the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome selfishness which is the root of all sin.
Have a great day seeking to be like Jesus and therefore a blessing to someone else!