Cain Went Out

And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord. Genesis 4:16.
God had given Cain an opportunity to confess his sin…. He knew the enormity of the deed he had done, and of the falsehood he had uttered to conceal it; but he was rebellious still, and sentence was no longer deferred….
Notwithstanding that Cain had by his crimes merited the sentence of death, a merciful Creator still spared his life, and granted him opportunity for repentance. But Cain lived only to harden his heart, to encourage rebellion against the divine authority, and to become the head of a line of bold, abandoned sinners. This one apostate, led on by Satan, became a tempter to others; and his example and influence exerted their demoralizing power, until the earth became so corrupt and filled with violence as to call for its destruction…. Upon receiving the curse of God, Cain had withdrawn from his father’s household…. He had gone out from the presence of the Lord, cast away the promise of the restored Eden, to seek his possessions and enjoyment in the earth under the curse of sin, thus standing at the head of that great class of men who worship the God of this world. In that which pertains to mere earthly and material progress, his descendants became distinguished. But they were regardless of God, and in opposition to His purposes for man.
In sparing the life of Cain the murderer, God gave the world an example of what would be the result of permitting the sinner to live to continue a course of unbridled iniquity. Through the influence of Cain’s teaching and example, multitudes of his descendants were led into sin, until “the wickedness of man was great in the earth,” and “every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”
As Cain went out from the presence of the Lord to seek his home; as the prodigal wandered into the “far country,” so do sinners seek happiness in forgetfulness of God.
Conflict and Courage p. 27
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Prayer Requests
—–I have an unspoken prayer request.
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Dear Friends,
Some years ago, we went to Union College’s Christmas concert. We sat on the second row where I could get pictures of Esther Marie when she sang her solos and also with the Octet. Brian and I got there early so we could get the good seat. Just before the performance began, I noticed that the guest conductor had a white string stuck to one of the long tails of his black tuxedo. Static electricity had caused it to stick fast in a looping, twisted pattern. He was very busy, and the church was filling, so we hesitated going up to him and telling him about that string. We thought that we could catch his attention to let him know of his plight. Unfortunately, we could not.
When the concert began, I was sure that I would forget about that string or that someone would have told him about the string while he was waiting in the hallway, but such was not the case. As soon as the guest conductor stood with his back to the audience, my eyes immediately drifted to the string about a foot above the back of his knee.
Try as I might not to do so, throughout the rest of the performance, that string distracted me. Only when Esther was singing her solos, did I forget about that string. The rest of the time, I had this almost overpowering urge to run up and pull that offending string off from his tux.
How often, we get just as distracted in our Christian walk. How many times, we allow some small issue to take our focus off from Jesus. I have seen churches divided over some of the smallest things. Somewhere along the way, the members have begun focusing upon one another until all is confusion and distress. Paul warns, “Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.” “if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.” Gal 5:26, 15 James adds, ” if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.” James 3:14-18
James also says, “Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him, Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.” James 5:19, 20 Now, it is important to stand for what we believe is right, but this is to be done in a Christian way. If we try to “pick the white string off from our brother’s coat” in the wrong spirit, we will cause our brother to hold on tighter to it. How important to have the wisdom that comes from Above that we may know how to handle every situation in the spirit of love.
May we claim the promise, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him.” James 1:5 May we be careful not to run ahead of the Lord in our dealings with others. May we treat others with love and kindness as did our Loving Saviour is my prayer.
Rose