Friday, April 3, 2015

Genesis 4 ... Viewing the works of God through scripture

1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord. 2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 

3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. 4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. 

And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering:5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. 

6 And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? 7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. 

8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother:and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.
 

9 And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? 

And he said, I know not:Am I my brother's keeper? 

10 And he (God) said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. 11 And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand; 12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth. 

13 And Cain said unto the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear. 14 Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me. 

15 And the Lord said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. 

And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.
 

16 And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. 17 And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch:and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.

(The difference between Cain's offering and Abel's offering... Able gave his offering in faith ... Cain's offering was by works ... )

Heb. 11 ...   1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.
3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts:and by it he being dead yet speaketh.


Gifts given by faith, focus on God's work.  When man gives by works, he focus' on his own goodness in giving.


Thus we have the difference between the righteousness of God vs. the righteousness by works of the flesh of man.  Righteousness can only be from God, not of our own works.