We all know this aggressive reply Cain made to God. “Am I the keeper of my brother”? See how God asks questions that made us uncomfortable. Because, if we answer, « Yes » we will have to examine our behavior. But also, replying with another question is trying to get God to answer the question for us.
We notice that God never stopped talking to Cain who was the first murderer. It is to say that communication is not cut off because of sin. But God still had a message to get through to him.
Cain pretended not to know where his brother was.
Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?”
But he is there where you left him…
Everyone knows the best defense is an attack. So Cain attacked God with this famous question:
« Am I my brother’s keeper »?
We do this all the time. Attacking God with a reason or asking a question to which we think there is no answer. We mainly don’t want to hear the answer so that our conscience is not disturbed.
There is no deafer person than he who does not want to hear.
- If you exist, God, why did you allow my sister to die of leukemia. After all, there were hundreds of people praying for her.
- Why are you allowing the war in…?
- Many of my friends were killed by a sniper in my high school. Why did you not prevent it?
- Why did my father leave the house when I was young? Was it my fault?
As if all is God’s fault.
The Bible teaches us, that we ARE the keeper of our brother.
The truth is we do not want to obey God’s commandment to know where our brother is and that we are his keeper. That would give us responsibilities that don’t want to assume.
But thousands of years later the apostle John writes:
1 John 4.20 Those who say, “I love God,” and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen.
Discover the story of Nigel
Is this person you cannot stand (or with whom you have no affinity) your brother or sister?
The answer to this question will move you closer or further away from the heart of God.
In the case of Cain, it removed him from the presence of God. And the principle of vengeance or vendetta was adopted by his family:
Lamech said to his wives:
“Adah and Zillah, hear my voice;
you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say:
I have killed a man for wounding me,
a young man for striking me.
24 If Cain is avenged sevenfold,
truly Lamech seventy-sevenfold.
Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord (Genesis 4.16) See the article, “Don’t follow me, I’m lost too”
Will you allow God to test you to see what kind of love you have for Him? Or do you want God to call you a “liar”?
You can download the text of this message here
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(Day 19) The language everyone will understand
