Gênesis 4

Gênesis 4

Spurgeon - SINNERS are not all of the laughing sort: Cain’s mind was angry, and his heart was heavy. The short life of the vicious is not always a merry one. See, here you have a man who is utterly without God, but he is not without sorrow. His countenance has fallen: his looks are sullen: he is a miserable man. There are many ungodly people still in the world who are not happy in the condition in which they find themselves. The present does not content them, and they have no future from which to borrow the light of hope. The service of sin is hard to them, and yet they do not quit it for the service of the Lord. They are in danger of having two hells—one in this life, and another in the world to come. They have a religion of their own, even as Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground; but it yields them no comfort, for God has no respect to their offering, and therefore they are displeased about it. The things of God bring an increase to their inward wretchedness: it was after a sacrifice that Cain’s countenance fell. Many unrenewed hearts quarrel with God at his own altar: quarrel by presenting what he never commanded, and then by growing wroth because he rejects their will-worship. They attend the means of grace, but they are not saved nor comforted, and they do not like it. They pray, after a fashion, and they are not heard, and they feel indignant at the slight. They read the Scriptures, but no cheering promise is ever applied to their hearts, and they grow fierce at their failure. They see another accepted, as Abel was, and this excites their jealousy, and envy gnaws at their heart. They are wroth with God, with their fellow man, and with everything about them; their countenance falls, and they are in a morose mood, which fits them for any cruel word or deed. Can you not see their sullen looks? They would like to have the enjoyments of religion very much, they would like to have peace of conscience, they would like to be uplifted beyond all fear of death, they would like to be as happy as Christian people are; but they do not want to pay the price, namely, obedience to God by faith in Jesus Christ. They would willingly bring an offering to God according to their own choice and taste; but they do not care to come with “the lamb” as their sacrifice: they cannot accept the atonement made by our Lord’s laying down his life for us. They wish to have the reward of obedient faith while yet they have their own way. They would reap the harvest without sowing the seed. They would gather clusters without planting vines. They would win the wages without serving the Master of the vineyard. But as this cannot be, and never will be, they are full of bitter feeling. Since sin and sorrow are sure to be, sooner or later, married together, and since only by walking in the ways of God can we hope to find peace and rest, they quarrel with the divine arrangement, grow inwardly miserable, and show it by their sullen looks and growling words. They are in a bitter state of heart, and it is fair to ask each one of them, “Why art thou wroth?” Alas! they are not angry with themselves, as they ought to be, but angry with God; and often they are angry with God’s chosen, and envious of them, even as Cain was malicious and vindictive towards Abel. “Why should my neighbour be saved, and not I? Why should my brother rejoice because he has peace with God, while I cannot get it? Why should my own sister be converted and sing of heaven, and I, who have gone to the same place of worship, and have joined in the same prayers and hymns, seem to be left out in the cold?” Such questions might be useful to them; but instead of looking into their own hearts to see what is wrong there, instead of judging themselves and trying to get right with God, they inwardly blame the Lord, or the persons whom they think to be more favoured than themselves. The blessings of grace are to be had by them; but they refuse to take them, and yet quarrel with those who accept them. They play the part of the dog in the manger, who could not eat the hay himself, and would not let the horses do so. They will not accept Christ, and yet grumble because others have him. It is one of the sure signs of the seed of the serpent—that they will always be at enmity with the seed of the woman. This is one of the marks of distinction between those who walk after the flesh and those who walk after the spirit; for as Ishmael mocked Isaac, so the child of the flesh mocks the child of promise even to this day. So soon as the two sons born to Adam were grown up, the great division was seen: he who was of the wicked one slew the man who by faith offered a more acceptable sacrifice. This division has never ceased, and never will cease, while the race of man remains on earth under the reign of God’s long-suffering. By this shall ye know to which seed ye belong; whether ye are of those who hate the righteous, or of those who are hated for Christ’s sake. (For full Sermon see To Those Who are Angry with Their Godly Friends = IF YOU ARE DEALING WITH ANGER, THIS WOULD BE AN EXCELLENT SERMON TO PONDER) Genesis 4:7 "If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it." LXE Hast thou not sinned if thou hast brought it rightly, but not rightly divided it? be still, to thee shall be his submission, and thou shalt rule over him. BGT οὐκ ἐὰν ὀρθῶς προσενέγκῃς ὀρθῶς δὲ μὴ διέλῃς ἥμαρτες ἡσύχασον πρὸς σὲ ἡ ἀποστροφὴ αὐτοῦ καὶ σὺ ἄρξεις αὐτοῦ KJV 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. NET Is it not true that if you do what is right, you will be fine? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door. It desires to dominate you, but you must subdue it." CSB If you do what is right, won't you be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it." ERV If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin coucheth at the door: and unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. ESV If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it." NIV If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." NLT You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master." NRS If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it." YLT Is there not, if thou dost well, acceptance? and if thou dost not well, at the opening a sin-offering is crouching, and unto thee its desire, and thou rulest over it.' GWN If you do well, won't you be accepted? But if you don't do well, sin is lying outside your door ready to attack. It wants to control you, but you must master it." NKJ "If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it." NAB If you do well, you can hold up your head; but if not, sin is a demon lurking at the door: his urge is toward you, yet you can be his master." NJB If you are doing right, surely you ought to hold your head high! But if you are not doing right, Sin is crouching at the door hungry to get you. You can still master him.' ASV If thou doest well, shall it not be lifted up? and if thou doest not well, sin coucheth at the door: and unto thee shall be its desire, but do thou rule over it. DBY If thou doest well, will not thy countenance look up with confidence? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door; and unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. BBE If you do well, will you not have honour? and if you do wrong, sin is waiting at the door, desiring to have you, but do not let it be your master. BHT hálô´ ´im-Tê†îb Sü´ët wü´im lö´ tê†îb laPPeºtaH Ha††ä´t röbëc wü´ëlʺkä Tüšûºqätô wü´aTTâ Timšol-Bô NAS "If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it." NIRV Do what is right. Then you will be accepted. If you don't do what is right, sin is waiting at your door to grab you. It longs to have you. But you must rule over it." RSV If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is couching at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it." If you do well - Ge 19:21 2Sa 24:23 2Ki 8:28 Job 42:8 Pr 18:5 Ec 8:12,13 Isa 3:10,11 Jer 6:20 Mal 1:8,10,13 Ac 10:35 Ro 2:7-10 12:1 Ro 14:18 15:16 Eph 1:6 1Ti 5:4 1Pe 2:5 will not your countenance be lifted up Job 29:4 Pr 21:27 Heb 11:4 sin is crouching at the door- Ge 4:8-13 Ro 7:8,9 Jas 1:15 its desire is for you, but you must master it Ge 3:16 Genesis 4 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries Related Passages: Genesis 49:9 “Judah is a lion’s whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He couches, he lies down (rabas - same word for "crouching" in Ge 4:7) as a lion, And as a lion, who dares rouse him up? James 1:19+ This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. DO RIGHT AND BE BLESSED If - God was offering a way out, but with a condition that he must meet. "The introduction of the conditional clause with an interrogative particle prods the answer from Cain, as if he should have known this. It is not a condemnation, but an encouragement to do what is right." (NET NOTE) You do well (yatab) , will not your countenance be lifted up (seet)? - The words your countenance are added by the NAS translation. Compare ESV = "If you do well, will you not be accepted?" NLT = "You will be accepted if you do what is right." (see Ross' note) The LORD asks Cain a third question, in the question actually telling him he could rectify the problem. In short, do well and be blessed. This passage has always puzzled me because clearly God is calling for Cain to do something that the fallen flesh by itself is not capable of doing. God in essence is telling Cain to do well which in some way would counteract the power of sin waiting to pounce on him. God never asks someone to do something without providing the power, so in some way had Cain agreed to do well, God would have enabled him to do well (probably in some way by the action of the Holy Spirit, but one cannot be dogmatic). In any event, Cain refused to do well and Sin pounced on him and he pounced on his brother Abel and the rest is history! Do well (yatab) is translated in the Septuagint with orthós which (figuratively) speaks of persevering on a correct course of life toward a goal and pertains to acting in conformity with a norm or standard. Presumably God had told Cain and Abel what the norm or standard was in regard to the offering He would judge acceptable -- the right offering and the right heart attitude. Derek Kidner on "will you not be accepted" (ESV) - In the Hebrew, accepted (Ge 4:7) is literally ‘a lifting up’ (cf. RV mg), an expression that can indicate a smiling as against a frowning (fallen, Ge 4:6) face: cf. Nu 6:26+. The sense may be that the very look on Cain’s face gives him away; more probably it goes further, to promise God’s restoration (cf. Ge 40:13) on a change of heart. (See context in Genesis - Tyndale OT Commentary or borrow Genesis: an introduction and commentary) Andrew Fuller - By doing well he means doing as Abel did, offering in faith, which is the only well-doing among sinful creatures. If Cain had believed in the Messiah, there was forgiveness for him, no less than for his brother Matthew