A quick thought before our study. How neat it is to be able to look up the Bible online! Anytime, anywhere there is internet access, you can have God's Word at your fingertips. A site that I love to use is biblegateway.com. If you are unfamiliar with you, you might want to check it out.
But as much as I love looking up Bible verses online (it makes searches so easy!), I love even more to pull out the actual book - the Good Book. Something about the paper and print reminds us that this is something ancient and permanent about God's Word. It's not just another opinion or another religion floating in cyberspace. This is the Word inspired by the Holy Spirit, written by men, preserved by paper and ink, translated, studied, pondered, cherished.
Having a Bible to call "my Bible" is also great because you can write notes, underline, highlight, circle, whatever! (And that is no sin.)
Now, to our study.
Read Psalm 4
Read Genesis 4
Meditation:
I was going to comment on these separately because I didn't expect to find a connected theme, but there is one: right sacrifices.
In Psalm 4 David encourages us, "Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the Lord." This Abel did. Cain did not, and that was the problem. The difference was not what they sacrificed (produce vs. lamb), nor the occupation (farmer vs. shepherd), but it was a difference of heart. That's why God even told Cain, "If you do well, will you not be accepted?" What needed improvement was not the sacrifice, but Cain's disposition toward God.
Sin was lurking at Cain's door. And the Devil got his foot inside. Yet even after God curses Cain for the brutal murder of Abel, he shows his mercy and grace: a sign (whatever it was) given to Cain to protect him.
Yes, God is merciful, and God is leading up to a marvelous plan. But in the meantime we see wickedness increase. Building cities, and musical instruments, and tools of iron and bronze is all well and good. But in Cain's descendant, Lamech, we see more wickedness. He is a polygamist, and a murderer. More than that, he doesn't cry out to God, but declares his own protection, becoming his own god. He will be avenged seventy-seven times, he declares!
Yet, in the offspring of Seth we see that men call upon the name of the Lord. Here is true worship of the One True God, Yahweh. The Creator, the One who establishes the covenant, the One who provides salvation through the cross.
Yes, the first human death was the death of a shepherd. And it would be the death of the Good Shepherd that would conquer death. "Abel's blood for vengeance pleaded to the skies, but the blood of Jesus for our pardon cries." (Lutheran Service Book 433:4). He is a merciful God indeed! Mercy for Cain. Mercy for all fallen mankind. Mercy even for me.
So with David I can lie down at night committing myself into God's hands. And I can actually fall asleep in peace, knowing that I am restored into a right standing before God. He has forgiven and transformed my heart (and continues to change it), so now I want to respond in faith. I want to offer right sacrifices to him with all I think and say and do.
Ask Yourself:
The sacrifices I bring, my service rendered to God, my attitudes, my motivations - are they from a true heart, a trusting heart? Or does sin cloud my actions?
I have murdered because I have hated and I have become angry with a brother or sister. Whom do I need to learn to forgive and to love?
Do I lie awake at night? What keeps me worrying? Can I have peace like David to lie down and sleep trusting in God's protection, strength, and love?
Pray:
"Glory be to Jesus, who in bitter pains
Poured for me the lifeblood from his sacred veins!" (LSB 433:1)
Lord Jesus, thank you for being my Shepherd and dying for me, your wandering sheep. Help me ever to rejoice over the forgiveness of my sins. Strengthen me to follow you and live for you, to offer right sacrifices to you in all I think and say and do. Help me to live in love toward my brothers and sisters in Christ and toward all my neighbors. For you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever. Amen.
Study with me tomorrow.
Glory to God alone!
Pastor Jon
I noticed another connection between the two verses. In Psalm 4:4 it says, "In your anger do not sin." The fact is we all get angry at times. Jesus got angry, but in his anger He did not sin.
ReplyDeleteIn one of my favorite portions of scripture Matthew 21:14 Jesus heals immediately after overturning the temple tables. In His anger He healed, and this isn't the only example of this.
How much different would this world be if we responded this way more often, and Cain's way less often?