1 00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:02,840 Speaker 1: And the sweat of thy face shall thou eat bread 2 00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:06,760 Speaker 1: until you return into the ground. For out of it 3 00:00:06,920 --> 00:00:11,080 Speaker 1: wast thou taken. For dust thou art, and unto dust 4 00:00:11,360 --> 00:00:17,439 Speaker 1: shalt thou return Genesis three, nineteen. Dear Father, because of 5 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:23,280 Speaker 1: Adam's disobedience, I was born into this sinful inheritance until 6 00:00:23,360 --> 00:00:26,400 Speaker 1: you sent your son Jesus, who made a way through 7 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:31,480 Speaker 1: his obedience unto death that broke the curse. I am 8 00:00:31,520 --> 00:00:35,560 Speaker 1: now adopted into your eternal family. By accepting his atonement 9 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:40,199 Speaker 1: for my sins. You fashioned Adam's physical body out of 10 00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:43,720 Speaker 1: the dust of the earth and breathed your life into him, 11 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:47,520 Speaker 1: and he became a living being with an eternal soul. 12 00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:53,720 Speaker 1: When he sinned, he broke that eternal connection and returned 13 00:00:53,760 --> 00:00:55,880 Speaker 1: to the dust of the earth in which you took 14 00:00:55,920 --> 00:01:00,480 Speaker 1: him from. I am doomed to provide for my family 15 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:04,520 Speaker 1: and myself through the work of my hands. The stress 16 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:08,319 Speaker 1: of my labor wears out this human body, but my 17 00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:12,560 Speaker 1: eternal soul has been restored through forgiveness of my sins 18 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:16,640 Speaker 1: and faith in the work of Christ on the Cross. 19 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:22,160 Speaker 1: My human condition will perish, and my body will return 20 00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:26,120 Speaker 1: to the earth, but my soul shall rise to be 21 00:01:26,200 --> 00:01:31,520 Speaker 1: with you forever in heaven. Thank you, Heavenly Father, for 22 00:01:31,640 --> 00:01:37,759 Speaker 1: restoring my soul and redeeming me from Adam's sin. Nothing 23 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:40,760 Speaker 1: I sacrifice for you will ever repay the life you 24 00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:46,240 Speaker 1: sacrificed for me. Nothing is impossible for you, and you 25 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:49,640 Speaker 1: outsmarted the one who thought he defeated you when he 26 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 1: crucified you on the cross. Glory to the risen Lord 27 00:01:56,560 --> 00:02:04,080 Speaker 1: in Jesus name. Amen. Listening to these daily prayers strengthens 28 00:02:04,120 --> 00:02:07,800 Speaker 1: your relationship with God. Continue hearing from the Lord by 29 00:02:07,880 --> 00:02:11,600 Speaker 1: listening to today's Bible in a Year, brought to you 30 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:23,840 Speaker 1: by Bible in a Year dot com, Cain and Abel. 31 00:02:24,919 --> 00:02:28,200 Speaker 2: Before this story, we learned about the fall of mankind. 32 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:32,440 Speaker 2: Adam and Eve lived with God shameless and without sin, 33 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:35,760 Speaker 2: But because of their pride and desire to be their 34 00:02:35,800 --> 00:02:39,399 Speaker 2: own gods, they were deceived and turned away from Him. 35 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:43,520 Speaker 2: Now they live in exile, still with God, but no 36 00:02:43,639 --> 00:02:47,520 Speaker 2: longer in an intimate relationship with him. Now we will 37 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:51,040 Speaker 2: learn about how Adam and Eve start their family outside 38 00:02:51,040 --> 00:02:54,680 Speaker 2: of paradise. They have their own children, but the sinful 39 00:02:54,800 --> 00:02:57,240 Speaker 2: nature of Adam and Eve has now been given to 40 00:02:57,320 --> 00:03:01,080 Speaker 2: their children, and what comes next is a tragedy that 41 00:03:01,120 --> 00:03:05,440 Speaker 2: has been repeated for all of human history, inspired by 42 00:03:05,440 --> 00:03:06,480 Speaker 2: the Book of Genesis. 43 00:03:08,919 --> 00:03:11,639 Speaker 3: Hello, I'm Jack Graham with today's episode of the Bible 44 00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:14,760 Speaker 3: in a Year podcast. But before we begin, I want 45 00:03:14,760 --> 00:03:18,200 Speaker 3: to let you know about a unique ebook that's yours 46 00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:23,280 Speaker 3: to download absolutely free today. Is called Breaking Free from Stress, 47 00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:26,160 Speaker 3: and my prayer is that it will help you conquer 48 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:29,560 Speaker 3: the daily task and pressures and burdens that bring stress 49 00:03:29,600 --> 00:03:33,280 Speaker 3: in your life. Download your free copy of Breaking Free 50 00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:38,160 Speaker 3: from Stress today by visiting Jack Graham dot org slash stress. 51 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:43,320 Speaker 3: That's Jack Graham dot org slash stress. Today we pick 52 00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:46,560 Speaker 3: up with Adam and Eve outside the Garden. This is 53 00:03:46,760 --> 00:03:51,520 Speaker 3: life after the Curse. If yesterday's story was about doubt 54 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:58,080 Speaker 3: and pride, today's theme is insincere worship of God, anger, bitterness, 55 00:03:58,360 --> 00:04:02,080 Speaker 3: and the passing down of sin name to all future generations. 56 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:06,240 Speaker 3: After Adam, Adam and Eve start a family. They have 57 00:04:06,320 --> 00:04:10,640 Speaker 3: two sons, Cain and Abel, names that have become infamous 58 00:04:10,680 --> 00:04:15,560 Speaker 3: for the devastating effects of sibling rivalry. Cain and his 59 00:04:15,640 --> 00:04:18,680 Speaker 3: brother Abel grew up knowing God. They were taught the 60 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:22,800 Speaker 3: importance of sacrifices. Abel chose the best to offer to God, 61 00:04:22,839 --> 00:04:26,120 Speaker 3: while Cain brought offerings from a sense of obligation rather 62 00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:31,120 Speaker 3: than gratitude and praise. So God accepts one and rejects 63 00:04:31,160 --> 00:04:36,080 Speaker 3: the other. Cain was angry, bitter, and sin took hold 64 00:04:36,080 --> 00:04:40,160 Speaker 3: of his heart. The tragedy that ensued once again created 65 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:44,440 Speaker 3: an irreparable rift in the family. The first human blood 66 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:47,760 Speaker 3: that was shed on God's once perfect earth came from 67 00:04:47,839 --> 00:04:52,320 Speaker 3: the hands of one brother upon another. Sin was now 68 00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:57,360 Speaker 3: spreading through generations, and the cost was high, murder, banishment, 69 00:04:57,680 --> 00:04:59,840 Speaker 3: another curse. And yet in the midst of it all, 70 00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:05,119 Speaker 3: God's grace and mercy once again shining through. Let's listen 71 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:07,560 Speaker 3: now to the telling of this story from Genesis four, 72 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:10,160 Speaker 3: the story of Cain and Abel. 73 00:05:12,400 --> 00:05:16,039 Speaker 2: Adam and Eve had been banished from Eden, and their 74 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:19,839 Speaker 2: sin had made life hard, but the steadfast love of 75 00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:23,320 Speaker 2: God had not left them. Adam and Eve knew each 76 00:05:23,360 --> 00:05:29,679 Speaker 2: other intimately and became pregnant. First came Cain, Afterward came Abel. 77 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:33,320 Speaker 2: Cain labored in the fields growing food for the family. 78 00:05:33,880 --> 00:05:37,359 Speaker 2: Abel tended to the live stock as a shepherd. Cain 79 00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:39,640 Speaker 2: and Abel are the first of us to grow up 80 00:05:39,640 --> 00:05:44,320 Speaker 2: in a world riddled with imperfection, sin, and distance from God. 81 00:05:45,400 --> 00:05:48,280 Speaker 2: Both children grew up in the new world, and it 82 00:05:48,320 --> 00:05:51,599 Speaker 2: was time for Cain and Able to bring sacrifices to God. 83 00:05:52,440 --> 00:05:56,520 Speaker 2: Cain brought some of the fruits of his labor, grains, vegetables, 84 00:05:56,560 --> 00:06:00,640 Speaker 2: and other vegetation. Abel brought the first born of his flock, 85 00:06:01,160 --> 00:06:04,480 Speaker 2: a lamb Abel brought the best of what he had. 86 00:06:05,160 --> 00:06:08,159 Speaker 2: Not only this, but Abel had to raise this little 87 00:06:08,160 --> 00:06:12,040 Speaker 2: sheep and kill it before God. This means that it 88 00:06:12,080 --> 00:06:15,839 Speaker 2: was not just a sacrifice of materials, but a sacrifice 89 00:06:16,240 --> 00:06:20,640 Speaker 2: of the heart. Because of this, God accepted Abel's offering. 90 00:06:21,400 --> 00:06:25,440 Speaker 2: God also rejected Cain's offering, knowing that it did not 91 00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:30,320 Speaker 2: come from any real love at all. Jealousy gripped Kine's heart. 92 00:06:30,960 --> 00:06:35,640 Speaker 2: Contempt towards God boiled up inside him. This is mankind's 93 00:06:35,680 --> 00:06:40,359 Speaker 2: first rumblings of true hatred. Cain's face gave away his 94 00:06:40,520 --> 00:06:44,880 Speaker 2: true feelings. God noticed this and asked, why are you 95 00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:49,560 Speaker 2: so angry, knowing full well what the issue was. If 96 00:06:49,600 --> 00:06:53,160 Speaker 2: you do well, will you not be accepted? God asked, 97 00:06:53,839 --> 00:06:56,279 Speaker 2: if you don't do well, you give more room for 98 00:06:56,400 --> 00:06:59,640 Speaker 2: hatred and sin to rule in your heart. Do not 99 00:06:59,720 --> 00:07:02,640 Speaker 2: let him hate rule over you. You can overcome it. 100 00:07:03,440 --> 00:07:08,200 Speaker 2: But Cain didn't listen. His anger had already won him over. 101 00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:11,640 Speaker 2: There would be no stopping the sin he was about 102 00:07:11,680 --> 00:07:16,080 Speaker 2: to commit. Cain lured his brother into the fields. Then, 103 00:07:16,320 --> 00:07:20,280 Speaker 2: at that moment, all the hatred, jealousy, and contempt of 104 00:07:20,440 --> 00:07:26,280 Speaker 2: Cain unleashed unto his brother, flow after flow, Kin unleashed 105 00:07:26,280 --> 00:07:31,520 Speaker 2: his wrath and spited God by murdering his brother. His 106 00:07:31,680 --> 00:07:37,720 Speaker 2: hands stained red, dripping with the blood of his brother. God, 107 00:07:37,920 --> 00:07:42,320 Speaker 2: already knowing what Cain had done, asked him, Cain, where 108 00:07:42,400 --> 00:07:47,160 Speaker 2: is your brother? Cain replied, I do not know. Am 109 00:07:47,200 --> 00:07:51,480 Speaker 2: I my brother's keeper. God is the creator of life, 110 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:56,440 Speaker 2: and Cain had taken an innocent one. This enraged God. 111 00:07:57,040 --> 00:08:00,720 Speaker 2: He cursed Cain, saying, what have you done. The voice 112 00:08:00,760 --> 00:08:03,679 Speaker 2: of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground, 113 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:06,720 Speaker 2: and now you are cursed from the ground, which has 114 00:08:06,800 --> 00:08:10,080 Speaker 2: opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. 115 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:14,000 Speaker 2: When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield 116 00:08:14,040 --> 00:08:17,520 Speaker 2: to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and 117 00:08:17,560 --> 00:08:22,600 Speaker 2: a wanderer on the earth. This punishment was fitting because 118 00:08:22,680 --> 00:08:25,760 Speaker 2: Cain had taken a life. God wanted his life to 119 00:08:25,800 --> 00:08:30,720 Speaker 2: be burdensome. It was more than Cain could bear. Fortunately 120 00:08:30,840 --> 00:08:36,520 Speaker 2: for him, God's mercy is still present. In punishment, God said, 121 00:08:36,640 --> 00:08:39,880 Speaker 2: if any one kills you, vengeance shall be taken on 122 00:08:39,960 --> 00:08:43,840 Speaker 2: them sevenfold, and he put a mark on Cain to 123 00:08:43,920 --> 00:08:46,800 Speaker 2: keep any one from doing to him what he did 124 00:08:46,840 --> 00:08:51,000 Speaker 2: to his brother. Cain had shed innocent blood, and this 125 00:08:51,240 --> 00:08:54,640 Speaker 2: was a patterned mankind would continue in for a thousand 126 00:08:54,720 --> 00:09:00,200 Speaker 2: generations after. Yet God continues to show mercy, waiting to 127 00:09:00,240 --> 00:09:03,400 Speaker 2: bless them and safe them from their evil. 128 00:09:05,480 --> 00:09:09,160 Speaker 3: When jealousy and anger take root, they fester and grow. 129 00:09:10,200 --> 00:09:13,840 Speaker 3: That's what we see happening in today's story. Abel, who 130 00:09:13,880 --> 00:09:17,120 Speaker 3: really only plays a brief role, is lifted up as 131 00:09:17,160 --> 00:09:21,480 Speaker 3: the example of God honoring sacrifices and offerings. He gave 132 00:09:21,520 --> 00:09:26,240 Speaker 3: God the first and the best, and God accepted that sacrifice. Cain, 133 00:09:26,280 --> 00:09:28,440 Speaker 3: whose heart was not in the right place full of 134 00:09:28,480 --> 00:09:32,640 Speaker 3: faith to begin with, brought God vegetables and grains, but 135 00:09:32,840 --> 00:09:36,080 Speaker 3: not his first fruits, not his best, and not in faith. 136 00:09:36,840 --> 00:09:39,560 Speaker 3: His motives were wrong, and he became angry when his 137 00:09:39,679 --> 00:09:44,640 Speaker 3: offering was rejected. Sin started to creep in through resentment 138 00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:47,720 Speaker 3: and anger. So God warned him of the danger of 139 00:09:47,760 --> 00:09:51,240 Speaker 3: letting sin in. He speaks to Cain in Genesis four, 140 00:09:51,400 --> 00:09:55,160 Speaker 3: verses seven and eight, saying, if you do well, will 141 00:09:55,200 --> 00:09:58,280 Speaker 3: your face not be cheerful? And if you do not 142 00:09:58,520 --> 00:10:02,920 Speaker 3: do well, is lurking at the door, and its desire 143 00:10:03,080 --> 00:10:07,480 Speaker 3: is for you, but you must master it. I appreciate 144 00:10:07,520 --> 00:10:11,040 Speaker 3: this passage providing a warning that's applicable to you and 145 00:10:11,080 --> 00:10:14,560 Speaker 3: me today. Sin is now loose in the world. It 146 00:10:14,640 --> 00:10:18,560 Speaker 3: lurks at our door. It desires us. In other words, 147 00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:21,200 Speaker 3: it wants to get in our heads and in our hearts, 148 00:10:21,240 --> 00:10:24,839 Speaker 3: into our lives. When sin is allowed to rule over us, 149 00:10:24,880 --> 00:10:30,120 Speaker 3: the outcome is never good and ultimately tragic. That's what 150 00:10:30,240 --> 00:10:33,400 Speaker 3: happened to Kane. Sin took hold of him and he 151 00:10:34,160 --> 00:10:37,400 Speaker 3: directed his jealousy and anger at the one whose offering 152 00:10:37,520 --> 00:10:40,520 Speaker 3: was accepted, to his own brother, whom he killed in 153 00:10:40,559 --> 00:10:45,160 Speaker 3: cold blood. Once again, we're reminded that sin always comes 154 00:10:45,559 --> 00:10:48,199 Speaker 3: with a price, as he did with Adam and Eve. 155 00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:51,960 Speaker 3: God questions Cain and his guilt is revealed. Cain is 156 00:10:52,040 --> 00:10:58,079 Speaker 3: cursed to wander in the earth. Sin separation is always, always, 157 00:10:58,520 --> 00:11:02,920 Speaker 3: always the same. When we sin, There is always separation 158 00:11:03,080 --> 00:11:06,120 Speaker 3: that happens from God, which is the worst of all 159 00:11:06,160 --> 00:11:10,680 Speaker 3: separations and then from others. But again, God, in his mercy, 160 00:11:10,720 --> 00:11:14,160 Speaker 3: does not abandon Cain or leave him without protection. God 161 00:11:14,240 --> 00:11:16,800 Speaker 3: marks him not as a sign of the curse, but 162 00:11:16,840 --> 00:11:21,400 Speaker 3: as a sign of God's hand of protection. God, thank 163 00:11:21,440 --> 00:11:23,679 Speaker 3: you for this story that shows us how sin can 164 00:11:23,720 --> 00:11:26,920 Speaker 3: take hold and rule our thoughts, leading us to commit 165 00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:30,720 Speaker 3: unthinkable acts. Help us, through your spirit to master the 166 00:11:30,840 --> 00:11:34,080 Speaker 3: sin that lurks at our doors. And thank you Lord 167 00:11:34,120 --> 00:11:37,800 Speaker 3: that even when we sin, even through the consequences of 168 00:11:37,840 --> 00:11:43,480 Speaker 3: our sin, your mercy and grace remain in Christ's name. Amen. 169 00:11:44,200 --> 00:11:47,400 Speaker 3: Thank you for listening to today's Bible into Year podcast. 170 00:11:47,880 --> 00:11:50,120 Speaker 3: Before we go, I want to let you know about 171 00:11:50,160 --> 00:11:54,600 Speaker 3: a unique ebook that's yours to download absolutely free today. 172 00:11:55,240 --> 00:11:58,880 Speaker 3: It's called Breaking Free from Stress, and my prayer is 173 00:11:58,920 --> 00:12:01,240 Speaker 3: that it will help you con the daily task and 174 00:12:01,320 --> 00:12:05,240 Speaker 3: pressures and burdens that bring stress into your life. Download 175 00:12:05,280 --> 00:12:08,880 Speaker 3: your free copy of Breaking Free from Stress today by 176 00:12:08,960 --> 00:12:14,480 Speaker 3: visiting Jaggraam dot org slash stress. That's Jagraham dot org 177 00:12:14,840 --> 00:12:16,360 Speaker 3: slash stress.