The Veritas Update 01.06.08

Veritas Update

This week in Veritas, Pastor Jerry Robinson progressed to Genesis 4 in his expository teaching of Genesis 1-12. This was preceded by a summation the teaching over Genesis 3.

Genesis 3 begins with perfection and ends with sin and exile. This outline echoes the distinct struggles found respectively in Christianity and Judaism. With Christians the problem is sin and the solution is redemption. For the Jews the problem is exile and the answer is return.

Additionally, Genesis 3 is the foundational chapter outlining the progression of sin as mankind progressed.

Adam and Eve = Pair
Cain and Able = Family
Noah = Society
Babel/Nimrod = Civilization
Abraham = Nation

As the posterity of man increases with a growing population, sin begins to flourish and abound. When God calls Abram out of Ur it represents a starting over. To emphasize this point note that the Hebrew word for Abram is “Avram” which is similar to the name of the first man, Adam. Abram literally represents a new beginning.

Genesis 4

To bring the deeper meaning of this chapter to light, Pastor Jerry went to a literal interpretation of the text from the original Hebrew.

At the end of Genesis 4:1 the King James Version quotes Eve as saying, “I have gotten a man from the Lord.”

The original Hebrew interpretation could also mean, “I too, like Yahweh, have created a man.”

Notice how this falls in line with the original temptation of Eve Genesis 3:5, 6 when Eve was beguiled by the idea of becoming an equal to God. This interpretation gives great insight to the mindset of Eve in a post-garden environment and leads into some misgivings she may have had concerning her offspring.

In Genesis 3:15 God declares that the offspring of Eve will bruise the serpent's head and the serpent shall bruise his heel. Watch what is revealed as Pastor Jerry interprets the literal meaning of the names of Cain and Abel in Veritas.

Cain - translated has a close association with the idea of self-sufficiency.
Abel - translated means worthless, meaningless, frailty.

Could it be that Cain, and his parents, were under the presumption that he was automatically held God’s favor? Notice the disdain he blatantly displays before God in verse 9 when the Lord inquires over Abel’s whereabouts.

The original Hebrew reveals Cain as saying, “Am I the Shepherd’s Shepherd?” This connotes sarcasm and a prideful disconnect on realizing the favor of God had towards Abel.

It has to be noted here that this sin is what led to the proclamation of Cain’s curse. Cain was the first religious figure in the Bible. There is no predecessor in making offerings to God. Yet, regardless of this righteous inclination, the offering was weak compared to Abel’s and the sin of jealousy was already at work in Cain. However, God did not condemn Cain for this as evidenced by the admonition he used to reprove Cain in verse 7. “If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door.”

This is a warning to every Christian that the way of Cain is found in jealousy. When we jealousy covet over the favor and gifting given to others, we are going the way of Cain. When we refuse to listen to the voice of God, His reproofs and His directives, like Cain, our consciences will become hardened. As with Cain, where his jealousy turned to murder, sin is always laying at the door. Genesis 4 serves as a perfect reminder to remain humble and obedient to the word and voice of God.