A play; a horror movie; and as we move forward, it's almost as if we are reading some modern newspaper headlines! Typing this as the war in Ukraine continues, it is not unreasonable to say that now, as then, we stand on the brink of plunging ourselves into total chaos.
As we read Genesis 4, we are introduced to the first family, as Adam and Eve produce two sons. However, these two children, as they grew to adulthood, were very different. Cain, the elder, became a farmer while his younger brother, Abel, became a shepherd. The record reads: "In the course of time Cain brought to YHWH an offering of the fruit of the ground,and Abel brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And YHWH had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard." (vs 3-4). Now we are not told, specifically, why YHWH rejected Cain's offering, but the general consensus is that it was because it was not a "blood sacrifice" (he could, after all, asked his brother to give, or trade, him for a lamb and, doubtless, his parents had told him about the sacrifice that was made in order to provide them with suitable clothing).
However, as we read on, there is the suggestion that Cain was not rejected because of his offering, but that his offering was rejected because of himself! "YHWH said to Cain, 'Why are you angry, and why has your countenance fallen? 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.'” (vs.6-7). This is confirmed by John in his first letter: "... be not like Cain who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous." (I John 3:12). The inspired writer of the Letter to Hebrew disciples of Jesus states that it was "By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he received approval as righteous, God bearing witness by accepting his gifts;" (11:4).
We see more of Cain's heart as we move on to the following verses. He both murdered his brother, and lied to God, doing so in blatant resistance to the clear warning that YHWH gave him (vs.6-7 above).
Passing over the genealogy of chapter 5, we find that Genesis 6 shows a general decline. The first four verses are, to say the least, cryptic! However, what may be safely said is that a new depth has been reached in the progress of evil. One possible interpretation of "the sons of God" and "the daughters of men" (v.2), is that the 'godly' line of the descendants of Seth, mixed with the 'ungodly' line of the descendants of Cain. Whatever the truth, there is a deterioration in human relationships. There is also the reference to the Nephilim - or "mighty men" (v.4). This may have been the opinion of other people, but God sees them as fallen people - and it is His verdict that stands!
These two 'scenes' may remind us of the abuses that are so obvious in the 21st century world around us. Earlier, I was reading about the demonstrations, in the USA, regarding the possible overturning of the "Roe v Wade" verdict regarding abortion. The report also had many photographs. One interesting placard, amongst many interesting placards read - "Abortion access saves lives"! How does one define "life"? Surely it is defined by spontaneous growth. I have never seen a car behave like that, nor a house, nor an aeroplane, etc., etc. However, from the precise moment of conception there is growth. From that instant, the DNA of the potential human being is fixed. That embryonic clump of cells is a living being. Within a very short time, it is a sentient being. Abortion ends that life - at whatever stage it takes place. If more people would take the time to check out the stages of a pregnancy they would discover, among other things, that by the time the mother has decided to take a pregnancy test, the heart is already beating. "Abortion access saves lives"!? Not the baby's! Abortion is more accurately spelled "murder"!
Of course, even in modern "democratic" nations, the majority is not always right - and I actually doubt that the majority are pro-abortion, even if they are the more vociferous!
Those opening verses of Genesis 6 are not very encouraging - but God is still on the throne, and we will discover, next time, something about what He does next!