The G Factor vs. going it alone ∙∙

The G Factor vs. going it alone ∙∙

Two people are better than one. – Ecclesiastes 4:9

Ecclesiastes 4:8-13

 8 This is the case of a man who is all alone, without a child or a brother, yet who works hard to gain as much wealth as he can. But then he asks himself, “Who am I working for? Why am I giving up so much pleasure now?” It is all so meaningless and depressing.

 9 Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed.

 10 If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.

 11 Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone?

 12 A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

 13 It is better to be a poor but wise youth than an old and foolish king who refuses all advice.

In 2020, the population of the United States of America was approximately 330 million. According to the Census Bureau, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of Americans living alone. This reflects a global trend. The percentage of Americans residing alone has shown a consistent upward trend since the 1920s, with figures of 5% in 1920, 25% in 1990, and 35% in 2018.

The term “G factor” serves as an abbreviation for general intelligence or commonly referred to as intelligence (IQ). Historically, intelligence was primarily associated with knowledge and skills. However, in recent times, intelligence is defined as a mental capacity encompassing various abilities such as reasoning, planning, problem-solving, abstract thinking, grasping complex concepts, learning from experience, and acquiring knowledge rapidly. Additionally, when individuals collaborate collectively, a phenomenon known as the “group mind” emerges.

Are two heads better than one?

Ecclesiastes 4:9 Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed.

Solomon, the author of Ecclesiastes, paints a rather dark, bleak, and somewhat meaningless picture of being alone. Loneliness often involves lots of hard work but diminishing rewards.

Ecclesiastes 4:8 This is the case of a man who is all alone, without a child or a brother, yet who works hard to gain as much wealth as he can. But then he asks himself, “Who am I working for? Why am I giving up so much pleasure now?” It is all so meaningless and depressing.

Solomon envisions a person who was driven to achieve success in life. This individual has now reached the pinnacle of success, becoming the king of the mountain, but all alone. They are contemplative and introspective. They realize that ceaseless labor without fulfillment ultimately leads to unhappiness.

The example of John D. Rockefeller, renowned as one of the wealthiest individuals of his time, comes to mind. When asked the question, “How much money is enough?” Rockefeller famously replied, “Just a little bit more.” This raises the question of what truly constitutes “enough.” If even Rockefeller always felt the need for more, who will ever have enough?

But Solomon, in his great wisdom offered an alternative. Two are better than one. Working side-by-side, wise people are more effective. They get more “bang for the buck.” Achievement is often accompanied by increased productivity and reward, contentment, and help in times of need. Work is sweeter and more successful when done with another. Working well together is a life skill well worth pursuing.

Life is full of challenges! Given the choice, why face them alone? Initially, who first advocated that going through life alone was not a good idea? The answer is familiar but surprisingly just off the radar.

Genesis 2:18 The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.”

Ecclesiastes 4:9 Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed.

According to this simple comparison, it is better to share our life and work than to try to make it on our own. With very few exceptions, the Father did not design children of the King to go it alone!

But this is more than simply talking about having a mate. This is about finding the person tailor-made for us. Togetherness is better than loneliness. Connection is better than competition (Ryken). This applies to long-term, life-long relationships and short-term partnerships, and more casual ad hoc alliances or projects. The “buddy system” is the Father’s plan for life. Such relationships provide practical and emotional support, strength, and reassurance.

The Father rarely calls on children of the King to “go it alone” in their walk with Him. We need each other not only to receive help and encouragement but to give it as well (Stanley).

REFLECT & PRAY

In the challenges of life, having someone to help us is a gift from the Father.

Father thank You for putting people into my life who have my back. Encourage me to reach out and help others in need.

INSIGHT

Ecclesiastes is a long lament about living life for this world only, or as Solomon puts it, “under the sun.” Living life with solely an earthbound view is cruelly dissatisfying. We toil and strive, yet we remain haunted by a vague sense that we’re missing something (Tim Gustafson).

Against this grim background, Solomon offers simple, homespun wisdom: companionship is better than loneliness. Companions are there for each other and help each other out. They provide warmth and comfort. There is strength in numbers, and they defend one another. A threefold cord describes a rope or cord formed of three strands twisted or plaited together. A rope with three strands is harder to break than a rope with two.

“It is not in numbers, but in unity, that our great strength lies” (Thomas Paine).

Ecclesiastes 4:10-13

 10 If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.

 11 Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone?

 12 A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

 13 It is better to be a poor but wise youth than an old and foolish king who refuses all advice.

How does the old king demonstrate that he is foolish? He refuses to take advice. He is inflexible and unwilling to learn. Sadly, as we age, many not only become rigid in body but also in mind. The old king’s problem was not simply age but being closed to the advice and counsel of others. Is this king the individual who chose to go it all alone?

This need not be the case. Regardless of our age, we should be willing and open to admonition, correction, and instruction. We should seek it out.

2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.

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© Dr. H 2023

A new creation, our paradigm shift

A new creation, our paradigm shift

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new creation. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! – 2 Corinthians 5:17

Romans 6:4 Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.

Ephesians 4:22-24

 22 Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.

 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.

 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God – truly righteous and holy.

The phrase “paradigm shift” is used frequently in modern colloquial English across many fields of endeavor. What does it mean, and what is its origin?

Thomas Kuhn, a twentieth-century physicist and philosopher of science (1922-1996), coined the term “paradigm shift” in his influential work titled The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, published in 1962. To understand the meaning of “paradigm shift,” it is necessary to know what a paradigm is.

Initially, a paradigm denoted a framework or model encompassing a collection of beliefs, assumptions, and practices that guide scientific inquiry and research within a particular discipline. It was a “conceptual framework” comprising the accepted theories and methodologies influencing scientific research and understanding.

A paradigm shift signifies a fundamental change in a scientific discipline’s underlying assumptions, concepts, and approaches. A new scientific paradigm or framework replaces the old. For example, Ptolemy’s astronomy gave way to Copernican astronomy. The physics of Einstein supplanted Newton’s physics.

Eventually, the term paradigm shift spread to social sciences and beyond. It became a buzzword in popular culture. It now refers to a revolutionary and dramatic change.

All children of the King have experienced a significant paradigm shift. Regrettably, few know this, and fewer still live it out.

2 Corinthians 5:17 If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.

When we become children of the King, we are in Christ. This term is used 27 times in Paul’s writings. “This phrase, ‘in Christ’ can mean several things that are not mutually exclusive: that one belongs to Christ, that one lives in the sphere of Christ’s power, that one is united with Christ, or that one is part of the body of Christ, the believing community” (Garland). Practically speaking, being in Christ means having a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ based upon our faith in Him and identification with His Death, Burial, and Resurrection.

Being in Christ is a dramatic and remarkable change from what has come before. It should bring about a radical change in the way we think, live, and relate to others.

The Greek word translated as creation, creature, being, or person is ktisis. In Paul’s writings, Ktisis nearly always means creation rather than creature. New creation, in Greek, is literally “kainos ktisis.” This Greek phrase has no verb or pronoun. Therefore, translators typically supply he is, or there is.

What does this paradigm shift entail?

REFLECT & PRAY

“Whenever a person comes to be part of the body of Christ by faith, there is a new act of creation on God’s part. One set of conditions or relationships has passed out of existence; another set has come to stay” (Murray J. Harris).

Father thank You for providing a whole new way for me to live. I can hardly take it in. I am no longer a prisoner of the past. I have been redeemed and set free to live a new life because of my relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Encourage me to make it so.

INSIGHT

2 Corinthians 5:17 Old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

What are the old things? The old things characterized our lives before we became children of the King. The REB renders it “the old order.”

The term “old” (archaios) refers to something that has existed since the beginning, being “ancient,” yet has become ridiculously old-fashioned, outdated, or worn-out, akin to polyester leisure suits, bell-bottoms, and avocado kitchen appliances. These items were once fashionable in the 1970s, but their obsoleteness becomes painfully apparent when compared to the new, what is currently in vogue.

This parallel can also be drawn between the old creation and the new. The contrast between the old life and the new life in Christ, experienced by the transformed believer, is like night and day. There is truly no comparison.

We are no longer prisoners of our former days, bound by the shackles of our past. We are freed from the limitations of the past. We are no longer bound by the memories of darkness and shame. We are no longer victims. We have emerged, redeemed from everything that has held us fast.

Take a moment and reflect. What do you want most side of life? What are you seeking after and longing for? What are the deepest longings of your heart? What drives you and motivates you?

“To Paul, the Christian is, in his favorite phrase, in Christ; and therefore the old self of the Christian died in that death, and a new person arose, as new as if freshly created by the hands of God.”

“In this newness of life, Christians have acquired a new set of standards. They no longer judge things by the standards the world uses. There was a time when Paul had judged Christ by human standards and had set out to eliminate the Christian faith from the world. But not now. Now his standards are different.”


“Now the man whose name he had sought to obliterate is to him the most wonderful person in the world because [the Lord Jesus Christ] had given to him that friendship of God which he had longed for all his life” (Barclay).

Colossians 3:9-10

  9 You have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds.

 10 Put on your new nature and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.

The implications of this are utterly staggering. Being in Christ should bring about a paradigm shift, a radical change in a person’s life. We are to look forward, not backward. Instead of focusing on ourselves, we become Christ-centric.

Philippians 3:13-14

 13 Forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,

 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

“Paul could think more deeply than anyone who ever tried to express the Christian faith; he could travel along uncharted pathways of thought; he could scale the heights of the human mind, where even the best-equipped theologians find it hard to follow him; but always at the end of his letters, he turns to the practical consequences of it all. He always ends with an uncompromising and crystal-clear statement of the ethical demands of Christianity in the situation in which his friends are at the moment” (Barclay).

Paul lays down an explicit, unequivocal demand. “Put to death every part of yourself which is against God and keeps you from fulfilling his will” (Barclay). A radical transformation is required of our desires and actions. Any elements preventing them from fully complying with God’s commands or completely submitting to Christ must be meticulously excised.

Romans 6:4 Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.

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© Dr. H 2023

Just ask the animals ∙∙

Just ask the animals ∙∙

Some things on earth are small but unusually wise: spiders are easy to catch, but they are found even in kings’ palaces. – Proverbs 30:24, 28

Job 12:7-10 

 7 Just ask the animals, and they will teach you. Ask the birds of the sky, and they will tell you.

 8 Speak to the earth, and it will instruct you. Let the fish in the sea speak to you.

 9 For they all know that my disaster has come from the hand of the LORD.

 10 For the life of every living thing is in his hand and the breath of every human being.

Dr. John Dolittle is the title character of a series of children’s books by Hugh Lofting that began in 1920. Dr. Dolittle lived in a small English village. He spent little time with human patients. He specialized in caring for and communicating with animals. He could speak to them in their own languages. When word of Dolittle’s ability spread, many animals sought him out for medical advice.

No doubt, there is much we could learn from animals. If only they could really talk to us, but they do not.

In the book of Job, Job’s friends are trying to get to the bottom of why Job is suffering. After much lively debate, they conclude that Job must be responsible. Indeed, the Father is punishing him for his sins. Job defends himself and declares his innocence (Job 10:7). He asks a rhetorical question. Is it possible to understand and search out the depths and mysteries of the Father?

Job 11:7 Can you solve the mysteries of God? Can you discover everything about the Almighty?

No doubt, after much soul-searching and reflection, he came to his own conclusion. There are some things in this life that we will never really be able to comprehend fully. They are simply beyond our intellectual grasp.

Job offers a whimsical suggestion, “Just ask the animals, and they will teach you. Ask the birds of the sky, and they will tell you” (Job 12:7).

Try as we might, we are unable to figure out how animals know things and do things simply by instinct. For example, how does a spider know how to build a web? Where does it get the architectural plans? How does the spider engineer it? How does it know where to begin and end? How does the spider perfectly carry out the design to completion? Once the web is finished, how does it maneuver around it?  How does the spider evade entrapment within its own creation?

REFLECT & PRAY

Since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature. – Romans 1:20

Father so many of the things that You have made are irreducibly complex. Father, teach me to look and listen to the message of Your creation.

INSIGHT

If animals could talk, perhaps they could explain how the Father designed, planned out, fabricated, cares for, and controls His creation. But with very few exceptions, animals are mute and cannot communicate with us in a way we can understand.

But, without uttering a word, animals teach, birds tell, the earth speaks, and the fish inform (Job 12:7-10). Animals are programmed with instinctive intelligence. Some animals are born fully wired and ready to cope and function in their real-world environments. Ants and locusts know precisely what to do and how to do it.

Proverbs 30:25,27

 25 The ants are not a strong people, but they prepare their food in the summer;

 27 The locusts have no king, yet all of them go out in ranks;

Some animals, for example, birds, marsupials, and mammals, require protection, nurture, and a bit of parental direction and coaching to grow to mature and fully functioning adults. 

The Father is the Father of lights and all things that exist. He intelligently designed and created all things.  All of the animals, without a word, proclaim the Father’s existence, wisdom, excellence, and greatness.

But there’s more. He cares for what He has created.

Matthew 6:26-30

 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant, harvest, or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?

 28 Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing,

 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.

 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. 

The wondrous and fantastic truth is that the Father cares for what He creates. If He cares for animals and plants, how much more does He care for people He created in His own image? “The point that Jesus is making is not that the birds do not work; it has been said that no one works harder than the average sparrow to make a living; the point that he is making is that they do not worry” (Barclay).

When we realize how much He loves and cares for us, our anxiety diminishes, and we can experience peace and tranquility. How does this become a reality? We develop the skill of depending upon him and transferring our cares to Him. We gave Him the burden of our heavy load, and He carries it for us.

“Jesus wants you to throw your cares on Him and leave them there. You depend on Him for life itself, and you acknowledge this reliant relationship by saying, ‘Here, Jesus. Take my problems. You have the answers! I trust You to show me what to do and to take care of the consequences’” (Stanley).

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© Dr. H 2023

Ghostbusters ∙∙

Ghostbusters ∙∙

He rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen him resurrected. – Mark 16:1

Luke 24:36-39

 36 And just as they were telling about it, Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them. “Peace be with you,” he said.

 37 But the whole group was startled and frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost!

 38 “Why are you frightened?” he asked. “Why are your hearts filled with doubt?

 39 Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it’s really me. Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost, because ghosts don’t have bodies, as you see that I do.”

“Ghostbusters” is an American fantasy comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and released in 1984. It was written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, who also starred in the film alongside Bill Murray. The story revolves around three eccentric parapsychologists, played by Murray, Aykroyd, and Ramis, who start a ghost-catching business called the Ghostbusters in New York City.

“Ghostbusters” was the first comedy film to employ expensive special effects: a combination of practical effects, miniatures, and puppets to deliver the paranormal, macabre visuals. This combination of comedy and impressive visual effects helped make “Ghostbusters” a beloved and successful film, leading to its status as a pop culture icon.

“Ghostbusters” was released on June 8, 1984, to critical acclaim and became a cultural phenomenon. It was well-received for its deft blend of comedy, action, and horror, and Murray’s performance was repeatedly singled out for praise. The film earned $282.2 million during its initial theatrical run, making it the second-highest-grossing film of that year and the highest-grossing comedy of all time up to that point. It was the number-one film in theaters for seven consecutive weeks.

In 2015, the Library of Congress selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry, finding it “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

Nagging doubt and feelings of fear and uncertainty often go together. The disciples were already shaken to the core and filled with grief. The Lord Jesus Christ was dead and buried. They had definite abandonment issues and feared for their lives. They were in hiding and awaiting the next shoe to drop. What could be worse?

How about mass hysteria followed by mass insanity? Suddenly, behind closed doors, somehow, there was a presence in their midst. It was speaking and offering them peace and consolation. Rather than breathing a sigh of relief and expressing gratitude, they were deeply unsettled and terrified. Perhaps their imaginations were running wild, or they were losing their minds. They could not believe their eyes or ears. This simply could not be happening. It was just too good to be true. In the natural world, it was impossible.

Faith and fear do not mix well together.

What was their first thought? It must be a ghost or, worse, some manifestation of an evil spirit. How would you react if you were there?

Most likely, they, like us, had never actually seen a ghost, but what they saw must have been what they thought a ghost would have been like.

The Greek word translated as ghost or spirit here is pneuma. In this context, it refers to a disembodied spirit, a ghost. A disembodied spirit traditionally refers to the immaterial essence of a person’s character that departs from the physical body upon death. It is believed to manifest itself to others in a tangible form, resembling the appearance of the individual it represents. However, this notion is human speculation and not explicitly supported by scriptural texts. Truth. The Greek word more frequently translated as ghost is phantasma, which has the sense of an apparition or spirit (Matthew 14:26).

With a bit of ghostbusting, the problem was solved, and their fears were relieved. He had triumphed over death. Indeed, He was risen. He was risen indeed.

REFLECT & PRAY

Sadly, even as children of the King, we, too, are slow to believe.

Father I believe, help my unbelief (Mark 9:24).

INSIGHT

It is natural to be slow to believe. When our minds are made up, it is hard to believe what our eyes and ears may tell us. The disciples were not expecting any miracles. What they thought was happening was being controlled by what they thought could happen. Apparently, their fear prevented them from initially recognizing Jesus.

The disciples are portrayed as slow to accept the resurrection. Although they had heard the prediction numerous times, they did not expect the Lord Jesus to be raised. Nor do they expect Him to appear afterward. As with most people, they had to be persuaded. The disciples were as skeptical as the rest of humanity (Bock)

The Lord Jesus Christ was not a disembodied spirit. Instead, His physical body had been transformed. His new resurrection body was tangible and corporeal. But the evidence of His death on the cross remained. The holes in His hands, feet, and side told His story. Even though His body was healed and strong, His wounded hands and feet remained. For all eternity, our beloved Savior and Lord will bear the marks of His love for us. The marks are not scars. They are open wounds. The wounds remain as they were when the Romans first made them.

“Christianity is not founded on the dreams of disordered minds or the visions of fevered eyes, but on one who in actual historical fact, faced and fought and conquered death and rose again.”

“The cross was not forced on God; it was not an emergency measure when all else had failed and when the scheme of things had gone wrong. It was part of the plan of God, for it is the one place on earth where, in a moment of time, we see His eternal love” (Barclay).

He is risen; He is risen, indeed!

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© Dr. H 2023

Envy and the whack ∙∙

Envy and the whack ∙∙

Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. – Galatians 6:4

Genesis 4:2-9

 2 When they grew up, Abel became a shepherd, while Cain cultivated the ground.

 3 When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the LORD.

 4 Abel also brought a gift – the best of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The LORD accepted Abel and his gift,

 5 but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected.

 6 “Why are you so angry?” the LORD asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected?”

 7 “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.”

 8 One day Cain suggested to his brother, “Let’s go out into the fields.” And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother, Abel, and killed him.

 9 Afterward the LORD asked Cain, “Where is your brother? Where is Abel?” “I don’t know,” Cain responded. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

On January 6, 1994, during a practice session for the 1994 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Detroit, Nancy Kerrigan was clubbed by an assailant on the right knee with a baton. The man was hired by Tonya Harding’s ex-husband Jeff Gillooly and his friend, Shawn Eckardt.

The widely publicized incident, referred to as “the whack,” reverberated globally and posed a significant threat to Kerrigan’s chances of making it onto the U.S. Olympic team.

Harding said she and Kerrigan were “competitors, yes. rivals, no.” Uh-huh! Did Tonya Harding have envy issues? Do you think? Just eliminate the competition, and everything will be okay.  

Envy is a form of self-destructive emotional bondage and often damaging to others. If we care to admit it, many of us have an ugly habit of comparing ourselves with others. All too often, making such comparisons often does not turn out well. Rather than counting our own blessings, envy stirs us to jealously look at the blessings of others. When we come up short, displeasure, anger, and hatred are aroused. Things escalate from there. So, it was with Tonya Harding.

Where did this begin? It began with Cain, the very first human baby born on planet Earth. He was envious of his brother Abel; why? Both of the brothers offered gifts to the Father. The Lord accepted Abel’s gift but rejected Cain’s. Why? Genesis does not say; however, Hebrews sheds light.

Hebrews 11:4 It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel’s offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and God showed his approval of his gifts. Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith.

Abel offered his gift by faith. His gift demonstrated that he was a righteous man. Cain was not. “Cain wasn’t rejected because of his offering, but his offering was rejected because of Cain: his heart wasn’t right with God. It was ‘by faith’ that Abel offered a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, which means that he had faith in God and was right with God” (Wiersbe). Outward actions motivated by an evil heart are unacceptable. The Father rejected Cain’s offering because of the condition of Cain’s heart. Indeed, Abel speaks to us today as an example of faith lived out.

Cain’s lack of faith got the better of him. Cain’s envy became a lethal rage, and Cain murdered Abel. The Father has a commandment that covers this issue.

Exodus 20:17 You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

When a person covets, an insatiable longing for that which others possess takes root and develops into a deadly fury. Covetousness incentivizes deceit, theft, and even murder. What we desire most, we worship. When we put our coveted things before our devotion to the Father, it is idolatry.

REFLECT & PRAY

Jeremiah 17:9 The human heart is the most deceitful of all things and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?

Father my heart is prone to evil. It is so easy to be deceived by sin, which crouches at the door of my heart. Encourage me to think and do right.

INSIGHT

The Genesis story focuses on Cain’s reaction to the Father accepting Abel’s offering while rejecting his. Cain’s reaction exposes his evil heart. From the darkness of his heart, Cain becomes consumed by anger towards the Father and his brother.

 “Cain was so angry he would not be talked out of his sin – even by God” (Ross).

If we abide wrong heart motives, any efforts to please the Father are, at best wishful thinking, at worse delusional vanity.

1 John 3:12 We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was righteous.

The Father explained to Cain that obedience leads to blessings, yet Cain succumbed to his envy and resentment, allowing them to overpower him. His anger escalated to committing murder. Cain chose to disregard what was right and allowed sin to seize control over his actions.

Genesis 4:7 “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.”

Sin is envisioned as a vicious, relentless beast. It crouches in the shadows waiting to pounce.

The Hebrew word translated as crouching is rabats. It is a word picture of an animal lying in wait to ambush, lurking, and behaving in a sneaky and secretive manner.

The Hebrew word translated as control is teshuqah. Teshuqah frequently means to desire, to crave, to long for, to dominate, of a beast to devour. Here it is ramped up a bit and has the sense to desire to control. Personified sin desires to control Cain. Rather than resist, he gives in, and fratricide is the bloody consequence.

After the evil deed was done, the Father came calling. He asked pointedly about Abel. The Father was not seeking information. He already knew. He was allowing Cain to come clean and confess.

Genesis 4:9 Afterward the LORD asked Cain, “Where is your brother? Where is Abel?” “I don’t know,” Cain responded. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

The Father’s question strikes at the heart of the matter. Cain was curt, cold, uncaring, and sarcastic. He lied and refused to take responsibility.

Cain had a choice. He could allow sin to dominate and control him, or he could take control and master sin. The outcome is totally in his hands.

The same is true for each child of the King.

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© Dr. H 2023