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God rejected me, and Mom and Dad smeared my reputation.
This Week’s Story relives American history and the Bible through brief inspiring stories presented on mp3 audio recordings and text for reading.
Cain's Alibi
Finally I meet my brother Cain. He greets me, “Hi, Seth. So, do you think you are seeing the famous first murderer? I know that’s what people call me. It is not fair. Do you know that I was treated unfairly? God rejected me, and Mom and Dad smeared my reputation. Here is what happened to me. I was an outstanding farmer and my produce was top grade. One year I gave God the best of my harvest. Our brother Abel gave God perfect lambs. His gift was accepted and mine was refused! That’s injustice.”
“Cain, don’t be a martyr. God’s instructions were clear. Of course He rejected your gift. You defied Him. You knew what He wanted. You got mad at God and then He said amazing words to you. He asked you, ‘Why should you be angry? If you do what is right, I’ll accept you. Doing things your way is like having an enemy who wants to destroy you. Do not let that thinking control you.’
"I think God was giving you a second chance. He wanted you to understand why you and your gift were not accepted. He wasn’t playing favorites. I notice you always leave out part of His conversation with you.”
“Seth, you don’t get it. I should have been able to give God whatever I felt like giving Him.”
“That makes no sense. Do you give a gift that is not wanted? I thought it was to show your love for Him.”
“It was my gift. I gave it my way, which was not good enough for Him. Abel’s gift was good enough. So I said to Abel, 'Come into the field with me.' He followed me. I beat him up and I killed him. That was my payback to God and Abel. Abel disgusted me. He was always the right one! Couldn’t I be the right one?”
“Is that supposed to make me feel sorry for you, Cain? Don’t you remember what God told you? I just reminded you. You are too busy making excuses for yourself. I feel like you’re in a trap that you keep setting for yourself.”
“Hear me out. I killed Abel because God was unfair. Do you hear me? That was my motive. I remember what is important from my conversation with God. I remember that He asked me, ‘Where is Abel?’ Why did He ask me that? He knew the answer.
"I told him, ‘I don’t know. Did you expect me to keep track of Abel?’
"Then God asked me, ‘What have you done?’ That was another ridiculous question! He knew that He had turned His back on me and my gift. That was what mattered, not what I did. He proved His unfairness when He gave me a life sentence. He told me, ‘Your brother’s blood is crying from the ground where you left him. Cain, you poured hatred on the ground you loved. You knew the soil. You cared for it and received from it. That is not going to happen anymore. Now you will have no big harvests, no matter how hard you work. Instead you will be a wanderer.'
"I protested, ‘That’s not a just punishment. It’s terrible. People will try to kill me.’
"He told me, ‘I’ll place a permanent mark upon you as a warning that no one is to kill you.’
"So I left God’s presence. I wanted nothing more to do with Him. I moved from my homeland and settled in the province of Nod. I married and had a son. My life has been hard. I’m a marked man, but I make my own way. Look around. This town was built by me. It is named after my son Enoch. That is my story, Seth.”
“Cain, your story is incomplete and twisted. We both know you are skilled as a farmer and a construction engineer. But do you know how much pain you brought to our family? Your way killed my brother. I felt the results of his murder. You split our family. Meeting you has helped me. Your words will not leave me. I hear your blindness. I will not trap myself.”
This is Barbara Steiner with the story of Cain as based on the Genesis account in the Bible.
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