The Sad, Sad Decision Of Cain, The Firstborn Of Adam And Eve (Expanded) – Genesis Chapter 4; Jude 1:12 Series

THE SAD, SAD DECISION OF CAIN, THE FIRSTBORN OF ADAM AND EVE (EXPANDED) – GENESIS CHAPTER 4 Jude 1:12

There was an earlier massage that contained Cain and Korah together. Now Cain alone is expanded. Today we look at Cain.

{{Jude 1 v 11 “Woe to them for they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay, they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.”}}

[A]. INTRODUCTION

There are three parts to verse 11, different episodes at different times, but all having one thing in common. These three were examples of being separated from God, and rebelling against the declared will and direction of God, disobedient in every way. Jude uses these examples because they are all applicable to the problems false teachers were bringing to the churches of his time. In verse 10, a description is given of these base men who were so self-willed, they acted like animals of instinct. Things they did not understand, they reviled. These men were intemperate, proud, and headstrong, following their own determinations, without any recourse to others, or to God. In his letter, Peter adds they count it a pleasure to act riotously in the daytime, and are stains and blemishes. They revel in their deceptions, patting themselves on the back for how clever they are. He says their eyes are full of adultery and they do not cease from sinning. They entice unstable souls, and they have trained their hearts in greed. Then Peter says they are accursed. Jude is reflecting on his description in verse 10, and begins the next part with “Woe to them”. These false teachers have a woe pronounced on them. The Lord used “woe” several times in the Gospels; and in Revelation, it is used 15 times. Between the Gospels and Revelation, it is used just twice – one by Paul when he said, “Woe be to me if I do not preach the gospel,” and this occasion by Jude.

[B]. EXPLANATION

In this message, and the next one, we are going to be looking at both murder and rebellion. These two words are applied to Satan who is described in the following way – {{John 8 v 44 “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him.”}} Before sin entered the world, it was the devil, Satan, who led the rebellion in heaven against Almighty God. These 2 sins go way back to the very foundation of sin, and with pride, make up the three, initial deadly sins.

Those who are murderers and rebellious, follow Satan’s nature, and are of the devil. Reprobate people are associated with the aspects of Satan’s foundation of sin, and they do what is natural to them – they sin through murder, rebellion and pride.

WHAT IS THE WORST SIN OF ALL?

It is sometimes asked, “What is THE very worst sin?” Many people when asked this question say “murder”. However murder and any other sin that might be suggested, are all outflows from the initial sin. That initial sin was Satan’s downfall and why he was cast from heaven. Look at this – {{Isaiah 14:12 “How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, you who have weakened the nations! Isa 14:13 But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven, I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north. Isa 14:14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will make myself like the Most High.”}} Did you notice the use of “I” there – five times? Satan’s pride was the beginning of it all.

In this sinful world many have becomes desensitised to sin, (numb to sin) and fail to see these evils as God would see them. We should be outraged by murder, but we accommodate this practice as if it has no affect on us. How many, including me, watch murder dramas on TV, and these include the “maybe better ones” such as Midsomer Murders, Death in Paradise, Homicide, NCIS, Inspector Morse, Frost, and probably the best produced of them all, Poirot. Killing pervades much of children’s cartoon drama. There are many more, much worse than the ones I quoted, and it would be fairly accurate to say that over 60% of all dramas and films, are based on, or contain murder. Television would struggle to find content to broadcast if all murders shows were removed. They would then resort to more fake reality TV shows, and cooking and fishing programs and sport.