The Tragedy Of Unrepentance-2

THE TRAGEDY OF UNREPENTANCE-II—Genesis 4:1-24

Repentance is vital to a true Christian. Repentance is necessary to anyone really seeking God.

Need:

Why don’t I have the relationship to God that others seem to have? Does God hear me?

Unrepentance always ends badly, in a loss. it is always tragic.

Isa. 59:1-2—“Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.”

Cain’s lack of repentance & subsequent grudge, ended in his brother’s murder.

Willful unrepentance opens the door to tragedy.

What is the tragedy of unrepentance?

8 losses experienced thru the tragedy of unrepentance.

Previously we discovered that ,

4 tragedies of unrepentance are a Lost...

1. AUTHORITY/Importance/Position(:1)

2. LIVELIHOOD(:2(:11-12))

3. WORSHIP(:3, 5)

4. RESPECT(:4-5)

5—A tragedy of unrepentance is a...

Lost COUNSEL(:6-7a)

Explanation: (:6-7a)

:6—So the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?”

Rather than Cain approaching God, YaHoVeH approaches Cain.

God speaks directly to Cain—audibly?! Access to God’s wisdom is still present! He has not left man to himself & his own desires!

God is concerned with Cain’s attitude as revealed thru his anger. As in the garden( “Where are you?” 3:9) God asks a question of the one captured by or party to sin.

God being the wonderful counselor that He is, pointedly asks us the reason(“Why?”) for the shift in our attitude.

We must reckon with the reason why a particular sin is indulged. He wants the sinner to focus his/her attentions upon those things which are hurtful to us....Cain’s obvious sin is manifested in two things deserving of two questions. Cain must face the reason for his being “angry.” As he must also face the reason for his sudden(?) change in demeanor.

:7—“If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.””

“If” is a charge put forth to Cain to make him see that he has reached a point of personal decision. Everyone must do this in regard to known sin. They must either continue to nurture (“not do well”) the sin or repent of it (“do well”).

The outcome of one’s choice to reject(“do well”) or harbor/nourish(“not do well”) sin is determinative of one’s relationship with God. God will lift up/elevate/exalt(“accepted”) that person who seeks to please Him. This extends to faithfulness in every aspect of life. Exaltation belongs to every Christian who, at every instance, admits & repents of sin. Every Christian is honored in God’s eyes who seeks to honor God in his life.

However, that which opposes God’s desire—the “sin”— is waiting as an animal waits for an opportune time with its prey, crouched “at the door.”

“This language implies that previous instructions had been given as to the mode of worship; Abel offered through faith”—JFB

“Sin” is pictured as a cunning, desperate & viable entity, which has a “desire”/craving for the sin-ner. It wants to have dominion over the sinner. In order to prevent sin’s control, the sinner must take personal charge of controlling(“rule over”) the sin.

“Do well”—bjy yaw-tab’—1) To be good, be pleasing, be well, be glad. Strong—a primitive root; To be (causative) make well, literally (Sound, beautiful) or figuratively (Happy, successful, right):-- Be accepted, amend, use aright, benefit, be (make) better, seem best, make cheerful, be comely, + be content, diligent(-ly), dress, earnestly, find favour, give, be glad, do (be, make) good([-ness]), be (make) merry, please (+ well), shew more [kindness], skilfully, X very small, surely, make sweet, thoroughly, tire, trim, very, be (can, deal, entreat, go, have) well [said, seen].

“Accepted”—tas seh-ayth’—1) Elevation, exaltation, dignity, swelling, uprising. Strong—An elevation or leprous scab; figuratively, Elation or cheerfulness; exaltation in rank or character:-- Be accepted, dignity, excellency, highness, raise up self, rising.

*“A better rendering is, "Shalt thou not have the excellency"? which is the true sense of the words referring to the high privileges & authority belonging to the first-born in patriarchal times.”—JFB

Argumentation:

Job 42:1-6—“Then Job answered the LORD & said: “I know that You can do everything, And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. Listen, please, & let me speak; You said, ‘I will question you, & you shall answer Me.’ “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, And repent in dust & ashes.””

Isa. 9:6—“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”