The Tragedy Of Unrepentance-3

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

Attention:

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? Where is the power of God in my life?....Does God even 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.

We have seen previously that...A tragedy of unrepentance is a Lost...

1. AUTHORITY/Importance/Position(:1)

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

3. WORSHIP(:3, 5)

4. RESPECT(:4-5)

5. COUNSEL(:6-7a)

6. ACCEPTANCE(:7a)

7. CONTROL(:7b-c)

8. LIFE/Purpose(:8)

Furthermore we find that:

9—A tragedy of unrepentance is a Lost......

CONCERN(:9)

Explanation:(:9)Connection

:9—Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?””

YaHWeH again speaks to Cain(:6-7), after his utter failure. He is asked, much as Adam was asked(3:9), the whereabouts of his brother Abel. This highlights his physical relationship & the responsibility inherent to it.

The LORD has concern for us. The LORD is concerned with our attitude toward sin. Known trespasses of which we are unwilling to repentant, are glossed over by a haughty prideful attitude.

*God sees all our sins even the ones done in private.

Cain’s sharp response reveals his spiritually cauterized heart(1Tim. 4:2). He denies any obligation to the One asking as well as toward his brother’s well-being. His concise reply makes it plain that he neither knows nor cares. This reply is of course a lie because he killed his brother by his own hand.

Cain carries such disdain for both God & his brother that he has the nerve to ask God a rhetorical question regarding his own responsibility. Had God indeed made him responsible for his brother’s well-being? Cain carries/entertains no such obligation in mind or heart.

“Know”—edy yaw-dah'—Strong—To know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically & inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; & causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.).

“Keeper”—rmv shaw-mar'—1) To keep, guard, observe, give heed. Strong—properly, To hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. Guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc.:-- Beware, be circumspect, take heed (to self), keep(-er, self), mark, look narrowly, observe, preserve, regard, reserve, save (self), sure, (that lay) wait (for), watch(-man).

Argumentation:

1Tim. 4:1-2—“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits & doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,”

Lev. 19:17-18—“‘You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, & not bear sin because of him. ‘You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.”

Mk. 12:29-31—“Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. ‘And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, & with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. “And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.””

Gal. 5:13-14—“For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.””

The implication is that even distant relationships should exhibit God’s love—closer ones obviously!

Illustration:

TV ad for the USPS/ The apathetic employee approached about saving the company money with Postal Service shipping, says, “Its not my money. I seriously do not care.”/Lost CONCERN

Application:

?Your God-intended CONCERN lost to Unrepentance?

?Your see your Unrepentant life as the Tragedy it is?

10—A tragedy of unrepentance is a Lost......

COVER(:10)

Explanation:(:10)

:10—“And He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.”

YaHWeH, knowing Cain’s atrocity, then pointedly asks Cain what he had done. However Cain in not given opportunity to respond as he has already condemned himself by his terse reply to YaHWeH.

God lets Cain know in no uncertain terms that his sin has found him out. YaHWeH knows of Cain’s sin because his brother’s blood continually “cries out” to Him “from the ground” which received it. It is as if the very blood has a “voice” which a perpetrator may never silence.