The Tragedy Of Unrepentance-4

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

Attention:

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

Need:

Why do I feel guilty when I’ve done certain things? Is there really a right & wrong? How can I know?

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?

13 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)

9. CONCERN(:9)

10. COVER(:10)

Furthermore we find that:

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

BASE(:11-12)

Explanation:(:11)Where you are meant to be

:11—“So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.”

As a result of the sin manifested thru Cain, YaHWeH is indeed gracious. Rather than taking Cain’s life, God “curses” him from the very “earth”(“ground”-:10) by which Cain sustains himself as “a tiller of the ground”(:2). This is a curse on top of the curse(same word) for Adam’s sin(3:17-19). Cain is doubly cursed in regard to the ground. Its strength is lessened plus Cain’s ability to put it to use is removed.

He is cursed because the ground itself has been forced to receive that which was never intended. It is as if the ground has effectively been made to inappropriately ‘drink’ Abel’s blood.

The blood has a voice & the ground has a mouth. Thus one can never look upon them as a silent witness.

The ground has drunk in Abel’s blood specifically because Cain’s “hand” brought it about. Cain is indeed responsible for the working of his own hand. He does not question that.

“Cursed”—rra aw-rar’—1) To curse—1a) (Qal)—1a1) To curse, 1a2) Cursed be he (participle used as in curses), 1b) (Niphal) To be cursed, cursed, 1c) (Piel) To curse, lay under a curse, put a curse on, 1d) (Hophal) To be made a curse, be cursed. Strong—To execrate:-- X Bitterly curse.

“Mouth”—hp peh—1) Mouth. Strong—The mouth (as the means of blowing), whether literal or figurative (particularly speech); specifically Edge, portion or side; adverbially (with preposition) According to.

:12—“When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive & a vagabond you shall be on the earth.””

The specific meaning of being “cursed form the earth” is clarified here.

The explanation assumes that Cain will indeed “till the ground.” However, when he does till it, its already diminished “strength” will “no longer” be “yielded” to him. Cain will personally experience a further degree of separation from the earth’s “strength” than Adam(3:17-19).

As a result of the added curse upon the ground, Cain will continually wander about no matter where he goes upon “the earth.” He will find sustenance only from what naturally occurs or by the hand of others who may express the compassion upon him which he himself was unwilling to grant to his own brother.

Cain is “the miserable victim of an accusing conscience.”—JFB

“Till/Cultivate/Work”—dbe aw-bad’—1) To work, serve. Strong—To work (in any sense); by implication, To serve, till, (causatively) Enslave, etc.

Same as 2:15(“Tend”)—Adam’s original purpose in the Garden.

“No longer/Not henceforth”—Poy yaw-saf’—1) To add, increase, do again. Strong—To add or augment (often adverbial, to continue to do a thing):-- Add, X again, X any more, X cease, X come more, + conceive again, continue, exceed, X further, X gather together, get more, give more-over, X henceforth, increase (more & more), join, X longer (bring, do, make, much, put), X (the, much, yet) more (& more), proceed (further), prolong, put, be [strong-] er, X yet, yield.

“Yield”—Ntn naw-than’—1) To give, put, set. Strong—To give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.).

“Strength”—xk ko’-akh —1) Strength, power, might. Strong—from an unused root meaning To be firm; Vigor, literally (Force, in a good or a bad sense) or figuratively (Capacity, means, produce); also (from its hardiness) a large lizard:-- Ability, able, chameleon, force, fruits, might, power(-ful), strength, substance, wealth.

“Fugitive/Vagrant”—ewn noo’-ah—V.—a primary root—1) To quiver, totter, shake, reel, stagger, wander, move, sift, make move, wave, waver, tremble. Strong—To waver, in a great variety of applications, literally & figuratively. (CONT...)11—A tragedy of unrepentance is a Lost...