SATURDAY 3RD MARCH 2018 MORNING
Genesis 4:1-15 New International Version (NIV)
Cain and Abel
1Adam[a] made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain.[b] She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth[c] a man.” 2 Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.
Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord.4 And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering,5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.
6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”
8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.”[d] While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”
“I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”
10 The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. 11 Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.”
13 Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is more than I can bear.14 Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”
15 But the Lord said to him, “Not so[e]; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him.
Footnotes:
- Genesis 4:1 Or The man
- Genesis 4:1 Cain sounds like the Hebrew for brought forth or acquired.
- Genesis 4:1 Or have acquired
- Genesis 4:8 Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; Masoretic Text does not have “Let’s go out to the field.”
- Genesis 4:15 Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; Hebrew Very well
Cain was jealous of his brother Abel because God accepted Abel’s offering but rejected Cain’s. It seems that Abel gave some of the best of his flocks but Cain was not so careful in choosing the best offering.
This jealousy lead Cain to kill his brother and then complain to God about the treatment which God gave Cain. But God was merciful to Cain. God warned to be aware of temptation. Later God protected Cain from vengeance killing.
We need to beware of jealousy and be ready to receive correction. If not there is a danger that one sin will lead to another and we will become deep in sin.
JUMAMOSI TAREHE 3 MACHI 2018 ASUBUHI
MWANZO 4:1-15
1 Adamu akamjua Hawa mkewe; naye akapata mimba, akamzaa Kaini, akasema, Nimepata mtoto mwanamume kwa Bwana.
2 Akaongeza akamzaa ndugu yake, Habili. Habili alikuwa mchunga kondoo, na Kaini alikuwa mkulima ardhi.
3 Ikawa hatimaye Kaini akaleta mazao ya ardhi, sadaka kwa Bwana.
4 Habili naye akaleta wazao wa kwanza wa wanyama wake na sehemu zilizonona za wanyama. Bwana akamtakabali Habili na sadaka yake;
5 bali Kaini hakumtakabali, wala sadaka yake. Kaini akaghadhibika sana, uso wake ukakunjamana.
6 Bwana akamwambia Kaini, Kwa nini una ghadhabu? Na kwa nini uso wako umekunjamana?
7 Kama ukitenda vyema, hutapata kibali? Usipotenda vyema dhambi iko, inakuotea mlangoni, nayo inakutamani wewe, walakini yapasa uishinde.
8 Kaini akamwambia Habili nduguye, [Twende uwandani]Ikawa walipokuwapo uwandani,Kaini akamwinukia Habili nduguye,akamwua.
9 Bwana akamwambia Kaini, Yuko wapi Habili ndugu yako? Akasema, Sijui, mimi ni mlinzi wa ndugu yangu?
10 Akasema, Umefanya nini? Sauti ya damu ya ndugu yako inanililia kutoka katika ardhi.
11 Basi sasa, umelaaniwa wewe katika ardhi, iliyofumbua kinywa chake ipokee damu ya ndugu yako kwa mkono wako;
12 utakapoilima ardhi haitakupa mazao yake; utakuwa mtoro na mtu asiye na kikao duniani.
13 Kaini akamwambia Bwana, Adhabu yangu imenikulia kubwa, haichukuliki.
14 Tazama, umenifukuza leo katika uso wa ardhi, nitasitirika mbali na uso wako, nami nitakuwa mtoro na mtu asiye na kikao duniani; hata itakuwa kila anionaye ataniua.
15 Bwana akamwambia, Kwa sababu hiyo ye yote atakayemwua Kaini atalipizwa kisasi mara saba. Bwana akamtia Kaini alama, mtu amwonaye asije akampiga.
Mungu alifurahia sadaka ya Habili lakini alikataa sadaka ya Kaini. Hali hii ilisababisha Kaini kuwa na wivu na kisha kumuua mdogo wake Habili.
Mungu alimwonya Kaini kabla kujitahidi kushinda majaribu. Pia Mungu alimhurumia baadaye.
Kaini alimtendea Habili ukatili lakini Mungu alikuwa na huruma kwa Kaini.
Tuwe tayari kusikiliza maonyo na kupokea na kujisahihisha. Pia tuelewe hatari ya wivu. Tusipokua waangalifu dhambi moja inaweza kusababisha dhambi nyingine mpaka tunajikuta tumezama katika dhambi nzito.
