WORLDS

Our world is composed of numerous worlds interconnected by shared needs and desires. The world of Adam and Eve was the only true world where two individuals could coexist harmoniously. However, as their family expanded, other worlds emerged, leading to collisions between different realms. Tragically, when Cain’s world collided with Abel’s, both individuals perished in the ensuing catastrophe. Abel’s world was obliterated in physical form, while Cain’s world gradually succumbed to the aftermath of the destruction.   

Cain’s world was shaped by Cain’s own needs and desires, while Abel’s world was created by God’s. Abel’s world never threatened or endangered Cain’s world, while Cain’s world was always at odds with Abel’s. To believe that Cain and Abel were best friends and that their recorded fight was the first altercation would be naive and unassuming.

Genesis 4:3  And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord.

Genesis 4:4   And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering:

The word’s in Genesis 4:3 “And in process of time it came to pass” eludes to an amount of immeasurable time.  It had to be an amount of time which Abel learned to raise sheep and Cain learned to till the ground.  The idea of these word’s are confirmed in Genesis 38:12;  

Genesis 38:12   And in process of time the daughter of Shuah Judah's wife died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheepshearers to Timnath, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 

 Judges 11:4 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord.  

There are many other scriptures which mention the same phrase denoting an unknown passage of time, but, this passage of time could have the elusion to the life time God has given to a man.  According to the 70 years that is allotted to man Psalms 90:10; 

Psalms 90:10 The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

By God as man’s normal life span, the phrase “And in the process of time” at least could be imagined fairly as some time from 0 years to 70 years.

If we imagine that Cain and Abel had from 0 to 70 years to grow the amount of hatred to allow and excuse Cain to kill Abel.  Cain’s world was guided by Cain’s self centered ambivalence toward Abel.  Somewhere during the time of Cain’s birth and the death of Abel, Cain had learned and experienced the effect of Satan.  How do we know this with certainty, because of the outcome of Cain’s action.  

Mathew 6:24  No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Cain’s actions revealed his allegiance and the company he kept. His world was controlled by Satan, and according to Jesus, Cain loved Satan more than his brother Abel. Cain couldn’t bear the thought of Abel sharing his world. He built mental and emotional defenses against God, his family, and love. Hatred, disdain, and self-centeredness overpowered his brotherly love and adoration. Instead of allowing his world to merge with Abel’s, Cain repelled and disregarded everything his parents taught him. This gradual process was fueled by small, insignificant words and actions that offended Cain over time.  

The offenses would have been misinterpreted and become fodder for Cain’s paranoid tendencies. He must have been influenced by someone who could infiltrate his thoughts, transforming Cain from a servant of God’s will into Satan’s servant. Cain’s own human frailty and misguided thoughts played a significant role in this transformation.

Cain’s world was enveloped in the teachings and experiences of Adam and Eve, just as Abel shared theirs. Despite being brothers, Cain and Abel were not twins. Their timelines and experiences diverged until Abel’s birth.  

In my opinion, Cain was at least ten to twenty years older than Abel. This is because Cain had a wife.  

Genesis 4:17 And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.

The wife would have been the offspring of Adam and Eve, the sister of Cain, and of childbearing age, which would have been around 13 years or older.

I believe their trades were different due to their ages. Cain was taught to be a farmer, tilling the ground to provide for the family’s food. Abel, on the other hand, was taught to attend to long-term needs by raising sheep, which provided food and clothing. 

Cain and Abel’s offerings for sacrifice were vastly different, a result of natural causes and effects, or simply time and chance.

Ecclesiastes 9:11 I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

Cain’s sacrifice was initially welcomed by God for several years because Abel was deemed too young to sacrifice due to their ages. Cain’s sacrifice was pleasing to God for a while until Abel offered his first lamb to God. After that, everything changed for Cain.

The attention bestowed upon Abel by God, Adam, and Eve might have been greater and more unhindered than that given to Cain. Gathering the correct stock, acquiring information for the proper care and feeding of the sheep, and overseeing the herd would have involved a significantly larger number of people in the duty of herd care compared to farming. Consequently, many more of Cain and Abel’s brothers and sisters would have been under Abel’s authority. Cain’s jealousy and resentment could have been intensified by Abel’s success and acceptance as a leader surpassing him, not to mention the future respect paid to Abel for his offering to God. Cain’s world would have been in turmoil due to his own deception, leading to murder being premeditated and committed in his heart long before the actual act. Cain willfully sinned, knowing he could have done good, but chose not to.     

James 4:17  Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

Cain’s world was transformed within his own mind. Nothing had changed outside of his own perception. Cain had decided that he would be better off without Abel sharing his world. So, he premeditated the death of his brother and executed his killing blow through deception, getting close enough to make his kill certain.

Cain was aware of the sacrifices required to appease God, yet he chose to remain outside the bounds of God’s expectations.  

Cain’s sacrifice was undoubtedly not the first one in Genesis 4. Both Cain and Abel were aware of the requirements for a sacrifice to God. While Abel might have approached Cain to obtain a vegetable sacrifice, after raising sheep and being impressed to offer a lamb, Abel went beyond the minimum requirement.  

Genesis 4:4  And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering:   

Not only did Abel offer an accepted sacrifice, but he also brought “of the fat thereof.” Abel’s offering was more than Cain’s, who only fulfilled a requirement. Abel gave from his heart to please his God, while Cain gave nothing more than what was expected. Cain knew that Abel would continue to give from his heart, which was Abel’s greatest treasure.    

Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.  

Cain’s treasure lay within himself, and he had no intention of giving anything more than was necessary.    

Genesis 4:5  But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

Cain, consumed by wrath, which biblically signifies DEATH, was deeply depressed. He yearned for revenge and was utterly despondent because he had been shown a path that contradicted his own desires and needs. Unable to retaliate against God, Cain turned his attention to his brother, intending to destroy him. In his mind, if Abel had not been present to impress God, Cain would still be favored by the divine.  

Cain’s world and Abel’s collided in a catastrophic trajectory, spiraling out of control and into the embrace of death and sorrow. Satan seized control of Cain’s world, and he lost his love for his brother.

Abel is eagerly awaiting the Second Resurrection. Cain, however, has ended his life in the eternal Judgment of the Lake of Fire. Cain’s world and his offspring became Satan’s world, which he continued to rule over until the age of Noah and the Great Flood.  

We each inhabit and have control over our own world. Our neighbors are brothers in Christ, whether they are believers or non-believers. If we emulate Jesus’ actions during his earthly life, which he lived according to God’s will, we share his eternal world. Consequently, we can share our worlds with those who share theirs with Jesus. Our goal should be to create a unified world where we serve God through Jesus Christ. To achieve this, we must adhere to the commandment our Lord gave to all mankind, which serves as the foundation of salvation.

Matthew 22:37  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 

Matthew 22:38 This is the first and great commandment.

Matthew 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 

Matthew 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Written by: Charles E. Cohenour Jr.