CHOICES AND CONSEQUENCES

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: But unto CAIN and to HIS OFFERING He had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell – Genesis 4: 4-5

What a covenant-keeping God! He had pronounced fruitfulness on Adam and Eve: “…God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply…” (Gen. 1: 28). In spite of their disobedience and fall, God not only clothed them, He also blessed them with a son: “And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD” (Gen.4:1). If Mother Eve could give birth without complications, nothing should hinder any Daughter of Zion from receiving the blessing of the womb. Alas, while the couple was still celebrating Cain’s birth, Abel followed in quick succession.

In time, the young men began to make CHOICES that would define their destinies and affect generations after them: Abel chose to be a herdsman; Cain a farmer. Their career-choices then affected their choices of offerings unto the Lord: one from the produce of his farm; the other from the firstlings of his flock – “choice cuts of meat,” “fat portions.” There may be spiritual significance to the contents of the offerings: Abel’s being the “firstling” as well as a “blood” sacrifice. Beyond these, God might have weighed the quality, person and “heart” behind the offerings. Hebrews 11:4 confirms: “By faith Abel offered unto God a MORE EXCELLENT sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.”

Our CHOICES and the MOTIVES behind them are critical to our destinies. Every choice has Chains of Consequences. God’s disapproval of Cain’s less-than-excellent offering led to his choices of negative ATTITUDES – Anger, Envy and Jealousy. These untamed emotions led to the choice of a negative ACTION – Murder, even after the mercy of God warned him that “sin lurked at the door.” Cain chose to submit to sin rather than rule over it and became the first Murderer in human history…and also the first Vagabond!

Friend, as we progress in this New Year: “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life; and Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established” (Pro.4: 23, 26). Our choices either make us or break us. God’s will is that we make choices and decisions that would delight and please Him – choices that meet with His approval; choices He would “have respect unto”!