Out in the Field

Out in the Field

(Genesis 4:8)

Yearly Theme:  “Love Is…”

Series Title:  Don’t Be Jealous

June 9^th, 2019

Something to think about:

Jealousy is an intoxicating poison that tempts a person to drink of its follies and suffer its consequences.  As we continue the story of Cain and Abel, we see the result of unfettered jealousy.

Cain’s jealousy of Abel in the face of God’s response to their offerings to Him led Cain to do the most hideous thing imaginable.  Let’s take a look:

Genesis 4:1-16 (NLT)

¹  Now Adam had sexual relations with his wife, Eve, and she became pregnant. When she gave birth to Cain, she said, “With the LORD’s help, I have produced a man!” ²  Later she gave birth to his brother and named him Abel. When they grew up, Abel became a shepherd, while Cain cultivated the ground.

³  When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the LORD. ⁴  Abel also brought a gift—the best of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The LORD accepted Abel and his gift, ⁵  but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected.

⁶  “Why are you so angry?” the LORD asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? ⁷  You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.”

⁸  One day Cain suggested to his brother, “Let’s go out into the fields.” And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother, Abel, and killed him.

⁹  Afterward the LORD asked Cain, “Where is your brother? Where is Abel?”

“I don’t know,” Cain responded. “Am I my brother’s guardian?”

¹⁰  But the LORD said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground! ¹¹  Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has swallowed your brother’s blood. ¹²  No longer will the ground yield good crops for you, no matter how hard you work! From now on you will be a homeless wanderer on the earth.”

¹³  Cain replied to the LORD, “My punishment is too great for me to bear! ¹⁴  You have banished me from the land and from your presence; you have made me a homeless wanderer. Anyone who finds me will kill me!”

¹⁵  The LORD replied, “No, for I will give a sevenfold punishment to anyone who kills you.” Then the LORD put a mark on Cain to warn anyone who might try to kill him. ¹⁶  So Cain left the LORD’s presence and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

Cain’s unfettered, uncontrolled jealousy caused separation and death.  And, this is the key point this morning…

Key Point:  “Jealousy secludes and kills.”

In this one verse today (verse 8), we can note some important things about Jealousy that secludes and kills.  Let’s break this down:

• Jealousy deceives in order to seclude.

Genesis 4:8a (NLT), One day Cain suggested to his brother, “Let’s go out into the fields.” …

• Jealousy secludes in order to kill.

Genesis 4:8b (NLT), … And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother, Abel, and killed him.

Something to take home:

In The Tragedy of Othello, Shakespeare wrote, “Oh, beware of jealousy; it is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on.”

As God had warned Cain, beware, “Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master,” Cain would give into the “green-eyed monster” that crouched there.  Cain opened the door of sin, driven by jealousy, and it caused him to lure his brother away from other people in seclusion in order to kill him in the fields.

Have you allowed sin to enter your life; your home?  Have you allowed it to lead you into seclusion to do things that others aren’t aware of?  Have you opened the door to sin and allowed it to take you out into the killing fields?  Have you allowed jealousy to control you and compare you to others?  Have you allowed the power of jealousy and comparison to drive you to do the unthinkable?  To bully others?...  To slander others?...  To gossip about others?...  To kill other people’s character and reputation?

Key Point:  “Jealousy secludes and kills.”