Genesis 4:7–Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation

Posted by Seth on Jan 11, 2010 in Bible Study, Daily Devotions |

Genesis 4:7–Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation

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Welcome to today’s Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation covering Genesis 4:7 through which we learn of the great dangers of sin as it crouches at the door.

If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.

There is no room for passivity in the Christian life. Even in our relationship with the Lord, we are to be active in loving and submitting to Him. Part of this very activity is to be exercised in ruling over sin instead of being overcome by it. As we read about God’s words to Cain, Adam and Eve’s firstborn, we see that he was given much grace from the Lord. He and Abel both brought sacrifices to Him, but only Abel did such with devoted hands and heart. But like a tender father with his son, God had an honest talk with the frustrated Cain. “You’ve got two options, my child: Go about things in the right way and your worship will be good in My eyes. Go the opposite and your sin will overtake you.” The best response to such a statement seems obvious, but Cain would have nothing of it, deciding instead to kill his little brother. Can you see him seething as God suggests that his attitude needs correction? Here he was taking time out of his day to bring something to God only to hear that his service is lacking. Now most of us probably wouldn’t carry out the kind of plan that he did, but I wonder if we can identify some with his little pout routine. We’ve all been in self-justification mode and had God call us out in some way. We’ve all thought that we were at least as good as or better than someone else and been disappointed when God seems to bless them (and not us) in some special way. When in such circumstances we’re alerted of our prideful hearts, we, like Cain have some decisions to make. We can call God unfair and sport an attitude around others, or we can swallow hard and believe that we’re blind to some things that God can open our eyes to.

Choosing the first option is downright deadly. Sin is crouching at the door of our hearts just like it was for Cain. Thinking back to when we first got our dog, he was nearly full grown, part pit-bull, and a little mouthy. If we hadn’t been on our guard, he could have grown into something ugly. But we ruled over him when he was at his worst and, even though he still has the chest of a linebacker and jaws of steel, he doesn’t run the household. Sin is a bit like that. Either take charge and get suited up with the armor and weaponry of the Lord or expect to unwittingly serve a ruthless master.

We have a lot to learn from our earliest ancestors. Right off the bat we have good examples and bad, right worship and self exaltation. God is so very good to give us His Word, to make a way for us through Jesus, and to instill in us His Spirit. Let us humbly listen, humbly heed, and daily be slaying the sin soon to spring.

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