Today’s discussion is entitled: “The Very Heart of True Worship;” it is a Messianic Discussion of the 3rd Parashah in the 3-year Torah Reading Cycle. Our discussion text for this Shabbat will be Genesis 4:1-26.

 

I will be reading and commenting from the Robert Alter Translation of Torah (”The Five Books of Moshe”).

 

In terms of a backdrop to our Reading, we must consider the fact that man’s fall certainly damaged the intimate relationship he had with the Creator while in the Garden. It is unclear precisely what form that damaged relationship took after the couple was banished or exiled from the Garden, or even, from Yehovah’s immediate presence.

 

(4:1)  And the human knew Eve his woman and she conceived and bore Cain, and she said, “I have got me a man with YHVH.”

 

Let us take note of the statement:

 

“I have got me a man with Yehovah.” Robert Alter, in his translation of this verse, comments that here we find Eve’s imagining her role in creating a man in partnership with Yehovah. No doubt reflecting back to her and her husband’s origins being that of Yehovah. In essence, all creation traces back to Yehovah.

 

From a rabbinic standpoint, the “I have gotten a man with the help of Yehovah” is believed by some to be an expression of Eve’s rejoicing over her being reconciled to her husband, Adam.

 

The thinking here is that Adam and Eve had become estranged as a result of the tragic events of the Garden. Some in rabbinic Judaism contend that Adam wholly blamed Eve for the couple’s banishment from the Garden. That being so, Eve then believes that through the birth of Cain, she essentially has regained her once estranged husband.

 

As cute as this perspective may be, there’s nothing in our text to prove such musings. Is this musing a possibility. Well, I guess all things considered, it may. But I don’t think so. I think the text as rendered is suggestive of Eve celebrating the birth of her sons, she being the first woman in all of history to experience the miracle of birth, one has to imagine that she would have to say something profound in response to this momentous event. And indeed, she most certainly did.

 

The Ancient Book of Jubilees

 

(4:1)  At the time of this story, Adam and Eve had 3-children: Cain, Abel and Awan.

 

 

(4:2)  And she bore as well his brother Abel, and Abel became a herder of sheep while Cain was a tiller of the soil.

 

“Abel” in Hebrew means “a breath” according to a rabbinic source I consulted (Hertz). The significance of the Hebrew name here seems to play upon the brief, premature, flash-in-the-pan life which will be that of Abel; his life so prematurely ended at the hands of his brother Cain.

 

Now, some contend that Cain, being the elder son, was trained in tilling the soil by his father. In other words, Cain learned the family business—I know, somewhat of an overstatement, but it does seem to fit the norms of ancient Hebrew family customs.

 

Abel on the other hand, was given the less physically taxing task of caring for the family’s livestock. We should take this for what it’s worth.

 

According to Josephus, the name Cain means possession, and Abel means sorrow. The text notes that Abel was a lover of righteousness and believed Yehovah was always with him. Abel excelled in virtue.

 

Cain, on the other hand, is described as “very wicked” and “wholly intent on getting.”

 

 

(4:3)  And it happened in the course of time that Cain brought from the fruit of the soil an offering to YHVH.

 

We have here the first mention—the first documented demonstration of worship. Seems as though the brothers’ offerings were that of thanksgiving, although the specifics are lacking in our text.

 

(4:4)  And Abel too had brought from the choice firstlings of his flock, and YHVH regarded Abel and his offering,

 

Abel’s “firstling of his flock and of the fat therein” is suggestive of Abel rendering unto Yehovah in thanksgiving, the very best of his flock. The fat, even in this early period of human history, was esteemed as the best part of the animal.

 

Abba’s “respect unto Abel” denotes that Abba accepted Abel’s offering.

 

The Ancient Book of Jasher

 

The sons, Cain and Abel, brought before Yehovah “approximating offerings” from their labors. I’ve not been able to ascertain what exactly an “approximating offering” is, but it seems to be somewhat tied to the timing of the agricultural season or seasons. So I guess we can surmise that the offerings Cain and Abel rendered unto Yehovah were timed around the growing season, maybe spring.

 

But the text goes on to detail that Elohim turned and inclined unto Abel’s offering, consuming his offering with a fire from heaven.

 

 

 

(4:5)  but He did not regard Cain and his offering, and Cain was very incensed, and his face fell.

 

Cain’s offering, on the other hand was rejected by Yehovah. And J. Hertz contends the reason for Yehovah’s rejection of Cain’s offering was due to the evil condition of Cain’s heart, as opposed to his offering being that of produce or the fruit from his tilling, which I wholeheartedly agree with. This seems evident by the context and content of Yehovah’s warning to Cain just after His rejection of his offering. Cain’s spirit was not right before Yehovah, and thus Yah rejected His offering.

 

This being the case, what does that say to us today about our worship of Him in connection to the condition of our hearts? I say it says something pretty significant. We’ll get into that in the practical halachah and closing remarks portion of this discussion.

 

Ancient Book of Jasher

 

Yehovh did not turn nor incline towards Cain’s offering because “he (Cain) had brought from the inferior fruit of the ground before Yehovah.”

 

_______________________________________________________

 

Many people of Faith have over the centuries gotten hung-up on the occupations of Cain and Abel, especially as those occupations directly affected the brothers’ respective offerings or worship. It is unclear as to why Abba chose to have Moshe declare the brothers’ occupation and the substance of each one’s offering and worship. Could there have been a issue with the content or substance of Cain’s offering? I guess it’s possible.

 

But at the end of the day, the issue at the core of Cain’s offering being rejected by Yehovah, has to do with the state of Cain’s heart versus that of Abel’s heart. Certainly, if by chance Cain’s offering was rejected because he violated Yah’s requirement that offerings or sacrifices be that of animals, the very crux of the rejection still traces back to the state of Cain’s heart. For when one willfully violates the Creator’s commandments and chooses to do things their way, they are in possession of an uncircumcised heart—a will that is resistant to giving way to the Will and Ways of the Creator.

 

The other thing to consider here as it relates to the consistency of each brother’s offering is the emphasis the text makes on Abel’s offering consisting of the “firstlings of his flock and from their choicest,”—that being a point of the quality of Abel’s offering, which also translates into the quality of Abel’s worship. Conversely, the quality of Cain’s offering, and by extension the quality of Cain’s worship is muted in the text, which in and of itself is telling. I believe we can safely conclude that Abel’s offering and worship was superior to that of Cain’s, although the superiority may have had nothing to do with the acceptance or rejection of one or the other’s offering and worship.

 

Again, it would appear, just from the forthcoming calling out of Cain by Yehovah for his negative demeanor in response to his offering being rejected, the issue at hand is the state of Cain’s heart in connection with his worship of Elohim.

 

Messianic author and teacher Tim Hegg suggests that Abel’s gift or offering or worship was superior to that of Cain’s because Abel brought forth worship that came from a right heart. Cain’s inferior offering or worship, on the other hand, came from a faulty, maybe even corrupt heart. Hegg goes even further to suggest that Cain was simply going through the mechanical motions of worship, absent a circumcised heart, while Abel worshipped Yehovah from a sincere and thankful heart.

 

This to me makes sense since it is inconceivable or unlikely that these were the brothers’ first and only offerings unto Yehovah. It seems more likely the brothers were reared in the proper method of worship, most likely by their father Adam, who himself received the revelation of worship directly or indirectly from Yehovah.

 

(4:6)  And Yehovah said to Cain: “Why are you incensed, and why is your face fallen?

 

(4:7)  For whether you offer well, or whether you do not, at the tent flap sin crouches and for you is its longing but you will rule over it.”

 

“Shall it not be lifted up,” according to Hertz is associated with Cain’s fallen countenance: His dejected, disappointed attitude over Yah’s rejection of His offering. Yehovah immediately recognized the evil that obviously resided within Cain—Cain’s evil heart, as mentioned in the previous two verses discussion. And thus, Yehovah offers Cain a spiritual lifeline, so to speak, in an attempt to head-off or “arrest” Cain’s downward spiritual spiral.

 

For that which was brewing or at work within Cain would only lead to sin. So, we see manifested here before us another example of Yehovah’s grace and love for His human creation. Clearly, Abba could have simply left Cain to his own devices and allowed him to sink into the spiritually evil abyss he was teetering atop of, or just terminated Cain’s life. But Yah offered Cain a Way out, as He does all of humanity. This is the essence of, and a foreshadow of Yehovah’s Plan of Salvation. Yah says to humanity, look, you are destined for destruction. I have a solution to your impending doom. Hearken unto My still small voice and receive the salvation I’m offering before it’s too late.

 

Now, another perspective of the phrase “shall it be lifted up” that Hertz brings up is from the perspective of the “it” being Cain’s offering. In other words, if Cain did well—if he behaved as he should—then his offering would be accepted by Yehovah, or rather, his offering would be “lifted up.”

 

Yehovah, though, warns Cain that his harboring whatever was at work inside him—that which one text described as vexing to him—threatened to rule him and lead him to sin.

 

I have to at this juncture of our discussion wonder whether or not this was another test for humanity. Were the hearts of these two men, in particular Cain, being tested here? We’ve discussed on this forum many times that our Elohim is a searcher of the heart, as well as He tests those who would be His. And Avraham is a prime example of this reality. Abba Himself asserts this fact:

 

“(9) The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it? (10) I, Yehovah, search the heart; I test the mind; even to give to each man according to his ways; according to the results of his deeds” (Jer. 17:9-10; NASB).

 

Was Yah searching the heart and testing the mind of Cain? According to this critical passage of holy writ, it most certainly was a possibility.

 

Nevertheless, as it was in the garden with Adam and Eve, humanity was granted freewill—the wherewithal to choose how they will deal with their inner struggles and temptations. In this, the temptation is, because Yehovah rejected Cain’s sacrifice, Cain gives in to his innate desire for vengeance or revenge.

 

(4:8)  And Cain said to Abel his brother, “Let us go out to the field.” And when they were in the field, Cain rose against Abel his brother and killed him.

 

Robert Alter notes in his translation that the phrase, “Let us go out to the field” is missing in the Masoretic Text (I.e., the Hebrew text passed down to us by the Masoretes—Palestinian Jewish Scribes–of around 1,000 A.D. Their text is the framework by which most Authorized Versions of our so-called Old Testament Bibles have been translated). This statement, however, is apparently found in the Greek, Syriac and Aramaic texts.

 

As we will see, this statement contradicts with at least one extra-biblical reference of this incident.

 

The fact that Cain lures his brother to a place that is likely remote from the family home, the text describing the place as “the field,” is indicative of the level of planning or premeditation Cain undertook. From the evidence presented in the text, Cain was determined to fully carry out this tragic, heinous act. There was no turning back it would seem.

 

Ancient Book of Jasher

 

The text next denotes that Cain sought a pretext to slay him (I.e., Abel) because Yehovah did not accept his offering. Seems Cain’s argument should have been with Yehovah as opposed to his brother who had only done that which he was supposed to do.

 

Where did or how were or who planted that seed within Cain that would lead to or cause Cain to seek pretext to murder his brother? We’re talking premeditated murder here. Seems as though Cain had within him an iniquitous predisposition that caused or led to him (1) offering an inferior offering unto Yehovah—doing things his way as opposed to doing things Yah’s way; and (2) jealously, having the wherewithal to contemplate murdering his brother–assuming, that is, Jasher’s rendering of the incident has a semblance of truth attached to it.

 

Would we be safe assigning hasatan a role in this murder; in Cain’s internal work-up to his brother’s murder? Did another agent of the enemy somehow get to Cain and ignite in him a flame of rebellion and murder? Genesis of course gives no such information of this. But we do know our Master referred to hasatan as being “a murderer from the beginning” (Joh. 8:44). What did Master mean by that? Did Yahoshua tie Abel’s murder to hasatan, or to the fact that because of him, all of humanity is subject to death? Just some thoughts.

 

(1:18)  The text notes that one day Abel’s flock passed over a portion of Cain’s freshly plowed field, causing Cain much upset. Was this the pretext Cain sought after his offering was refused by Yehovah?

 

(1:18-24)  Well, Cain and Abel engage in a verbal dispute over this situation, with the text going into some detail as to the content of their argument.

 

(1:27)  Well, the verbal dispute leads to Cain’s assaulting Abel. But the text goes into some detail about the emotional state of Cain in the moments after he slew his brother. The text describes Cain as sorely regretting having killed his brother, such that he was “sadly grieved, and he wept over him (Abel’s body) and it vexed him exceedingly.”

 

(4:9)  And Yehovah said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” And he said, “I do no know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”

 

Yehovah’s questioning of Cain, like that of His questioning of his father Adam, is indicative, not of Yehovah’s ignorance as to what transpired, but likely the questioning was done to provide the human the opportunity to repent; to confess; even to teshuva. But in either case, no confession; no repentance; no teshuva was forthcoming, was there? Only misleading rankers by each offender, in a feeble attempt to throw the Almighty off script—off topic—to pass the buck if you will.

 

(4:10) And He (YHVH) said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the soil.

 

1. Hertz points out that Yehovah describes—identifies—Abel to Cain no less than 6-times over 4-verses of this passage, as his brother, no doubt in part to emphasize to Cain the heinous nature of his transgression: You killed your brother!

 

The personification of Abel’s blood, in that Yah declares to Cain that it cries out from the ground unto Yehovah, is an introduction into human understanding, the concept of vengeance. In other words, according to Yehovah, Abel’s blood cried out to Him to avenge Abel’s death. And so, Cain is found guilty by the Court of Heaven of his crime, and it falls to the Creator of all, to pass judgment, as Abel’s blood cries out from the ground for justice.

 

The Ancient Book of Jubilees

 

(4:3)  Abel’s blood is recorded to have cried from the ground up to heaven because Cain slew him.

 

Question: Does the blood of the slain innocent even today cry up to heaven?

 

 

(4:11) And so, cursed shall you be by the soil that gaped with its mouth to take your brother’s blood from your hand.

 

(4:12) If you till the soil, it will no longer give you its strength. A restless wanderer shall you be on the earth.”

 

Here we find that Cain is, in a sense, subjected to a repeat of that which his father was condemned to: a life of drudgery, having to till soil that produced more thorns and thistles than produce. For no longer would the earth yield a bounty as it did in the Garden.

 

Furthermore, there’s the sense of both being indefinitely separated from Yehovah, more so Cain than Adam, as a result of their transgressions. However, Cain’s exile seems more specific: He is condemned to being a wanderer, and then in verse 12, the narrator, Moshe, details “And Cain went out from Yehovah’s presence…”

 

But here’s a major difference between the separation from Yehovah that Adam was relegated to, and the separation that Cain was relegated to. It appears that the first family retained some semblance of relationship with the Creator. (No doubt anything close to what it was in Garden, but certainly their relationship with Yehovah wasn’t completely severed.)

 

We know that the text declares Yehovah regarded Abel’s offering. How that regarding of Abel’s offering manifested, we have no indication here. We will see in at least one extra-biblical source, how that “regarding of Abel’s offering” manifested.

 

But suffice to say, if Yehovah had completely severed relationship with the first family, He would not have involved Himself in Abel’s offering. Furthermore, we will find mention of Cain “departing from Yehovah’s presence,” suggesting to me that Yah was still very active in the lives of the first family. Just some thoughts and reflections going on here.

 

Alter’s translation highlights the irony of Cain’s transgression and the punishment Cain received from Yah: The very soil that “gaped with its mouth” to take his brother’s blood from Cain’s hand, would be the very instrument used to punish the tiller by trade, Cain (vs. 11).

 

And to add to his misery, Cain would never be at peace. He would be a wanderer throughout his lifetime; even a fugitive, which is interesting, since we will find when we get to verse 17 here in our focus passage, that after the birth of his son Enoch, Cain built a city that he named after his son. Now, if Cain was condemned to being a wanderer or a fugitive for an indeterminate time frame, his building a city (some resources described that city as a fortified or walled city) would naturally imply that he at some point took up homesteading; at least to some lesser or great extent. I came across at least one extra-biblical source that suggested Cain settled down in the latter parts of his life and found peace, building and dwelling in at one or more of the cities he built.

 

Clearly, the answer to this conundrum is not to be found in our focus passage. But suffice to draw from our text that Cain’s separation from Elohim led him and his posterity down the road to destruction. For we will find that those who departed from the presence of Yehovah devolved into lives of seemingly irredeemable evil. And of course that makes total sense. When one removes themselves from the reality of the light of Yah’s Torah and His beautiful, life-giving presence, the only other reality one is to be exposed to is the darkness of chaos, evil and lawlessness. Separation from Yah is the worst state of existence any human has or will ever endure, and it would seem, from the confines of our text, that Cain experienced that terrible reality.

 

Unfortunately, far too many folks in this world today are experiencing, not just a present day separation from the Creator of the Universe, but if they don’t get their act together, they’re looking at eternal separation from their Creator. Yet, there comes a point in those who’ve lived in that separated state that they’re turned over to a reprobate mind, as noted by Shaul in his letter to the Messianic Assemblies at Rome:

 

“(18) For the wrath of Elohim from heaven is revealed against all the iniquity and wickedness of men who hold the truth in iniquity (19) because a knowledge of Elohim is manifest in them; for Elohim has manifested it in them. (20) For, from the foundations of the world, the hidden things of Elohim are seen by the mind in the things he created, even His eternal power and divinity, so that they might be without excuse (21) because they knew Elohim and did not glory Him and give thanks to Him as Elohim, but became vain in their imaginings and their unwise heart and was darkened. (22) And, while they thought within themselves that they were wise, they became fools. (23) And they changed the glory of the incorruptible Elohim into a likeness to the image of a corruptible man, and into the likeness of birds, and four-legged animals and reptiles on the earth. (24) For this cause, Elohim gave them up to fill the lust of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies with them. (25) And they changed the truth of Elohim into a lie, and worshipped and served the created things, much more than the Creator of them, to whom belong glory and blessing, forever and ever: Amen…(28) And as they did not determine with themselves to know Elohim, Elohim gave them over to a vain mind; that they might do what they should not” (Rom. 1:18-28; AENT).

 

Indeed, this is what Cain and his descendants had to look forward to. And even today, we have generations of souls who are imitators of Cain. Oh, these may not have murdered their brothers or sisters, but through their deceptive and desperately wicked hearts, they’ve bought into the Kingdom of Darkness, lock-stock-and barrel, where murder of the innocents (the poor; the discarded of society; the unborn; the innocent is commonplace. These are in their own right, wanderers and fugitives in the very lands they claim as their homes. Little do they realize, having their hearts seared and made numb to the Truth of the Gospel and their desperate need of a savior, that they will face certain wrath, judgment and punishment. And certainly, wrath and punishment would soon come upon the world of Cain’s era, when Yah would bring about a flood to destroy the evil that had overtaken His once “me’-od tov” creation.

 

And to add to his misery, Cain would never be at peace. Alter renders the passage pertaining to this state: “A restless wanderer…on the earth.” How many people do we know, or for that matter, how many of us are as Cain here: Restless wanderers on the earth; going through the motions of living Yah’s Ways, but when Yah or circumstances reveals the heart of these individuals, they are as Shaul described to Timothy:

 

“(1) But know this: that in the latter days hard times will come: (2) and men will be lovers to themselves and lovers of money, boasters, proud, revilers, unyielding towards their own people., deniers of grace, wicked, (3) unloving, addicted to irreconcilable malicious gossips, ferocious, haters of the good, (4) treacherous, rash, inflated, attached to pleasure more than to the love of Elohim, (5) having a form of respect for Elohim but wide from the power of Elohim. Them who are such, repel from you” (2 Tim. 3:1-5; AENT).

 

Wherever Cain would eventually wander in his life, no matter how skilled he’d become at tilling, the soil would remain barren to him and refuse to bring forth its bounty. He and his wife, now wanderers, would no doubt be forced to forage for their food. It would be this act of foraging for their food that Cain would be forced to put his trust in Yehovah to provide him his sustenance. For Cain no longer had any means by which to provide for his family, since his skills at tilling were fundamentally taken from him.

 

You see, humanity is always going to do things Yehovah’s Way, or humanity’s going to do it Yehovah’s Way. Oh, it may seem to Cain at first that he didn’t need Yehovah (as is the thinking of most humans). But in the end, it turns out that he would absolutely need Yehovah, one way or the other.

 

Ancient Book of Jubilees

 

(4:4)  Yehovah made Cain a fugitive on the earth because of his brother’s blood.

 

(4:13) And Cain said to Yehovah, “My punishment is too great to bear.

 

Cain not only had to contend with the physical penalties of his transgression, but also the guilt that was no doubt seared into his conscience. This punishment, Cain declared, was too great for him to bear.

 

Along that line, the Jasher account goes to great lengths to underscore and bring out the intense grief Cain experienced after he murdered his brother.

 

The Ancient Book of Jasher

 

(1:28) The text details the interaction Cain has with Yehovah over the incident with Abel. Most interestingly, the writer touches on Yehovah bringing up to Cain a couple of his eternal attributes, which would lend to Yehovah’s qualifications to pass and execute judgment on Cain:

 

1. Yehovah is a reader and judge of the heart of man.

 

1. Yehovah is omniscient (I.e., He is all knowing and all seeing) and omnipresent.

 

Yehovah, as part of his sentence/judgment against Cain, curses the ground on which Cain would till for his food. Therefore, Cain could no longer be a tiller, but a wanderer—better, a forager.

 

(4:14) Now that You have driven me this day from the soil and I must hide from Your presence, I shall be a restless wanderer on the earth and whoever finds me will kill me.”

 

There’s a sense here that Cain, prior to his murdering his brother, found great comfort and peace in being in the “presence of Yehovah” when he dwelt in his father’s home, or in his dwelling in Eden. There’s a sense that his banishment would remove the protections he enjoyed living in the presence of, or being near Yehovah. That protection, Cain noted, would be effectively removed as a result of his banishment. This situation is referred to in rabbinic circles as a “forfeiture of divine protection.”

 

This spiritual reality is realized in Yehovah declaring that He would hide his face from Yisra’el in the day the people would “arise and play the harlot with the strange gods of the land, into the midst of which they were going;” forsaking Yehovah and breaking the covenant He had made with them (Deu. 31:16-18).

 

This is a reality that we all must be diligent to avoid at all costs, especially in these perilous times. When we turn our hearts away from Yehovah our Elohim, we run the risk of losing or forfeiting the divine protection He has placed over us. So we must always be vigilant to guard our hearts, and we do that most effectively when we willingly endeavor to die to self.

 

So, Cain somehow had the foresight to be concerned for his safety. He feared being killed by an “avenger of blood.” This part of the story paints for us a shadow picture of Yehovah making provisions for the manslayer (Num. 35).

 

In essence, Cain was crying out to Yehovah for a place or means of refuge to escape potential avengers of Abel. Where would he, the 3rd human to come into existence, learn or know about murder; vengeance; divine protection; and such? These are rather advanced concepts that were somehow planted in the mind of Cain, especially given that there were at the time, just two other souls alive on the planet. Somehow, Cain realized that there would come a time in the future when the population of the world would be such that men would take up causes such as vengeance and come after him. Clearly, this would be something to happen only in the distant future.

 

(4:15) And Yehovah said to him, “Therefore whoever kills Cain shall suffer sevenfold vengeance.” And Yehovah set a mark upon Cain so that whoever found him would not slay him.

 

The “mark” that was rendered unto Cain by Yehovah was more that of a mark of protection, than that of a stigma that Cain would be resigned to carried upon his body till he died. Many over the centuries have sought to spiritualize this mark, but sometimes, that which is foreign to our modern day, western sensibilities, are best left to its natural understanding.

 

The establishment of the mark upon Cain that would warn any who would seek to avenge the murder of Abel, served to strike fear in the hearts of men that they themselves would receive a far greater set of punishments from Yehovah than was meted out to Cain if they succeeded in killing Cain.

 

Some in rabbinic circles say that Cain was a repentant sinner, and thus he was afforded by Yah the mercy he received, in the form of this mark. But this to me is pure prairie jibberish at best. Nothing in this text suggests that Cain repented of his transgression. Now, as I’ve always asserted, if the text is silent on a matter, does that silence say a thing one way or another? No, it doesn’t. I will concede that silence in biblical texts leave room for contemplation and discussion. But certainly it is ill-advised for us to take advantage of the silence in order to put forth a doctrine that cannot be proved. It can be misleading and create confusion. It’s best at times to allow the text to speak for itself.

 

(4:16) And Cain went out from Yehovah’s presence and dwelled in the land of Nod east of Eden.

 

Interestingly, the Hebraic cognate with Nod (that is, the term of interest having an attached meaning) is the term used for “wanderer” from verse 12 of our passage here. Coincidence or intentional?

 

Hertz interprets Cain’s removal from the presence of Yehovah as evidence that Eden was a special place. As I mentioned in our last Torah Reading Discussion entitled, “Who is to Blame for the Sins of the World-Adam or Eve,” I believe Eden, especially the Garden located within Eden proper, was an exclusive extension of Yehovah’s Kingdom here on earth. For I’ve always held that wherever Yehovah dwells, there we find His Kingdom. And so, if Yehovah’s Spirit (His Ruach) dwells within us, we can rest assured that the Kingdom of Yehovah is in us, as our Master taught (Luk. 17:21). Josephus, who I would describe as an estranged rabbi, contends here that Cain slew his brother in response to Yehovah viewing Cain’s offering as an “invention of a covetous man” that was “gotten by forcing the ground.” Abel’s offering, conversely, came from “naturally of its own accord.”

 

We find in 1 John 3:12, Yochanan provides a counter explanation to Josephus’ rabbinic thinking for Cain’s murder of Abel:

 

“…Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And therefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteousness” (KJV).

 

Yochanan contrasts Abel’s sense of righteousness to Cain’s sense of evil, and it was evil-lasciviousness—iniquity—that drove Cain to murder his brother. More so, an iniquitous spirit and heart.

 

Josephus—Antiquity of the Jews

 

Josephus’ text takes an interesting turn by quoting Yehovah in the midst of His questioning Cain’s evil act against his brother:

 

“I wonder at thee, that thou knowest not what is become of a man whom thou thyself has destroyed.” (More a statement by Yehovah regarding Cain’s evil intent and actions, is it not?)

 

And it is because of this conundrum, according to Josephus, that Yehovah did not carry out the death penalty against Cain, but instead condemned him to be accursed in the earth—a fugitive.

 

The text states that Yehovah casted Cain out of the land along with his unnamed wife.

 

The Ancient Book of Jasher

 

(1:33)  The text, as was mentioned in Genesis, stresses that Cain “went out from the presence of Yehovah, from the place where he was…” And thus, Cain dwelled in the land toward the east of Eden, he and all belonging to him.

 

(4:17) And Cain knew his wife and she conceived and bore Enoch. Then he became the builder of a city and called the name of the city, like his son’s name, Enoch.

 

Hertz casts doubt as to the physical identity of Cain’s wife, citing that incest is abhorrent to the Jew and that it violates Yehovah’s Torah (Lev. 28:9). Indeed, incest is prohibited in Torah. But it would seem that Yehovah permitted what we know today as incest to take place in the early stages of human history in order to establish the human population. And later on, as the number of humans grew in the earth Yehovah prohibited the practice (Lev. 18:7-15).

 

Now, if we believe the biblical narrative to be true—that the first humans to ever exist were Adam and Eve, then there is no other conceivable answer to this conundrum. Cain had to have married his sister. The extra-biblical texts of Jasher and Jubilees both affirm this understanding.

 

This is one of those instances I would assert, where the bible’s silence on an issue can easily be understood, as there is no other explanation. Some have postulated the thinking that Yehovah created another set or sets of humans apart from Adam and Eve. Our bibles, nor do any of the extra-biblical writings support such a contention. And I get how hard it must be for some to swallow the fact that Cain and Seth both married their sisters, but that’s because we have a healthy bias against incest. But we must recognize that Yehovah often works within the framework of what He has in place in order to fulfill His Will in the earth. This same principle is seen in the practice of polygamy: Yehovah established marriage to be between one man and one woman. However, He permitted polygamy to be practiced by His people for a defined period of time in human history.

 

At the end of the day, we can rest assured that the Creator knows what He’s doing. Yehovah commanded the first couple and their progeny to be fruitful and multiply. Why would Father give a commandment without the means by which to fulfill that commandment? Just food for thought.

 

Josephus—Antiquity of the Jews

 

Josephus goes on to attribute Cain with the proliferation of evil in the world at that time; the violent accumulation of personal wealth which he encouraged his acquaintances to do likewise, making him a great, although wicked, leader of wicked men in the earth at that time. An inventor of weights and measures. And it was on account of this that Cain was able to coax the world “into cunning craftiness.” And it was also from this that he established fortified, walled cities.

 

The Ancient Book of Jubilees

 

(4:9)  Question: Where did Cain get his wife from. Genesis speaks about Cain knowing his wife and the two rearing children?

 

According to the text, a second daughter was born unto Adam and Eve, and she was named Azura. Cain took his sister Awan to wife. Ultimately Chavah gave birth to 9 more sons according to this text.

 

People of Faith have severe difficult buying into the fact that Cain and Seth married their sisters. I recognize that there seems to be a built in aversion to what we referred to today as incestuous relationships. However, if we believe the Genesis account to be true, which leads to us believing that Yah made Adam and Eve, and no other beings are mentioned, then based upon the accounting we have, the only logical conclusion we can draw is that Cain and Seth married their sisters. And we have extra-biblical references to sort of back-up that thinking. Nevertheless, many folks within and outside our Faith community find it difficult to access such thinking. And so, these will come up with strange, extra-biblical solutions to their conundrum such as Yehovah created other people besides Adam and Eve, and those people produced female children that Cain and Seth married and produced children with.

 

 

(4:25) And Adam again knew his wife and she bore a son and called his name Seth, as to say, “Elohim has granted me other seed in place of Abel, for Cain has killed him.”

 

 

Adam and Chavah lost 2-sons that day. And so, when they bore Seth, Adam referred to him as a “second seed unto them on the earth instead of Abel.”

 

(4:26) As for Seth, to him, too, a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. It was then that the name of Yehovah was first invoked.

 

Ancient Book of Jubilees

 

(4:11)  Seth took his sister Azura to wife.

 

 

Practical Messianic Halachah

 

Yehovah’s acceptance of Abel’s worship and rejection of Cain’s worship is described from the perspective of Him “giving regard to Abel and his offering, but to Cain and his offering He did not give regard.”

 

The Hebraic terminology used here is fascinating and when understood, opens up vistas of spiritual meaning and insight. The Hebrew terms for “to give regard” is “sha’ah.” “Sha’ ah” means to “turn and give one’s attention” to something. It is obvious that we turn to and give our attention to something that is interesting or important to us. Yehovah would seem to be no different from us here. He obviously found something of interest in Abel’s worship that caused Him to turn towards Abel and give his offering His undivided attention, which translates into Yah accepting Abel’s worship. Conversely, Yah did not turn or give credence to Cain’s worship, but instead, gave serious examination to Cain’s disposition and behavior.

 

If this thing about worship is really about the condition of the worshiper’s heart, this all makes complete sense and holds tremendous importance to Yah’s elect. Because the truth of the matter is that Yehovah recognizes the one with a right heart (Psa. 34:18; 51:17; Isa. 57:15).

 

Hegg further points out a substantive understanding that Yehovah does not deal with humanity in a “capricious way” (I.e., Yah doesn’t just make stuff up to hit humanity over the head with on the fly). It seems pretty evident from Yah’s calling Cain out after He rejects Cain’s offering, that Cain knew exactly what the problem was with his worship.

 

This is a critical piece of information that must be understood by Yah’s people. When Yah takes issue with us, He is not capricious towards us. We invariably know what the problem is. Granted, we may not know precisely the nitty gritty of the problem, but we will invariably have a general sense of what we’re doing wrong. That’s why it is so important that we constantly seek Yah’s leading when we pray: That we ask Him to reveal to us those areas in our lives that need fixing so that our covenant relationship with Him is not impeded.

 

One of the main reasons we were created was to worship Yehovah. If our worship is rejected by Yehovah for whatever reason, we by default fail in our created purpose (Mat. 15:8-9). And we don’t want anything to do with that, do we? That makes for a wasted existence.

 

More so, we must petition the Father to search our heart, as King David described in Psalm 139:23-24:

 

“(23) Search me, O Elohim, and know my heart. Try me and know my anxious thoughts, (24) and see if there be any hurtful way in me. And lead me in the everlasting way” (NASB).

 

One cannot truly be in covenant relationship without inviting Yehovah to conduct a perpetual heart examination and any needed surgery to keep him/her in right relationship with the Eternal. For many folks within and without our Faith Community are faking it and going through the motions of serving and walking out their Faith, no doubt similar to the life of Cain. These are no doubt having their worship routinely rejected by Abba. But these, instead of confronting the problem headlong and seeking to have their situation corrected through corrective heart surgery, too often choose to turn a blind eye to their spiritual depravity and hope for the best in the end. Y’shua made it clear that he will summarily dismiss such individuals from Him and His millennial kingdom, stating that He never knew them (Mat. 7:21-23). My God, that is indeed an edict none of us should ever want to hear.

 

Yah’s grace is extended down to us. As He did with Cain, He’s throwing us a lifeline, through His Word and His Spirit. His Word points us to Yahoshua and our need for a savior (Rom. 10:4—the end of Torah is Messiah…), while His Ruach convicts and corrects us (Joh. 16:8—and when He (the Holy Spirit) comes He will convict the world concerning sin and concerning righteousness and concerning judgment). This is, of course, all contingent upon us allowing these divine resources—Yehovah’s powerful grace—to work on our behalf.

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One of the fundamental themes of this Torah Reading has to do with True, Yehovah-honoring worship.

 

What is true, Yehovah-honoring worship? I’m talking about the worship that gets Abba’s attention; worship that touches the Creator’s heart such that He turns towards our offerings and He accepts it with pleasure.

 

Today, worship is all about a church’s or fellowship’s Praise and Worship offerings, with some churches producing each Sunday, concert-level performances to this end. In these cases, it’s more about performance and eliciting some emotional responses from the group’s attendees. From the attendees’ perspective, it’s often all about the experience: Escapism; happiness; excitement; community; together; having a spiritual high.

 

 

Years ago, before all the gospel and praise and worship performances took center-stage in denominationalism, worship was simpler. It involved the church attendees participating, such as in the singing of hymns and the recitation of prayers. It was up to the attendee to involve themselves in the worship activity, as opposed to what it has become today: Being entertained; at least in most cases.

 

 

True biblical worship is an abandonment of self and a full surrendering to the sovereignty, holiness, and majesty of the Creator of the Universe. It is in fact a true acknowledgment of this reality.

 

Back in the day of the patriarchs, true worship involved solemn acts of reverence in the form of prostrating one’s self before Elohim; offering sacrifices; reciting and expressing reverence of Elohim in the form of psalms and prayers. The focus was entirely on the greatness of Yehovah; being thankful for His provision and safety; to seek forgiveness of one’s transgressions and to pledge allegiance to the Creator’s Way of life.

 

The writer declared:

 

“Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before Yehovah our Maker” (Psa. 95:6).

 

Worship was a display of one bending their will to the Will of Yehovah.

 

I invite you to listen to or read our post on this subject of worship entitled “Where Do You Worship Yehovah” if you are interested in finding out more about biblical worship.

 

Over time, worship devolved into rote, mechanical halachah that was devoid of the worshiper’s heart bending to the Will of the Eternal. Father exclaimed that He was not accepting and appreciative of such contrived efforts at worship of Him. Indeed, Yehovah required of His people to worship Him in the exacting way He prescribed. But the worship He prescribed for His people to perform meant absolutely nothing if His people’s hearts were not properly circumcised.

 

Of this, the writer declared:

 

“For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it. You are not pleased with burnt offering. (17) A broken and a contrite heart, O Elohim, You will not despise” (Psa. 51:16-17; NASB).

 

Abba stated through His prophet:

 

“For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, and in knowledge of Elohim rather than burnt offerings” (Hos. 6:6; NASB).

 

So, as far as Abba is concerned, worship of Him is not about rote, mechanical Torah-keeping, although keeping Torah is extremely important. For Abba, worship of Him is about bending our Will to His; it’s about loving Him and loving our neighbor; it’s about dying to self and imaging Him in the earth.

 

Our Master, Yahoshua Messiah, informed the Samaritan Woman at ya’achov’s Well, when the woman pressed Him as to where Yah’s people must worship Him (I.e., that rote, mechanical keeping of Torah was at the forefront of the ancients’ minds), that the time was imminent when the people of Elohim would worship Yehovah in Spirit and in Truth.

 

The worship of a child of Yah that is in Spirit is essentially him or her being led by the Father’s Ruach haKodesh, in their reverencing and serving of Yehovah.

 

The worship of a child of Yah that is in Truth is essentially him or her walking out their Faith; in their obedience of Faith; in their being in true covenant relationship with Yehovah. In so doing, the elect’s day-to-day walk in Mashiyach becomes that of perpetual worship unto Yehovah.

 

Both elements of worship require that an elect’s heart be circumcised pursuant to Yehovah’s instructions in righteousness, as rendered in Deuteronomy 30:6 and Jeremiah 4:4.

 

The Apostle Shaul expounded and expanded upon this critical aspect and element of the elect’s walk in Mashiyach when he wrote:

 

“(28) For he is not a Jew who is so in what is external (alone): nor is that (only physical) circumcision, which is visible in the flesh. (29) But he is a Jew who is so in what is hidden: and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter, whose praise is not from men, but from Elohim” (Rom. 2:28-29; AENT).

 

Without a circumcised heart, one’s worship of the Eternal becomes more about us, than it is about Yehovah. How so? Because again, the [uncircumcised] heart of humanity is deceptive and desperately wicked; it is diametrically opposed to the Ways of the Almighty (Jer. 17:9; Isa. 55:8).

 

But when we enter into an obedient covenant relationship with Yehovah, His Ruach haKodesh, takes our heart, even our will, and chips away the stony layers of it to expose the naked flesh therein. Whereby, He may then inscribe His Torah upon that fleshy table of the surrendered soul’s heart (Jer. 31:31; Heb. 8:6-13).

 

I believe Yah rejected Cain’s offering because Cain’s heart was not right. Cain quite conceivably possessed a rebellious heart and disposition that somehow resisted the Creator’s Will and even Purpose. It no doubt put Him at odds with the Creator.

 

Now, a great many contend that Cain’s offering was rejected by Yehovah because he failed to render a blood sacrifice unto Yehovah. He instead rendered unto Yehovah the fruits of his tilling labors.

 

I don’t know whether or not this is true; it’s possible I would imagine. Yah does not reveal clearly the reason why he rejected Cain’s offering. All I know is that Cain’s heart was not right and Abba knew it, as He called Cain out about it before Cain committed the murder. I don’t believe the issue here is about the form in which the sacrifice took. I believe it has to do with the state of the worshiper’s heart here. Abel’s heart was apparently right before Yehovah, while Cain’s heart was not.

 

The simple fact that Cain would carry out that which he did is evidence enough for me that he had a heart problem.

 

We can learn from the example of Cain even today. For I submit to you that we cannot truly worship our Elohim and expect Him to accept our worship and praise if our hearts aren’t right. Scripture tells us that Yah turns His undivided attention to those who possess a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart (Psa. 34:18; 51:17; Isa. 66:2). (I invite you to listen to our read our post entitled “A Broken Heart and Contrite Spirit Gets God’s Attention—STAR 67” to gain a more in-depth understanding of the relationship that exists between the state of one’s heart and their relationship with Yehovah.)

 

Beloved, if we truly seek to have our worship and our spiritual offerings accepted by Yah, we must endeavor to get our hearts right with the Eternal. It begins with our dying to self and surrendering fully to His Will. And so, we in effect must bring our hearts to Him so that He can inscribe His Torah on it. And if we are successful doing that, Yah will take care of the rest and before we know it, our worship of Yehovah will be where it’s supposed to be because our worship will be led by the Ruach haKodesh, and our walk will reflect our covenant relationship with Yehovah, such that we image Him in all the earth!