Cain's offering was rejected because he did not offer his first fruits to God. Able gave the fattest of his flock that he had tended to since birth. God's question to Cain makes me laugh because to God, giving of the first fruits should be instinctive for his followers. They should want to follow him. So when he asks Cain why are you sad, to me it is a joke against Cain. God knows the truth and whatever Cain replies will be a lame excuse towards God. The imagery of Able's blood crying out to God is so powerful to me. Is this what happens when people today are murdered? Does their blood cry out to God and does he lead people to them?
I want to know why God had mercy on Cain to put the curse (if anyone tries to kill him they will be harmed instead) upon him? Was God proving to Cain that he is not evil but just? A man with such a curse I would not picture as happy, but Cain gets married, how did his wife feel about all the moving around? Also did Cain move around month to month or year to year or decades to decades?
In class we talked about the different genealogies of Cain and Seth. The names are very similar and each is probably missing a few generations, a theological significance that is to be read with the story. But, Cain's lineage is in no likeness of God. Seth was blessed to surpass his eldest and his lineage was formed in the likeness of God.
One of our assignments was to compare the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Noah Flood Account. The results are here.
In many of the fiction books I read, especially the Mortal Instruments , there is mention of Nephilim and I find it interesting that the name might have started in the Bible. I have always thought of them as superior beings and that's how they can be interpreted: part angel part human. I love connections to modern books that can be found in the Bible!! The Nephilim might have been the bases for God destroying Man in the flood.
Thinking of God's covenant the rainbow makes me smile when I see a rainbow when it rains. Does God make it rain when he is angry and a rainbow when he realizes he cannot get carried away? Why did God feel it was okay to destroy the Earth once but never again? Is he certain that humans will never become as vulgar or disobedient as they once were? After working in the library with a very learned source, I came to know that some people really do believe that God plans for everything in our lives to happen.
The second part of chapter nine is a little confusing to me, with the cloak and curse. Apparently there are many different views as to why Noah cursed Canaan, but for me it is not so important except for the descendants later in life. Are we a part of one of these people? Or are we all from Abraham? Can we be from one of the people that is not mentioned in the Bible?
Everyone was spread among the earth!
But not...As the people started to build the Tower of Babel to reach into the heavens, God quickly spread them apart, like ants scattered. It reads they would be able to do anything, nothing would be impossible if they continued to be of one nation. This is a reoccurring theme. Why is God so nervous about man achieving things? What have we NOT achieved today that he has kept us from accomplishing?
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