[SAT] inTro – Rebellion is a Choice

Read This Week’s Passage:

Genesis 4:1-7

KJV 1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord. 2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. 4 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: 5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. 6 And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? 7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

CEV 1 Adam and Eve had a son. Then Eve said, “I’ll name him Cain because I got him with the help of the Lord.” 2 Later she had another son and named him Abel. Abel became a sheep farmer, but Cain farmed the land. 3 One day, Cain gave part of his harvest to the Lord, 4 and Abel also gave an offering to the Lord. He killed the first-born lamb from one of his sheep and gave the Lord the best parts of it. The Lord was pleased with Abel and his offering, 5 but not with Cain and his offering. This made Cain so angry that he could not hide his feelings. 6 The Lord said to Cain: What’s wrong with you? Why do you have such an angry look on your face? 7 If you had done the right thing, you would be smiling. But you did the wrong thing, and now sin is waiting to attack you like a lion. Sin wants to destroy you, but don’t let it!

It was night. A pastor in his 30s was in the intensive-care unit waiting for the moment to die. His life was fading away after an apparently unsuccessful surgery, following a hemorrhagic episode. He wasn’t strong enough to stand another surgery.

“Why would I be allowed to die?”, he thought.

Was God rejecting him and his ministry? Was God punishing him for leaving God’s ways when he was a teenager? Was there a sin that he forgot to confess, for which he was now being punished? It seemed as if God were too severe, hard, and revengeful, lacking mercy and grace. Was he serving the right God? What if salvation was a mirage?

A few months before, in a seeming sign of disapproval for his work, the conference headquarters where he was working at moved him to a different pastoral district. But now it seemed that even God was not approving his life! Amid darkness, a spark of revolt and bitterness started to burn inside his heart. Rebellion was the next step. All his religious experiences seemed like a sham and that God was not that good Being he preached about.

“Whether I harbor rebellion and bitterness or not, I will die anyway”, he thought. Then he questioned: “But what if I decide to cling to Jesus’ feet, begging for forgiveness, even though it seems as if He is kicking me aside?” He continued, “What if, despite contrary evidence, I keep looking for salvation?”

Once making that choice, he was no longer interested in fighting for temporary healing, but for eternal life.

A verse flashed before his mind:

“The one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out” – John 6:37

In the morning, after a night of talking to Jesus and with no evidence of God’s acceptance, he was visited by a nurse who prayed and sang with him. After that prayer his bloodwork indicated that the healing process had started. After some more time in the hospital, the pastor was finally discharged! He was now sure that Jesus Himself had healed him that night!

...

Through Cain and Abel’s narrative we will explore not only the importance of regular offerings, but also how the choice to rebel or to accept God’s supremacy will affect our worship and eternal destiny.

[SUN] inGest – Killed for Trusting

The bitterness that precedes rebellion is not always easy to identify.

In the case of Cain, his high opinion about himself led him to believe that he was able to see things that his parents and Abel were too naive to understand.

This mindset allowed feelings of rebellion against God to grow.

He was suffering from a “god complex”.

A god complex is an unshakable belief characterized by consistently inflated feelings of personal ability, privilege, or infallibility.

By distancing himself from God, he lost sight of God’s character.

Then, could it be that he started to think that humans were victimized, manipulated, and oppressed by a harsh, severe, and mean God?

Perhaps he thought that the way God had treated Adam and Eve, and by extension himself, expelling them from the garden, was something too severe for the the pair’s failure.

After all, wasn’t Adam and Eve’s failure something really small?

Why did the whole earth have to be cursed?

Cain could have believed that carefully following God’s commandments was a sign of subservience and weakness.

He may have preferred to look at what he felt was the big picture and pick what would look reasonable to him.

After all, why would people gifted with free will and intelligence need to strictly follow Another’s mind?

Can’t they have autonomy and be a law to themselves?

Would not strict obedience be a sign of stupidity?

Would it not be fanaticism to follow point by point all the smallest details of God’s requirements?

Abel, on the other hand, even though also affected by God’s curse, decided to accept His dealings with humanity as something fair, believing in His justice and mercy, and, above all, trusting in the promised redemption.

Able decided to humble himself under a Superior Mind, under the authority of a Wisdom that cannot always be understood by limited, fallen minds.

The conditions were far from ideal after they lost access to the Garden of Eden.

But trusting in the promise of a brighter future after redemption, Abel accepted God’s gift of forgiveness through the bloodshed of a Substitute, prefigured by the sacrificial animal.

He could find love in the promise of a future Deliverer that would join His fate with humanity, being also injured by the serpent, before bruising its head – Genesis 3:15

KJV 15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

CEV 15 You and this woman will hate each other; your descendants and hers will always be enemies. One of hers will strike you on the head, and you will strike him on the heel.”

While trying to convince Abel to join him in his rebellion, Cain met a kind, meek, but firm reaction from his brother.

Abel claimed God’s law as good, desirable, and something meant to protect them, and His mercy in sparing the life of their parents.

He also testified about God’s justice and love in providing an escape for every repentant transgressor, symbolized by the bloody sacrifice.

Then he invited Cain to worship God according to the prescribed way, but that made Cain even more determined to follow his own way.

Enraged because he was unable to enlist Abel’s sympathy to his cause, or to answer to his arguments, Cain gave way to violence, ending up killing the representative of true faith.

And the same thing will happen at the end of time between those who trust in the Lord and those who are just nominal (in name only) worshippers.

The harsher persecution should be expected to come from inside God’s people.

Read more in Ellen White’s Patriarchs and Prophets, chapter 5: “Cain and Abel Tested.” [ID:1673640730660]

What prevented Cain from looking for forgiveness?

What were the steps that Cain should have taken to be forgiven by God?

[MON] inTerpret – Who Is the Benefactor?

Abel brought an offering “of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat.”“The Lord respected Abel and his offering” (Genesis 4:4

KJV 4 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:

CEV 4 and Abel also gave an offering to the Lord. He killed the first-born lamb from one of his sheep and gave the Lord the best parts of it. The Lord was pleased with Abel and his offering,

), and according to Hebrews, He considered it “a more excellent sacrifice than [Cain’s]” (Hebrews 11:4

KJV 4 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.

CEV 4 Because Abel had faith, he offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. God was pleased with him and his gift, and even though Abel is now dead, his faith still speaks for him.

).

The word “firstborn” may indicate that for Abel it was a regular offering (not tithe), given as regularly as a female of his flock would produce her first young.

This was a sign of submission and allegiance to God.

This offering was given triggered, not by feelings, but by an event—a female animal producing its young—which was considered a blessing from the Lord.

This offering helps us see God as the giver, provider, and benefactor, promoting gratitude, trust, and peace of mind.

In this way it was supposed to be an antidote against bitterness, ingratitude, and rebellion.

The act of offering the firstborn from every animal was an ancient practice among God-fearing people that was later regulated for the Israelites (Exodus 13:1-16

KJV 1 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine. 3 And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out from this place: there shall no leavened bread be eaten. 4 This day came ye out in the month Abib. 5 And it shall be when the Lord shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, that thou shalt keep this service in this month. 6 Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the Lord. 7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days; and there shall no leavened bread be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee in all thy quarters. 8 And thou shalt shew thy son in that day, saying, This is done because of that which the Lord did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt. 9 And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the Lord's law may be in thy mouth: for with a strong hand hath the Lord brought thee out of Egypt. 10 Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance in his season from year to year. 11 And it shall be when the Lord shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, as he sware unto thee and to thy fathers, and shall give it thee, 12 That thou shalt set apart unto the Lord all that openeth the matrix, and every firstling that cometh of a beast which thou hast; the males shall be the Lord's. 13 And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck: and all the firstborn of man among thy children shalt thou redeem. 14 And it shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What is this? that thou shalt say unto him, By strength of hand the Lord brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage: 15 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardly let us go, that the Lord slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man, and the firstborn of beast: therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all that openeth the matrix, being males; but all the firstborn of my children I redeem. 16 And it shall be for a token upon thine hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes: for by strength of hand the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt.

CEV 1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Dedicate to me the first-born son of every family and the first-born males of your flocks and herds. These belong to me.” 3-4 Moses said to the people: Remember this day in the month of Abib. It is the day when the Lord's mighty power rescued you from Egypt, where you were slaves. Do not eat anything made with yeast. 5 The Lord promised your ancestors that he would bring you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, and Jebusites. It is a land rich with milk and honey. Each year during the month of Abib, celebrate these events in the following way: 6 For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast, and on the seventh day you are to celebrate a festival in honor of the Lord. 7 During those seven days, you must not eat anything made with yeast or even have yeast anywhere near your homes. 8 Then on the seventh day you must explain to your children that you do this because the Lord brought you out of Egypt. 9 This celebration will be like wearing a sign on your hand or on your forehead, because then you will pass on to others the teaching of the Lord, whose mighty power brought you out of Egypt. 10 Celebrate this festival each year at the same time. 11 The Lord will give you the land of the Canaanites, just as he promised you and your ancestors. 12 From then on, you must give him every first-born son from your families and every first-born male from your animals, because these belong to him. 13 You can spare the life of a first-born donkey by sacrificing a lamb; if you don't, you must break the donkey's neck. You must spare every first-born son. 14 In the future your children will ask what this ceremony means. Explain it to them by saying, “The Lord used his mighty power to rescue us from slavery in Egypt. 15 The king stubbornly refused to set us free, so the Lord killed the first-born male of every animal and the first-born son of every Egyptian family. This is why we sacrifice to the Lord every first-born male of every animal and save every first-born son.” 16 This ceremony will serve the same purpose as a sign on your hand or on your forehead to tell how the Lord's mighty power rescued us from Egypt.

).

Usually less costly and not requiring bloodshed, this firstfruit offering was under the principle that God should be the first (Matthew 6:33

KJV 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

CEV 33 But more than anything else, put God's work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well.

).

“Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase” (Proverbs 3:9

KJV 9 Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:

CEV 9 Honor the Lord by giving him your money and the first part of all your crops.

, NKJV), records Solomon, validating this God-first principle even for us who have salaries or an income instead of herds or crops.

It should lead the giver to trust that the One who provided once would provide again: “So your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine” (v. 10).

Regular offerings, under the God-first principle, should be primarily triggered, not by good feelings, a specific need, a call, sympathy for a priest or a religious leader, nor even a desire to provide for the temple or mission work.

Instead, they should be triggered by God’s act of sending some form of an increase.

They are a means to worship God, in addition to the tithe (Malachi 3:8-10

KJV 8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. 9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. 10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

CEV 8 You people are robbing me, your God. And, here you are, asking, “How are we robbing you?”You are robbing me of the offerings and of the ten percent that belongs to me. 9 That's why your whole nation is under a curse. 10 I am the Lord All-Powerful, and I challenge you to put me to the test. Bring the entire ten percent into the storehouse, so there will be food in my house. Then I will open the windows of heaven and flood you with blessing after blessing.

), whenever there is an addition of income.

Out of gratitude, some people today practice this principle, for example, when they return to the Lord the first rental income of a new tenant, or the first paycheck of a new job.

They keep putting God first by returning the tithe and another proportion as an offering from every regular salary or rental income.

Triggered by God’s blessings, as does the tithe, regular offerings tend to foster (as in Abel’s case) a “worship mentality” instead of a “donor mentality.”

When a “donation mentality” is adopted, givers may be tempted to see themselves as owners of the resources, and later benefactors or philanthropists (sometimes yearning for recognition).

“Donors” may be more inclined to think that they are in the position to decide to give or not, where to give, and to decide how funds should be applied.

Worshippers under the God-first principle instead consider God as the benefactor, the owner of all things, and the philanthropist.

The regular offering for worshippers is a celebration that attributes glory to God for what they have received every time they receive something from Him.

In this way, they are less inclined to expect human praise or recognition.

For them, special spontaneous offerings may be given, but only in addition to or beyond regular offerings, never replacing them.

True worshippers see themselves just as vessels of God’s goods, as His representatives, and as stewards of His possessions.

Because everything belongs to Him, they consider themselves responsible before the Owner for even the use of what remains in their hands after they bring their tithe and offerings!

{hl red}{b}What questions emerge after reading Genesis 4:1-7?

What parts are difficult?

What other principles and conclusions do you find?

What should trigger the act of bringing an offering?

Should offerings be given according to the heart of the giver, or according to God’s prescription?

[TUE] inSpect

How do the following verses relate to the primary passage?

Hebrews 11:4

KJV 4 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.

CEV 4 Because Abel had faith, he offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. God was pleased with him and his gift, and even though Abel is now dead, his faith still speaks for him.

Proverbs 3:9-10

KJV 9 Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: 10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

CEV 9 Honor the Lord by giving him your money and the first part of all your crops. 10 Then you will have more grain and grapes than you will ever need.

Matthew 6:33

KJV 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

CEV 33 But more than anything else, put God's work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well.

2 Corinthians 13:5

KJV 5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

CEV 5 Test yourselves and find out if you really are true to your faith. If you pass the test, you will discover that Christ is living in you. But if Christ isn't living in you, you have failed.

1 John 3:12

KJV 12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.

CEV 12 Don't be like Cain, who belonged to the devil and murdered his own brother. Why did he murder him? He did it because his brother was good, and he was evil.

Jude 1:11

KJV 11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

CEV 11 Now they are in for real trouble. They have followed Cain's example and have made the same mistake that Balaam did by caring only for money. They have also rebelled against God, just as Korah did. Because of all this, they will be destroyed.

John 6:37

KJV 37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

CEV 37 Everything and everyone that the Father has given me will come to me, and I won't turn any of them away.

What other verses/promises come to mind in connection with Genesis 4:1-7?

[WED] inVite – Cain’s Continual Choice

“By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous” (Hebrews 11:4

KJV 4 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.

CEV 4 Because Abel had faith, he offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. God was pleased with him and his gift, and even though Abel is now dead, his faith still speaks for him.

).

Through the absence of fire descending from heaven, (Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, 71) God showed that,

“He did not respect Cain and his offering” (Genesis 4:5

KJV 5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

CEV 5 but not with Cain and his offering. This made Cain so angry that he could not hide his feelings.

).

How can we explain this discrimination now in an age of pluralism and inclusiveness?

The system of offerings implies more than simply recognizing God as the provider and benefactor.

It should also point to God as the Redeemer.

Both Cain and Abel were well familiarized with that system of worship specified by God, centered in the killing of an animal and the need of spilt blood—something not intended to be pretty.

That ritual, intended to benefit the sinner and not God, was conceived to lead every worshipper to recognize their sinfulness and to express faith in the promise that the death penalty for sin would fall on Someone [Jesus] else.

All privileges and blessings for death-deserving sinners were possible only because of the plan of redemption.

God’s grace would be revealed through His own death on behalf of the unmerited sinner.

But Cain refused to see the offering as a benefit to himself. (E. G. White, 72.)

Instead, proud of his own refined senses, he presumed those bloody sacrifices too disgusting and repugnant. (E. G. White, 72, 73.)

Cain likely chose to interpret them as evidence of God’s severity and cruelty, in addition to his interpretation of Adam and Eve’s expulsion from the garden.

Believing that only inferior minds needed to comply with the smaller details of God’s requirements, he opted for a cleaner and convenient way to worship.

By doing it his way, he missed that worship must be offered, not according to the preferences of the worshipper, but according to the prescriptions of Him who is worshipped.

The rejection of Cain was not arbitrary, as God is not a respecter of humanity.

Jesus sees, weighs, remembers, evaluates, and estimates every heart and every offering (Mark 12:41

KJV 41 And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.

CEV (Luke 21. 1-4) 41 Jesus was sitting in the temple near the offering box and watching people put in their gifts. He noticed that many rich people were giving a lot of money.

; Acts 10:4

KJV 4 And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.

CEV 4 Cornelius was surprised and stared at the angel. Then he asked, “What is this all about?”The angel answered, “God has heard your prayers and knows about your gifts to the poor.

), not by any human criteria, but according to His law.

The way we bring our offerings (or even the absence of offerings) is frequently a reflex of our feelings toward Him.

Even after Cain’s offering was rejected, God did not leave him alone to perish.

Instead, Cain was assured by an angel that he could still be accepted if he would “do well” (Genesis 4:7

KJV 7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

CEV 7 If you had done the right thing, you would be smiling. But you did the wrong thing, and now sin is waiting to attack you like a lion. Sin wants to destroy you, but don't let it!

).

He was also warned that because of his sinful nature, sin was “crouching at the door” (v. 7, ESV), and its desire was to control his life, leading him to failure.

Nevertheless, Cain would still retain the choice to “rule over it” (v. 7) or not.

We serve a righteous God, who is not a respecter of humanity.

Though He has died for all, in the end God will respect everyone’s choice to accept or reject Him!

Those who refuse to accept Jesus’ death on their behalf will need to pay themselves for their sins.

As David did later, Cain could have confessed his sin and his rebellion, being completely forgiven.

He could then express his trust in God’s forgiveness by bringing an appropriate offering, according to God’s prescription.

Nonetheless, like Satan, Saul, and Judas, Cain chose to keep his cherished thoughts of bitterness and a haughty attitude.

Even today, any offering that fails to express faith in Jesus as Savior, Creator, and Provider becomes a modern imitation of Cain’s offering.

It may be brought to the church, be praised by others, and produce good feelings in the giver, but will not be accepted by Heaven.

Only true, penitent [repentant] worship will connect the giver to the Source of all good things.

Meditate on Genesis 4:1-7 again and look for where Jesus is.

What is He saying to you through the texts of the week?

How do you see Jesus differently or see Him again?

Which kind of offerings cannot be accepted by Jesus today, even when delivered during the service, in the church? Explain.

[THU] inSight – The Two Classes

The followers of Christ should not wait for thrilling missionary appeals to arouse them to action.

If spiritually awake, they would hear in the income of every week, whether much or little, the voice of God and of conscience with authority demanding the tithes and offerings due the Lord. (Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4 [Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1948], 474.)

Abel . . . saw justice and mercy in the Creator’s dealings with the fallen race, and gratefully accepted the hope of redemption.

But Cain cherished feelings of rebellion, and murmured against God because of the curse pronounced upon the earth and upon the human race for Adam’s sin.

He permitted his mind to run in the same channel that led to Satan’s fall—indulging the desire for self-exaltation and questioning the divine justice and authority. . . .

They were acquainted with the provision made for the salvation of man, and understood the system of offerings which God had ordained.

They knew that in these offerings they were to express faith in the Saviour whom the offerings typified, and at the same time to acknowledge their total dependence on Him for pardon. . . .

Abel pleaded with his brother to approach God in the divinely prescribed way, but his entreaties only made Cain the more determined to follow his own will.

As the eldest, he felt above being admonished by his brother, and despised his counsel.

Cain came before God with murmuring and infidelity in his heart in regard to the promised sacrifice and the necessity of the sacrificial offerings. His gift expressed no penitence for sin.

He felt, as many now feel, that it would be an acknowledgment of weakness to follow the exact plan marked out by God, of trusting his salvation wholly to the atonement of the promised Saviour.

He chose the course of self-dependence. He would come in his own merits. He would not bring the lamb, and mingle its blood with his offering. . . .

He presented his offering as a favor done to God, through which he expected to secure the divine approval. . . .

He rendered only a partial obedience. The essential part, the recognition of the need of a Redeemer, was left out.

Cain had the same opportunity of learning and accepting these truths as had Abel.

He was not the victim of an arbitrary purpose.

One brother was not elected to be accepted of God, and the other to be rejected.

Abel chose faith and obedience; Cain, unbelief and rebellion.

Here the whole matter rested.

Cain and Abel represent two classes that will exist in the world till the close of time.

One class avail themselves of the appointed sacrifice for sin; the other venture to depend upon their own merits. . . .

It is only through the merits of Jesus that our transgressions can be pardoned.

Those who feel no need of the blood of Christ, who feel that without divine grace they can by their own works secure the approval of God, are making the same mistake as did Cain. (E. G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets [Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1890, 1908], 71-73.)

Review the memory verse. How does it apply to your life this week?

After this week’s study, what are some takeaways for you personally?

Where are areas that these takeaways can be applied to?

[FRI] inQuire

Could Cain still be forgiven even after he killed His brother? Can we determine when someone has gone too far?

If fanaticism means to follow all the small details of God’s requirements, which ones should we disobey to consider ourselves as “balanced” persons?

Is zeal synonymous with fanaticism? With legalism? What are the differences?

Is God’s law against human autonomy? Is submission to God something that removes human autonomy? Explain.

Why do free willed and intelligent people need to follow God’s mind? What is the problem with even the minds of intelligent people?

In which situations can self-reliance become a negative trait of character and jeopardize the spiritual life? Explain.

Which offering was “spontaneously” according to the heart of the giver: Cain’s or Abel’s?

If Adam and Eve sinned, was it fair that Cain and Abel should also share their fate and be forced to live outside the Garden of Eden?

Why are the consequences of sin always fair to those involved?

Is there any hope for those who, like Cain, still foster feelings of revolt and bitterness against God? How can they be saved?

Am I helpless to resist to any thought that comes to my mind? How should I deal with repeating thoughts of rebellion or other thoughts that are not in line with God’s will?

Extras

Give of your best to the Master

1. Give of your best to the Master;
   Give of the strength of your youth;
   Throw your soul’s fresh, glowing ardor
   Into the battle for truth.
   Jesus has set the example,
   Dauntless was He, young and brave;
   Give Him your loyal devotion;
   Give Him the best that you have.

Refrain:

Give of your best to the Master;
Give of the strength of your youth;
Clad in salvation’s full armor,
Join in the battle for truth.

2. Give of your best to the Master;
   Give Him first place in your heart;
   Give Him first place in your service;
   Consecrate every part.
   Give, and to you will be given;
   God His beloved Son gave;
   Gratefully seeking to serve Him,
   Give Him the best that you have.
3. Give of your best to the Master;
   Naught else is worthy His love;
   He gave Himself for your ransom,
   Gave up His glory above.
   Laid down His life without murmur,
   You from sin’s ruin to save;
   Give Him your heart’s adoration,
   Give Him the best that you have.