Worship is thinking of God and having a celebration of the heart. Sometimes we can let our preferences get in the way of really worshipping God. Both Revelation and Isaiah show us that we need to prepare our heart to meet with God.
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While the descendants of Cain gave us many benefits for our civilization, there is a deeper issue at stake in this passage. Their actions really show us that they were defying God. Theirs was an attempt to live independent from God in every way. But God will always have a remnant. From the line of Seth we begin to see men call on God. Are you defying or denying God?
The sin nature is capable of doing anything. In Genesis 4 it rears its ugly head through the sin of murder. Cain raises up and takes the life of his brother Abel. It wasn’t a matter of the offering but a matter of the heart. Sin was waiting to consume Cain and he allowed it to succeed, even after God by His grace offered Cain a way of escape. God has given us a way of escape from any sin that may wish to master us.
What if the resurrection never took place? If not, there are some problems. Yet there is substantial proof that it did and because it did there is power for our resurrection.
How is your worship? Is it possible to worship the motions and yet have an improper motive? The crowd bringing Jesus into Jerusalem may have been focused in their worship but it was flawed. What worship is favored by God? Prepare your heart to worship Him?
In the garden God gave to us a wonderful picture of what was required to be in His presence. It was a covering of animal skins that only He could provide. It was a foreshadowing of the coming redeemer promised in Genesis 3:15. This passage punctuates what would be required to come into God’s presence. It would be a sacrifice, and pointed to the sacrifice of Christ. The covering of Christ is the only acceptable attire to enter into God’s presence.
Standing before a judge to receive sentence would be difficult. Hearing the judge say what you did wrong and then meting out the consequences after a conviction is the sobering moment of reality. Adam and Eve stand before the just Judge of the universe who is giving them their just sentence. In the midst of it He also provides a promise. It’s a measure of grace that must be accepted by faith.
Hide and seek is a game we played when young. All but one intentionally hid while the person who was “it” tried to find everyone in hiding. Adam and Eve intentionally hid from God, not because they were playing a game but because they had sinned and they didn’t want to face God. But God came seeking them out. He wanted them to confront their sin. God knows everything so why do we try to hide from Him? It’s a fair question.
Benjamin Franklin forgot one thing when he said that death and taxes were the only two things certain in this world. What he forgot about was temptation. No one is exempt from it or immune to it. We’re all tempted, just like the very first couple in the Garden of Eden. While they did not overcome temptation, Scripture provides some tools to help us in the battle against it.
Chapter 3 introduces us to the villain. He is the serpent. Throughout Scripture we learn more about this villain. The simple description in verse 1 tells us a lot about his nature. The Bible then gives us information about the tools we have to overcome the enemy.