“ Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you
angry? Why is your face downcast?” (Genesis
4:6) What caused Cain to become angry and show such
disgust in his position? I believe we can all agree that
Satan was at the helm of Cain’s pride.
The aim for all our religious acts, if we are honest,
is to gain the acceptance of God despite the condition
of our hearts. Apparently, this desire was the case
with Cain, and apparently this desire is the same spirit
within many religious circles today. Many have a fallen
countenance today due to halfhearted and haphazard
offerings poured out before God. That known fact
causes many people to be angry, as was Cain. We
may say what we please, but we know immediately
upon our offerings to the Lord whether He is smiling or frowning.
The offering itself is not the issue at all;
rather, the heart and mindset behind the offering is the
cause of God’s acceptance or rejection. Thus was the
case with Cain.
You remember the story of the woman who gave all
she had. Jesus sat down opposite the place where the
offerings were placed and watched the crowd putting
their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people
threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and
put in only two very small copper coins, worth only a
fraction of a penny.
Calling His disciples to Him, Jesus said, “I tell
you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the
treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their
wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—
all she had to live on” (Mark 12:41-44).
The principles on which the woman gave were more
valuable in the eyes of our Lord than any monetary gift
that could be given. The woman’s valuables were only
worth a fraction of a penny, yet her countenance came
from a pure heart, which pleased God.
This was not the case with Cain. In fact, he was
angry! Cain should have been angry at himself for
his own hypocrisy. Instead, his anger boiled at God
and therefore boiled at those who served God with a
pure heart. Cain’s wrath fell upon his brother Abel.
The countenance of Cain had fallen to a disposition of
killing the one who was walking with God.
Satan had placed his spear within the hands of Cain,
and Cain overcame good with evil. Does the spirit of
Cain exist today? You be the judge, and ask if Satan’s
decay has found its way to the root of mankind’s
countenance. Thus, anger has been the failure of many
marriages, jobs, and relationships in general. As Cain
slew his brother Abel out of jealous rage, many of
mankind has slain relationships out of the same spirit.
Anger is one of the most horrifying emotions we can
experience. And whoever is in the way at the moment
anger rears its ugly head really doesn’t matter. Some
of you are probably thinking, “What about righteous
anger?” Rest assured that righteous anger does not slay
relationships, but restores them.
Satan’s presented anger, which has no bounds at all,
will cause damage beyond repair if we do not attend to
it. What must we do to attend to our anger? God gave
Cain the answer. “If you do what is right, will you not
be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is
crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you
must master it” (Genesis 4:7).
Emotion was a matter of the heart then, and it is a
matter of the heart now. “The good man brings good
things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the
evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in
his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth
speaks” (Luke 6:45).
We don’t know what words came out of Cain’s
mouth when he talked with his brother Abel or whether
Abel was coerced into the field. But we do know the
intent of Cain’s heart; thus, unresolved anger resulted
in a severed relationship, not only emotionally, but
physically in this case. “Cain rose up against his brother
and slew him” (Genesis 4:8).
Are we dealing with unresolved anger today? Our
countenances will prove the dispositions of our hearts.
And the mouth can speak words from the overflow of
our hearts that cause others to become victims slain.
Anger certainly can result in bloodshed, but for the
most part, it will sever relations emotionally, at times
with irreparable damage.
We may seem so innocent as Satan pierces his spear
into the tables of our hearts. As with Cain, we should
become angry at our own hypocrisy. Bringing offerings
to the Lord in one regard, yet in such degrading
agreement with the devil, we are truly despicable.
And what could we offer the Lord as pleasing and
perfect in His eyes? Simple repentance is all God asks.
God is as longsuffering with us as He was with Cain.
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God Bless all who read "The Sword and the Spear" It WILL cause you to choose!
