Do You Know Why Cain Was Cursed?
Last week I explained how the story of Adam and Eve was really a story that represents Jesus Christ and the Church. I explained that every Biblical Story is about Jesus. The Old Testament stories are actual stories of real people indeed, but they also double as spiritual allegories about Jesus, because Jesus is the WORD of GOD. Therefore every WORD from God is revealing something about Jesus. Jesus is called the “Second Adam”(1 Korintus 15:45), therefore the first Adam was merely a shadow of what was to come in Jesus. Just like all Old Testament stories. They are all shadows of the coming of Jesus Christ.
Therefore since I’ve already revealed Jesus Christ within the story of Adam and Eve, let’s now move to the next story in the series to reveal Jesus Christ within the story of Cain and Abel. So, Cain and Abel is the story of two brothers. One Brother was Chosen, and One Brother was not. The younger brother pleased God but the Older Brother did not. The younger Brother(Abel) was Spiritual, and the Older Brother(Cain) was earthly. The younger brother Brother(Abel) was a shepherd (Like Jesus) and The older brother(Cain) was a farmer who tilled the land that had been cursed before by the sin of Adam and Eve. In this context, spiritually the younger brother(Abel) was a Jew and spiritually the older Brother(Cain) was a Gentile. Again, one was chosen and the other was rejected.
This theme of Two Brothers runs concurrently throughout the entire New Testament. Cain & Abel, Ishmael and Issac, Esau and Jacob, Ephraim and Manasseh, and most importantly Adam & Jesus. And within each reference, the older brother is always rejected and sent away, and the younger brother is chosen. The older brother is always from this world and the younger brother is always Heavenly. The Bible tells us that the natural must come first, and after the natural then comes the spiritual.
1 Corinthians 15:46
“However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual.”
Just as we in these natural fleshly bodies that we are in came first, but after this life, we will receive our spiritual bodies. The natural things prepare the way for the spiritual things. Like John, The Baptize prepared the way for the coming of Jesus.
1 Corinthians 15:49-50
And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.
Therefore we were all once like ADAM, like CAIN, like ISHMAEL, like ESAU, and so forth. We all once bore the image of the natural man, we were all rejected and separated from God because of sin, and now we all had to be changed when we were born again to bear the image of the Heavenly man. Like JESUS, like ABEL, like ISSAC, like JACOB, and so forth.
They were all representations of the natural man we must leave behind to inherit the blessing of the spiritual man that we inherit from Jesus Christ. For our bodies have already been corrupted due to sin and these fleshly bodies can not please God. Now those who wish to please God must worship him in SPIRIT and in Truth, and NOT through the preservation of this earthly body that will rot and turn into dust. Flesh and Blood can not enter the Kingdom of God(1 Corinthians 15:50). Therefore whether you put pork into your body or you put vegetables into your body means nothing spiritually, because these bodies will all rot and turn into dust. Whether you feed this body meat or fruit, both those who eat meat and fruit will lay next to each other in the same grave and turn to dust. And these corrupted bodies can not inherit the kingdom of heaven. It is our spirits that will rise, and our bodies will be changed.
Therefore, Cain was cursed for a few reasons:
Reason #1 – He represented the natural and earthly man. And GOD is Spirit, and therefore that which is natural and earthly can NOT please that which is spiritual. Those who worship God must worship him spiritually.
John 4:24
“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Reason #2: He tried to please God with the work of his own hands.
Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
Cain worked hard to till the land and wanted his work offering to be appreciated by God, however, the ground had been cursed after Adam and Eve sinned, and the Bible says that we are saved by grace through faith and not by works.
There are many people like this today who want their works to be appreciated by GOD. They may say “GOD, how come my life has not improved? I do everything in the Bible. I pray, I fast, I give to the needy, I stop all sin. How come you did not bless me yet?” And then these people develop resentment and jealousy toward people who appear to be blessed. Just like Cain. These people are thinking just like Cain did, and they can not please GOD.
The reason Abel pleased GOD was because he brought GOD the LAMB and the Blood of the Lamb, which was a metaphor for the coming of Jesus Christ and his sacrifice that would make atonement for our souls. Jesus is the Lamb of GOD. Abel brought a type of this sacrifice to GOD, so the reason Abel pleased GOD was because he sought to be justified by Jesus(The Lamb) and not by his own works like his brother Cain who was a farmer who wanted God to value his farming. Do not seek to be justified by your WORKS. When you pray tell GOD. “I don’t come to you because I pray, because I fast, or because I stopped sinning. I come to you because of JESUS. I have received an inheritance from Jesus. So be pleased me with because of JESUS only, and not because of my own efforts”
We must indeed stop sinning, we must fast, and we must pray, but don’t seek favor with GOD because of these things. Seek Favor with God only because of JESUS. The remaining things are the things you are supposed to do, not things you should receive credit for. Be credited due to the blood of Jesus paying for your sins and nothing else.
Reason #3: He persecuted his brother. Just as Ishmael persecuted Issac, and Esau wanted to kill Jacob, and those fleshly Pharisees wanted to kill Jesus. The natural and earthy hates that which is spiritual. The natural man will persecute the spiritual man which is why the Bible says:
2 Timothy 3:12 “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”
Therefore the story of Cain and Abel is the story of The Natural Man, Persecuting the Spiritual man. Cain was a type of Pharisee wanting to be Justified by the works of the Law, and Abel was a type of Jesus, who was killed by the Natural man because he was a Spiritual Man.
The curse Cain received is this:
Genesis 4:12
“When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth.”
Those who seek to be justified before GOD by their own works can also come under this same curse. They can feel like “No matter how hard they try nothing changes”. Be careful not to be like Cain, put down your works and pick up your Cross. Put your faith in Jesus alone for justification before GOD, not your own efforts.
God bless you all who are in Christ Jesus.
Eddie Fews