Isolation

[Hashe]

I have some friends that never let you pay for anything. They never want you to do anything for them because they don’t want to feel ‘in debt’ to them. I find this quite sad.

In Gen 4 we read the story of Cain and Abel and how sin uses Cain’s feeling of rejection to strike out in anger at his brother. After God’s first response to Cain’s sin (trying to engage in relationship through questions!), Cain reacts to the punishment he receives from God. He finds it too difficult to bear. He feels so low and worthless that he expects anybody that he meets will kill him.

However God responds with grace to Cain’s anguish, even though Cain doesn’t ask for it. God puts a mark on Cain that will protect him.

Cain seems to be like my friends who never want you to do anything for them. Although God has given him his protection, Cain rejects it. How do I know this? He goes and builds a city! In the culture of the day, a city was walled and a place of protection. Cain tries to create his own safe place, rather than accept God’s protection.

For me this image is of someone locked up and distant from others. Cain has rejected what God has done for him and rather than empower him, it isolates him.

Makes me wonder where I don’t accept what God has done for me? Am I trying to earn his grace? Am I trying to earn his love? Are there things I’m trying to redo that he has already done for me? How does this lead to isolation and lack of community in my life?

(From Isolated? | Ontoxenos) Used with permission

 

[And]

I have a different take on that story

God has a correct way to worship
Abel obeyed
cain worshipped his way
God rejected him


cain was controlled by a demon and became angry

it was Cains fault that he did not worship Gods way
he could have worshipped Gods way and he was stubborn

so God preached the GOSPEL to cain

he told cain

Why are you sad?
Dont you know if you just do what I ask and worship the way I told you that you will be accepted?
and if you continue your false worship style sin (disobedience to the commandments) will take you away

but cain did not listen he became angrier and angrier because God would not do it HIS WAY

which is rediculous

if God would have accepted CAINS FALSE WORSHIP then God would have been worshipping cain and that is impossible

worship is
supremem obedience to someone

when a king says something, his faithful knight will kneel at his feet and will say
I will do all you say even if it kills me

that is true worship

and cain would not do what God said
even if it didnt kill him

cain was a sunday keeper

he did not do worship as God said
he did it his way
and God rejected him

and he became mad

that is what sunday keepers do to Gods disciples

there is not a single word to keep sunday in the bible
not ONE WORD
aand there are HUNDREDS and HUNDREDS of texts from genesis to revelation that God asks YOU to worship on SABBATH

so when you DISOBEY and come up with YOUR OWN EXCUSE that means you are worshipping the POPE instead of God
for the POPE constantine was the first one to keep Sunday in 321 AD he passed the law to kill all JEws and to change the day of worship
despite what the Bible says

its all about WHO you worship

God or constantine the wicked.

anyway
even today
when you show the cains where they are wrong
they always get mad
call you names
and take you out
and try and kill you

even now many people want to kill the Jews
because they know there is NOTHING in the Bible that says to worship on sunday and they get mad


so

why not just worship God
do what he says
and worship God this Sabbath
like he ASKED YOU TO?

if not,
sin lieth at the door


By the way there were NO descendants of cain that survived the flood not one
so the people saying this is the mark or that is the mark just dont read their Bibles
noah and his sons and daughters were from SETH and not from cains line
all cains children died

and if YOU keep sunday all your children will not survive the plagues either

take it to heart

its all who you worship

if this post made you upset

then my advice is to you
YOU are the one not obeying the Bible
dont get mad at me

thank you.

 

[Least]

The account with Cain began with his rejection of God's instruction, and warning to him.

Genesis 4:7 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.

After Cain had slain his brother, God knowing what he had done, ask him where Abel is. Cain doesn't answer honestly, but responds with, "am I my brothers keeper."

God then says:

Genesis 4:10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.
Genesis 4:11 And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand;
Genesis 4:12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.

Cain's separation happened first because of rejection of God's word, and secondly he was unrepentant.

There are examples of people who were "separate" from others for a time, and some who were separated even from their own, because of the unbelief of the people.

With Paul there is an example of one who was separate, or (isolated) for a time.

Galatians 1:16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:
Galatians 1:17 Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.
Galatians 1:18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.
Galatians 1:19 But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother.

There are other examples in scripture where people seemed to be separate, or alone. Especially among the prophets. Elijah thought for a time that he was the only one left who believed God.

Jeremiah, (in the book of Jeremiah and Lamentations) seemed that none heard his prophecies. (Even though the words he spoke still speak to us today.)

Matthew 23:34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:
Matthew 23:35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.

There is more than one type of separation. Those whom Jesus is speaking of in Matt 23:35, must have felt isolated.

A time for learning, perhaps. Some could be separate for believing and speaking the truth, while others might be separated for rejecting the truth all together.

Still, the word is clear about the importance of fellowship with other believers. Paul did come into fellowship with the disciples, even though he was separated from those who he had been joined to before his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus.

I suppose it's up to those who are isolated to prayerfully study, to determine the reason behind it.

 

[gb9]

hey and, your post did not make me upset., it made me confused. lots of words. not much meaning.

 

[Allin]

I have some friends that never let you pay for anything. They never want you to do anything for them because they don’t want to feel ‘in debt’ to them. I find this quite sad.

In Gen 4 we read the story of Cain and Abel and how sin uses Cain’s feeling of rejection to strike out in anger at his brother. After God’s first response to Cain’s sin (trying to engage in relationship through questions!), Cain reacts to the punishment he receives from God. He finds it too difficult to bear. He feels so low and worthless that he expects anybody that he meets will kill him.

However God responds with grace to Cain’s anguish, even though Cain doesn’t ask for it. God puts a mark on Cain that will protect him.

Cain seems to be like my friends who never want you to do anything for them. Although God has given him his protection, Cain rejects it. How do I know this? He goes and builds a city! In the culture of the day, a city was walled and a place of protection. Cain tries to create his own safe place, rather than accept God’s protection.

For me this image is of someone locked up and distant from others. Cain has rejected what God has done for him and rather than empower him, it isolates him.

Makes me wonder where I don’t accept what God has done for me? Am I trying to earn his grace? Am I trying to earn his love? Are there things I’m trying to redo that he has already done for me? How does this lead to isolation and lack of community in my life?

(From Isolated? | Ontoxenos) Used with permission

I've had a few friends like those. I like to give, so we didn't get along in the end. They didn't want to receive anything much. One of them wanted to give me things but would accept nothing in return. That was very upsetting. We're going to have a very rude awakening someday where accepting things from others will be necessary for anyone who wants to stay alive. Individualism is a bill of goods and is killing people, but I guess they're dying gracefully with their pride still intact.

 

[Vernon]

It is always about love, Adam loved the woman, Eve more than he loved God, and so obeyed the woman and disobeyed God.

Abel's gift to God was given in love, while Cain gave out of a feeling of obligation wanting something in return from God, Cain loved himself and did not love God.

throughout scripture it is always about loving God, The Lord does not want our tithes, works or obedience without love.
Even as Paul wrote: faith without love means nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:2

Jesus told us to love God and love one another, by doing this we fulfill the law. God can not force anyone to love him, but by him loving us continually and revealing his love for us in his Son, Jesus Christ, we have no excuse to not love God. Even with this revelation of God's love for us many refuse to love God.

It is not a burden to obey God if we love him, as you said God continued to love Cain even while Cain refused to love him. God never stops loving those he has created and that is why it is written: God desires for none to perish but for all to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9

May all come to the realization that God is love and we are called to love him because he first loved us.

Christ be with you always.

 

[Hashe]

I have a different take on that story

God has a correct way to worship
Abel obeyed
cain worshipped his way
God rejected him


cain was controlled by a demon and became angry

it was Cains fault that he did not worship Gods way
he could have worshipped Gods way and he was stubborn

so God preached the GOSPEL to cain

he told cain

Why are you sad?
Dont you know if you just do what I ask and worship the way I told you that you will be accepted?
and if you continue your false worship style sin (disobedience to the commandments) will take you away

but cain did not listen he became angrier and angrier because God would not do it HIS WAY

which is rediculous

if God would have accepted CAINS FALSE WORSHIP then God would have been worshipping cain and that is impossible

worship is
supremem obedience to someone

when a king says something, his faithful knight will kneel at his feet and will say
I will do all you say even if it kills me

that is true worship

and cain would not do what God said
even if it didnt kill him

cain was a sunday keeper

he did not do worship as God said
he did it his way
and God rejected him

and he became mad

that is what sunday keepers do to Gods disciples

there is not a single word to keep sunday in the bible
not ONE WORD
aand there are HUNDREDS and HUNDREDS of texts from genesis to revelation that God asks YOU to worship on SABBATH

so when you DISOBEY and come up with YOUR OWN EXCUSE that means you are worshipping the POPE instead of God
for the POPE constantine was the first one to keep Sunday in 321 AD he passed the law to kill all JEws and to change the day of worship
despite what the Bible says

its all about WHO you worship

God or constantine the wicked.

anyway
even today
when you show the cains where they are wrong
they always get mad
call you names
and take you out
and try and kill you

even now many people want to kill the Jews
because they know there is NOTHING in the Bible that says to worship on sunday and they get mad


so

why not just worship God
do what he says
and worship God this Sabbath
like he ASKED YOU TO?

if not,
sin lieth at the door


By the way there were NO descendants of cain that survived the flood not one
so the people saying this is the mark or that is the mark just dont read their Bibles
noah and his sons and daughters were from SETH and not from cains line
all cains children died

and if YOU keep sunday all your children will not survive the plagues either

take it to heart

its all who you worship

if this post made you upset

then my advice is to you
YOU are the one not obeying the Bible
dont get mad at me

thank you.

Where did the idea of the demon come from? Is that in the Bible?

 

[eternally-gratefull]

Abel worshipped God out of faith

Cain tried to worship with Human Good.

God rejects human Good, (and as usual those who try to get right wiht God wiht human good, gets angry at those who just want to worship their new father in faith) and God will only accept faith