Do you ever try to imagine things from God’s perspective? What does God see? What does God hear? Genesis 4 contains a brief statement that gives us a large insight into what God hears when He looks at the earth. Before we look at this statement, let’s put things into context.
Cain and Abel both brought an offering to God. Abel’s offering was accepted, but Cain’s offering was not. Notice the word “regard” in the following verses and notice the word “angry”.
Gen. 4:3 So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the LORD of the fruit of the ground.
Gen. 4:4 Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering;
Gen. 4:5 but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell.
Gen. 4:6 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?
Gen. 4:7 “If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.”
Cain’s offering was not accepted and he became very angry. Read about what Cain did next. What does the text say about blood?
Gen. 4:8 Cain told Abel his brother. And it came about when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.
Gen. 4:9 ¶ Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”
Gen. 4:10 He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to Me from the ground.
Gen. 4:11 “Now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.
Gen. 4:12 “When you cultivate the ground, it will no longer yield its strength to you; you will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth.”
Yahweh stated very clearly that He was hearing Abel’s blood cry out to him. If the blood of every murder victim cries out to God, what does God hear today? Murder happens around the world many times every day, and if God hears the blood every time a murder takes place, then God is hearing a cacophony of sound that is beyond description.
It is also important to notice that God punished Cain. Many people like to emphasize God’s love and grace, and it is true that God is loving and gracious. However, God is also just. The account of Cain and Abel teaches us that God does not merely look at humanity with love and grace, He also looks at humanity and sees and hears our sins and transgressions.
“Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.”
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