REJECTION and RAGE

The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, and you must rule over it.”

Genesis 4:6-7

At some point in every person’s life, one will face rejection and in turn will reject others. It is inevitable. Mankind is at liberty to discern what to accept or not to accept and that is because humans were created with a conscious freewill that enables them to make choices. Unfortunately, the human mind spends much of its lifetime choosing to reject the things of God. This is what we find happening in the above Scripture verse. Choosing to ignore the LORD will ultimately cause a person strife and hardship. God created the universe for perfection as an extension of his very own nature. For the created order to function properly, every created thing will operate best when following the guidelines set by the Creator. Much to our own demise, however, the only corporal creatures in God’s creation that rebel against his design and required boundaries, are human beings (Luke 8:23-25).

Yahweh has always had the good in mind for his perfect creation, even the angels were given freewill but sadly some of them chose to reject him and chose to follow satan instead (Gen. 6:1-4). We are never told why these heavenly creatures rebelled against God, but because of their influence on weak-minded and unsuspecting humans, their negative influence has spread like a plague. It did not take long for evil to step into God’s perfect new world (Gen. 3:1-3). God’s adversary, the devil, and his deceptive ways convinced Eve to doubt in God’s word and in so doing she rejected the one boundary that God had set for his crown of creation (Gen. 2:16-18). The more you study the Bible the clearer it becomes that every single boundary God has set for humanity has a purpose and that purpose is to protect people from further harming themselves and falling into satan’s deceptive traps.

Consequenses

The consequences for the first family’s disobedience required them to leave the comforts of their first home where they had the privilege of learning about the world from Yahweh.* Life was and is not easy outside of God’s immediate presence and the idealistic conditions of paradise that humans were designed for. Selfishness and strife did not take long to set in as food and comforts were no longer limitless (Gen. 3:17-19). The challenges of life brought envy and rage. Although Yahweh continued to speak to the first family, they were very vulnerable to evil. The chapter that follows the fall of humanity (Gen. 3) documents the first murder based on selfishness and jealousy (Gen. 4:8-9). Before Cain allows envy and rage to fill his soul, the Creator warns him that his jealousy for his brother needed to be addressed before it overtook him and turned to hate and violence (Genesis 4:6-7).

God’s warning to Cain in Genesis 4:6-7 is incredibly important. It informs the reader that God did not leave us without a defense against the devil and his persuasive schemes. We still have a choice, and we are able to overcome feelings of lust and jealousy before they manifest into physical actions. Acting out adds to the permanence of behavioral patterns that end up building our character which will inevitably determine our destiny (James 1:14-6). What most people see on the outside is the manifestation of the heart as the outward expression becomes visible in one’s behavior. The most dangerous part of acting on our negative thoughts is that behavioral patterns create chemical markers that become embedded onto our DNA overtime, which are then passed on from generation to generation.* This can be for good or it can be highly destructive to the person who is acting out with evil intent.

The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you,

and you must rule over it.”

Genesis 4:6-7

Cain rejected his Creator’s warning and in a fit of rage committed a violent murder (Gen. 4:8-10). Cain chose to allow for satan to grip his soul and then he acted out on his fleshly desire to get rid of his brother who was a constant reminder of his own narcissism. Cain’s character began to shape his destiny by choosing to turn his back on God as he gave himself over to his fleshly desires to make himself feel better. The consequences for this grievous sin were that he was banished from his immediate family and that his hardened soul would plague him and his descendants for generations (Gen. 4:23-24). Many call this generational sin, because this type of corruption can be traced from generation to generation.

Fortunately, it can be overcome, and that is God’s gift to us. We are not destined to repeat the corruption of our ancestors, or to be trapped in a never-ending cycle of anxiety and undesirable behaviors because of the epigenetic sequences that we inherit. It does take effort to free ourselves from this genetic dilemma, but it can be overcome.

Rage and Rejection

The reader of Genesis is not given a full account of the relationship between Cain and his brother Able, but what it does show the reader is that Able recognized the awesomeness of the Creator and his gift offering was a reflection of his heart for God. It is evident by Cain’s interactions with the LORD, that Cain’s soul was defiant and a bit lacking in his respect for the Creator. It appears that Cain felt rejected by Yahweh which set into motion feelings of rage which then manifested themselves as rebellion against God, as opposed to self-reflection.

Oddly enough, when Cain was banished from his homeland, he feared that someone would find him and murder him (Gen. 4:13-15). Evidently the world was already increasing in violence; but why? Adam and Eve were still alive and God was still noted as communicating with humanity. Apparently, the elements of good and evil were already manifesting themselves in this new world. In the midst of this atmosphere, God continued to bless his image bearers even though they continued to reject him in many ways. The reader is told that Eve is eventually blessed with another male child whom she views as a replacement for her murdered son, Able (Seth).

A Turning Point

The influence of the devil on the hearts and minds of the people became prevalent as envy and strife increased alongside population growth. Scripture notes that at this point in history people began “calling on the name of the LORD” only a couple of hundred years after the creation of humanity (Gen. 4:26). Why did they do that? Was God no longer communicating with them, or had they rejected him to the extent that he stepped back and let them have their way (Rom. 1:18-32). Here in this verse, it appears that we have a turning point. People began seeking help from their Maker as they called on his name.

To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh.

At that time people began to call upon the name of the Lord.

Genesis 4:26 (ESV)

The birth of Enosh seems to have sparked a renewed sense of the human need for their Creator. When humanity rejects the LORD and his ways they suffer and make life harder on themselves as they reap the consequences of going against the grain. Perhaps people began to recognize their need for God’s guidance in this harsh atmosphere at this point in history. This does not necessarily mean that everyone alive turned to their Creator. There will always be those who turn and blame God for their misfortune, even when their own behavior is the reason for their problems. There is nothing new under the sun (Ecc.1:9).

Similar to Adam, Eve, and Cain, we are all given choices. Our Maker wants the best for everyone, but just as it was with Job, He will allow for our adversary to offer us options and to intervene in our lives (Job 1:7-8). The New Testament is filled with examples and warnings about the signs of the end times and how those who do not know God will go from bad to worse (2 Tim. 3:1-3, 12-14). Much to the chagrin of those who want to believe that the world is wonderful as they ignore the fact that the enemy has been given free reign over this earth, Scripture tells the reader that the devil is the prince and power of the very air that we breathe (Eph. 2:1-3). This is not our Father's world! This earth is a dangerous and dark place. It is a temporary world in a state of decay, seen even at the cellular level (Rom. 8:21-23).*

Overcoming

The book of Revelation warns of how people will reject God no matter what afflictions come upon them in the end (Rev. 11 – 16). Instead of repenting and seeking God for help by calling on his name, they will despise their Maker and give praise to satan who wants their demise for all of eternity (Gen. 4:7; 1 Pet. 5:8). The battle for good and evil must be recognized and dealt with in order to survive. There is no hiding from it. Jesus, the Son of God set the example that Christian’s are called to confront evil, not to pretend that it is not there or to make excuses for it.

The world is clearly not getting better; it is getting worse. The enemy is deceptive and knows your weaknesses. Knowing God, his character and his nature is your only defense against the forces of darkness. The God of Israel made it possible through his plan of redemption to gift those who love Him, with His Spirit. That is our weapon against the enemy. Christians need to use it! It is imperative that Christ followers understand the times and to speak up and to make a difference in their spheres of influence. Know why you believe what you believe, seek the face of God and understand your enemy. Jesus warned about the deception of the last days (Matt. 24:9-11) and so did his disciples (2 Tim. 3:13; Jude).

This calls for self-reflection. How do you call out to God? How will you engage others when their world has fallen apart, and they begin to have a crisis of faith? How do you discuss God with those who choose to live in rebellion? A Christian’s job is to help point others to the LORD by being prepared to give a reason for the hope that is in them (1 Pet. 3:15).

Time is of the essence because we are not promised a tomorrow. As I was finishing this essay, I was reminded of this when I took a break and went to the grocery store. On my way home, I witnessed a horrific accident where two college-aged beautiful souls were hit at a traffic intersection, and their bodies went flying through the air and landed lifelessly on the asphalt as they skidded across the hot pavement. Just prior to being hit by a driver who ran a red light, they were laughing and smiling, returning from the beach in their golf cart vehicle.

Did they know Jesus? Did anyone love them enough to answer their questions about the spiritual realm? I sat there in my car in shock and called 911 as others ran to help the young couple as their bodies were unresponsive.

We are asked to have our feet in both worlds; the physical realm and the spiritual realm. My spirit began praying immediately, but the physical realm needed me to act and to call for others to come right away and administer medical treatment and traffic control. Jesus told us that in this world, we would have trouble (John 16:32-33). He also let us know that he has overcome this world, but the only ones who will escape the death grip of the devil for all of eternity are those who turn to Him (John 14:6). Learning how to talk to people who do not give a second thought about the things of God, is a matter of life and death.

How are you discipling others? How are you engaging God-haters in conversations that count? The world rejects Truth tellers. Will you speak up regardless of what people may say? Jesus tells the reader that if the world hates you, do not forget that it hated him first (John 15:18). Either you will participate in God’s kingdom, or you will help the enemy to continue to get away with murder. The choice is yours.

God is constantly intervening in human history and those who love and accept His Messiah are invited to participate in His Story.

*Visit my Substack @LITT MINISTRIES for the references and reading material related to this article.