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Genesis 4 begins outside the garden.
Adam and Eve have two sons, Cain and Abel. Cain works the ground, and Abel cares for animals. Both brothers bring offerings to God, but God looks with favor on Abel and his offering.
Cain becomes angry.
Genesis does not fully explain what the issue was with Cain’s offering. It may have have been just fine or God may have taken issue with what he brought, how he brought it, or what was happening inside him.
But the story quickly turns toward Cain’s response.
God asks him:
Why are you angry?
Why has your face fallen?
God asked Adam, “Where are you?” Now He asks Cain to pay attention to what is happening inside him.
Cain has not harmed Abel yet.
He is angry.
He is jealous.
He is disappointed.
But he still has a choice about what he will do with those feelings.
God warns him:
“Sin is crouching at your door.”
The picture is kind of like a wild animal hiding outside, waiting for the door to open. God tells Cain that sin desires to control him, but Cain must not allow it to rule over him.
We sometimes act as though sin suddenly appears out of nowhere.
But most of the time, it grows.
Disappointment becomes jealousy.
Jealousy becomes resentment.
Resentment changes how we see another person.
Eventually, we justify doing something we never thought we would do.
God warns Cain before any blood is shed. He gives him an opportunity to stop and choose a different path.
God gives us those moments too.
A feeling that something is wrong.
A friend who challenges us.
A passage of Scripture that makes us uncomfortable.
A voice inside us saying, You need to deal with this before it becomes something worse.
The question is whether we will listen while sin is still outside the door.
Pay attention to what is crouching at your door. What you allow to stay there will eventually try to come inside.
