Grow in the Word of the Lord

THE THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

As with lying, dishonesty is an abomination to God

“A false balance is abomination to the Lord: but a just weight is his delight.”

Proverbs 11:1 (KJV)

Genesis 4

Why would God accept Abel’s offering and not Cain’s?

Genesis 4:3 (KJV), “And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord.”

In the process

Strong’s Concordance (1961) – hayah: to fall out, come to pass, become, be. 

Of time

Strong’s Concordance (3117) – yom: day.

It came to pass

Strong’s Concordance (7093) – qets: end.

At the end of the day (when everything is taken into consideration)

Through the course of time, Cain became wicked

Proverbs 15:8 (KJV), “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.”

Genesis 4:5 (NKJV), “but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.”

• An instance of God’s patience and condescending goodness that he would deal thus tenderly with Cain
• Genesis 4:6-7 (KJV), “⁶ And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?  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.”
• 2 Peter 3:9 (KJV), “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

Just because Abel’s offering was acceptable and Cain’s was not, why would Cain murder is only brother?

Matthew 5:22 (KJV), “But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.”

1 John 3:12 (KJV), “Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.”

God gave Eden another son essentially to replace Abel

Genesis 4:25-26 (KJV), “²⁵ And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.  ²⁶ And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the Lord.”

Micah 5

The Coming Messiah’s birthplace prophesized

Micah 5:2 (KJV), “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”

Matthew 2:6 (KJV), “And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.”

John 7:42 (KJV), “Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?”

Bethlehem

Strong’s Concordance (1035) – Beth Lechem: “place of bread,” a city in Judah, also a city in Zebulun.

John 6:35 (KJV), “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”

Jesus is our Messiah

Micah 5:3-5 (KJV), “³ Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.  ⁴ And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.  ⁵ And this man shall be the peace.”

2 Corinthians 3

The New Covenant of Jesus Christ is must more glorious than the law could ever be

2 Corinthians 3:7-11 (KJV), “⁷ But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones [the law], was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: ⁸ How shall not the ministration of the spirit [Jesus Christ] be rather glorious?  ⁹ For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.  ¹⁰ For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.  ¹¹ For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.”

2 Corinthians 3:17 (KJV), “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”

Proverbs 11

As with lying, dishonesty is an abomination to God

Proverbs 11:1 (KJV), “A false balance is abomination to the Lord: but a just weight is his delight.”

Proverbs 11:1 (NKJV), “Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord, But a just weight is His delight.”

A false balance/dishonest scales

Strong’s Concordance (4820) – mirmah: deceit, treachery. 

In ancient times, scales were used to measure not only product but money.  Deceiving balances were often used to receive unjust earnings; dishonestly

Your choice; eternal life or death (Free will)

Proverbs 11:19 (KJV), “As righteousness tendeth to life: so he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death.”

As the tree of life in the garden was immortality, so as righteousness is to eternal life

Proverbs 11:30 (KJV), “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.”

Romans 5

Will we avoid the ultimate tribulation?

Romans 5:9 (KJV), “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”

1 Thessalonians 1:10 (KJV), “And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.”

Romans 2:5-6 (KJV), “⁵ But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; ⁶ Who will render to every man according to his deeds.”