To add to my list of ‘Things to Do’, I enrolled in a theology class at my church. Week One is rolling along nicely. At my age it is interesting to be back in a classroom environment and I am reminded of my good-ole college days. Being that wisdom comes with age, this time around I’m going to try to be a bit more studious.
I have two college kids so, in class, I envisioned myself in their shoes and imagined being surrounded with academia, and the pressures to learn, and I am grateful that I won’t be subjected to “making the grade”. Being an avid reader, I was thrilled to receive four books and a new Study Bible as part of my tuition. I’ve received my syllabus, an official binder and I’m study-bound.
To begin, we students have a weekly reading list that I’m working on. I’ve come across many in-depth topics that have already piqued my interest. Here is one:
“Then the Lord said to Cain,
Why are you so furious?”
And why do you look so despondent?”
If you do what is right, won’t you be accepted?
If you do what is right, won’t you be accepted?
But if you do not do what is right,
sin is crouching at the door.
sin is crouching at the door.
Its desire is for you,
But you must rule over it.”
Genesis 4:7 CSB
The entire reason I’m taking this class is to find segments of scripture, like this one, that deepen my understanding of God. The footnote for this verse “suggests that sin wishes to be as intimate with humanity as a woman is with her husband. The only way to avoid this is to be its master, not its companion.”Wow! Do we ever really think about sin this way; that it lurks and loiters around corners, like a dangerous animal, waiting for us to meet its eye. When we do we become susceptible to becoming intimate with its ways. It wants to be our closest companion, like a spouse. This was such an interesting way of describing sin that it gave me pause.
The premise of the verse, above, is about the obedience of doing “what is right”. It then likens sin as something on the hunt, ready to pounce. The very last sentence gives us a directive: “…you must rule over it.” There is another scripture, from the New Testament, that also gives us a warning about things that prowl:
“Be alert and of sober mind.
Your enemy the devil prowls around
Like a roaring lion
Looking for someone to devour.
1 Peter 5:8
1 Peter 5:8
From the Old Testament to the New, we are warned about sin and its habit of prowling around us, like bad company. But, our loving Father steps in, as He did with Cain and gives us straight-forward advice on how to put sin in its place: “You must rule over it". It’s as simple as that.
Read Genesis 4:7 again and envision the words being spoken, in a real-time, between a loving father and his son. On that day with Cain, and again today, those Words were indeed spoken from our Heavenly Father to His Child.
Song Recommendation:
Nothing Else
By: Cody Carnes
By: Cody Carnes
“I’m caught up in this holy moment
I don’t ever want to leave.”
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