Humbled Himself - Philippians 2:5-8

Philippians 2:5-8 ESV 

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Following Christ means we do not hold onto the form of man, but empty ourselves to be reborn in the likeness of God. We begin evolving into the form of God, into the full measure of Christ. This is the mind of Christ, giving and obedient in love for others. 

We humble ourselves to the glory of God. Jesus died on the cross and it is at that cross we die to self. Therefore God will highly exalt the one who believes in Him and they will be called sons of God. 

That cross allows us to cross over into the divine. 

A Wanderer - Genesis 4:10-12

Genesis 4:10-12 ESV 

And the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground. And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”

Now a man is cursed. Cain spilt the blood of his brother. This might be viewed as a foreshadowing of the death of Christ. Christ was slain by His brothers and His blood was spilled on the ground. The earth would again open its mouth to receive the dead, only this time death would not have its way. Jesus would cross the lips of that mouth again and return, having defeated the sting of death. Like Jonah, He would escape the sea of death and bring the word of good news to the city of man. 

Cain would become the opposite of Abraham. Rather than a fugitive and wanderer on the earth, Abraham was blessed of God and led by God. He was not a wanderer, but was traveling to a promised land at the direction of the Lord. 

A man like Cain is lost and without hope and cursed from the ground. 

Worker Of The Ground - Genesis 4:2-7

Genesis 4:2-7 ESV 

And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. 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, but you must rule over it.”

The fruit of the ground was an unacceptable offering to God. The ground had been cursed due to disobedience of Adam. Cain knew this, yet brought that fruit anyway. 

Doing well is following the will of God. Not doing well is doing something else. 

Am I My Brother's Keeper? - Genesis 4:8-9

Genesis 4:8-9 ESV 

Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?”

Cain killed Abel. Abel's crime? He was accepted by God. Murder and sin are the attributes of the world. It is the way of Cain. The world is hostile to the things of God. 

Jesus would answer to Cain's question with a YES! Love your brother and do unto him as yourself. In this way we show our love for God. Connecting with our brother connects us with God. We connect with our true self. 

Cain would not know that. 

The Help Of The Lord - Genesis 4:1

Genesis 4:1 ESV 

​Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.”

In the sixth day of creation man and woman were created with the charge of being fruitful and multiplying to fill the earth, to subdue it. Adam and Eve were not created on that day. They were given the command to work the ground. They were not created male and female like the other men and living creatures in the world. Adam was formed alone. Eve was formed from Adam and they became one. Other men and women were two. 

Thrown out of the garden, they were given the garments of humanity, facing death like every other creature in animal skins. 

Now Eve would know Adam in a different way and from that union children would be born. The Israelites would descend from these two and so would come the Savior of the world, the Son of Man. 

All this would be the will God. It is with the help of the Lord we can at last stand in His presence. 

Let Us Wipe Them Out - Psalms 83:1-4

Psalms 83:1-4 ESV 

O God, Do Not Keep Silence

A Song. A Psalm of Asaph.​ O God, do not keep silence;

do not hold your peace or be still, O God!

For behold, your enemies make an uproar;

those who hate you have raised their heads.

They lay crafty plans against your people;

they consult together against your treasured ones.

They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation;

let the name of Israel be remembered no more!”

An ancient hatred grows stronger with each passing day. The snake in the Garden continues to strike God's people with the sting of death. Cain still seeks the death of Abel. 

"They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation;

let the name of Israel be remembered no more!”

Who are these people? The Psalm identifies them. Like Cain, they seek to slay their brothers. As it was with the children of Adam, so it is with the children of Abraham. 

The day will come and they will be put to shame. They will then know. 

 

At The Boundary - Job 26:10

Job 26:10 ESV 

He has inscribed a circle on the face of the waters

at the boundary between light and darkness.

The earth found its form by the finger of God. There at the murky waters of man light meets the darkness and the darkness gives way to that light. We are the boundary in view. It is inside our hearts that the light of the world has risen. It meets the receding darkness of a mind and heart under transformation. The law written by the finger of God was another boundary to discern between light and darkness, to bring understanding to the hearts of man and to make way for the light.