Rethinking Cain & Able, Favoritism, Parenting

by TMS 15 Replies latest jw friends

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  TMS

  Jehovah never had a father. He never knew the feeling of being slighted, less loved than one of his favored siblings. Based on the above, was the first incident of sibling rivalry mishandled by Jehovah? Did he bear any responsibility in the tragic results? Jehovah's Holy Word, the NWT, describes Abel as a "herder of sheep" and his brother as a "cultivator of the ground", both honorable professions. Both men felt an obligation or a simple desire to give something back to their creator.

  Both men gave Jehovah what they had worked hard to produce. Since Jehovah preferred animal fat to vegetables, he showed favoritism toward Abel and rejected Cain's offering.
  This caused Cain's "countenance to fall" in the archaic speech used in 1960 when the NWT was written. Today we would simply say: "Jehovah hurt Cain's feelings." What
  should Cain have done differently? Should he have stolen some "firstlings" from Abel's flock and served them to Jehovah? Or should he have killed some other wild beasts
  and offered their fatty pieces to the god of the universe?

  What responsibility does Jehovah bear in setting the mood for the animosity between brothers? If Jehovah does not show favoritism, but instead graciously accepts the generous
  results from the "sweat of Cain's face", does Abel lose his life? What if Jehovah had given Cain a hug and said: "Son, these are the juiciest mangos I've ever eaten? " First century murderer Paul wants us to believe Abel's sacrifice was of "greater worth". So? Children are
  different and show their love in different ways. Is there any excuse for a father to accept love from one child and not another.

  A Jehovah copycat, Isaac showed similar favoritism in dealing with son's Jacob and Esau, even breaking the law to favor the younger one. The results were not good.

  tms
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  jaguarbass

  Hello TMS.

  Good post. I'm thinking Jehober didnt really care. The priest who wrote the bible, searching for mans 10% wanted to get the message across that "We need more meat".
• 

  Gopher

  Hey TMS, don't you know what the Bible says -- "Jehovah, perfect are all his ways, a God with whom there is no injustice" ??

  Adjust your thinking now! Cain resisted an attitude adjustment, and you see what happened to him!

  For further explanation of this, be sure to call the WTS front desk. They can clearly explain all such things (like they did for Deaconbluez).
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  saywhat29

  I always felt bad for Cain- and this goes further in my belief that for years the bible was written with the belief that Go was right and all of his actions are just, even when explaining things that do not make sense. I mean.. how do you really know what Cain's heart condition was? Growing vegetables ain't easy...

  BUT I always find it interesting in this story that it does have a ring of truth to it- I believe that parents DO tend to have a favorite. I wouldn't say they love one kid more... but then I can't speak for everyone so maybe some do, but they have a better connection with one or two that they can't have with other kids.

  I know my mom has with me and that my sister senses it- I know my mom has it with her mom and her brother bitterly had to sense it. So, even though i find the parable skewed in the favor to always make God look great in every light an for Cain to look crazy (smashing your brother head in with a rock isn't right at all, don't get me wrong but the point comes in understanding him and admitting that in all of us there is a little Cain, a peson that needs to be respected as a man (or woman) and loved by something and seemed valuable especially in the eyes of our parents. His "feelwin's" were hurt and Ms. jehovah realy didn't give him what he needed at that moment)
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  hibiscusfire

  tms: Both men gave Jehovah what they had worked hard to produce. Since Jehovah preferred animal fat to vegetables, he showed favoritism toward Abel and rejected Cain's offering.

  Oh good grief. TMS it has nothing to do with meat or vegetables.

  Let's take it from the time of Adam and Eve. God wanted the earth to be filled with more people. So God gave Adam and Eve children. First there was Cain and then Abel. Ofcourse they had other children but you are talking about CAIN and ABEL.

  Because God had been so merciful to Adam and Eve they loved Him, and they in turn wanted these two boys to love and please God too. So they taught them about God and about giving thanks to Him. They would lay their offering on altars.

  Cain was a farmer and Abel was a sheperd. The two, now grown men, built the altars to offer thier gifts to God. Cain brought the produce he planted and Abel the best of his lambs. God was pleased with Abel's gift because Abel was sincere....he was more more sorry for any sins that he would have done and his need for forgiveness was genuine. God was not pleased with Cain's gift.

  Cain instead of being humble and asking what he did wrong became very, very angry and very, very sad. God asked him why he was so angry and sad. He told him if he does well his gift would be accepted. If not, God told Cain that he would be taken by sin. God told Cain to not let sin take him over. He wanted Cain to control his sins.

  When Cain and Abel were alone some time, Cain got so horribly angry that he killed his brother. When God asked Cain where his brother was, he replied that he did not know, and..."Am I my brother's keeper?"

  God punished Cain because He knew what he had done. Cain was to work hard still as a farmer but his crops would not be up to standard, also he was to wander all over the place...he would not have a place to call home. Cain couldn't bear that type of punishment and was worried that people will kill him if he were to roam all from place to place. God promised to put a mark on him that people would know they were not to hurt him. Cain ended up in a place called Nod where he lived for a very long time.

  God was still merciful to the wretch.

  hibiscusfire
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  worldtraveller

  If "Jehovah" had no father and is perfect in everyway, then logic would dictate that the creator is simply not human. Why then do Christians refer to the creator as HE? Pretty simplistic for a force that created the entire universe, and all the billions of stars, etc.

  That being said, what do you all hear actually believe the creator is? A force, an alien, simple energy. What? How about--Where? Your thoughts please.
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  bigdreaux

  i think there is some source that guides the universe. i do not think all this happened by sheer chance.

  but, i do not pretend to know it's name, or claim to know what it wants from us. i feel like if it wanted us to know, it would tell us. i do not believe any of the gods people worship are real. i also think it doesn't matter . it let us know when it wants to. imo.

  sorry for all the "it's", but, to say he or she implies some sort of humanistic being.
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  LtCmd.Lore

  God was pleased with Abel's gift because Abel was sincere....he was more more sorry for any sins that he would have done and his need for forgiveness was genuine.

  What do you base this assertion on?

  According to Hebrews 11:4 it was definitely the sacrifice that Yahweh didn't like. And according to Genesis 4:4-5 Cain didn't develope a bad attitude until AFTER the favoritism. Which is EXACTLY what TMS said.

  Do you have any scriptures that would indicate that Cain was insincere BEFORE Yahweh rejected him?

  ---

  Countenance: 1: The appearance conveyed by a person's face. 2: Formal and explicit approval. 3: The human face.

  Imagine two children. They both decide to make a picture for their daddy. One paints a picture using watercolors, the other draws a picture using pencil.

  Daddy really likes watercolors, so he congratulates the one boy.

  Daddy doesn't like pencil drawings, so he 'does not look with any favor' upon the other boy. You can imagine the smile (countenance) falling from his face as his gift is shunned.

  AFTER that, the pencil artist gets angry and developes social issues (For which the father yelled at him) that eventually lead to him becoming a murderer.

  It's called psychology... Something that Yahweh consistently proves to be ignorant of.

  Lore
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  aSphereisnotaCircle

  God loves blood, I think the the old testament proves that.
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  tula

  "Turning to Genesis, we find that Jehovah was pleased with Abel's blood sacrifice, while he rejected the fruit offering of Cain, "a tiller of
  the ground." Genesis, Ch. 4."

  That has always puzzled me, especially since my mother always taught me that even when you receive a gift you don't much like, to at least smile and say "thank you" and be gracious about it. It's called manners! When someone at least makes an effort, you don't deliberatelty hurt their feelings.