Brother’s Keeper? #1

Tuesday, September 3, 2024

“And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9 KJV).

Let us learn the import of Cain’s reply….

Read the context of today’s Scripture, Genesis 4:1-8: “And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? 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. And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.”

Never should we take a negative view of the LORD asking questions. Skeptics are so desperate to rid themselves of the Bible’s authority that they will grab anything they possibly can to find fault with it. In today’s Scripture, why would omniscient (all-knowing) God pose a question to Cain? “Where is Abel thy brother?” Did not God know where Abel was? Then, why was God asking Cain? A rhetorical question is something to which the answer is already known. The asker is prompting the listener to think and formulate a response. For instance, if the parent finds the child misbehaving, the parent asks, “What are you doing?” Of course, the parent already knows the answer—but the question is designed to prompt the child to think and reply!

God is trying to lead Cain to accepting responsibility. “Where is your brother, Cain? (Have you murdered him?)” Let us see if Cain will admit his guilt….