Disease outbreaks, earthquakes, floods, droughts, forest fires, tornadoes, hurricanes, homes swallowed by sink holes. People dying and being hurt; businesses and homes destroyed–what’s going on? Why do bad things happen to good people? This question is repeated countless times whenever nature attacks leaving death and destruction in her wake. What prompts the question is her tendency to strike in areas where there are “good people,” exemplified by churches, people-assisting organizations, etc. The masses do not ask why dope dens and porn shops are destroyed by a tornado, or why a thug or prostitute is killed. The question always arises when the homes, businesses and churches of “good people” go down and they are killed or injured.  To find the answer to the “why” question we must return to the Garden of Eden?

Adam and Eve had a life we can only dream about. The Lord of the universe was their Creator, Leader, Provider and daily conversation Companion. Their every need was met–they wanted for nothing. They were, however, free moral agents–they could obey either God or Satan. Adam and Eve were not unique. Nowhere do we find God telling them that they were a special breed of creature (created entity), that they would not be held accountable for their conduct, or that their descendants would not feel the effects of their parents’ actions.

The moral freedom our original ancestors enjoyed required them to choose either God’s Way or Satan’s way. When given the option of choosing whom they would obey–God or Satan–they chose badly and brought sin into the world of those who would follow them in the future. Adam and Eve were not told that their descendants would be free of responsibility for the decisions they would make. Scripture and social history remind us of the outcome of mankind’s freedom of choice. See Human Nature.

Having inherited Adam and Eve’s genetic make-up–being created in the image and likeness of God–Cain and Abel were given the same power of choice afforded their parents. Not having inherited their parents’ sin, they were, like them, free moral agents having the power to choose whom they would obey. God declares time and again that one chooses Himself or the devil. With God there is no gray area–to choose one is to reject the other–a lesson Cain failed to learn.

As far as we can determine from Scripture, prior to the offering incident recorded in Genesis neither Cain nor Abel had experienced problems with either God or each other. Scripture does not indicate that sin played a part in either of their lives. Had either of them sinned prior to the offering incident God would have confronted him and would have prompted Moses to record the episode. Had Cain chosen to obey God, life would have turned out differently for both men. Cain would not have been expelled to a far country and Abel would have lived to a ripe old age. But Cain, opting to exercise his freedom of choice, chose to rebel against God. As a result, Abel died far too soon. Cain’s sin affected his parents, his brother and his future descendants who would not have the pleasure of growing up and living in paradise. Just as a drug addict robs his children of the necessities of life, sin on our part affects those around us either physically or psychologically, or both. We can only imagine how Cain’s act affected Adam and Eve. And we can only guess at what “righteous Abel’s” descendants would have accomplished.

That both Cain and Abel had lived their lives in good standing with God is indicated by the fact that nothing to the contrary is mentioned in the Scriptures. Because both men knew to give God an offering would lead us to believe that both had previously done so. Also, they both knew what was expected relative to their offerings in that Abel did it right. In other words, both knew what to do and how to do it. However, like his parents before him, Cain decided to short-change His Maker. He did so, all the while believing that he was right with the Lord. He was, after all, presenting an offering. An offering is an offering, he must have reasoned; its type and quality were irrelevant.

We do not know how many offerings the brothers had brought to their Creator or over what period of time. We also do not know in how many instances they had obeyed Him in other areas. That they were fully grown, responsible men is indicated by His interactions with them. To be continued. L.J.