“Sin Lies At Your Door”
Genesis chapter 4 is the story of Cain and Abel. It is a story that we have probably known since childhood. I can remember the picture Bible that I had. In it was a page about Cain and Abel, arguing in a field before the murder occurred. My Sunday school instruction was focused on that act of vengeance – the first murder.
But if I set aside those childhood images and actually study the text, I find that the emphasis that God puts on this event is comes before the murder takes place. God’s conversation with Cain reveals something far more important about the nature of sin. Let’s look closely and see.
Cain and Abel bring offerings to God. The word for “offering” here also means “tribute” so there is a deliberate implication that they both recognized the necessity to pay homage to their King. Abel’s offering is accepted. Cain’s is not. The text says nothing more. It does not tell us why God did not accept Cain’s tribute. But it does tell us that because Cain’s offering was not accepted, he was depressed and crestfallen. While he was in this mood, God came to talk with him.
“Cain, why are you depressed?” was God’s opening question. Even this question should alert us to God’s focus on the matter. God did not ask several other questions that would have seemed logical. He did not ask, “Why didn’t you bring me a tribute that was acceptable?” He did not ask, “Why didn’t you pay attention to my requirements?” He did not ask, “Why did you disobey me?” In fact, there is no implication that Cain committed any sin at this point. God focuses on Cain’s mood. This is a counseling session. The Master psychotherapist is leading his second client (do you know who the first client was?) to examine his emotional state of mind.
“Cain, why are you depressed?” implies that God is surprised to find Cain in an ugly mood. The fact that God makes no mention at all of the rejected offering implies that Cain still has the opportunity to make his tribute acceptable. Cain, God says, you don’t need to be upset about this. Just go out and fix it. I am not upset with you. I just want you to make things right with me. I am giving you the opportunity to correct this situation, with no strings attached.
God goes on to re-affirm this opportunity. He says, “If you do well, won’t your disposition change – won’t you be happy?” The text says, “won’t your countenance be lifted up?” Cain, says God, listen to me. Go out and fix this thing. I will accept the correction. Your mood will change from depression to joy. Instead of looking down and feeling depressed, you will look up and feel accepted. It’s just a matter of taking my advice and following through. Still God says nothing about sin. He is giving Cain the opportunity and the direction needed to establish the proper relationship between them.
Then the Master psychotherapist provides a warning. The second part of verse 7 is the real emphasis of this story. “And if you do not do well, sin is lying at the door and its desire is for you, but you must master it.”
God knows that emotional situations can become the seedbed for sinful acts. He sees Cain’s depression. He knows that there are two monumental choices facing Cain. Cain can agree with God’s assessment of the situation and take steps to repair the relationship. Or Cain can defend himself, refuse God’s assistance and let his emotional state carry him into action.
Sin is lying at the door. Notice some very important things about this statement. First, sin is still outside. It is right there, ready to come in if invited, but it is not yet part of the emotional equation. The word used here is rabas. It means “a resting place.” In almost every occurrence in the Old Testament it is associated with “repose” or “rest after exertion”. It does not carry with it the idea of something evil lying in wait. In fact, this word is used many times to symbolically describe the rest of sheep under the shepherd’s care. Translations that imply that this verse means sin is crouching like a tiger, ready to spring into action probably miss the mark. God says to Cain, “Sin is in repose just outside your mind. If you choose to accept my solution, it will stay there. It cannot begin to work until you open the door. But if you don’t heed my warning, if you let this emotion take hold of you, sin will have the opportunity it needs to come to action. Be careful, Cain.”
Then God closes His conversation with this remark, “Sin’s desire is for you but you must master it.” Sin wants control. Sin needs control. The word for desire used here occurs only three times in the Old Testament. In both of the other occurrences, it is about sexual desire. Is there any stronger form of desire to take over someone than sexual desire? Is there any stronger emotion than the emotion of wanting to possess the object of my lust? God makes it very clear. Sin wants to own you. Sin wants a controlling, intimate involvement with you. And it will use the emotional gateway to get what it wants.
But God says that Cain can be sin’s master. It is up to him. Choose! You still have time, Cain. You can still reverse this emotional roller coaster you are on and prevent the downhill slide. Nod your ascent to my evaluation of the circumstance of your life. Agree that I am your King and deserve your tribute. And it will be acceptable. You will find joy. You will be released from this depression.
Or – open the door to that sleeping dog and all Hell will follow. It will take control of your emotions, and your mind and then your actions until there is no way back.
Cain went away from that conversation and plotted murder. In the text, there is no argument with Abel. Not a word is recorded about any conversation between them. The text says that Cain, with pre-meditation, found Abel and killed him. Sin no longer lay in repose at the door. Sin took over Cain’s life.
This old story introduces the second methodology of sin’s operation. When Adam and Eve sinned, the steps were introduced with doubt. All the serpent did was place a doubt about God’s integrity in the mind of Eve. Then he fanned that spark of doubt until it burst into the flames of desire – the desire to be like God. Cain’s encounter with sin’s control and destruction does not come through doubt. Cain’s fall comes through unyielding self-will.
“Why did you put me down, God?” “I brought my tribute but you only liked his.” “You humiliated me in front of him!” “It’s your fault, God”. “Don’t tell me what I have to do to make it right!” “If it weren’t for you, I would be fine.” “Stop preaching to me, I didn’t do anything wrong!” “I’m not going to listen to your advice.” “You just want me to do it your way.” “There’s nothing wrong with my way.”
Two children bring their homework to the teacher. One child has done everything according to the instructions. It is accepted. The other child, for whatever reason, has only completed part of the assignment.
“Look here”, says that teacher, pointing to the instruction paragraph. “Do you see what it says about using colors to show the relationships? Please take this back to your seat and finish it according to these instructions.” There is no judgment given. Only counsel.
But the child is distraught. “Why should I have to follow those instructions? I want to do it my way. I’m right. You’re wrong. You see, I don’t have to do what you tell me to.”
God’s counseling practice is open twenty-four seven. He knows the state of our emotions. He knows that sin lies just outside the door, ready to rouse itself to action if we decide to do it our way. So many times in my life I have ignored that inner reminder that, in spite of my will to control everything, life does not operate according to my rules. God reminded Cain that He was in charge. He is the King. The tribute must be acceptable to Him. It doesn’t make any difference if I want to do it some other way. I am free to do so, but my choosing not to agree with God’s assessment of my life will only open the door for sin’s control.
When I find myself in the throes of emotional battles I need to seek God’s advice. God says, “You must master it.” The choice is still mine. Am I upset? Am I discouraged? Am I angry? Am I lonely, heartbroken, afraid? In the midst of every emotional trauma, I can still seek God’s view of my circumstances. I can still rely on His control and concern.
Or I can do it myself!
Sin is sleeping at the door.
Genesis 4:7 Cain, “Why are you angry and downcast. “If you are well disposed, ought you not lift up your head? But if you are ill disposed, is not sin at the door like a crouching beast hungering for you, which you must master?”
Hi Skip,
Great lesson! A simple shift of attitude can have such an enormous impact on our lives.
If “sin is at the door,” may we assume that Cain was not born with a sinful nature on the inside of him? Entire denominations are built around the doctrine of original sin. Some groups such as the holiness churches and some Pentecostal churches believe that original sin is removed when one is entirely sanctified, a second act of grace. Thank you Skip for this counsel, it is a good one!
Interestingly, Hebrew thought is that we need to love God with both our natures in harmony if we are to love Him fully as He commanded. In Deuteronomy Ch6, the Hebrew word for heart is ‘levaveha’ which has an apparently unneeded double letter ‘bet’. In other words, “Love the Lord with both hearts”. Love Him with your two inclinations (Sifrei ; Ber. 54a)… and further, the implication is that our heart(s) must be as one with His heart – which they would be, of course, if we had them fully loving Him.
As Skip’s teaching reminds us: it’s not “Sin is at the door, be careful not to wake it.” It is, “The sinful nature is at your door, master it and bring it under your control.” We need those desires, longings, etc to fully serve God and be the people He created us to be.
Thanks for the additional comment on the double bet. Only one small suggestion. The idea of a sinful nature is not biblical. It comes from Greek Platonic thinking about the corrupt and imperfect world as opposed to the perfect world above. Sinful nature follows the Greek path of the “fall” of the soul from the heavens. Jewish thinking takes a different approach. The yetzer ha’ra is essential to what it means to be human because it provides the framework of a crossroads and tension that must be present in order for us to become human. It is not evil itself. It is merely the propensity toward self-satisfaction.
You know how it is when you mean to say one thing, but the material you are responding to says the other… and then you write ‘the other’! I was thinking and talking about ‘inclination’, but somehow then wrote ‘sinful nature’ – I’m getting old! Thanks for pointing it out, Skip… and for taking the opportunity to outline the error of ‘fall doctrine’ for those who may not know it.
I was actually going to finish that post by saying that we need to harness the drives, desires and longings (so often associated with following the yetzer ha’ra) before we will be able to love God with the measure of love He expects and deserves… as Skip has pointed out before.
Hi Barry,
That’s a good point.
Maybe Cain is like the foreskin
He is “connected” until he is “cut off”.
Sinful nature is a doctrine derived from the ontological commitment to a Greek dichotomy – between the evil material world and the good perfect spiritual world. Just as the soul fell into the material world in Plato’s view, so the soul falls into an essence of sin with the first sin. If men are ontologically sinful (by nature), then nothing they do can ever lift them from this “birth” condition. Of course, a lot of implications come from this ontology, including the strong idea of election. God chooses some (with sinful natures) to be saved and chooses others to be lost. No act of righteousness can be performed by any man who is not chosen. And no man chosen need fear any subsequent act of unrighteousness since the choosing is irreversible. Etc. Etc.
Our current religious structures are so confused.
We are totally free in the choices we make. (the free will of man). We are not free from the consequences of our choices. Every choice is followed by a consequence, (both the large and the small). G-d gave to Cain an opportunity to “repent.” Pharoah was given ten opportunities to repent. “Today, if you will “hear His voice”, harden not (your choice) your heart.”
Where does the “sovereignty of G-d” fit in? He knows the “end from the beginning.” He (now) commands all men everywhere to “repent.” I am very blessed to be included in His eternal invitation- “whosoever will” may come. When our LORD said- “whosoever”- He included me.
“Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; (Acts 3.19)
There is absolutely NO textual evidence whatsoever that Cain’s murder of Abel was pre-meditated. You offer no evidence for that false assumption.
You are right, of course. But given the intense discussion concerning act and consequence between God and Cain, are we then to assume that he killed Abel without consideration, that is, in a sudden fit of rage, for example? And if I removed the word “premeditated,” does it change the impact of the lesson?
I so appreciate your critique, and the mission of your life. Thank you for honoring me with your comments.
Thank you, Skip!