Cain & Abel

00:00:00 Speaker 1: Previously on the chosen people. 00:00:03 Speaker 2: This is the tree of life. Its fruit is a gift, a gift to be cherished forever. It is the life I offer you, a life of unity with me. 00:00:20 Speaker 3: It's beautiful. 00:00:21 Speaker 2: This is the tree of knowledge, the knowledge of good and evil. You may eat of every tree in this garden, but the tree of knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat. 00:00:40 Speaker 3: What will happen if I. 00:00:41 Speaker 2: Do knowledge of good and evil, which leads to evil itself. While the tree of life brings eternal life, the knowledge of evil brings death. 00:01:01 Speaker 3: Oh, my dear, you won't die. 00:01:05 Speaker 1: Do I look dead? 00:01:07 Speaker 4: Do you? 00:01:08 Speaker 1: God does and want you to eat it? 00:01:11 Speaker 5: Because if you do, your eyes will be opened. 00:01:19 Speaker 4: Maybe it was a lie, After all, we could. 00:01:27 Speaker 1: Be like God. Eve stroked the fruit. Adam was frozen. He knew he should stop Eve. He knew he should smack it out of her hand, But he was drawn by a similar curiosity. Could he really be like God? They had been deceived into thinking God was holding back from them, and perhaps something better awaited them if they separated themselves from him. 00:01:54 Speaker 2: Adam, I called you to cultivate and steward the earth. But now it shall be cursed because of you. The earth will struggle against you. You will eat of the earth through sweat and pain. All the days of your life. You will wilt against the stones. Thorns and thistles will scrape your hands. This pain will remind you of the paradise you rejected. Then, after a lifetime of struggle, you will return to the dust of the earth. For from the dust I made you, and to the dust you shall return. 00:02:39 Speaker 6: What do we do now? 00:02:41 Speaker 1: Where should we go? 00:02:43 Speaker 3: What is there beyond leading? 00:02:49 Speaker 1: The cave was dark, only slightly lit by the nearby firelight. Eaves, quiet and determined breath echoed through the night. Beads sweat like pearls descended her brow. Adam knelt beside Eve as her hands and knees pressed against the floor. 00:03:08 Speaker 7: Is this death? Is this the curse? 00:03:13 Speaker 3: God spoke of no Eve. I don't think this is death. I think this. 00:03:20 Speaker 1: Is life. With that final encouragement, Eve let out a groan. Shadows danced on the cave walls. The sound of eve struggling was replaced with the cries of a newborn baby, the first child born east of Eden. Adam wrapped him in his arms and wiped him with woven wool He held him closely, looking him deeply in the eyes. The boy glowed with promise. 00:03:49 Speaker 3: We'll have to give him a name, just like the Lord named me. 00:03:53 Speaker 1: Eve rolled onto her bag and reached for her son. Adam rested him in her arms. She rated him and stroked his face. She remembered the promise made by God before their exile. He promised that through her line a hero would rise to crush the serpent's head and restore Eden. 00:04:15 Speaker 4: It's you, little one. You are our great hope in this broken world. Your name shall be king through you. I have received help from the Lord. You are the promised child, the one who will deliver us. 00:04:35 Speaker 1: She pressed Cain against her chest, which quivered with tears of grief, joy, and relief. Cain was the answer to all her questions. His breath rose in tandem with hers. The euphoria of birth and new life swelled within her. Her mind's eye was filled with visions of Cain's rise. Days rolled into months, which passed into years. Daily, Adam walked with Cain in the morning mist as the Creator once did with him. He scooped up some soft earth and held it in his palm. 00:05:15 Speaker 3: I wasn't born like you, Kane. I was crafted from the ground, and God gave me the ground to tend to. 00:05:24 Speaker 1: Adam let the dirt fall out of his palm. He sighed and wiped his hands. He pointed to the river and traced an invisible line up stream. It led up to a great mountain, its peak hidden by clouds. In the light of. 00:05:40 Speaker 7: Dawn, midden noise, sweat, and bleed. Kane, we were once on that holy hill, surrounded by plants that bloomed without labor. We were one with God, blessed. I wish you could have seen it. 00:06:02 Speaker 3: Perhaps you'll know one day what it means to be blessed by God. 00:06:06 Speaker 1: Cain looked up at the mountain. A sense of destiny came over him. He felt chosen, hand picked to receive something great from God. Cain held that belief close to his heart. The moon and stars shifted in the skies. The heavens were untouched by tragedy, untainted by the sins of man. Adam and Eve often looked up at them, dreaming about what life would have been like if they had never eaten of the tree. Eve touched her pregnant belly and leaned her head against Adam's shoulder. They were days away from having their second child. 00:06:48 Speaker 4: What's going to happen to them, Adam? What will happen to them when we're gone? What what if we die before they can take care of themselves? 00:06:59 Speaker 1: Worry over became Eve. It was a part of the curse. Cultivating a family was her greatest blessing and heaviest burden. Marked with euphoric eyes and anxious lows, she pursed her lips gaze stretching into the horizon. The stars were vast and unsearchable, just like their fate. 00:07:21 Speaker 4: Will they survived this world? 00:07:25 Speaker 7: No, they won't, sooner or later. No long returned the nurst. I just pray they get to tease the goodness of life before the inevitable bitterness of death. 00:07:41 Speaker 1: Is there any goodness? 00:07:43 Speaker 4: Has the Creator reserved any blessing for us? 00:07:46 Speaker 3: This side of evil? 00:07:48 Speaker 1: Adam looked forward at the planes, dimly lit by the twinkling lights. He wrapped his arms around Eve. Adam wished he had words to comfort Eve. He longed to ascend the hills of Eden again and reclaim unity with God, not just for him, but for his family. But he couldn't, no matter how desperately he longed for the tree of life. It was gone, guarded by judgment. 00:08:16 Speaker 8: I've been thinking a lot about that day, the day we left the garden. I was thinking about how God covered us with animal skins. 00:08:29 Speaker 3: He didn't have to take care of us, but he did. He didn't have to protect us, but he chose to. He's protected us since that day, and maybe. 00:08:42 Speaker 1: Adam stopped and looked at Eve. He pressed his hand against her pregnant belly. His mind wared with itself. He was oscillating between faith in God and fear for the future. 00:08:55 Speaker 3: Maybe God will cover our children too. 00:08:58 Speaker 1: He looked back up the galaxies stretched over the horizon. Adam was still struggling with who God was and who he was this side of Eden. Since unity was severed in the garden. Understanding God had been a struggle. He was a captivating mystery. Yet, even though they no longer walked with him in the cool of the garden, God felt close during moments like these. 00:09:25 Speaker 3: I don't feel him like I once did, but I know he's to a here. Tomorrow, I'm going to kill an animal for God, just like he killed one for us. I will give him something precious, something we need to survive. I will show God that I understand what he did for us and what he can still do for us. Maybe that will be how we can connect with him again. We put our well being in our future in his hands. Will declare trust in him, even though we only understand him in part. 00:10:06 Speaker 4: Teach our children to do the same. 00:10:09 Speaker 7: Tell them our story. 00:10:11 Speaker 1: The following day, Adam marched up a mountain. The frigid breeze cut his cheeks. He shivered at its summit and laid a sacrifice on the ground. He gave him precious resources of harvested crops and a spotless lamb from his flock, things they needed to survive. It was a declaration of trust, an acknowledgment that their lives were in his hands. It was also a peace offering to reclaim the unity lost in Eden. Days later, Eve felt the pangs of childbirth again to bring forth her second born son, Adam held him in the air, his heart fluttered in his chest. Although Adam had lost much in his short life, he felt he was finally discovered what it meant to be human. Adam beamed with delight, feeling a sense of purpose. Although life had its struggles, it also had beauty. Just because the land was harsh and sin was present didn't mean there weren't pockets of paradise, slivers of eden. 00:11:22 Speaker 3: We are multiplying, Lord, Just as you. 00:11:25 Speaker 4: Asked, I'm going to name you Abel, breath fleeting but filled with energy, just like this beautifully tragic life we live. 00:11:38 Speaker 1: Cain and Abel grew strong under their parents' care. Adam taught Cain how to till the land and the reason for his struggle. He also taught Cain how to war and cooperate with the earth to make it yield crops. Abel was taught how to tend to the livestock. Adam showed Abel how to care for the sheep with dignity as fellow creatures. Most importantly, Adam taught his sons how to sacrifice to the Lord. 00:12:06 Speaker 3: One day, you will make your offerings to the Lord. You will join us in our mission to reclaim our relationship with the Creator. 00:12:18 Speaker 1: When the boys became men, it became time to march up the mountain and make offerings to the Lord. Both prepared in their own way, crafting offerings with the skills they had acquired from their parents. Cain scanned the crops he had done his best to master the land in a way that flourished. Cain tied up some grains and leafy vegetables he'd grown at the mountain's base. He plucked berries from the trestles he built near their camp. 00:12:48 Speaker 5: Just a few more and were done. 00:12:50 Speaker 1: As Cain knelt in the dirt, a shadow emerged from behind. It approached slowly, ready to pounce. Cain turned suddenly, but it was too late. He was tapping to the ground. The taste of dirt filled Cain's mouth. He rolled onto his back, only to see his younger brother's friendly, bare face. 00:13:11 Speaker 6: Ha, gotcha sneaking up from behind? 00:13:15 Speaker 5: Eh, it's a dirty trick. Try and face me like a man. 00:13:20 Speaker 1: Abel playfully wrapped his arms around his big brother's shoulders. Cain scoffed and tossed Abel into the ground. They wrestled in the dirt until Cain pinned him down. He pressed his elbow against Abel's collar bone. 00:13:33 Speaker 5: Nice, try the lamb. 00:13:35 Speaker 6: How are you going to protect yourself and the flock from wolves if you. 00:13:39 Speaker 5: Can't even pin me from behind? 00:13:41 Speaker 3: The sheep had me to protect them, but I have you. 00:13:45 Speaker 1: Cain smiled, ruffled Abel's hair, and pushed him away. Brotherly affection creased on the sides of Abel's eyes as he looked up at his older brother. Cain showed him off. 00:13:57 Speaker 5: Get out of here so I can finish my off. 00:14:00 Speaker 2: What are you bringing to the mountain? Uh? 00:14:03 Speaker 5: Grains, berries, and then other crops. 00:14:05 Speaker 1: Cain bound some grains with twine and added some flowers heed grown nearby. Abel looked to the hills and furrowed his brow. With sincerity in his voice, he mused about God. 00:14:18 Speaker 3: I hope the Creator accepts our offerings. I want him to know my heart. He deserves the best. 00:14:25 Speaker 5: Man the way I see it, all right, sacrificing us a lot like farming. If you tell the land plant the seed, you'll yield a good crop. If I give an offering to God, then he'll bless me. Now, I mean, if I give to him, then he gives me something in return. 00:14:42 Speaker 3: I'm not sure that's how it works. 00:14:45 Speaker 6: Well, that's because you're not a farmer now, you play with sheep all day. 00:14:49 Speaker 1: Cain lifted his offering onto his shoulders, waved dismissively to his brother, and began ascending the hill. Cain was a farmer, but he was less concerned about the art of altivation and more concerned with the input output relationship of harvesting. He put in the work and the land gave him crops. He saw his sacrifice to God in a similar manner. 00:15:12 Speaker 5: I will give an offering, and God will give me a blessing. It's my birthrate. 00:15:17 Speaker 1: Cain summited the hill where an altar of stone rested at the peak. The wind whistled above. Cain pulled his hair back and smiled. He was prepared to receive God's blessing. He was ready to step into his destiny as God's chosen hero. He stepped back, knelt on the ground, and waited. He stared at the offering, then up at the sky. Nothing just the silence, along with the high pitched whistle of the wind. 00:15:52 Speaker 5: Where are you? 00:15:53 Speaker 1: Cain was unsure what he was looking for, but knew he would know when he saw it. There was only some silence. Cain waited even longer, wondering what had gone wrong. Cain stood to his feet, frustrated and confused. 00:16:09 Speaker 6: I've done what you've asked. I put in the work, I gave you what you needed. 00:16:14 Speaker 5: Where are you still? 00:16:16 Speaker 1: There was only silence. No lightning flashed from the heavens, no voice bellowing with the wind, just the sound of the whistling peaks and the frustrated breaths rising from Cain's lungs. He dragged his feet down a small path and sat on a stone. He waited for something, anything, to happen. As Kane waited, he heard the faint bleating of a lamb in the distance. He looked back to see Abel scaling up the hill, cradling the first born of his flock. A dagger swung back and forth on his side. Kin observed the sorrow on Abel's face. His eyes were foggy with tears as he petted the lamb in his arms. 00:16:58 Speaker 5: It's okay, always so sensitive. He is too sot for this world. 00:17:05 Speaker 1: Tears rolled down Abel's face as he placed the new born lamb on the altar. He stroked his head and sang it a lullaby. His singing mixed with the gentle hiss of the wind. Abel loved every one of his sheep. He had a tender heart and understood the value of life. Abel brought the first born of his flock the best of what he had. It was an act of pure faith, faith in the future and God's power to provide to Abel. God was worthy of the first fruits. Lord, please accept this gift. It's the best of what I have. Search me and know my heart. With a shaking hand, Abel raised his blade. The Lullabi leaped out of his quivering lips. Then, with a trembling hand and final cry, he drove the blade down into the lamb's throat. It didn't make a sound able let it bleed on to the altar and sobbed. He offered the best parts of the lamb to God and burn them. He sang a song silently as the embers crackled and smoke slowly rose. Abel's faith was as pure as the lamb's fleece. Cain watched from a distance and waited for something to happen. He waited for God to move. That's when something changed in the air. An indescribable shift occurred in the atmosphere around Abel. The wind's chill ceased, and the sun's warmth rested gently upon him on that hill. It seemed like a sliver of Eden was reclaimed. Cain's eyes widened as he realized that God's favor was upon Abel, the younger brother, the soft shepherd Abel not Cain. Abe looked up. The sun's rays seemed to dance around him, drying the tears from his face. His brows curved upward, and a peaceful smile stretched across his smooth cheeks. He closed his eyes, feeling the euphoria of God's acceptance rush upon him. Abel rose and descended the mountain. He was surrounded by a holy glow of God's love and affirmation. Abel's joy was like a trickling stream falling from the hills. Cain emerged from his hiding place with his mouth agape, his jaw tightened in annoyance. Undoubtedly God had just accepted Abel's sacrifice above. 00:19:45 Speaker 6: Can's hear him? You chose him? He isn't the one you're supposed to choose. I'm king, I'm the firstborn son of me I. I deserved more that That weakling doesn't know his left hand from his right hand. He's a bleeding lamb in a world of wolves. 00:20:10 Speaker 1: Cain's frustrated prayers rose to heaven, but swiftly fell to the floor. Weighed down by entitlement and pride, he skulked to the altar and looked at the remaining coals With a vexed swipe of his hand, he struck the coals. They fell to the floor. Cain watched their light fade. The black coals remained there. He turned his gaze from the altar and looked toward the bottom of the hill. He saw Abel run into his parents, tent to tell them what had happened. Seeing his brother's joy ignited jealous resentment within him. Cain didn't realize it, but something sinister was slithering from the reeds into his heart. Weeks passed, and it became clear that God's hand was unable. His flocks multiplied and his strength increased. As Abel's prominence increased, so did Cain's jealousy. His bitterness was a poison, slowly eroding his heart. Whenever a crop did yield or a thorn cut his hand, Cain thought about how God had blessed Abel. Cain began to compare every inconvenience and struggle with Abel's successes. To Cain, each ounce of favor given to his younger brother was a slight against him. 00:21:36 Speaker 5: It should have been me. 00:21:39 Speaker 1: I was the chosen one. 00:21:42 Speaker 5: It was my blessing, my report. You stole it from me. 00:21:48 Speaker 1: His entire body vibrated with contempt. But Cain's hatred wasn't against Abel. No, Abel was just the recipient of the blessing. God was the sauce and therefore the withholder. Cain's ire was directed upward. He blamed the creator. He wanted revenge, but how would he get it. Cain sat by the fire, lost in a whirlbo in a rage and conspiring passively, listening to his father muse more poetic praise for Abel. 00:22:23 Speaker 3: Oh, your flock has expanded further than her eyes can see. You see what's happening, Abel, God is blessing your work. This is what we're meant to do. 00:22:35 Speaker 1: It was a record month for Abel's flock. The entire family laughed and sang by the fire, joy rising alongside the smell of smoke, meads and freshly baked grains. Cain wasn't amused. He stormed off to a solitary place, and he paced around in the darkness, kicking dirt and punching the air. He slammed his fist against a cold stone and shouted into the night. 00:23:02 Speaker 5: Blessantable, faithful, Abel, fruitful Abel. 00:23:07 Speaker 3: Please a fool. 00:23:08 Speaker 5: Nobody's seize it? 00:23:10 Speaker 2: But Caine, why are you so angry? Why has your face fallen? 00:23:18 Speaker 4: Oh? 00:23:19 Speaker 5: Now you speak? 00:23:21 Speaker 6: Why? Why now? 00:23:22 Speaker 5: O Creator? Why break the silence with such a stupid question. 00:23:28 Speaker 2: Your anger is misplaced, Kane. If you do well, will you not also be accepted like your brother? 00:23:37 Speaker 6: If I do well? 00:23:39 Speaker 5: If I, oh boy. 00:23:42 Speaker 6: If okay, I did what I was asked. I made an offering, and you didn't hold up your end of the bargain. Instead, you chose to bless that. That that that whim whimpering and the soft. 00:24:00 Speaker 2: Oh, listen to yourself, Kane. Your words revealed your heart. 00:24:06 Speaker 6: My words are true, and you know it. I deserve that blessing. It was me you should have chosen, not that blobbering shepherd. 00:24:18 Speaker 2: Be warned, Kane. Sin is crouching at the threshold of your heart. It desires to destroy you. It prowls at the borders of your soul, waiting for a moment to strike. But you can overcome it. 00:24:35 Speaker 6: Why should I listen to you? What good has that ever done me? 00:24:40 Speaker 1: Cain stormed down the hill, determined to leave a distance between him and the Creator. God's word wasn't a comfort to Kane, but salt to his wounded pride. The further. He warked the darker. His heart became. Rage against God went from a low simmer to a violent You accept that it was blood over him. 00:25:03 Speaker 5: If it's blood you not, then it is blood You are cat. 00:25:09 Speaker 1: The air was thin and freezing. Clouds rolled in from the east, blocking out the sun's warmth. Cain's breath rose like a specter in the chilly air. He paced at the pasture's edge, like a wolf stalking waiting. He remained there all day, in the shadows, watching able. Corruption coiled around his heart like the serpent it squeezed, choking the humanity out of him. The sun began to set against the dark clouds, causing a crimson hue to splash over the horizon. Sin was hungry for Cain's soul. It hovered over him, jaws wide open and ready to strike. The creator's warnings echoed in his mind. 00:25:54 Speaker 2: Sin is crouching at the threshold of your heart. It desires to destroy you, but you can overcome it. 00:26:04 Speaker 1: Cain wouldn't listen, he refused. He knelt and dug his fingers into the cold, damp earth. From it, he drew out a stone the size of his palm. His father was hewn from the dirt, and from it a tool for death was taken. Abel knelt beside his sheep. He tended to one of the lambs, picking out some brambles. As he knelt, a shadow approached from behind. It crept slowly, ready to bounce. Abel turned and it was too late. He was tackled to the ground. Abel laughed at first, thinking it was another game, but Caine's grip hardened against Abel's shoulder and pressed him violently against the ground. Abel winced in pain and struggled to get free. Okay, okay, you pin me, now get off. Abel's eyes widened as he saw or Cain lift a stone high in the air to strike him. Abel panicked and kicked his brother off. He turned to run, but Cain bounced back up and hit his brother on the temple, sending him flying onto the floor. Abel scurried backward with his arm up to Cain. Stop what are you. 00:27:17 Speaker 5: Doing for getting my revenge? 00:27:21 Speaker 2: Revenge? 00:27:22 Speaker 3: For what? 00:27:23 Speaker 1: Kin? What did I do? 00:27:26 Speaker 6: Oh no, no, no, not you, baby brother. This isn't for you. 00:27:32 Speaker 1: Cain plunged forward at Abel and struck him again with the stone. Abel's face fell into the dirt. Cain turned him around and continued to attack. 00:27:42 Speaker 7: Please stop, What st are you now? 00:27:46 Speaker 6: Abel? 00:27:49 Speaker 3: You still be up west? 00:27:51 Speaker 5: Where is your God? 00:27:52 Speaker 7: Now? 00:27:54 Speaker 1: His anger wasn't directed toward Abel, It was directed at the creator. Blow after the blow came through spite at God by striking his innocent brother. When Abel was too neat to struggle, Cain pressed his thumbs against his throat and finished what he started. The breath of life left able with a strained sigh, the first death. Cain removed his hands, rolled his neck back, and exhaled quietly. He dared not look up at Heaven, but he dared not look down at his slain brother either. Cain couldn't face the creator of life, nor could he look down at the life he had taken. He was suspended in a space between heaven and hell. Cain stood up and dug into the earth. He buried his brother in the field. 00:28:52 Speaker 5: From the dust we are taking, and are the dust we shall return. 00:28:57 Speaker 1: Cain stormed back to his tent. Abel was dead, but his blood cried out from the ground, reaching the ears of the Almighty. The following day, Cain tilled his fields silently. Abel was buried only yards away from him. Echoes of his terrified screams reverberated in his mind. Cain pushed the guilt down. He buried it, just like he did to his brother. Then, cutting through the silence, God spoke Cain, where is your brother? God's question mirrored the question once posed to his father Adam. 00:29:40 Speaker 2: Where are you? 00:29:42 Speaker 1: God knew the answer. He was inviting Cain to dialogue with him, to acknowledge his mistake. 00:29:50 Speaker 6: I don't know. 00:29:51 Speaker 5: Am I my brother's keeper? 00:29:53 Speaker 2: What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the earth Earth. 00:30:01 Speaker 1: God's voice struck Cain like lightning. Cain was no longer pompous and irreverent. He fell to the floor and cowered in fear. Cain felt the presence of God's circling him like a bird of prey. Cain thought he was cursed before, he felt that God's eye was directed at him, but it wasn't. But now that the Creator's justice fell upon Cain, he realized he was wrong, woefully and terrifyingly wrong. The earth vibrated, as if sobbing over able. 00:30:34 Speaker 2: The earth that has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood will be cursed because of you. The earth will no longer give you its strength. You shall wonder this, learn hungry, starved, and deprived. You'll be a fugitive wherever you go, always turning your shoulders to see who's hunting you. 00:30:58 Speaker 6: Why that's punishment till I don't want it? 00:31:02 Speaker 1: Would to kill me. 00:31:03 Speaker 6: You're taking away everything, but you get. 00:31:07 Speaker 5: Roar with people wanting to kill me. 00:31:09 Speaker 2: You dare to beg for your guilty life after having taken an innocent one. 00:31:16 Speaker 1: Please, God's presence softened. A gentle wind blew in from the top of the mountain down to the valley. Cain looked up for the first time, his eyes watered with grief. Suddenly, like a stream of water cutting through an arid desert, he felt the grace of God upon him. Although his punishment would be severe, mercy would follow him. Cain felt a burning on his arm. He looked and saw an engraving etched on his skin, a mark. It was a symbol of God's judgment, but also a symbol of his mercy. It was a reminder of his exile, but a warning to anyone's seeking to harm him. Although Cain was a man doomed for punishment, Providence also protected him such was the state of humanity. Their sins marked them, but they were also sealed by God Beloved and chosen to be heirs of his mercy. This Prey dot Com production is only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Gattina, Max Bard, Zach Schllabager and Ben Gammon are the executive producers of The Chosen People. Narrated by Paul Coltafianu. Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwold, Sylvia Zaradoc, Thomas Copeland Junior, Rosanna Pilcher, and Mitch Leshinsky. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Aaron Salvato, bre Rosalie and Chris Baig. You can hear more Prey dot com productions on the Prey dot Com app, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. 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