Cain, the first to be born into a world riddled with sin, killed his brother Abel in a jealous rage. Cain’s birth came with hope, hope that was quickly shattered. But there would be a greater hero born.
Today's Bible verse is Hebrews 11:4, from the King James Version.
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<v Speaker 1>Let us pray by faith. Able offered to God a
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<v Speaker 1>more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he had testimony
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<v Speaker 1>given to him that he was righteous, God testifying with
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<v Speaker 1>respect to his gifts, and through it, he, being dead,
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<v Speaker 1>still speaks Hebrews eleven four. Dear Lord, you are worthy
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<v Speaker 1>of my continual devotion. I want my faith to be
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<v Speaker 1>like Abels, who gave the best of what he had
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<v Speaker 1>in faith. I want to give you my best, Lord,
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<v Speaker 1>not my leftovers. I want the sacrifice of my time, talent,
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<v Speaker 1>and treasure to be acceptable to you. Increase my faith, Lord,
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<v Speaker 1>and give me more opportunities to take leaps of faith,
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<v Speaker 1>so that my life can also be like Abels speaking
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<v Speaker 1>to generations after me in Jesus's name, Amen, thank you
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<v Speaker 1>for praying with me today. Stay tuned now for another
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<v Speaker 1>episode of Stories of the Messiah with Rabbi Schneider.
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<v Speaker 2>God's voice resonated within warning Cain, if you do well,
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<v Speaker 2>will you not be accepted? Bewarded kin Sin is crouching
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<v Speaker 2>at the threshold of your heart. It desires to destroy you,
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<v Speaker 2>but you must overcome it. If I do well, Cain
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<v Speaker 2>replied sarcastically. If I do well, Cain stormed down the hill,
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<v Speaker 2>determined to leave a distance between him and the Lord.
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<v Speaker 2>God's word was not a comfort to Cain, but salt
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<v Speaker 2>to his wounded pride. The further he descended the hill,
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<v Speaker 2>the darker his heart became. Rage against God was boiling
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<v Speaker 2>over in his heart.
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<v Speaker 3>If it is blood you want, kin whispered, then it
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<v Speaker 3>is blood you'll get.
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<v Speaker 4>Hello and welcome to another episode of the Jesus Podcast.
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<v Speaker 4>I'm Ethan with pray dot com and it's my joy
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<v Speaker 4>to be with you here today. If you've enjoyed our
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<v Speaker 4>journey thus far, consider leaving us a review and sharing
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<v Speaker 4>it with a friend. We want the story of the
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<v Speaker 4>Bible and the hope of Jesus to be spread worldwide.
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<v Speaker 4>This podcast is meant to showcase the greatest heroes of
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<v Speaker 4>the Bible, so we can understand that their stories are
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<v Speaker 4>but fractured images of the Gospel. We can appreciate the
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<v Speaker 4>stories of people like Noah, Moses, and David, but ultimately
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<v Speaker 4>we must see that they are not the real heroes
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<v Speaker 4>of God's story. Jesus is today. We traveled back in
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<v Speaker 4>time to when humanity was in its infancy. Adam and
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<v Speaker 4>Eve are east of Eden, pining After paradise, they have
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<v Speaker 4>two children, Cain and Abel, who are the first to
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<v Speaker 4>be born into a world riddled with sin. We'll see
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<v Speaker 4>that sin doesn't take long to corrupt their Heartsane is
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<v Speaker 4>overcome with hatred and jealousy, Abel is murdered, and we
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<v Speaker 4>are left wondering if hope is lost for humanity. Can
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<v Speaker 4>Enable's story doesn't seem to have any bright spots, but
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<v Speaker 4>if we look closer, we'll hear whispers of a greater
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<v Speaker 4>hero than Cain. So let's immerse ourselves now and the
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<v Speaker 4>cinematic retelling of Cain and Abel.
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<v Speaker 2>The cave was dark, only slightly lit by the firelight
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<v Speaker 2>near them. Eve's quiet and determined breaths echoed through the night.
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<v Speaker 2>Beads of sweat like pearls descended down her brow. Adam
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<v Speaker 2>knelt beside Eve as her hands and knees pressed against
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<v Speaker 2>the floor. Is this death? Is this what God spoke of?
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<v Speaker 2>Eve said, with labored breathing, Adam's lower lip quivered, Nor, We've.
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<v Speaker 3>I believe missus life?
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<v Speaker 2>And with that final encouragement, Eve let out a mighty cry,
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<v Speaker 2>giving birth to a son. Adam wrapped him in his arms,
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<v Speaker 2>and why and with woven wool.
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<v Speaker 3>We must name him as God named me, Adam said
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<v Speaker 3>to Eve.
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<v Speaker 2>Eve rolled on to her back and reached for her son.
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<v Speaker 2>She cradled him in her arms and stroked his face.
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<v Speaker 2>His name shall be Kin, she whispered, for through him
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<v Speaker 2>I have received help from the Lord. Eve pressed Cain
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<v Speaker 2>against her chest and cried tears of joy. God had
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<v Speaker 2>promised Eve that through her offspring, the work done by
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<v Speaker 2>the serpent would be undone. He promised that a hero
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<v Speaker 2>would come from her line. As she cradled Cain in
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<v Speaker 2>her arms, she believed wholeheartedly that he would be their
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<v Speaker 2>promised deliverer. Thus Cain's ascension as the hope of humanity began.
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<v Speaker 2>His younger years was bent saturated in the belief that
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<v Speaker 2>he was the favored hero of God, destined to reclaim Eden.
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<v Speaker 2>Years later, Eve felt the pangs of childbirth again to
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<v Speaker 2>bring forth her second son, Abel. Adam held Abel into
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<v Speaker 2>the air and whispered to God, we are multiplying, Lord,
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<v Speaker 2>just as you asked. The two boys grew strong under
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<v Speaker 2>their parents care. Adam taught Cain how to till the
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<v Speaker 2>land and the reason for his struggle. He taught Abel
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<v Speaker 2>how to tend to the live stock. Abel learned to
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<v Speaker 2>care for the sheep with dignity as a fellow creature
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<v Speaker 2>and heir of the land. Most importantly, Adam taught his
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<v Speaker 2>sons how to sacrifice to the Lord. He would take
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<v Speaker 2>them up the mountain, bringing sacrifices to the Lord together.
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<v Speaker 2>One day, you will make your offerings to the Lord,
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<v Speaker 2>he said, you will join us in our mission to
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<v Speaker 2>reclaim our relationship with God. When the boys were of
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<v Speaker 2>age and they had become men, it was time for
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<v Speaker 2>them to march up the mountain on their own and
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<v Speaker 2>make an offering to the Lord. Cain scanned the crops
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<v Speaker 2>he had grown. His parents had told him stories of
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<v Speaker 2>the Sacred Garden, the paradise they tragically lost. He had
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<v Speaker 2>done his best to master the land in a way
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<v Speaker 2>that it flourished, but to no avail. The earth was
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<v Speaker 2>against him, in competition with him. Yet there was beauty
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<v Speaker 2>in the struggle, not that Kin recognized it. He was
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<v Speaker 2>less concerned about the art of cultivation and more concerned
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<v Speaker 2>with the input output relationship of farming. He put in
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<v Speaker 2>the work, and the land gave him crops. He saw
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<v Speaker 2>his sacrifice to God in a similar manner. I will
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<v Speaker 2>give an offering, and God will give a blessing, he
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<v Speaker 2>thought to himself. He picked some of the berries he
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<v Speaker 2>had grown in a small garden, along with wild grains
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<v Speaker 2>he had grown at the base of the mountain. He
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<v Speaker 2>collected them in a basket, scaled the hill, and placed
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<v Speaker 2>them at the altar before the Lord. He looked around,
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<v Speaker 2>awaiting a sign that God had accepted his gift. Yet
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<v Speaker 2>there was nothing, just the silence of the land, accompanied
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<v Speaker 2>by the slight breeze whistling through the hills.
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<v Speaker 3>Where are you, Cain.
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<v Speaker 2>Whispered, hoping God would somehow appear to him. Cain was
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<v Speaker 2>unsure what he was looking for, but knew he would
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<v Speaker 2>know it when he saw it. There was only silence,
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<v Speaker 2>no explanation as to why his offering was not met
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<v Speaker 2>with an opening of the heavens or adorning of blessing.
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<v Speaker 2>Just Cain drug his feet down a small path and
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<v Speaker 2>sat on a stone, waiting for God to bless him.
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<v Speaker 2>As he waited, Cain heard the faint bleating of a
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<v Speaker 2>lamb in the distance. Abel was scaling up the hill,
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<v Speaker 2>carrying the first born lamb from his flock on his shoulders.
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<v Speaker 2>A dagger was strapped to his side. Tears rolled down
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<v Speaker 2>Abel's face as he placed the new born lamb on
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<v Speaker 2>the altar. He stroked its head and sang it a song.
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<v Speaker 2>Abel loved every one of his beloved sheep. He had
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<v Speaker 2>a tender heart and understood the value of the life
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<v Speaker 2>he would offer God. Abel brought the first born of
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<v Speaker 2>his flock the best of what he had. It was
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<v Speaker 2>an act of pure faith. With a steady hand, he
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<v Speaker 2>slit the lamb's throat and let it bleed onto the altar.
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<v Speaker 2>He offered the best parts of the lamb to God
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<v Speaker 2>and sang a song silently to him. The purity of
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<v Speaker 2>Abel's faith shone through Cain watched from a distance and
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<v Speaker 2>waited for something to happen. He waited for God to move,
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<v Speaker 2>and sure enough, God did. An indescribable shift occurred in
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<v Speaker 2>the atmosphere around Abel. The favor of God was upon him.
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<v Speaker 2>On that hill, it seemed as though a sliver of
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<v Speaker 2>Eden was reclaimed for humanity through Abel, not Cain. Abel
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<v Speaker 2>descended the mountains surrounded by a holy glow of God's
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<v Speaker 2>love and affirmation. He was like a trickling stream, joyfully
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<v Speaker 2>falling from the hills. Cain emerged from his hiding place
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<v Speaker 2>with his mouth agape. Rage wailed up within him. He
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<v Speaker 2>was not angry at Abel. He was angry at God.
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<v Speaker 2>Cain was supposed to be chosen not Able. He was
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<v Speaker 2>supposed to be blessed. Cain's entire body shook with jealous rage. Then,
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<v Speaker 2>interrupting the tense silence.
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<v Speaker 3>God spoke, Why are you so angry, Kane? Why has
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<v Speaker 3>your face fallen?
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<v Speaker 1>The voice said. Cain scoffed.
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<v Speaker 3>Oh, now you show yourself.
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<v Speaker 1>He replied crossly.
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<v Speaker 2>Cain's mind raced with hatred and contempt. He didn't understand
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<v Speaker 2>why God had blessed Able instead of him. He was
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<v Speaker 2>the oldest, He was the one whose name held a promise.
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<v Speaker 2>God's voice resonated within, warning, Kin.
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<v Speaker 3>If you do well, will you not be accepted? Bewarded Kane,
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<v Speaker 3>Sin is crouching at the threshold of your heart. It
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<v Speaker 3>desires to destroy you, but you must overcome it.
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<v Speaker 2>If I do well, Kane replied sarcastically. If I do well,
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<v Speaker 2>Cain stormed down the hill, determined to leave a distance
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<v Speaker 2>between him and the Lord. God's word was not a
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<v Speaker 2>comfort to Cain, but salt to his wounded pride. The
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<v Speaker 2>further he descended the hill, the darker his heart became.
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<v Speaker 2>Rage against God was boiling over in his heart.
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<v Speaker 3>If it is blood you want, Kin whispered, then it
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<v Speaker 3>is blood you'll get.
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<v Speaker 2>Cain sauntered to the pasture where Able tended his sheep.
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<v Speaker 2>The sun began to set and a dark red hue
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<v Speaker 2>covered the horizon. Sin was stock looking at the borders
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<v Speaker 2>of Cain's heart, ready to pounce. Cain mimicked Sin's predatory
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<v Speaker 2>movement as he approached his brother Abel. He picked up
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<v Speaker 2>a stone and held it firmly in his hand. Abel
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<v Speaker 2>heard something behind him and turned to see his brother
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<v Speaker 2>coming Kane.
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<v Speaker 3>Abel shouted, oh, my.
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<v Speaker 2>Dear brother, I must tell you what happened at the
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<v Speaker 2>Altar of God today. But before Abel could utter another word,
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<v Speaker 2>Cain pounced. He struck his brother on the temple, sending
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<v Speaker 2>him flying to the floor. Abel bounced back up and
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<v Speaker 2>tried to run, but Cain grabbed him by the foot
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<v Speaker 2>and dragged him back. Abel struggled, throwing sand in Kane's face.
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<v Speaker 2>Cain yelled and threw both of his fists down at Abel.
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<v Speaker 2>His anger was not directed towards Abel, no, it was
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<v Speaker 2>directed the Lord. Blow after blow, Cain threw spite at
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<v Speaker 2>God by striking his innocent brother. When Abel was too
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<v Speaker 2>weak to struggle, Cain pressed his thumbs against his throat
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<v Speaker 2>and finished what he started. Abel's life left him. Cain
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<v Speaker 2>removed his hands, roll his neck back, and exhaled quietly.
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<v Speaker 2>He dared not look up at Heaven, but he dared
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<v Speaker 2>not look down at his slain brother. Cain found himself
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<v Speaker 2>suspended in a place between guilt and indignation. He buried
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<v Speaker 2>his brother in that field and stormed back to his
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<v Speaker 2>home to rest. Abel had been buried, but his blood
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<v Speaker 2>cried out from the ground. God had seen it all,
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<v Speaker 2>and he would not let Cain go unpunished. One day
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<v Speaker 2>he would end the hatred that consumed Cain. He would
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<v Speaker 2>send his redeemer to rid the world of sin once
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<v Speaker 2>and for all.
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<v Speaker 4>The story of Cain and Abel can potentially leave us hopeless.
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<v Speaker 4>This story highlights the contempt that persists in people to day.
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<v Speaker 4>Like many of us, Cain didn't think it was fair
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<v Speaker 4>that Abel received a blessing from God instead of him
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<v Speaker 4>were given Hence as to why Abel's sacrifice was accepted,
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<v Speaker 4>such as it being the first born of his flock,
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<v Speaker 4>but the reason for God's blessing is not as important
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<v Speaker 4>as the reaction from Cain. Cain's response to someone else
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<v Speaker 4>having what he thought was his revealed his corrupt heart.
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<v Speaker 4>Make no mistake, Cain's crime was not primarily against Abel. No,
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<v Speaker 4>Cain was aiming his fist straight at God. Many people
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<v Speaker 4>do this today. They're angry at God and believe they've
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<v Speaker 4>been cheated by him somehow, so they take it out
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<v Speaker 4>on others, often innocent people. We see this manifested in
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<v Speaker 4>random acts of violence, online bullying, and even more sinister
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<v Speaker 4>acts like school shootings. Eve gave Cain a name that
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<v Speaker 4>essentially meant here he is. She thought Cain was the
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<v Speaker 4>promised child to redeem humanity and kill sin. But Cain
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<v Speaker 4>wasn't the promised child. After all, he was an embodiment
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<v Speaker 4>of the evil that took over humanity. So who was
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<v Speaker 4>the promised child? If not Cain, then who. Let's transport
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<v Speaker 4>ourselves to a different time and place, where the grassy
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<v Speaker 4>plains of Bethlehem swayed to the evening breeze on a
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<v Speaker 4>starlit night, surrounded by philth the promised child was born.
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<v Speaker 2>The stable was dark, only slightly lit by the oil
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<v Speaker 2>lamp hanging over Mary and Joseph. Mary's quiet and determined
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<v Speaker 2>breaths echoed through the stable. Beads of sweat like pearls
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<v Speaker 2>descended down her brow. A Ah, Is this a blessing
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<v Speaker 2>or a curse?
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<v Speaker 3>She murmured to herself.
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<v Speaker 2>However, she knew it was a blessing. She knew what
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<v Speaker 2>awaited her on the other side of her anguish God
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<v Speaker 2>had foretold this day, and she was determined to step
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<v Speaker 2>into the promised hope. At her side was Joseph, reassuring
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<v Speaker 2>and steady. Hour after hour, Mary strained. Finally, her shrieks
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<v Speaker 2>of distress were replaced with the tender whimplers of her
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<v Speaker 2>new born son. Joseph wrapped him in his arms and
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<v Speaker 2>wiped him with woven wood.
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<v Speaker 1>We already know his name, he said to Mary.
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<v Speaker 2>Mary reached for her son and cradled him in her arms.
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<v Speaker 1>She stroked his face.
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<v Speaker 3>His name will be Jesus, she whispered, Ah.
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<v Speaker 1>The Lord says.
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<v Speaker 2>Mary pressed Jesus against her chest and cried joyfully. God
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<v Speaker 2>had promised that one day the work done by the
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<v Speaker 2>serpent long ago would be undone. As she cradled her son,
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<v Speaker 2>she knew he would be their promised deliverer, Jesus's ascension
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<v Speaker 2>as the hope of humanity began. He was God's true
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<v Speaker 2>and favored hero, destined to reclaim Eden for all humankind.
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<v Speaker 2>Jesus would grow to serve those around him. His life
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<v Speaker 2>would be laid down for the ransom of many. Through
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<v Speaker 2>his own sacrifice. The blessing God gave him would be
0:15:00 --> 0:15:04
<v Speaker 2>imbued unto others. He was God's only begotten son, the
0:15:04 --> 0:15:08
<v Speaker 2>first born of creation. Through him, Eden.
0:15:08 --> 0:15:09
<v Speaker 1>Would come again.
0:15:15 --> 0:15:18
<v Speaker 4>The promised redeemer prophesied to crush the head of the
0:15:18 --> 0:15:22
<v Speaker 4>serpent was not Cain. Cain was corrupted by the same
0:15:22 --> 0:15:26
<v Speaker 4>sin that removed Adam and Eve from the garden. He
0:15:26 --> 0:15:30
<v Speaker 4>was filled with pride and entitlement and quickly gave him
0:15:30 --> 0:15:35
<v Speaker 4>to hatred. Jesus, however, was born into the world of corruption,
0:15:36 --> 0:15:41
<v Speaker 4>yet untainted by it. The circumstances of his birth reveal
0:15:41 --> 0:15:45
<v Speaker 4>the grand picture of his life. Although he was born
0:15:45 --> 0:15:49
<v Speaker 4>in a dark place surrounded by filth, he was pure
0:15:49 --> 0:15:56
<v Speaker 4>and undefiled. He lived sinless, overcame hatred, and laid down
0:15:56 --> 0:16:00
<v Speaker 4>his life for others. Contrast that to the story worry
0:16:00 --> 0:16:05
<v Speaker 4>of Cain, who, out of jealousy, murdered his brother. While
0:16:05 --> 0:16:09
<v Speaker 4>Cain took someone's life to steal away a blessing, Jesus
0:16:10 --> 0:16:14
<v Speaker 4>gave his life to give away a blessing. There's another
0:16:14 --> 0:16:17
<v Speaker 4>picture of Jesus in this story, the first born lamb
0:16:17 --> 0:16:22
<v Speaker 4>that Abel brought as a sacrifice. Colossians chapter one tells
0:16:22 --> 0:16:24
<v Speaker 4>us that Jesus is the first born of all creation.
0:16:25 --> 0:16:29
<v Speaker 4>John chapter one and Revelation chapter thirteen tell us that
0:16:29 --> 0:16:33
<v Speaker 4>Jesus is the lamb of God, slain for the world's sins.
0:16:34 --> 0:16:37
<v Speaker 4>The first born lamb that Able brought to God foreshadowed
0:16:37 --> 0:16:40
<v Speaker 4>the sacrifice God would bring to redeem us all and
0:16:40 --> 0:16:47
<v Speaker 4>get us back into paradise. Jesus is the greater Cain
0:16:48 --> 0:16:53
<v Speaker 4>who overcame evil instead of succumbing to it. Jesus is
0:16:53 --> 0:16:58
<v Speaker 4>the greater Able whose death brought life. Jesus is the
0:16:58 --> 0:17:02
<v Speaker 4>greater Lamb whose sacrifice brought a blessing to one and all.
0:17:02 --> 0:17:08
<v Speaker 4>Next episode, we'll immerse ourselves in a dark story. Floods rise,
0:17:08 --> 0:17:13
<v Speaker 4>people parish, and the judgment of God reigns down relentlessly.
0:17:13 --> 0:17:16
<v Speaker 4>Yet there's a beautiful promise at the end of it all,
0:17:16 --> 0:17:22
<v Speaker 4>a rainbow signifying God's redemptive work. Join us next time.
0:17:22 --> 0:17:26
<v Speaker 4>To discover how Jesus is the greater Noah,
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