The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1894-01-18
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
JANUARY 81.
Lesson Text: "Cain and Abel" Gen.
esis w., 3-i3 - Golden
Text: Hebrews xi.
documentary.


Lord" II IS probable that somewhere neat
the cast OF the garden of Eden. before the
presence OF the Lord. manifest in the flaming
sword between the cheruhim, was the place
where they came 20 worship Jehovah (EN
XIV. % Ps. xxx, 1 xciS.. ~. II may be
that up 20 this time Adam had been in the
habit OF Offering sacrifice on behalf OF his
children, ~ did Job In later days Dob t.. 81.
This Offering OF Cain may have been the hes,
he had. but II lacked the essential element OF
blood, signifyinc n life laid down. Compare
chapter ILL.,, Il, with lev, xvii, IL, Heb
tx, %.
4. "And Abel. he also brought Of the first.
lings OF his flock and OF the fat thereof. And
the Lord had respect unto Abel and TO his
Offering" Here is obedience. for 1t IL writ.
ten that by faith he did this (IIcb xi.. ~, and
inasmuch as faith cometh by hearing, and
hearing by the Word of God CRom. y, IL
there must have been some command of God
which Abel obeyed In bringing this sacrifca
1t Is probable that the Lord accepted Abrli
Offering by sending fire 90 consume II, ioi
thus He did with Gideon. Manonh and Eli
jah, aud nj the dedication OF tho tubcrnar,
and the temple CJudg. vi, 81 Kill. ~. 20
/ Kings xviii. a. IS, 50; Lev. iN., "a; II
Shron. vli., ~.
8. "But unto Cain and 60 his Offering II,
had not respect. And Cain was very wroth,
and his countenancc fell His Offering lay
unconsumed no fire fell upon il. II wa.
doubtless much more attractive than Ahrrl
bloody sacrifice and was perhaps the finest
the earth produced, but Il was OF man anl
not OF God. There wns no confession OF sin
and no need OF atonement recogniscd-lus,
like those to-day who insist that IL they do
the best they can God will accept them.
And the Lord said unto Cain. Why ar,
thou wroth2 And why ~ thy countenancl
falenW Although Cain IS willfully wrong
yet the Lord condesccnds TO reason with
fr.. anI IL. A. Al -.
way. He Is not willing that any should
perish, and Ho seeks In every possible way
30 lead sinners 20 accept the ransom Ho has
provided (II Pet. ill.,, Q; Job Xxxlii., 2i, %,
80 Isa. L., 1s w.. I, y.
Z. "If thou doost we'll shalt thou not he
acceptedp And IL thou docst not we'll sin
lieth at the door, and unto thee shall Ice his
desire. and thou shalt rule over him" Being
the Oldest son. the birthrlght was his anil
might continue HIS II he would only he
obedient. The word hero translated "sln"
IL the word In Leviticus and Numbers SO
often translated 'sin Offering" II Cain
would only confess HIS sin and offer Gods
appointed sin offering, all would bc we'll
God has but one appointed way, and where
that IL rejected there ~ no forgiveness
(Acts iv., IL 1 Co. Ill.,, IL. All religions in
the world will come under that Of Cain or
Abel. Cain represents mans way and will
include all the ways of men. Abel stands
for Gods way, and II IL but one and very
simple. Jesus said, II am the way Gohn
XIV, 6).
&. "And Cain talked with Abel his
brother, and IL came to pass when they werd
in the field that Cain rose up against Abel,
his brother, and slew him" Here aro the
two seeds, the seed OF the woman and the
seed OF the serpent, for although both could
call Eve mother and Adam father the one
stands for tho righteous and the other for
the wicked. All are not chn"-"n OF God, FOR
w. q -
q = aro all the while children OF tho devil
(John WILL. Az. Cain was OF the wicked one
and slew his brother because his own works
were evil and his brothers righteous.
D. "And the Lord said unto Cain, Whore Is
Abel, thy brother2 And he said | know
not. Am my brothers keeper2" How sin
hardens and deadens 20 all that Is good and
true! Cain isproving himself good child
OF the devil for ho il now both murderer
and liar (John WILL, iD. Is II possible that
any of us are guilty In respect OF our broth.
rem In India or China or Japan or Africai
And as the question presses upon us concerns.
ing their salvation, do we feel inclined 20
ask, Am my brothers kecpcr?' or try 10
quiet conscience with the thought that per.
haps the Lord will let Gains Offering suffice
ior them.
20. "And He said, What hast thou done?
Th' voice Of thy brothers blood crieth unto
me LON the ground" All sin cries 70 God
ior vengeance. Even II q house IL built by
FRAUD, Tie stone shall cry out OF the wall
and tho seam out OF the timber shall answer
1t (Hab. H., IL. How much moro the blood
OF those who are slain for Christs sake (Rev
VI, y, lO). another view OF II, more In line
OF the last verse, Ia found In Eek. xxxiii. \,
where the bloo' OF the unwarned Is to be re.
quired at the hands of those who know, but
do not tell. In Heb xii, "a, we are pointed
20 the blood which, speaketh better things
than that OF Abel Ahels blood cries fot
vengeance and Christ for merr,, or ifit re.
fers to the blood OF Abel's se,Iiice lha, Wla
q type OF Christ.
IL. sand now art thou cursed from tho
earth, which hath opened her mouth to re-.
ceiye thy brothers blood from thy hand"
This Is the first direct curse on man. Tho
first curse was pronounced upon the serpent
and the next on the ground (chapter ill.,, IL,
I'D. IL Is suggestive chat tho lust word In
the Old Testament Is Course" We fly TO
Him who pleaded In vain with Cain and re-
joice that Christ hath redeemed us from the
curse Of the law, being made a curse for US,
and we look for the time when even on this
earth there shall be no moro curse (Gal. ILL.,,
- Rev. xii, ~.
~. "When thou tillrst the ground, II shall
not henceforth yield unto thee her strength.
A fugitive and yagaDond shalt thou be in
the earth. Adam was told that tho earth
would bring forth ,horns and thlstles, and
that In the sweat OF his face he should eat
his bread (chapter Ill.,, 10, 19), but this IL
much worse, for II looks as II the earth
would henceiortb give this man little II any
return. some one has said that Adams sin
brought on the ground fruitfulness in evil,
while Gains SIN brought barrenness in good,
perhaps helping 20 drive thom to tho me-
chanical arts and the building OF cities As
to fugitive and yagabond," 10th words sig
nifty fleeing, removing, wandering up and
down and the word for vagabond is ''nood,"
which is very suggestive OF Nod, where Cain
afterward dwelt Verse l6).
10. "And Cain said unto the Lord, My
punishment is greater than / can bear" or
perhaps. Is in the margin, "NIine iniquity IL
greater than that II may be forgiven. There
Is forgiveness for all who accept tho Son OF
God as their sin offering, but apart from Him
there is no forgiveness. See Math. xii,
81 John ". l6.--Lesson Helper.