East of Eden – Envy Leads Us Away From God

The question  “What does love mean?” was asked to some 8 year-olds. The answers they gave were quite profound:-

• When my nan got arthritis, she couldn’t bend over and paint her toenails. So grandad did it for her, even though he’s got arthritis in his hands too. That’s love.
• Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My mum and dad are like that. They look gross when they kiss though!

The most fundamental answer was this:“If you want to learn to love better, you should start with someone you hate.”

The sibling rivalry of the Bible’ first family was severe: “Am I supposed to take care of my brother?” says Cain with his younger brother’s blood fresh on his hands (Gen.4:9). Jealousy led to murder and heavenly rejection as Cain was banished to live as a homeless wanderer, away from God’s presence, east of Eden. The title is well known as a James Dean film adapted from John Steinbeck’s classic novel of two brother’s rivalry for their father’s attention. It’s no coincidence that Steinbeck names his central characters – Cal and Arron. That there father is called Adam and one son has a dark side whilst the other shields himself from the corruption of the world. It’s a superb allegory of the Bible story where Cain is the farmer (the man of the earth) and Abel the shepherd (the spiritual man). There were no other career choices back then – you either grew and harvested crops or raised animals. Cain’s fruit and vegetables provided food. Abel’s sheep provided clothing.  Man was not allowed to eat animals until after the Flood, so our ancestors were all vegetarians.

On the God appointed day for worship – the Sabbath Day – both brothers brought an offering. Abel sacrificed the very finest from his flock: a firstborn lamb, while Cain provided some crops – fruits of the soil of average quality. However, a sacrifice that involved the shedding of blood was how one should approach God to make ‘atonement’ – to make reconciliation possible. After their parents’ rebellion an animal had been killed by God to make clothes for Adam and Eve. Blood, therefore, was the mandate for sacrifice. It continues to be like this until Jesus Christ became the ultimate sacrifice, the Lamb of God, who shed His blood on the cross to take away the sin of the world and to make that final atonement on behalf of us all (Jn.1:29).

But God’s grace always looks to the holiness of the heart. The Lord would have accepted Cain’s harvest if his motivation and attitude had been better. The giving is important not the gift. Cain’s heart was not right and he offered his gift carelessly and selfishly. This relates directly to us. We can’t just worship any old way we want to, and offer whatever sacrifice is pleasing to us. In order for our worship to be acceptable, it must be pleasing to God. Abel gave the best because he recognised that all provision comes from above and everything belongs to God. We read in Hebrews of his great faith: “It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. God accepted Abel’s offering to show that he was a righteous man.” (11:4). Cain, though, kept the best for himself, and even what he did offer was done with a grudge. Paul writing to the Corinthians says: “If the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.” (2 Cor.8:12).

What matters is the willingness. What we read at the start of the Bible must influence our understanding of acceptable worship today. Beware of the way of Cain! In Jude it says: “What sorrow awaits them when they follow in the footsteps of Cain…” (v.11). It’s easy to play the part of religion without being religious. God’s rejection of Cain’s offering made him very jealous and furious. He lures his brother into a field and murders him. “If you want to learn to love better, you should start with someone you hate.” Cain has no reason to hate his brother. Neither has he reason to be angry with God who warns him, and I paraphrase, that “sin wants to rule you, but if you’re like Abel you’ll be smiling…you will overcome sin and your offering is acceptable.” (Gen.4:5-8). Can you see what the actual message is here? It’s the Gospel. God is actually saying to Cain: “Repent, turn away from sin, change your heart attitude and you will be accepted, your sin shall be pardoned.” However, the tragedy is well known. Abel’s murder is shocking as it was pre-mediated. Sin had turned man against man and Cain is now cocooned in its spidery web. In his sins he is punished, driven off the land – away from God’s presence – east of Eden.

Envy / jealousy is the silent sin. It is often overlooked. It’s fed by pride, the root of our fallen nature. Pride leads to boasting, usually about possessions or achievements. Envy, though, hides within our hearts like “sin crouching at the door.” (Gen.4:7). It’s saying, like Cain, that God has no right to bless someone else more than you.

According to an ancient Greek legend, a certain athlete ran well but came second in the race. The winner was showered with praise, and eventually a statue was erected in his honour. Envy ate away at the man who came second. He resented the winner, and he could think of little else. Eventually he decided to destroy the statue. Night after night, he went to the statue, chiseling away at the base to weaken the foundation. But one night as he chiseled in violent anger, he went too far. The heavy marble statue teetered on its base and crashed down on the disgruntled athlete. He died beneath the weight of the marble replica of the man he had grown to hate. His own envy had destroyed him.

Wonderful illustration isn’t it of the lethal nature of envy – a deadly sin – the jaundice of the soul. If we are envious of other people’s fortunes, health or their success then we’re heading “east of Eden” in rebellion against God. We need His grace to help us desire to take away envy. Otherwise we’re like crabs in a basket. Fishermen know that one never needs to shut the top. If one of the crabs starts to climb up the side of the basket, the other crabs will reach up and pull it back down. Sometimes we’re just like that. We’re envious friends to those we should love. And we need to pray daily to God to conquer our feelings.

What we learn from Cain is that the forgiveness of God is stronger than the evils of man. We also learn that every one of us can choose our own moral destiny. Remember Cain was given a choice: “If you respond in the right way you will be accepted. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.” (Gen.4:7).

Knowing and being confident in God’s Word is imperative for righteousness. When my children and I play a board game – if it’s one we’ve not played regularly  – we often disagree about the rules. After arguing for a bit we get out the rules that came with game and follow them. It’s the only chance of having a fair and successful time. Similarly without God’s Word nourishing and sustaining us we simply do what’s right in our own eyes. Without His written Word to follow and no one to guide us, we wander from God’s way and follow our own rules and remain “east of Eden” in the wider world of wandering and emptiness with our own blood on our hands.

We deal with envy everyday. No, it probably won’t drive us to murder, but it will start eating away at us like a silent cancer: “Oh look the neighbour’s got a new car!”; “So-in-so’s having another holiday!” It’s far more destructive than we might think. SEnvy even has a colour. We say someone is “green with envy” because that comes from the colour of sickness and nausea. But God has never forsaken the sick human race and He does not abandon us either. As we read Scripture and open ourselves to the Holy Spirit, He guides us back to the “way that leads to life everlasting.” (Mt.7:14).

So let’s meet God in His Word and do what’s right in His eyes. Sin is overcome by confession and submitting to the grace of God in Christ. So let’s be faithful so to please Him in our sacrifice of praise.