“Do Unto Others...”

Saturday, June 23, 2012

      After Cain killed Abel, he said, “Those who come after me will slay me.”  My question is: the only law was regarding the eating from the tree of good and evil.  How did Cain know about revenge if there was no law then?

Sincerely,
Questionable Payback

Dear Questionable Payback,

Revenge isn’t a matter of law; it is a natural emotional reaction.  After Cain killed Abel, God punished him by forbidding him from farming (which had been his previous livelihood – Gen. 4:2) and by forcing him to wander as a fugitive (Gen 4:10-12).  Cain feared that others would kill him because that is what he did when Abel made him mad (Gen 4:8).  It is natural to fear that others would do to you what you have already done.

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