Genesis Ch.4 - Introduction

Father, thank you for the blessing of a new day and we ask may Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven concerning every area of our lives in the name of Jesus. As always, open the eyes of our understanding Holy Spirit and may our hearts be good soil for Your Word to reap a hundred fold blessings for the glory of Your Kingdom in the name of Jesus, Amen.

Today's post is an introduction to Genesis Chapter 4. This chapter starts off with Adam and Eve starting a new life outside the garden of Eden. Eve also gives birth to two children Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:1).

Genesis 4:2 tells us that Abel was a keeper of the sheep while Cain was a tiller of the ground. According to the Oxford Dictionary, to till means to prepare and cultivate land for crops. As a result, it may be safe to conclude that in this chapter, Cain's work was closely related to farming.

When it was time for the brothers to present their offerings to God, Cain presented the fruit of his ground while Abel brought the first born of his flock and their fat (Genesis 4:3-4). God respected Abel's offering more than He respected Cain's offering, something that greatly displeased Cain (Genesis 4:5-6).

During my personal reflection of this chapter, I could not help but wonder if there may be a correlation between being a shepherd and getting the attention of God's heart?

The Bible is filled with examples of men that had great covenants with the LORD God who were shepherds that God ended up using later on to reveal His heart of salvation and love to His people.

For example, Jacob looked after his uncle Laban's sheep (Genesis 30) and we know he ended up as the origin and father of the twelve tribes of Israel. Interestingly, the woman Jacob fell in love with, Rachel, also tended sheep as she was a shepherdess (Genesis 29:9). Moses tended Jethro's flock (Exodus 3:1) and later, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob chose him to lead His people out of bondage from Egypt. David, a man after God's own heart (Acts 13:22) was a shepherd who tended his earthly father's (Jesse) sheep as well (1 Samuel 17:34) and God eventually used him to shepherd His people as the King of Israel.

Is there a chance that God used these shepherds as stewards of generations of His people because He saw their heart to look out for other people's interests as opposed to serving their own personal interests which character trait aligned to God's heart?

On that note, the LORD Jesus Christ is also known as the Good Shepherd and all of God's people are known as His sheep. Hebrews 10:7 NKJV shows us that Jesus did not come to perform His will as well and it reads, "Then I said, 'Behold, I have come in the volume of the book it is written of Me - to do Your will, O God."

I'll end with Jesus Christ's words in John 10:10-16 (NKJV). He says,

"10."The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

11."I am the good Shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.

12."But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.

13."The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.

14."I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep and am known by My own.

15."As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep."

16."And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd."

AMEN. Thank you LORD for being our Keeper and that Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep.

Invitation to salvation: As shared above, Jesus Christ is a Good Shepherd who wants you to be a part of His sheep fold that He protects from the evil schemes of the wicked one by providing you with an abundant and eternal life that He will use greatly to serve His purposes in God's Kingdom.

If this aligns with your heart - I invite you to make this confession:

"I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that; Jesus Christ, the Son of God came in a human body to die for my sins so that I could have a new life where I am dead to sin and alive to God. I repent of my past sins and enter the Kingdom of light where I choose relationship with Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour and with God as my loving Father today and forever." AMEN.

Congratulations, by grace you are saved and are now a new creation in Christ Jesus. The old life has passed away and you have received the free gift of salvation into your life (2 Corinthians 5:17) where you get to freely access everything I've shared in this post. To the glory of the Almighty God. Amen.

Please feel free to reach out to us on info@bibleversionoflife.com. We would love to hear your story and send you a free Bible! God bless you.