Outline of the Series
1. Two Kinds of Worshiper
2. Two Kinds of House
3. Two Kinds of Prayers
4. Two Kinds of Service / Ministries
5. Two Kinds of Son
Introduction
God created everything two kinds. God created light and darkness, sun and moon, night and day, life and death, heaven and hell, male and female, land and sea, good and bad, hot and cool, hard and soft, etc. but God alone Himself is One and only true living Creator.
In the Bible we see such two kinds of events, people and things. These things are mentioned in the Bible to guide us towards the right and right choice. God always gives us choice and never force His people to follow Him. He desires humble and willing sacrifice rather than forceful worship. This is the reason Paul request to Romans to offer their body as living and holy sacrifice, which is the right kind of worship (Rom 12:1).
Joshua brought the people of Israel from the bank of the promise land to into the promise land and given the choice and asked them to make their own decision. In josh 24:15, he gave the option of to follow and serve the gods of the other side of the Jordan or God the Jehovah who delivered them from the bondage and power of Egypt.
Jesus similarly taught His disciples that no one serve two master. There must be one Master, who is true, faithful and good in our life. Because a double minded person is not stable and not in the will of God (James 1:6).
Let us look some of such illustration from the Bible.
G Prasad Rao
June 13th 2009
Chapter One
Two Kinds of Worshipers
Genesis 4, Proverbs 15:8
God created man to worship Him. The first story of worship we find in the Bible is about Cain and Abel. Cain was farmer and Abel as shepherd. Both of them knew the Creator living God and offered Him what they had. God did not honor the worship of Cain and accepted the sacrifice of Abel.
There are different interpretations on why God rejected Cain’s sacrifice:-
1. Poor Quality ( offered from the cursed ground)
2. Wrong Type ( offered without blood)
3. Wicked Heart ( offered without holiness and respect)
• A traditionally known explanation is that God rejected Cain’s sacrifice because there was no blood in it. Based on book of Leviticus and Hebrews 9:22 the theory says the absence of the blood in it did not justify his worship. It also trace back to the event when God had to kill an animal and cloth was shed as an example of acceptable sacrifice to God.
The first face I would like to trace here is, Abel offered what he had and so also Cain, even if Cain could wish to offer an animal, he could not have, for he had no animals for he was a farmer by profession anyway.
How can and why should God demands anything which we don’t have? God ask us to give what we have; He knows what we are able to give Him. He will never demands from us beyond our capacity. Therefore, I strongly believe God did not reject Cain’s offering because of the absence of blood in his fruits and crops for it was work of his hands and given for mankind to eat and live. Remember God said Adam and Eve to work of fields and to eat the fruits of the ground as a punishment for their disobedience. It is to say that Cain was doing what he supposes to do to live on this earth. In fact God is happy to receive from us what we have.
• The second reason about the rejection of Cain’s offering is the absence of blood.
In the Book of Leviticus it is written without blood there is no remission of sin. And it is true because God Himself commanded it and gave His people through Moses. The blood sacrifice and fats were the types of Messiah and His works of redemption on earth for the mankind. But the Law was yet to be revealed yet in the case of Cain and Abel. Nor we have any records of Adam offering any blood sacrifice. In this case we do not have any proper basis on which God demanding blood in Cain’s offering.
God killed an animal and clothed Adam and Eve with its skin. This was to cover neckedness, which ofcourse a type of God sacrificing His beloved Son in the Cross to cover all our sin by His blood. The killing or sacrificing of blood and covering their nakedness show God’s grace in forgiving their sin. But in the story of Cain and Abel it is an act of worship. In fact the Law records no only the requirement of blood in the sacrifices for the forgiveness, but it also says the God’s people should bring their first fruit and harvest as thanksgiving to God for His blessings.
Cain and Abel went to present their first fruit offering, a thanksgiving offering to God, not in seeking forgiveness for their sin, for we do not have any clue or records of they sinning against God before they offer the offerings but in thanking God for His blessing.
In either case, whether it was a poor quality offer, brought out from the cursed ground or a bloodless offering, Bible does not records any supporting reference to it that the argument can be based on.
• The third interpretation of why God rejected the offering of Cain is based on Bible, on what God Himself answered to Cain.
Cain was angry, not on Abel but on God and that anger led him to be jealous against his brother Abel. His countenance fallen. This is the consequences of sin. Sin brakes our relationship first from God and then from our co-fellows as well as from ourselves. Sin made Cain unhappy with himself and his countenance fallen. Sin is always lies at the door to destroy our relationship with God and lead us into eternal death. God said to Cain that sin was always present at the door as result of man’s sin. Sin always desires of him to devour and destroy. But God expected us to rule over it with His power of holiness. Cain supposes to do the same.
God brought before Cain that it was not wrong with his offering but with himself. Cain was not good and heart was not right before God. Read verse 7, we see what real God expected from Cain. “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it." (Gen 4:7) NKJV.
God Himself answers us why he refused Cain’s offering and indicates that it is always humbleness and righteousness God seeks than the blood offerings. Cain heart was wicked, he was not able to master and rule over the sin in his daily life. His heart was already away from God.
His was heart was wicked.
I call Cain’ heart a wicked heart because, as God said he did not over came the sin. His heart was wicked heart because he did not do well (4:7). Moreover Bible says Cain was a wicked person (1John 3:12), not because he was born sinner, but rather he entertained the sin in his heart. I call his was heart was wicked because his sacrifice was without faith, a holy faith in God. (Heb 11: 4).It does not mean that Cain did not know God and had no faith in Him. He knew God of his parents, thus he offered. He had faith that God will accept his offering. But his faith was not acceptable to God. His faith was without holiness in heart. He tried to please God with a faith without righteousness. Since he did not do good before God and entertained sin in him, he suppose to ask forgiveness to God before he would come offering Him the thanksgiving offering. He offers first of his labor and tried to please God so that God will not punish his sinful life. In the words of Paul Cain tried to mock or cheat God by denying the fact that what a man sow shall reap also. (Gal 6:7). His heart was wicked because he tried to please god for his won profit like prophet Balaam (Jude 11). I call his heart wicked because, even after God revealing his weakness and sin, Cain did not seek forgiveness from God rather became jealous of his brother and committed anther sin by killing his brother. Sin without confessed before God grows and gives birth to death
In conclusion I would like put the following passage,
But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, 4 because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:
"Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased.
Then I said, 'Here I am-it is written about me in the scroll-I have come to do your will, O God.'"
First he said, "Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them" (although the law required them to be made).Then he said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (Heb 10:3-10) NIV
Chapter Two
Two Kinds of House
Matthew 7:24 – 27
1. The second major section of the Sermon on the Mount begins here with this practical parable of Jesus. First part would be Preaching Part and the Second would be Practical Part. One part is hearing and another part is doing
2. It was after the preaching the sermon on the mount, Jesus said “therefore” ..whosoever hearing these saying of Mine and doing them….
3.
To be Continue..........
" My heart overflows with a good theme; I address my verses to the King ; My tongue is the pen of a ready writer." Psalms 45:1
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