By Adrian T. Brown
The Bible asks the most profound, piercing and penetrating questions that are relevant to every generation. No human being on earth can escape them. Even if you do not know the Bible well, you will have to contend with these questions because they are crucial to humans’ existence.
The most importantly unique feature about Elohim’s questions in scripture is that they can have different levels of meanings, based on the context in which they are used. Some are asked by Elohim Himself, some by angels, and others by men. Some arise out of direct confrontation between Elohim and mankind; others through casual dialogue. Some are rhetorical questions intended to cultivate food for thought, or to make deep introspection of our relationship both horizontally (person-to-person), and vertically (person-to-Elohim).
Elohim asks us these questions, not because He’s clueless about the answers; but their purpose is to get usto reflect, to repent, and to get back in right-standing with Him and our fellowmen.
Here is the third of my seven most profound Biblical questions which I believe are designed to make us think and provide more than just “good answers”.
QUESTION 3: “AM I MY BROTHER’S KEEPER?”
Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” And God said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground. So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth.” (Genesis 4:8-12 KJV).
Similar to how God proceeded with Cain’s parents (Adam and Eve), Elohim commenced His response to Cain with some specifics – Where and What? These are questions with the intent to bring the child in error face-to-face with his/her sin, and hopefully to the point of confession and repentance.
LIES WE TELL OUR FATHER
Cain was claiming to be ignorant and innocent, but his response was a lie and his innocence was sarcastic with the intent to be harsh and hurtful. Elohom rejected all of Cain’s responses. He interrogated him – “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.” Elohim’s omniscience countered Cain’s lies.
The result of Cain’s unrepentant sin was twofold: the ground would not yield productively when tilled by him; and secondly, he would be a fugitive and a vagabond throughout the earth. Elohim cursed the serpent in Gen 3:14. He also cursed the ground in Gen 3:17, and now, He cursed Cain in Gen 4:11-12.
Whereas Cain’s parents confessed to their sins, granted in an imperfect manner, Cain did not. Still, Elohim did not pronounce a damnation that would prevent him from being saved, but he was driven away from his vocation though. In effect, Cain became the symbol of the unregenerated man in his straying and shifting in the earth, without rest or peace. Elohim extended to Cain preemptive mercy by not giving him the full penalty his sin deserved, but withheld from him honour, due to his lack of remorse.
As the Psalmist David says in Psalm 103:8, “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.”
YES, I AM MY BROTHER’S KEEPER
Beyond the fact that Cain had just murdered his brother Abel, Cain was expressing the feeling we all have when we do not want to care about or look after other people. Are we our brother’s keeper? Yes, we are. Does this mean we have to know where they are and what they are doing 24/7? No, but we should be invested enough in other people to notice when something is amiss. We should care enough to intervene and help where their needs have gaps.
Yes, we are our brother’s keeper, and Elohim is expecting us to look out for others who are created in His image, because that is a criterion for our salvation. Jesus said in Matthew 25: 31-46, “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats…Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me…
“Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
