Page 24 - The MacArthur Daily Bible

TN_01_MacArthur_Bible_Jan.qxd 8/8/03 14:22 Page 5

JANUARY 2

3:15 bruise your head…bruise His heel.This 4:4,5 Abel’s offering was acceptable (see Heb.
is the first messianic prophecy, foretelling the 11:4), because it was in every way obediently
coming of Jesus Christ. Ever since the Fall, given according to what God must have
Satan’s “seed”(Satan and unbelievers, who are revealed, though the revelation is not record-
called the devil’s children in John 8:44) has ed in Genesis. Abel’s offering was an animal, it
struggled against the woman’s seed (Christ, a was the very best of what he had, and it was
descendant of Eve, and His children). In the the culmination of a zealous heart for God.
midst of this curse passage, God gives a mes- Cain, however, disdained the divine instruc-
sage of hope—”He”is Christ, who will one day tion and just brought what he wanted to
defeat Satan completely. Satan could only bring: some of his crop.
“bruise” Christ’s heel (cause Him to suffer),
while Christ will bruise Satan’s head (destroy
him with a fatal blow).
angry? And why has your countenance fallen?
7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if
you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its
All the days of your life.
Both thorns and thistles it shall bring 8 Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and
18 desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”
forth for you,
And you shall eat the herb it came to pass, when they were in the field,
that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and
of the field.
In the sweat of your face you shall eat 9 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel
19 killed him.
bread
Till you return to the ground, your brother?”
He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s
For out of it you were taken; keeper?”
For dust you are, 10 And He said, “What have you done? The
And to dust you shall return.”
voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me
20 And Adam called his wife’s name Eve, from the ground. So now you are cursed
11
because she was the mother of all living. from the earth, which has opened its mouth to
21 Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God receive your brother’s blood from your hand.
made tunics of skin, and clothed them. 12 When you till the ground, it shall no longer
22 Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a
has become like one of Us, to know good and vagabond you shall be on the earth.”
evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and 13 And Cain said to the LORD, “My punish-
take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live ment is greater than I can bear! Surely You
14
forever”— therefore the LORD God sent him have driven me out this day from the face of
23
out of the garden of Eden to till the ground the ground; I shall be hidden from Your face;
24
from which he was taken. So He drove out I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the
the man; and He placed cherubim at the east earth, and it will happen that anyone who finds
of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword me will kill me.”
which turned every way, to guard the way to 15 And the LORD said to him, “Therefore,
the tree of life. whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken
Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she on him sevenfold.” And the LORD set a mark
4 conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill
2
acquired a man from the LORD.” Then she him.
bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now 16 Then Cain went out from the presence of
Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a the LORD and dwelt in the land of Nod on the
17
tiller of the ground. And in the process of time east of Eden. And Cain knew his wife, and she
3
it came to pass that Cain brought an offering conceived and bore Enoch. And he built a city,
of the fruit of the ground to the LORD. Abel and called the name of the city after the name
4
18
also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of of his son—Enoch. To Enoch was born Irad;
their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his and Irad begot Mehujael, and Mehujael begot
5
offering, but He did not respect Cain and Methushael, and Methushael begot Lamech.
his offering. And Cain was very angry, and 19 Then Lamech took for himself two wives:
his countenance fell. the name of one was Adah, and the name of
6 So the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you the second was Zillah. And Adah bore Jabal.
20
5