“Why Are You So Angry?”

“Why Are You So Angry?”

Sunday, January 16, 2022

I’m doing a quick read-through of the Bible, marking all the questions. Every question is not pertinent for discussion, but many of them are. We have seen two of these already in Genesis, and we find another in Genesis 4:6 ‘Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?”’

You remember the story. Abel’s offering was acceptable to God. Cain’s was not. And Cain was miffed. Cain had given of his best, and was informed that it was not good enough. Abel had given of his best, and it was acceptable. How could God think that Abel was better, in some way, than Cain? Certainly Cain was quite sure that he should have been considered a cut above his little brother.

This is a common human reaction. We compare ourselves to others, and the common tendency is to see ourselves in a better light. We tend to judge others more harshly than we judge ourselves. We ascribe to ourselves the highest motives, and to others, more sinister.

So who does one get mad at? Well, perhaps at the brother, or the other, whoever it is. And that was true of Cain, so much so, that he killed him. But he was also mad at God. He thought God was wrong about his offering. He thought God was wrong to judge him. And there are many, many people who think exactly that same thing. “Who is God to look down upon me?” To one who thinks Biblically, it seems a foolish question. Yet there are many people who do not think Biblically. There are many Christians who do not think Biblically.

God says that Cain should “do well.” What does that mean. I think that Cain should humble himself before God. That would be the right thing to do. And yet, he didn’t. Also, God warns Cain: “And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door.” 

When we face off with God, we are in great danger. When we compare ourselves with others, we in danger. When we refuse to humble ourselves before God; before God’s judgment; before God’s standards - we place ourselves in danger of even greater, more damaging sin.

And this lesson applies to all of us. It’s not just a “Cain” problem. It’s a human problem. It’s a spiritual problem; a God-problem.