Title: First Blood
Series: Origin Story
Author: Randy Tomko
Date:

The Biblical account of the first brothers – Cain and Abel – also gives us the first recorded instance of sibling rivalry. In this instance, it’s a rivalry that unveils the darkest nature of fallen humanity and ultimately leads to the very first murder or “first blood” in all of history.

That murder sets an entire lineage of people on a dead-end course towards death and destruction.

But God is never one to leave His beloved creation and created ones with no hope for the future. He establishes another line that leads through the ages ultimately landing in a manger on a silent Bethlehem night.

And the baby that graced that manger went on not only to teach about that first blood, but to embody it as He sacrificed Himself for the forgiveness of all humanity’s sins…

Adam[a] made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain.[b] She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth[c] a man.” Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.

Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord.And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”

Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.”[d] While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”

“I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

10 The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.

Genesis 4:1-10 (NIV)

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