Evil Bible Allegation: God caused sibling rivalry by favoring Abel over Cain, with absolutely no attempt at justification. This act of favoritism led to Abel's death. Genesis 4:3-5

The Refiner's Fire Response:

First of all, God doesn't have to "justify" anything, because EVERYTHING He does is perfect and for a reason. (You don't have to justify to your kid why he shouldn't do drugs. You tell him it's bad for him, it might even kill him, and that's the end of it. When parents speak, kids are to listen - whether they agree or not.) Secondly, the Evil Bible web master has AGAIN taken Scripture out of context. Let's take a look at what actually happened:

Genesis 4:

Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. 4 But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. 6 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 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 master it."

In order to grasp the meaning of this, one has to have a good understanding of Torah, including Exodus 12:1-13 wherein God describes exactly what type of animal is to be used for sacrifice, and what types of sacrifices will be accepted. Even though the Bible doesn't outline specifics about sacrifices until the Book of Leviticus, Cain and Abel obviously KNEW about sacrifices in their day, which means Cain knew exactly what was and what wasn't an appropriate sacrifice to bring before God. He chose to bring whatever he wanted, rather than what he KNEW God wanted.

"To see the law in its right place, we must look at the circumstances going before. We must not imagine that the world was without law from God in the times before the law of Moses. There is the clearest evidence that law, commandment and statute were in force, and that men were righteous or wicked according to their attitude towards these during that time. Thus of Abraham God said to Isaac, he "kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes and my laws" (Gen. 26: 5), which was centuries before the giving of the law.

So - Cain KNEW what to bring. He KNEW that sin offerings require blood, yet he took the easy way out, since he was a farmer of crops instead of animals. As a result, rather than to realize he'd goofed and simply admit it, he instead became jealous of and angry with his brother. He killed Abel - a sin that was a direct result of Adam and Eve's disobedience - because, before they disobeyed God and ate from the forbidden tree, it never occurred to anyone to fight, argue, or be murderously jealous! The Bible tells us that we reap what we sow....

Genesis 4:

8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out to the field." And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

9 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?"

"I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's keeper?"

See the sin in Cain? Not only did he kill his brother, he also LIED about it! Like most humans who think they're smarter than God, Cain figured he could talk his way out of what he had done and just get on with his life.

10 The LORD said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground. 11 Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth."

13 Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is more than I can bear. 14 Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me."

15 But the LORD said to him, "Not so; if anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven times over." Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. 16 So Cain went out from the LORD's presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

Now, here is yet another sign of God's mercy: Rather than to allow Cain to be killed for the evil sin he had committed, God told him He would protect him! Cain brought his own punishment upon himself, yet God spared him for reasons only GOD Himself knows!