Tuesday – Pentateuch

Genesis 4

Highlight Verse:

“So Cain left the Lord’s presence and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.”

Genesis 4:16 NLT

I always thought that Adam and Eve were banished from the Lord’s presence when they were banished from the Garden of Eden. Not so. In the previous verses,

Cain spoke personally with God.

And God spoke back.

When Cain and Abel brought their sacrifices, they brought them directly to God in person.

That must have been incredible!

Then, after Cain killed Abel, God banished Cain from that land. It’s important to note that God did not banish Cain from His presence. Cain assumes that He did but that’s not what God said.

This bears out in this verse where Cain leaves God’s presence.

It’s not God who left Cain.

How sad.

But the same is true today.

God does not leave people behind or banish them. He welcomes them into His presence. Since Christ’s sacrifice, people only need to trust God to take away their sins. No matter how bad their past has been, their future can be in the presence of God.

That’s incredible!

Do you know anyone who feels like God has turned His back on them?

Can you reach them with this message?

If you are that person, can you accept God’s forgiveness and walk in His presence?