Jun 4 2023 God's Surprising Solution to Violence

God’s Surprising Solution to Violence

A little Bible-Geek moment – Genesis 3 and 4 mirror each other…

Genesis 4:6 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 "If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it." 8 Cain told Abel his brother. And it came about when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.

Notice here, we are introduced to sin in this chapter – it is described as a predatory beast! – Crouching – a word for a predatory beast! You’ve seen a cat crouching gathering energy to pounce. And he is saying – that is what – sin is like. Sin is a noun and a verb throughout the Bible. This passage ties to the serpent in chapter 3.

Throughout the Bible – Sin and the serpent are connected. The Old and New Testament connect sin and the serpent. It is especially noticeable in John’s gospel and his letters.

Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees:

John 8:44 You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father.

They are the offspring of the serpent. He was a murderer from the beginning. So this whole Cain and Abel thing is tied directly to the serpent.

He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him.

1 John 3 expands this.

We are talking about peacemaking in a violent world. Last week we looked at anger – why do we get angry? Today – the first thing to look at – in order to be a peacemaker – we need to realize that our battle is not against flesh and blood. Cain’s battle was not against Abel, but against sin and the serpent.

We are not at war with people who sin or people who act like the serpent. That must be where our fight is. Our tendency is to fight people. That is human nature. People are irritating! People do stuff that make our lives worse!

Paul makes this clear:

Eph. 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood (It is NOT against people ), but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.

I think it is the scheme of the devil to make us fight people – because when we do that, we relinquish our battle against the powers of darkness.

I’ll give some examples of who we want to fight –

First – People at work who make your life miserable! How easy it is for them to become the focus of our fight! And they become the enemy in our lives.

Another group would be neighbors – especially those who don’t cut their grass and allow their dandelions to blow in your yard – and those whose shutters you just don’t like!

Family members! Probably all of us have a family member who feels like an enemy.

Those are basic human relationships – and all of our human relationships will have conflict – it is normal.

They are a reality. And these conflicts are not a battle to be fought, but a peace to be won!

When there is this conflict in some relationship that you have – what God wants us to think – this is an opportunity for me to make peace and be a peacemaker. That is a hard step. We don’t want to make peace – it is harder than war! It takes a lot more effort than battle.

If you have one of these relationships – and you are angry about it – and you don’t address it – sin is crouching at your door – and you must master it!

Another group:

People with different political and cultural opinions than you have!

We love fighting them! But they are not to be the focus of our fight! If we fight them – no matter how different their positions and opinions are – we have been duped by the devil and have ceased to fight the true battle!

And yet – it is the perfect opportunity – I mean, political and cultural conflict is normal! It is reality.

Cindy has been reading a book about the history of all the different groups that settled the United States – and the different places they settled. Going all the way back – there have been massive political and cultural conflicts in those groups – and my thought is – nothing has changed. It is a perfect opportunity to be peacemakers. We have an amazing opportunity in our world today – in a polarized world, peacemakers will stand out!

If we allow anger to fester and don’t address it – sin is crouching at our door and you must master it.

Another group – Other Christians who have different theological and cultural views than you!

Read a book on Christian history!

Read the book of Acts! Paul had Christians running around preaching the gospel just to ‘show him’!

There is such a need for Christian peacemakers! Just start with those you are around! People you have regular contact with – friends on Facebook!

Is there any person, or group, that has become the focus of your battle? If so, that is a problem.

Genesis 4: 9 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?"

What did God say to Adam – Where are you?

And he said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?"

What did Adam say – It was the woman!

10 He said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to Me from the ground. 11 "Now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. 12 "When you cultivate the ground, it will no longer yield its strength to you; you will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth."

God hates violence! God hates violence!

You know, and this is a mistake people make. In Genesis 3 – there were only 2 things cursed – the serpent and the ground. Humans were not cursed in Genesis 3. I believe it is clear.

Here, Cain is cursed. God hates violence.

There is a surprising twist in this story where we learn how God handles violence:

13 Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is too great to bear!

He JUST killed his brother!

14 "Behold, You have driven me this day from the face of the ground; and from Your face I will be hidden, and I will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me."

15 So the LORD said to him, "Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold." And the LORD appointed a sign for Cain, so that no one finding him would slay him.

God’s answer to violence is mercy! His solution for violence is mercy!

We think – Cain does not deserve mercy! But THAT is the definition of mercy – getting what you don’t deserve!

Justice/righteousness – often the same word – and Mercy – get connected a lot! We think they are opposites, but they are very connected:

James 2:13 For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.

We need to show mercy – we need to be people of mercy.

"This is what the LORD Almighty said: 'Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. (Zechariah 7:9)

We say – Administer true justice? That has NOTHING to do with mercy and compassion! But God says they cannot be separated.

To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8)

Love and show mercy – the world needs a lot of that right now. The church needs a lot of that right now. The problem we have – we are humans – and there are two kinds of humans of good will (Not talking about the evil) – there are the righteous personalities – not the type where there characters want to do right, but rather – sometimes they have a hard time with mercy – they just want judgment, because that is righteousness.

The other kind – the mercy type of personality – and sometimes they have a hard time with justice.

Righteousness and mercy have kissed – they are a pair! One! United.

The world is divided into these two groups and we need to present a new way!

But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

The Pharisees are having people tithe their spices…

But you have neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. (Matthew 23:23)

We need to make the most important things the most important things – and JUSTICE AND MERCY are among the most important things!

Matthew 9:13 But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

But you have neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. (Matthew 23:23)

Then we have the lineage of Cain.

Then in Chapter 5 – the line of Seth.

And there are some weird things going on in chapter 6 – spiritual beings having relations with humans – which we won’t go into. I recommend Michael Heiser’s book.

Genesis 6: 5 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Wow! God was grieved – then finds Noah – and before we get into what He is going to do, we read this:

11 The earth was ruined in the sight of God; the earth was filled with violence. 12 God saw the earth, and indeed it was ruined, for all living creatures on the earth were sinful. 13 So God said to Noah, "I have decided that all living creatures must die, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. Now I am about to destroy them and the earth.

We are talking about peacemaking and violence – and we think, wow, God is being violent here… - there are some good explanations of this – Flood and Fury – Matthew Lynch – but what we have – God looks down – and human violence has destroyed the earth – and if I don’t do something, no human or animal will be left! We can’t fathom that. But that is how we must think. That is what is being communicated – everything will be lost if God does not step in.

Like a potter – has the clay – and there is a flaw – and the top of the pot starts wiggling – and at that point – the potter has a decision to make – He must collapse the entire thing in order to start all over again before it is too late. That is what is happening here.

Then there is the Flood – the boat rests on the mount – Noah gets out:

Genesis 8: 20 Noah built an altar to the LORD. He then took some of every kind of clean animal and clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 And the LORD smelled the soothing aroma and said to himself, "I will never again curse the ground because of humankind, even though the inclination of their minds is evil from childhood on. I will never again destroy everything that lives, as I have just done.

So, after all that happened – nothing has changed in humanity – absolutely nothing. And in the next couple of chapters – they keep going back again. And God says – they are who they are – and puts the rainbow up and shows mercy.

It is like – Humans can never do enough

This will set us up for next week:

Matthew 5:8 "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

How we become peacemakers – we must learn to be merciful – to show mercy.

Trench – hard traits – Justice/Righteousness – in balance with soft traits – Love/Grace/Mercy