THE BEGINNING OF DEATH

Cain became very angry when Abel defended God's plan and told Abel that God was not fair. Cain became so angry that he killed Abel. Then God came down and asked Cain, "Where is your brother Abel? Cain told a lie. He said, "I don't know. Am I supposed to take care of my brother?"SRme 1.160

God told Cain He knew Cain had killed Abel. God knew everything Cain had done. God knew Cain's thoughts. God said to Cain, "Your brother's blood is crying to Me from the ground. Now the earth has received your brother's blood and the earth will be a curse to you. When you work the earth as you have been doing, the earth will not produce for you as in the past. You will not be able to grow asSRme 1.161

much food. And you will be afraid for your life as you go from one place to another."SRme 1.162

The curse that God had placed on the ground when Adam sinned had not been noticed too much. But now there was a double curse on the earth because of Cain's crime.SRme 1.163

Cain and Abel represent two groups of people. Abel represents good people who believe in God. Cain represents the wicked people who do not believe in God. These two groups of people will live together in the world until Jesus comes the second time.SRme 1.164

The same as Cain, who killed his brother Abel, the wicked will be jealous of the good people. The wicked people will hate the good people because the wicked see the good people are better than themselves. The wicked will persecute and kill the good people. They will want to get rid of the good people because the lives of the good people show how bad the wicked people are.SRme 1.165

Adam's life was full of sorrow and humility. He often asked God to forgive him for his sins. Adam taught his children and his grandchildren to honor and love God. But Adam's family often blamed him for sinning and for bringing so much sadness and misery on them.SRme 1.166

When Adam was forced to leave the beautiful Garden of Eden, he knew he would have to die. The thought of death filled him with terrible fear. Adam thought of death as an awful tragedy. He first really understood what human death was like when Cain killed Abel. This made Adam very sad because he realized that death would not have happened if he had not sinned. Adam missed his son Abel. Knowing that his other son, Cain, was a murderer added to Adam's sorrow. The second curse on the ground because of Cain's sin made Adam more sad. He blamed himself for his first great sin. He asked God to forgive him because of the promise that Jesus would die for his sins. Adam felt deeply the anger and sorrow of God against his sin in the Garden of Eden.SRme 1.167

Adam saw the world become more and more wicked. Finally the world would be so wicked that God would destroy almost all the people by a flood. When God first told Adam that he would have to leave Eden and die, the idea ofSRme 1.168

death seemed terrible to him. But after Adam lived many hundreds of years and saw all the suffering sin had caused, he felt that God was fair. Death would bring a merciful end to a life of sorrow and sadness.SRme 1.169

When Adam saw the first signs of death in nature, he felt terribly sad. The death of flowers and leaves caused him to weep for grief more than people now weep when their loved ones die. The dying of the tender flowers caused Adam deep grief. But the dying of the leaves on the tall, sturdy trees caused him deeper grief. When the leaves began to die Adam understood clearly how the beautiful things of nature that God had created for people on earth to enjoy would be ruined by sin.SRme 1.170

Adam lived to see nine generations of his family. Adam told each new child about the glorious Garden of Eden where he first lived. He also told them how he had first sinned and about the terrible results of his sin. Adam told each child about the deep sorrow that filled his own heart when he saw Cain and Abel quarreling and Cain murder Abel.SRme 1.171

Adam told each child about the sufferings he had experienced as a result of sin. These sufferings had taught Adam that God's Laws are important and should be obeyed completely. He told them that God would punish every kind ofSRme 1.172

sin. Adam urged each child to obey God. The Lord would be very merciful to them if they would love and respect Him.SRme 1.173

Angels often talked with Adam after he sinned. They told him all about the plan of salvation. They said that every human being who really wanted to be saved could be saved. Sin caused a terrible separation between God and His earthly family. The sacrifice of God's Son would make it possible for humans to be saved. But their only hope was to live a life of humble repentance, and have faith in the plan God had made for their salvation. All who would accept Christ as their Saviour would be accepted back into God's family because Jesus was a perfect Saviour.SRme 1.174