Genesis 3:1-19 GNT

Cain and Abel

Genesis 4:1-8 Then Adam had intercourse with his wife, and she became pregnant. She bore a son and said, "By Lord's help I have gotten a son." So she named him Cain.

Later she gave birth to another son, Abel. Abel became a shepherd, but Cain was a farmer.

After some time Cain brought some of his harvest and gave it as an offering tot the LORD.

Then Abel brought the first lamb born to one of his sheep, killed it, and gave the best parts of it as an offering, The LORD was pleased with Abel and his offering,

but he rejected Cain and his offering, Cain became furious, and he scowled in anger.

Then the LORD said to Cain. "Why are you angry? Why that scowl on your face?

If you had done the right thing, you would be smiling; but because you have done evil, sin is crouching at your door. It wants to rule you, but you must overcome it."

Then Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out in the fields." When they were out in the fields, Cain turned on his brother and killed him.

1 Samuel 15:17-23 Samuel answered, "Even though you consider yourself of no importance, you are the leader of the tribes of Israel. The Lord anointed you king of Israel,

and he sent you out with orders to destroy those wicked people of Amalek. He told you to fight until you had killed them all.

Why, then, did you not obey him? Why did you rush to grab the loot, and so do what displeases the LORD?"

"I did obey the Lord," Saul replied. "I went out as he told me to, brought back King Agag, and killed all the Amalekites.

But my men did not kill the best sheep and cattle that they captured; instead, they brought them here to Gilgal to offer as a sacrifice to the Lord your God."

Samuel said, "Which does the LORD prefer; obedience or offerings and sacrifices? It is better to obey him than to sacrifice the best sheep to him.

Rebellion against him is as bad as witchcraft, and arrogance is a sinful as idolatry. Because you rejected the LORD's command, he has rejected you as king.

The Future Glory

Romans 8:18-25 I consider that what we suffer at this present tine cannot be compared at all with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.

All of creation waits with eager longing for God to reveal his children.

For creation was condemned to lose its purpose, not of its own will, but because God willed it to be so. Yet there was the hope

that creation itself would one day be set free from its slavery to decay and would share the glorious freedom of the children of God.

For we know that up to the present time all of creation groans with pain, like the pain of childbirth.

But it is not just creation alone which groans; we who have the Spirit as the first of God's gifts also groan within ourselves as we wait for God to make us his children and set our whole being free.

For it was by hope that we were saved; but if we see what we hope for, then it is not really hope. For who of us hopes for something we see?

But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Ecclesiastes 2:18-23 Nothing that I had worked for and earned meant a thing to me, because I knew that I would have to leave it to my successor.

and he might be wise, or he might be foolish--who knows? Yet he will own everything I have worked for, everything my wisdom has earned for me in this world, It is all useless.

So I came to regret that I had worked so hard.

You work for something with all your wisdom, knowledge, and skill, and then you have to leave it all to someone who hasn't had to work for it. It is useless, and it isn't right!

You work and worry your way through life, and what do you have to show for it?

As long as you live, everything you do brings nothing but worry and heartache. Even at night your mind can't rest. It is all useless.