I would be interested to know more about Cain and Abel, the first children of Adam and Eve. What were the dynamics between them? Were they twins? Even if they weren’t born at the same time, did they have a relationship like Jacob and Esau? Did they each receive the same love from their parents, or was one favored by dad more than other? As they were growing up, did Adam tell them that the family needed to diversify their income, so one boy should focus on ranching and the other on farming? Was one more handsome than the other? Was one beefier and stronger? Was one of the brothers more outgoing than the other; did one have a sharper mind? Was Abel a humble, meek individual; was Cain proud to the point of independence even from the Lord? Perhaps both were religious, but was Abel more spiritual? So what did they think about God’s authority, and did they understand sovereign election? And what about the relationship that each had with their siblings? For example, were they both close one particular sister, causing a bit of envy and strife between them?
For these and other question we have no answers, and we may never be given those answers. But, “in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.” And “it came to pass when they were in the field… that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.” Was this murder the result of jealousy and envy? Was this simply the final straw after a myriad of minor conflicts? Let’s remember that John was the one who brought up these two men… With these things in the rearview mirror, the Apostle says: “Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.”
MARVEL not my brethren, if the world hate you.
Earlier John told us that the “world” refers to that part of the cosmos which Satan has claimed and dominated. Marvel not that the devil’s world system hates Jehovah and His children. Marvel not that a servants of the great liar, the people of the world, hate the truth. The world doesn’t like being called children of the devil. Marvel not that the world hates you in particular. Yes, world religion hates Bible Christianity, and world politics and society in general hates the saint of God. But that hatred is expressed through the people of the world; children of the devil – like Cain.
And by the way, don’t be mistaken by the little subordinating conjunction “if.” “Marvel not, my brethren, IF the world hate you.” John is not implying that the world MAY hate you; it WILL hate you. We should perhaps marvel if the world didn’t hate us – “Marvel, my brethren, if the world loves you.” “Marvel not, my brethren, IF the world hate you.”
There are many scriptures where the word “if” means something like “since.” For exa, Romans 8:16: “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. And IF children, then heirs.” “Since we are children, we are heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ.” Romans 8:31: “What shall we then say to these things? IF God be for us, who can be against us.” Paul’s whole purpose in that scripture is to tell us that “God IS for us,” there is no question about that. As I say there are many scriptures like these: Colossians 3:1; Galatians 3:29; and Galatians 5:18. “Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you” – the world does not love the child of God. Don’t be naive, the world hates you, Christian.
And we shouldn’t be surprised, because the world hated our Saviour to the point of murdering Him. In John 15:18 the Lord Jesus said, “IF the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.” Once again we have that conjunction “if.” The world has hated Christ, and that is the reason we shouldn’t marvel that it hates the people of Christ. The citizens of the world are going to hate those “who DO righteousness” – who do righteous things – who live righteously like their heavenly father. And remember our responsibility is to “be ye holy, for I am holy” (I Peter 1). “As he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation.”
John doesn’t actually say it, but I’d like to add, as tonight’s second point: “PROVOKE not.”
“Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you,” but at the same time “PROVOKE not the world to hate you.” When we were studying Gen. 4 one of the questions I asked was: “Do you suppose Abel provoked Cain?” Did he tease or taunt his brother? Did he needle him over an extended period of time? Did he harshly correct him for his improper worship; taking authority away from his father? If I remember correctly, no one tried to answer my question; including myself. Having had more time to reflect on the situation, my answer today would be: No, I don’t think Abel provoked Cain to attack and kill him that day out there in the field.
Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit John shows us that Cain hated his brother. Hatred is rarely and instantaneous thing; it grows over time from a tiny seed into a poisonous plant. I won’t say that the first ever murder was premeditated, but it wasn’t exactly spur of the moment either. “Wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil and his brother’s righteous.” I understand that to mean that throughout their lives, those young men were spiritually different. And hatred often grows into murder. That is one reason the Lord tells us that hatred IS murder. Christians need to understand that as they serve the Lord… when they believe what God tells them… when they choose to give Him the glory due unto His name… these things will offend the people of the world.
Did Abel know that Cain was growing more distant, more angry, that his hatred toward him was growing ? Probably in some ways and in some areas, he was aware. But despite having the same parents and blood… Despite growing up together and perhaps sleeping in the same bedroom for years. And later, despite living in the same house or at least in the same area. Despite being required by their parents to bring sacrifices to honor the Lord… Abel knew that the Lord must come first in his life – before his brother. He was not creating a “new religion,” as some imagine we as Bible believers are doing. He was simply maintaining Godly principles, and that exposed the sinfulness of Cain and his sacrifice.
Years later, the Jews arrested several of the Lord’s apostles, while they were about the Lord’s work of preaching the gospel. “And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us. Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.” Four verses later we read of the priest’s response. “When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them.” The Apostles were not trying to provoke the wrath of Satan’s people. All they were doing was “righteousness;” they were carrying out the orders of the Lord Jesus Christ. At times they got pointed, just like their Lord Jesus, preaching repentance. But the rest of the time, their lives were simply a tacit condemnation of the sins of the wicked.
As an additional point under “provoke not,” I’ll add another: “HATE not.” Could it ever be said that Abel is a picture, or type, of Christ our Saviour? That is a leading question. Yes, we could preach a gospel message using Abel as our text. Abel was a keeper of sheep, pointing to Christ Jesus, the “Good Shepherd.” Then there was Abel’s acceptable sacrifice, foreshadowing Christ’s ultimate, perfect sacrifice. Both Abel and Jesus were persecuted for righteousness’ sake. Both were hated by their brethren, from among other things, out of envy. And the voice of Abel’s blood, although not as loud as the voice of Jesus’ blood “yet speaketh.” Now, I know that I have no authority to say it – But I wouldn’t be surprised, once we get to heaven, to hear some angel whisper, “After Cain’s first blow, with blood gushing onto his face, Abel looked up to heaven and said, ‘Father forgive him, for he knoweth not what he is doing.’” I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Abel loved his brother even as his hand was bringing that fatal rock down on his skull. We must not hate the world for hating us; they know not what they do. They have been deceived by the master deceiver; the one who has been lying from the beginning.
Consider one more thing in this regard: WORRY not.
“Worry not my brethren if the world hate you.” Obviously, at its root John is telling us not to be surprised if the world hates us. But the word he uses was “marvel.” Being inquisitive, I decided to read through all the scriptures which use the Greek word “marvel.” It was quite interesting, and I found that it contains more than what applies to our text; I’ll table that for now. But it appeared to me that 90% of the time: this marveling was more on the positive side than negative. Sometimes the word is even translated “to be in admiration,” or “to admire.”
I will show you what I mean: The disciples “marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!” They weren’t frightened that the wind obeyed Christ. They were delighted. And “when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.”. In this case the marvelling produced praise. “And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel.” In the Book of Acts: “And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? “And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk? Not in every case, but the majority of references to “marvelling” were more positive than negative.
What does this mean in the case of I John 3:13? Perhaps nothing at all. But one lesson might be that the hatred of the world is not as terrible as it first appears. Don’t go berserk, when you realize the world hates you, and even if it wants to kill you. God was not the least bit surprised when Cain killed his brother; this was not outside the Lord’s control. Was there pain involved before or as, that final blow was delivered to poor Abel? Probably. But pain is nothing new. It is a part of life after the curse. Ongoing life is full of pain. There may be pain even in toenail fungus and paper cuts. And “we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.” Even one of the most blessed events of life, the birth of a baby, involves pain. No matter how blessed Abel’s life had been on earth, he was more blessed the moment after his murder, as cruel and painful as it probably was.
Have you ever debated within yourself about Abel’s eternal spiritual condition? Probably not. All that Genesis tells us is that his blood sacrifice was “respected” by God. But Hebrews says: “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts…” Hebrews 11:4 takes us right back into the context of I John. Abel was not MADE righteous by his more excellent sacrifice. By his obedience, by his love for God and others, by his righteous works, “he obtained WITNESS that he was righteous.” I John 3:10: “In this the children of God are manifest..” “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples.” “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him.” And on the contrary, Whosoever is born of God doeth righteousness like Abel in mankind’s second generation. I John 3:7: “Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doth righteousness IS righteous, even as he is righteous.”
“Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you” and don’t worry about it either. Why? For a great many reasons. Are you worried that God has forgotten you and doesn’t know what is happening? Isn’t our loving Saviour sovereign over the enemy as much as He is over our salvation? We could add many other thoughts and scriptures to this equation. But I’ll reduce them all to with what John begins the next verse. “We know that we have passed from death unto life…” With the assurance of our eternal life in the salvation of Christ, we don’t have any reason worry that the world hates us.
I can’t speak to the amount of assurance there was in Abel’s heart, but I assume he had been so blessed. But the question for us is this: Do you know… is your heart filled with assurance from the Holy Spirit that you are a child of God? If you have that assurance and the peace it provides, “Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.”