One of the ladies sitting next to the little boy said, "Could you tell us about Cain and Abel? I have never met one person who could explain where Cain's wife came from that made any sense".
SEE: I would be glad to.
As SEE began to speak, the people moved in closer now that the preachers were gone, so they could hear every word.
SEE: There was Adam and Eve. Her first born was Cain and her second born was Abel. Abel was a keeper of sheep but Cain was the tiller of the ground. In the process of time, Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. And the Lord had no respect unto Cain and his offering. Why? Does not our thoughts of the tiller of the ground and the fruit of the ground refer to a farmer raising fruit and vegetables? Is that so terrible? Just don't offer them to the Lord, is that it?
The people laughed.
SEE: Or could it be our thoughts of "the tiller of the ground", are not the same thoughts that God has put in these words? For God said, "My thoughts are not your thoughts". So let us examine these words. "a tiller of the ground" and "the fruit of the ground". One who tills the ground turns the ground upside down. Isaiah 29:9 "Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay". Do you suppose then that Cain is representing the way we teach God's words? God seems to be implying this here when he says, "surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potters clay". Therefore if we are teaching God's words with the wrong understanding and just as upside down as our first born thoughts about the sun, then I can understand him not having any respect of the fruit of these teachings. But not farmers who by the sweat of their brow earn a hard honest living by tilling the ground to produce the fruit of the ground.
"Doesn't that make more sense already"? one of them said.
SEE: Consider the earthly meanings we take from the word "fruit" as it appears in this sentence. "Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering to the Lord". By holding God's words so literally, when they are supposed to be written in the spirit of things, you can only see tomatoes, apples, pears, etc... But why would God have need of these things? Is not his whole purpose to reap the fruit from the teachings of His righteousness? Is not this also the purpose of the church to bring the fruit of their teachings of God's works? What is the definition of the word fruit? The dictionary says it is any ripened seed vessel with the seeds inside, together with the adjacent tissues. Adjacent means agree in the idea of nearness. Does not this idea agree in the nearness of Cain; that the fruit of our religion may be from tilling the ground upside down, which may be the reason why the words of God are of none affect. Consider now, are not millions of people praying for peace everyday, and have been for years and years? Is not this the constant theme of all the popes, peace on earth? It is written in Proverbs 1:28 "Then they shall call upon me, but I will not answer". Why? Could it be for the same reason the Lord had no respect unto Cain and his offering? The scriptures say, "The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going". This is what we are doing here, observing and taking notice of God's words with the nature of things. "If thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; if thou seeketh her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God".
Now we shall see what Abel represents. "Abel was the keeper of sheep". A keeper is one who watches, guards, supports, to observe anything prescribed, to have charge or care of. So let us consider why the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering. Abel's offerings were the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. Here again if we judge by appearance, we see a rancher bringing the firstlings of his flock and the fat thereof as his offering to the Lord. But why would the Lord have respect for firstlings of sheep as an offering? Is not his whole purpose still the same? To reap the fruit from the teachings of his righteousness and not sheep? So what is meant by "the firstlings of his flock and the fat thereof"? The fat thereof is the best or riches part. Technically, fats are neutral compounds. Neutral is not taking part on either side in a conflict, and compound is to put together, as seperate parts, so as to form a whole. Firstlings, are the first of a kind, and a flock is a number of birds or of animals of one kind living together. And that's the way it will be when the wisdom and knowledge of His books are searched out and revealed. It will teach all religions exactly. "One kind living together" But as it is now, there are hundreds of different kinds of religions dividing us. For the fruit of his first born thoughts of God's words has divided, divided, and divided. For we, like Cain have tilled the ground upside down. And in a sense, we have brought death to the inward part of the word or the intelligence of His words, wherein lies the wisdom and knowledge. And so to till the ground upside down is the so called killing of Abel. "But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beast, in those things they corrupt themselves. Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core." "Tell ye and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time"? It is time to cast off the way of Cain and become a keeper of sheep, to observe, and take notice of these dark and obscure sayings in the Bible until we are of one kind living together, so that the Lord may also have respect for the firstlings of our flock. "A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsel".
