Faith vs. Knowledge

                                                          The Tale of Two Brothers

Two brothers, Cain and Abel brought offerings to the Lord. Genesis 4:4 says the Lord had respect for Abel’s offering but He did not respect Cain’s offering. Cain was faced with faith versus knowledge. He could take what God said and not understand it but he could put it into his knowledge bank that the offering his brother brought was acceptable and his was not. He can try to reason why he was right and God was wrong. God told him that it was not him but the offering. If he would get the offering right, the respect would be there. Cain goes to his brother and talks to him. I think that he probably went to his brother with an attitude of telling rather than listening. As you know the event ended in Cain killing his brother Abel. What an ultimate display of pride. Perhaps if Cain had allowed God to have the knowledge and he himself the faith, this murder would not have been on his hands. What a way to start a family history. This story is put there for us to learn from. Not so that we will have all knowledge, but to build our faith.

I think of two other brothers, one still alive today, and the other not. The eldest brother was always very pleasing in the sight of his mother. She loved him dearly and everyone knew that. The younger brother was loved also but everyone just did not hear so much about him, at least as a child. These brothers grew and went to college. Each followed in their father’s footsteps. The eldest son did not complete the final task and did not earn his accreditation even though he knew the subject and could now be a help to his father.  The youngest son did complete the final task to get some little letters behind his name along with a well-paying job. My, now all did hear how wonderful the younger son was. In addition, the younger son married and eventually presented mom and dad with a grandchild. This was very pleasing and gave the proud mama, now a grandma, much to rejoice over. Time for faith versus knowledge in the life of the eldest son. Mama still loved him very much and especially enjoyed that this son was living at home, being a great help to both dad at work and mom at home. For whatever reason however this son did not marry. The coming of a grandchild from his brother into the life of his parents put him over an edge to the depths of taking his own life. Perhaps if the elder brother had allowed God to have the knowledge and he himself the faith, this murder of self would not have happened. It can be seen some years later that faith could have him alive and happy to this day. If finding a wife on his own with his own knowledge was impossible to him, then why did he not have faith in the parents who loved him so, to help him get a wife? A wife who would have loved him if not at first, but learned to as God intended her to, and would have given him children to further deepen his joy and the joy of his parents. To this day he could still be living with his parents and now he and his family could be helping his mother care for his father whose health is rapidly declining. His mother is now in despair about her life in the future when her husband will be gone. Younger brother is very busy with his wonderful job as is his wife with hers, and they live way across town from mom and dad, and have very little time in their modern day schedule to even pay a visit to the folks, nevertheless be there helping.

 What are we losing because of a puffed up pride in our knowledge and our ability to live and function as a single individual or family unit. Why do we not seek the wisdom of God in the way he would have us to live? Just because something seems right to us, we must seek Gods answer before we really know. We must go to our Father and ask Him to show us how or what or where. Where was Adam when his sons brought their gifts before the Lord? Could dad have given some wisdom to Cain? God was not rejecting Cain, just the gift he brought. We must not get our feelings hurt when God rejects our way. We now have the opportunity to learn from Him. The more we learn from Him the more we can be like him. The closer we can be to Him. Even if I cannot see myself happy in God’s scenarios, there will be greater joy in the long run in following God’s plan.