[12가정] 1창 4; 6-9 가족은 선을 행하는 대상이다

*소감적용
1. 죄가 있는 순간에도 함께 하시고 깨닫게 하시는 하나님께 감사합니다.
2.가정과 사회에서 선을 행하는 자가 되어야 하겠습니다.
3. 하나님은 선을 행할 때 축복하시며 하나님은 악을 행할 때 심판으로 다스리신다.
4. 악에 다스림을 받지 말고 항상 기도하여 선이 무엇인지를 생각하면서 하나님의 다스림을 받자.
5. 가족은 선의 대상으로 여기는 것에 대하여 좀더 실천적인 부분을 생각하게 되고 가족의 기본적인 구성을 이루어 주시는 하나님의 은혜를 감사하며 가족에 대한 선의 행함을 좀더 깊이 있는 수준으로 나아가기를 소원합니다.
6. 가족에게 선을 행하도록 노력해야 되겠다는 것을 깨달았습니다.
7. 항상 하나님을 알도록 노력해야 겠습니다.
8. 가족에게 선을 행할 수 있도록 하나님을 따르며 순종하고 그러한 마음을 달라고 기도하겠습니다. 또한 여러 상황에서 어떻게 행하는 것이 선인지를 알 수 있도록 지혜를 달라고 하나님께 간구하겠습니다.

6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”

8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.”[d] While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”

“I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”


We are approaching the Lunar New Year holiday. The changed appearance of the seasons after COVID has now become familiar. The convenience of celebrating the seasons experienced during COVID seems to solidify even after COVID. In this situation, we think about what the Bible says about the meaning of family. What does family mean in God within the atmosphere of a holiday focused on family rather than relatives? By thinking about it, we can deal with and act more religiously towards family.

If the family relationship is good, it should be sublimated into a religious meaning, and if the family relationship is bad, it should be complemented by a religious meaning. Then the meaning of family will become clearer, and God's will will also appear more abundantly. For this, we can look at Cain and Abel in Genesis where the meaning of family is revealed. We can know the meaning of a couple from Adam and Eve, and the meaning of family through Cain and Abel. We will first examine the meaning of family and then consider the meaning of a couple.

In today's scripture verse 6, God is speaking to Cain.

"[Genesis] 4:6 Then the Lord said to Cain, 'Why are you angry, and why has your countenance fallen?'"

The situation of Cain was when he was angry because of his younger brother Abel, and it was a situation where Jehovah God was admonishing Cain. Adam was a human directly created by God, and Cain was the first person born into this world through Eve, whom God created. Therefore, the meaning of Cain's name was 'acquired', meaning a child obtained through God. God created Cain in the womb and brought him into this world.

Cain, in his own right, had significance in being born, and the next born, Abel, was special in his own way. 'Abel' in Hebrew is 'הָבֶל', meaning 'breath, vanity', which as a spiritual meaning signifies the breath of God, emphasizing Abel's spiritual aspect.

Cain became a farmer and offered some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to God, while Abel was a shepherd and offered the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions. God did not accept Cain's offering but accepted Abel's. Each had their capabilities and strengths, but when God accepted Abel's offering and not Cain's, Cain became angry over this difference, and that's how conflict began within the family.

Today, there are various conflicts within families. Family conflicts start in many different ways. Conflicts can arise not just because someone does too well but also because of disobedience or mistakes. However, every family member has abilities, talents, and qualities given by God. When these are compared, competed over, envied, and jealously viewed, all these aspects are negated, and all possibilities are criticized, leading to conflicts. While the text only shows conflict between brothers, if we consider conflicts within a family, it could arise between spouses, parents, children, siblings, or any relationship.

Such conflicts damage the joy of the holiday and the good atmosphere within the family. When filled with anger, hatred, or despair, family relationships become more painful than ever. God is aware of such situations. He knew Cain's countenance had fallen and spoke to him about his heart. The issue was not Abel's excellence and faithfulness but Cain's failure to do good. Thus, God admonished Cain, not Abel.

"[Genesis] 4:7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it."

Cain's countenance fell because he did not do well, and failing to do good leads to a neutral state, which then opens the possibility for committing evil. Sin is lying at the door, waiting to enter like a tiger saying, "Just say the word." The real task in such conflicts is to master sin. Sin desired Cain, but Cain was supposed to master it. Otherwise, it's not external forces that bring evil; it's the evil that arises from within.

The situations of conflict are very diverse. However, the important thing is not to be ruled by sin in such conflicts. The key is to master sin. When one learns to master themselves within the family, they can also do so outside the home. However, if one does not learn this discipline within the family, they will likely struggle to exercise it in relationships with others outside the home. The lack of familiarity and smoothness in mastering oneself leads to similar behavior both inside and outside the home.

Conversely, the same can happen in reverse. Living undisciplined outside the home can lead to continued lack of discipline within the home, executing all kinds of sins. The good must be learned both outside and inside the home, and the bad must not be learned anywhere. This prevents being ruled by sin and instead allows living by mastering sin.

To achieve the discipline spoken by God, we need to see how God made Cain realize his sin. Within that, there is a precious voice of God for us.

"[Genesis] 4:8 Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.

[Genesis] 4:9 Then the Lord said to Cain, 'Where is Abel your brother?' He said, 'I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?'"

Cain, captured by his emotions and not listening to God's word, was ruled by sin and killed his brother Abel in the field. When he was about to commit evil, no one could restrain or help him. After killing Abel, God appeared to him, just as He did to Adam and Eve after they ate the forbidden fruit. And just as He questioned Adam and Eve about their sin, He questioned Cain about the consequences of his sin.

God is not only the Creator but also the Judge. Decisions are left to free will, and God is the one who judges the outcomes of those decisions. If Cain had made a good decision, he would have been blessed. However, when he made a wicked decision influenced by his emotions and was ruled by sin, he inevitably faced punishment. That punishment was for his actions, the thoughts expressed in his words, and his sinfulness. Cain lied, claiming ignorance about Abel's fate, and retorted whether he was his brother's keeper, revealing his disregard for Abel, his family.

Abel, as family, could have been a model for learning to do good. By watching over, protecting, and caring for Abel, Cain could have demonstrated what goodness is. In doing so, he could have become a man of God, following God's will. Doing good meant being a guardian to his brother. However, Cain failed to do so and became subject to God's judgment. God said to him:

"[Genesis] 4:10 'What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground.'"

God knew everything Cain had done and observed his response. The evil act Cain committed was killing his brother, and the blood of Abel cried out to God from the ground for justice and righteousness. Thus, God judged and punished Cain to address the evil. This whole incident was a result of familial conflict, sin, and God's judgment on that sin. Not attempting to protect his brother ultimately led to the sin of harming him, for which God punished Cain.

We should strive to be doers of good in our family relationships, not doers of evil. Such goodness manifests as God's blessing and shows us as people who carry out God's will. Conversely, doing evil brings God's judgment and marks us as wrongdoers against God's will. Family becomes the setting that evidences all issues of the heart and action.

During this season of Lunar New Year in February, let's reflect on doing good in our family relationships and resolve not to be governed by evil. When we do, God's grace and blessings will abundantly fill our homes and each of us. I pray in the Lord's name that such grace overflows to all of us.