Pick up any newspaper, and you'll see numerous stories of people killing, molesting, and abusing their fellow human
beings. What is even more unbelievable are the accounts of young people killing another teen for a jacket or a
backpack—something so worthless in comparison to a life. We read about millions of abortions. There is a definite
trend toward euthanasia. And we watch the images of war on television without the batting of an eye. Through it
all, we recognize a tendency in our culture: life has become cheap. There has been a basic erosion of the understanding
of man's intrinsic worth.
Man is distinct from the rest of creation. The Divine Triune Counsel determined that man was to have God's image
and likeness. Man is a spiritual being who is not only body, but also soul and spirit. He is a moral being whose
intelligence, perception, and self-determination far exceed that of any other earthly being.
These properties or traits possessed by mankind and his prominence in the order of creation imply the intrinsic
worth, not only of the family of mankind, but also of each human individual.
Capacity and ability constitute accountability and responsibility. We should never be pleased to dwell on a level
of existence lower than that on which God has made it possible for us to dwell. We should strive to be the best
we can be and to reach the highest levels we can reach. To do less is to be unfaithful stewards of the life entrusted
to us. (See Ps. 8:4, 5; 139:13, 14.) [Spirit-Filled Life Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1991),
6, “Kingdom Dynamics: Gen. 1:26–28, Man's Intrinsic Value.”]
Like all other dysfunctions of the family, murder and a worthless view of life flowed out of the brokenness and
sin that were perpetrated in the Garden of Eden.
Read the account of the first murder in Genesis 4:1–15 and answer the following questions.
Genesis 4:1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the
LORD. 2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.
4 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: 5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and
his countenance fell. 6 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? 7 If
thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall
be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. 8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when
they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. 9 And the LORD said unto Cain,
Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper? 10 And he said, What hast thou done?
the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. 11 And now art thou cursed from the earth, which
hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand; 12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not
henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth. 13 And Cain said
unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear. 14 Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face
of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall
come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me. 15 And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever
slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him
should kill him.
What brought about the initial rift in the relationship of Cain and Abel?
How do you suppose Cain and Abel were to recognize that the Lord required sacrifice in worship? (see 3:20)
The covenant love of God required that innocent animals be sacrificed to provide garments of skin as a covering
for Adam and Eve. This early foreshadowing of substitutionary atonement points toward the necessity of judgment
upon the innocent to provide a covering for the guilty. Adam and Eve made a vain attempt to cover themselves with
their own efforts by sewing together fig leaves. However, God's order provided covering by means of a sacrifice.
Under the New Covenant, we are required to be clothed with Christ rather than with our good works (Gal. 3:27).
[Ibid., 10, “Kingdom Dynamics: Gen. 3:21, The Blood, the Covering.”]
What do you think about the fact that God responded differently to the two offerings presented? What lesson are
we to learn about how we present our worship to the Lord?
The issue of blood sacrifice as being essential for right standing with God is conveyed through the offerings of
Cain and Abel. Pursuant upon the founding lesson God gave in dealing with Adam and Eve's sin (3:21), Cain's vegetable
offering, the fruit of his own efforts, was an offering of self-righteous refusal to live under God's revealed
covenant. As Adam's attempt to use fig leaves for a covering was rejected, so was Cain's offering; but Abel's offering
of a blood sacrifice was pleasing to God. God's sacrifice of animals in the Garden had established the blood sacrifice
as necessary for approaching Him. Right standing before a covenant-making God was shown to be a matter of life
and death, not merely a matter of one's good efforts. [Ibid., 11, “Kingdom Dynamics: Gen. 4:1–10, The Blood, Essential
for Right Standing Before God.”]
What warning did God give to Cain in v. 7? What do you think it means?
How did Cain respond? How should He have responded?
Although God rejected Cain's offering, do you think God's warning to Cain reflects God's interest and love for
Cain? Explain your answer.
Was Cain interested in reconciliation either with God or with Abel?
Define what you perceive to be Cain's ultimate problem and then write down how he chose to solve it.
How was this a bad solution? Did Cain actually deal with the issue between him and God?
The theme of brotherhood emerges early in Scripture; and from the very beginning, it is clear that God places a
high priority on how brothers treat each other. In this passage the question of responsibility for each other first
emerges. Cain asks, “Am I my brother's keeper?” The word used for “keeper” (Hebrew shamar) means “to guard, to
protect, to attend, or to regard.” Are we responsible? “Absolutely,” is God's answer. Not only are we our brother's
keeper, we are held accountable for our treatment of and our ways of relating to our brothers (blood and spiritual).
For Cain's sins against his brother, God curses him throughout the Earth, takes away his ability to farm, and sentences
him to a life as a fugitive and a vagabond (v. 12). This clearly indicates that unbrotherliness destines one to
fruitlessness and frustration of purpose. [Ibid., 11, “Kingdom Dynamics: Gen. 4:9, Responsibility for One Another.”]
As we read through Scripture, we find that God's ways are always inclusive. He always reaches to draw people in,
to touch them with His love—and He calls us to do the same. The problem comes when our ingrained sin nature presses
us to be exclusive. “Exclusive” may be loosely defined as “elite, fashionable, select.” But in a different usage,
it can also be “restrictive, prohibitive, and limiting.” In our efforts to be part of an exclusive group, what
we are actually doing is restricting and limiting God's potential in our lives. He calls us to reach out, to love,
to make our world bigger!
?
Read the following verses and tell how they show God's inclusiveness or God's desire for us to be inclusive.
Gen. 12:3 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families
of the earth be blessed.
Leviticus 19:18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love
thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.
34 But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as
thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.
Mattew 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and
pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Luke 10:25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit
eternal life? 26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? 27 And he answering said, Thou
shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all
thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. 28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt
live. 29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? 30 And Jesus answering said,
A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and
wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and
when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked
on him, and passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when
he saw him, he had compassion on him, 34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and
set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 And on the morrow when he departed,
he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest
more, when I come again, I will repay thee. 36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him
that fell among the thieves? 37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do
thou likewise.
John 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Ephesians 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice
to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
James 2:1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
2 For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor
man in vile raiment; 3 And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here
in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: 4 Are ye not then partial
in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? 5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the
poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? 6 But
ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? 7 Do not they blaspheme
that worthy name by the which ye are called? 8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt
love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: 9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced
of the law as transgressors.
1 Peter 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of
the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and
knoweth God.
Second Peter 1:4 describes God's “great and precious promises” intended to enable us 1) to be “partakers” in His
divine nature and 2) to allow us to “escape the corruption that is in the world.” These graces are necessary to
lift us above the decay of human nature and unto “brotherly kindness” and “love” (v. 7). Brotherly kindness dissolves
personal infighting and ungracious ignoring of one another. It allows refocusing on our real enemy—Satan. Further,
to master love is to receive and release agape love: that Christlike, unconditional gift that is full of affection,
bursting with benevolence, and that provides a love feast to all to whom we minister in the name of Jesus. This
text is a promise for those yielded enough to let these gifts flow: we can actually participate in the divine nature
of God, which is elevated above the corrupt, divisive spirit of the world. [Ibid., 1919, “Kingdom Dynamics: 2 Pet.
1:7, 8, Brotherly Love Flows from the Divine Nature.”]
Once we've recognized that God has called us to love and be responsible for one another, the next step is to realize
that all of life is sacred—every individual at every stage of life. Life is sacred because it has been breathed
into us by the Creator Himself. Thus, our value comes from our Creator. But should we choose to deny that Creator,
denying the rest of humankind's value will naturally follow.
In Acts 17:26 the unity of the human race is clearly stated, for through Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:20), and then the
sons of Noah (Gen. 9:19), all races and nationalities of men came forth. We all proceed from one blood, both figuratively
and literally, for the same blood types are found in all races. Humankind is a universal family. “Have we not all
one Father? Has not one God created us?” (Mal. 2:10). We live in a single world community. No race or nation has
the right to look down on or disassociate itself from another. The apostle Peter said, “God has shown me that I
should not call any man common or unclean … In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation,
whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him” (Acts 10:28, 34, 35). There are only two divisions
of humankind: the saved and the unsaved. Other differences are merely skin deep or culturally flavored, but all
people are relatives. [Ibid., 1661, “Kingdom Dynamics: Acts 17:26, The Unity of the Human Race.”]
Faith Alive
Look up Galatians 3:28 and write it out below:
How does God view us in relation to those around us?
How do you feel about the concept of total equality between every human?
Is this a difficult idea for you to incorporate into your life? Why or why not?
Are there areas of prejudice, intolerance, or partiality in your life toward one group of people? What are those
areas?
Present these areas to the Lord and ask Him to help you have the mind of Christ that sees the value of each person
and the heart of Christ who loves the world and desires to see every individual come to know Him.
If we truly believe that all of humankind is one family, then it will have to affect how we view different ethnic
groups, minority/majority groups, age groups, and gender groups. We will no longer be able to tolerate prejudice
among the races—whether you are a minority or a majority. Racism goes both ways. Our concern for all age groups,
including those still in the womb and the aged who can no longer care for themselves, will flourish as we realize
the sanctity of life and what every stage of life has to offer. And our understanding of the differences and similarities
between men and women will be seen to complement each other, not compete against each other. In fact, the Bible,
rather than being just a book about men of God, gives some stunning examples of godly women who functioned with
great leadership and ministry skills.
Look up these verses to see other women leaders. Some of these women led nations, some of them simply led their
families, but all of them had a mind of their own and moved with confidence in their knowledge of the Lord. List
their names and what they accomplished.
Num. 27:1–11
Ruth 1:16, 17; 2:2; 3:9; 4:13–15
Esth. 4:10–5:2; 8:4, 5
Prov. 31:10–31
Luke 1:38; John 2:3–5
Luke 2:36–38
Acts 16:14, 15
Rom. 16:1, 2
To finish our discussion of the value of every person, let us look for a moment at the lives of the unborn and
the value that Scripture places upon them. Look up the following verses and write down what they say about prenatal
life.
Ps. 139:13–16
Jer. 1:5
Luke 1:39–44
Scripture also invites us to expect the generation to come with anticipation, storing up the things of God to teach
and share with them.
Ps. 48:13, 14
Ps. 78:4–6
Psalm 145:4
Kingdom Extra
Abortion is definitely wrong. It is the taking of a human life, for the Bible shows that life begins at conception.
God fashions us while we are in our mother's womb (Ps. 139:13). The prophet Jeremiah and the apostle Paul were
called by God before they were born (Jer. 1:5; Gal. 1:15). John the Baptist leaped in his mother's womb when the
voice of Mary, the mother of the Lord, was heard (Luke 1:44). Obviously children in the womb have spiritual identity.
From the moment of conception there is a progression of development that continues through adulthood. God condemned
the Israelites who were offering their children as sacrifices to the heathen god Molech. Such children were burned
up in the fires of sacrifice (Lev. 20:2), offered to a god of sensuality and convenience. The same is occurring
today, and by acting in this way we are saying that human beings are not worth anything. This is a terrible blot
on our society.
The Bible is not more specific on the matter of abortion because such a practice would have been unthinkable to
the people of God. For instance, when Israel was in Egypt, a cruel pharaoh forced the Israelites to kill their
newborn babies. In the Bible this was looked upon as the height of cruel oppression (Ex. 1:15–22). The idea of
killing their own children would have been anathema to the Hebrews. All through the Old Testament, women yearned
for children. Children were considered a gift from God. Women prayed not to be barren. How could a righteous woman
turn against her own children to destroy them? Abortion is not only unthinkable, it is also the height of pagan
barbarity. [Ibid., 2003, “Spiritual Answers to Hard Questions” #17.]
Faith Alive
Look up the following verses on being created in God's image. What can we further learn about how we are to think
concerning all of humankind who have been made in God's image?
Gen. 1:27
Gen. 2:7
Gen. 9:5, 6
Acts 2:4
What parallel is there between Acts 2:4 and Gen. 2:7?
1 Cor. 11:7
Eph. 1:3–5
Hebrews 2:6, 7
James 3:8, 9
Kingdom Extra
Life was breathed into man by God. Man was made in the “image” of God, and after God's “likeness” (Gen 1:26; 9:6).
Man was God's unique, spiritual, immortal, intelligent creation. Thus, God commands, “You shall not murder” (Ex.
20:13). To take human life is to assault the image of God in man. Human life should be respected and reverenced.
Life, even prenatal life, is always a miracle; and no one should feel he has the right to shed the blood of an
innocent human being. The word “require” (Gen. 9:5) indicates that God was doing more than simply stating a rule.
He was saying that He will actually “pursue” (Hebrew darash) or “seek” a man's life in payment for the innocent
life he has taken. Let no disrespect for human life invade any mind. Let us proclaim the value and the sacredness
of life. [Ibid., 18, “Kingdom Dynamics: Gen. 9:5, 6, The Sacredness of Life.”]
From The Spirit-Filled Family: Holy Wisdom to Build Happy Homes by Jack W. Hayford with Rebecca
Hayford Bauer. Copyright 1994 by Jack W. Hayford.
