The Mark of Cain

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. Genesis 4:15

Steps 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11, 12

In Genesis 4:9-13 God comes to Cain and asks, “Where is Abel thy brother?” Cain pretends to not know but God confronts Cain with the truth, for God was there watching the whole event. When Cain would not accept the truth, nor accept God’s grace to forgive him and change him, then God pronounces sentence on Cain. Cain would live on and testify to the penalty of sin and the results of addiction. To ensure that this plan took place, God placed a mark on Cain to let all know that Cain was the addict and that Abel was the innocent victim. God wanted to alert all to the effects of addiction and what would happen when people rejected God’s help. We are not told precisely what this mark was but it was one of the principles that are involved in the Mark of the Beast in Revelation. For those who receive that mark will be similar in heart, mind, and action to Cain.

Prayer for Today: O Lord we come unto You today and ask for Your help. You know our hearts and You know that without Your help we would all be in a similar state as Cain. Help us to see our condition and help us to seek You for Your help. Our addictions keep us bound up and without You we would not even know to seek Your help. Help us to learn the lessons that Cain and Abel have taught us. Help us to meditate on Your grace and Your power to change us. Thank You for being there for us in spite of our crazy thinking. Thank You for taking the initiative to come and ask us the hard questions of life. Help us not to respond like Cain and reject Your care.