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Friday
First Lesson
Genesis 4:1-16
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.
16 And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt
in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.
1st Lesson Questions -
What was Cain's sin? All Cain had to do is to "do well" and God would have accepted him. (V. 7) It would seem that he simply could not accept the fact that his brother's offering had the respect of God, while his did not. (V. 4-5) Have I ever played out the same sin in life? How so? RESOLVE.
Second Lesson
Mark 7:1-13
1 Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the
scribes, which came from Jerusalem.
2 And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled,
that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault.
3 For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their
hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.
4 And when they come from the market, except they wash, they
eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received
to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and
of tables.
5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy
disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread
with unwashen hands?
6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied
of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me
with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines
the commandments of men.
8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition
of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such
like things ye do.
9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment
of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.
10 For
Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth
father or mother, let him die the death:
11 But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It
is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest
be profited by me; he shall be free.
12 And ye suffer him no more to do aught for his father or his
mother;
13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition,
which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.
2nd Lesson Questions -
What personal traditions of mine work against God's commandments? How have I done, regarding the commandment Jesus speaks of in this passage - honouring one's mother and father? (V. 10-13) RESOLVE.