The mark of mercy

Did you know that the mark of Cain was a good thing?

Do you remember the scene from the lion king when Simba is getting his pouncing lesson. Mufasa instructs Zazu the little Toucan to turn his back to the young cub for the coming pouncing lesson. So Zazu turns around and is anticipating with fear the pounce once he realizes what is coming. He turns back around to protest and realizes that he can't see either father or cub anywhere. Suddenly all he sees is paws and fur coming strait for him as he is pummeled to the ground.

I was reminded of this scene when reading through Gen 4 today. Cain and able bring their offerings. Abel's is accepted Cain's is rejected and Cain is downcast. I think downcast here means more brooding then it does sad, because the LORD gives him this warning. Cain, do what is right because sin lies crouched at the door ready to suck you in.

There are times in my life that I feel like sin is hovering over the house these days rather than just crouched at the door. Its not just waiting for us its seems to already have us. The dark oppression that has over whelmed our lives. Have you ever felt this? I think Cain was there. He doesn't even pay attention to God's warning. The next thing that he does is invite Abel out into a field where he attacks and kills his brother. He has opened the door and been sucked into the abyss that is sin.

Sin really is more that just a concept or wrongs acts that we do. Sin is a power an all consuming power. 1Peter says that the devil is like a roaring lion seeking who he may devour and I don't think its the fur and paws of a cub either. I can think of dark days in my life dark brooding days when I have let it consume me. It doesn't even seem like I can even think about doing something right.

Cain is there and found by God there. "Where is you brother?" asks God. "Am I my brother's keeper?" replies Cain. God goes on to tell cain that abels blood is crying out to him from the earth on which it was spilled. Cain is caught, there is no way around it so now he turns to thinking of his own neck. "God if people see me they will kill me, I will be a wanderer as you said and they will kill me." Here is where God's amazing mercy comes in. He gives Cain a mark, a seal of protection. So that if anyone sees Cain and his mark and kills him they will be cursed seven times more that Cain was.

God's crazy love, his undeserved mercy. The first murderer in human history and he gives him the mark of protection. And I feel blessed, I feel blessed. Because God promises us the same thing. He finds us lost in sin, completely sucked in becasue we have have opened the door to the crouching lion. But he offers us his son a very costly gift for our forgiveness and then he seal us. He puts his mark on us - his holy spirit so that we will be protected from the destruction reserved to the devil. No lake of fire for us even though we have been completely pummeled by sin.

We are protected! We are forgiven! And we are marked for Salvation!!!