Brothers of the Bible Essay -- Christianity God Jesus Cain Abel Essays

Brothers of the BibleThe Old Testament blood relative rivalries among Cain and Abel, Esau and Jacob, and Joseph and his associates were similar in some ways and different in others, notwithstanding they exclusively hold lessons for us to daytime, for brothers today still face many other(prenominal) of the same problems in life that challenged brothers thousands of years ago.Cain and Abel were in a military position much more unique than Esau and Jacob, and Joseph and his brothers faced, for the society they lived in was extremely small, and they severally had a direct relationship with God. As the book of Genesis tells us, Cain was the start born son of Adam and Eve. Their next son was a boy whom they named Abel. As Cain and Abel grew up both took responsibilities for making a living. Abel took misgiving of the sheep and Cain became a farmer. (Genesis 47)Both brothers in the space of time began to offer sacrifices unto God. Cain, being a farmer, offered the produce of hi s fields, and Abel offered the first-born sheep with its fat. God had respect for the offering of Abel but spurned the offering of Cain. It thus comes as something of a surprise that God accepts Abel?s offering but not Cain?s. Two puzzles emerge (1) We are not told how Cain discovered that neither he nor his offering was accepted. Given God?s way of responding in the story, Cain may have told directly. (2) No rationale is apt(p), and then God?s action appears arbitrary (Abingdon, 373). The biblical text gives no explicit reason for God?s preference for Abel?s offering. This has given rise to speculation. (Doubleday) And envious of his brother so angered Cain that he killed him. Cain?s response ? the downcast face ? reveals more the idea of dejection, feelings associated with rejection, than anger. Cain must care about what God thinks of him and his sacrifice. But the basic issue becomes not that Cain acts in a dejected fashion, but how he responds to God?s interaction with him a bout his dejection. That God responds at all reveals a divine byplay for Cain. (Abingdon, 373)When God confronted Cain with what he had done and asked, ?Where is Abel your brother Cain replied, ?Am I my brother?s keeper (Genesis 415) The answer is yes, and relates to Esau and Jacob, Joseph and his brothers, and to us today, for we are all our brother?s keeper. We live our lives in close relation to our family, neighbors, friends, and flush people we only casually me... ...howing us that when the ancient Israelites got involved in sibling rivalries they didn?t fool around, they also illustrate for modern day readers how harmful parental favoritism can be. Today?s parents should maintain every effort to treat their children equally, for the psychological consequences may be pixilated if they don?t. Finally, these Old Testament stories demonstrate to us today that sibling rivalries can be controlled if brothers or sisters make efforts to treat one another fairly. They show us as w ell that it is very important for siblings to grant one another if their rivalries lead to hard feelings or even lengthy estrangement. BibliographyAbingdon. The cutting interpreter?s Bible, Volume 1. Nashville, TN Abingdon Press, 1994.Chait, Israel. ?Joseph and His Brothers.? Online. Available http//www.mesora.org/_private/mesora.html. 20 June 2001. Doubleday. The mainstay Bible Dictionary, Volume 1. New York Doubleday Dell Pulbishing group, 1992.Smith, Dictionary of the Bible. London, 1893.The Holy Bible. New York Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1983.White, Ellen G. Patriarchs and Prophets. Washington D.C. Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1958.