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 (Genesis 4:11-16).
The consequences to Cain of the murder of Abel were painful. Although God did allow Cain to live, Cain’s life, by Cain’s own choice, would be apart from the presence of God. Being apart from the presence of God would result in the further degradation of life. Life would be hard, and would seem to center around mere survival. Additionally, to dwell in the Land of Nod is to wander (Nod in Hebrew means wander). But this is the choice that was made by Cain through disobedience towards God. Disobedience towards God is the walking away from the presence of God and therefore leads to wandering in this world.
The consequences to Cain of the murder of Abel were painful. Although God did allow Cain to live, Cain’s life, by Cain’s own choice, would be apart from the presence of God. Being apart from the presence of God would result in the further degradation of life. Life would be hard, and would seem to center around mere survival. Additionally, to dwell in the Land of Nod is to wander (Nod in Hebrew means wander). But this is the choice that was made by Cain through disobedience towards God. Disobedience towards God is the walking away from the presence of God and therefore leads to wandering in this world.
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