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Discipline

How many people hate the word discipline and what it stands for? Every time I read or hear that word it reminds me of parental, school teachers discipline which was nasty and painful. But true discipline is not at all like that if it is enforced with an certain amount of love, patience and understanding showing interest in the well being of the person who is been discipline.

Did you ever wonder if Cain and Abel were ever disciplined as today's standards? If they were I wonder how Adam and Eve manage that? As it turned out one brother, Cain, killed the other, Abel. Do you think Cain could have been forgiven if he would have confessed and repented of his crime? When the Lord asked Cain, even though he knew what Cain had done, what was God doing by asking? Was he giving Cain a chance to repent by confessing and asking forgiveness? I think maybe so. But what did Cain do when asked, "Cain where is Abel thy brother"? Cain lied. "I know not, Am I my brother's keeper? What in the world was Cain thinking about, he still have the blood of his own brother on his hands. Did he think he could get away with the killing by lying to God. God already knew because he saw it and God heard the voice of his brothers blood crying out to him who gave him life? Was Cain trying to get away with such a crime or was he afraid of the discipline or punishment coming his way when God found out he murdered his own brother. After all there were only Adam, Eve, Cain and Abel on the earth. It was not hard to see somebody would be missing at supper time. But Cain lied not because he was sorry for killing his brother but for fear of his punishment.
Even after God confronted Cain and handed down his punishment Cain only cried out and complaint about how hard it was for him, not once did he tell God that he was deserving of his punishment and that he did wrong and was sorry for it. Cain loved only Cain.

Some people say that Cain did not mean to kill Abel. That he just lost his temper and in the moment of temporary insanity gave Abel those mortal blows with the intent to just hurt him a bit. But that cannot be true because both boys had known what is was killing by the witnessing of the killing of animals. Cain knew that if you stroke or hit any animal or bird of the air it will render the creature dead, without life. His parent, Adam and Eve most have told them that it was OK to kill an animal for food but not to kill one of them. So both boys knew that they could cause the death of any living creature including humans.  They both knew that death was a real thing and once killed an animal cannot be brought back to life.

When Abel offered the best sacrificial animal to God he had to kill the animal. He knew this because he watched Abel give God the very best of his flock. I wonder how he felt watching his own brother killing the very best animal to offer as a sacrifice to God. Did he think "what a jerk"? God rejected Cain's sacrifice. Cain grain offering could have been of poor quality showing what he felt and thought of God in his heart. It was not the type of sacrifice that was given for grain was as good at live stock as a sacrifice offering. It was the heart of the man who gave it. Cain resentment of Abel and his sacrifice grew because it made him look bad. But Cain got it all wrong. It was not Abel who was rejecting him and his sacrifice it was God. But it was easier to blame Abel for his own short comings.

Think of how you would feel if someone would give to you a present. This person gave you a present that it meant a lot to him/her while the other person gave you some cheap lay around trinket even though he/she had plenty of money to buy or could give you something that was valuable out of his own possessions. What would you think?

Story of Cain and Abel is found in the Bible.