13. Back to the Roots 3

Genesis chapter 4 tells us about two brothers, Cain and Abel, sons of Adam and Eve.

• Abel worked on the flocks.
• Cain worked on the soil.
• In the course of time, Abel and Cain brought offerings to the Lord.
  
• Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock.
• Cain brought some of the fruits in the soil.
• The Lord looked with favor on Abel's offering but not with Cain's.
• Cain got angry and dissatisfied.

• Gen 4:6-7 > Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”

• Cain called Abel, went out to the field, there Cain attacked and killed Abel.

So, this is what half of Chapter 4 tells us about. Point to take note is that God prefered Abel's offering over Cain's,; later in the Old Testament both animal and agricultural offering were accpeted by God. So its quite possibly that it was Cain's attitude problem. Cain certainly became instantly angry with God when things did not go his way.

• So then God knew and punished Cain.
• God said to Cain,

  Gen 4:12 > ''When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.”

• Cain begged for mercy, he claimed that the punishment was more than he can bear, and that whoever finds him will kill him.
• So God put a mark on Cain, so that no one who found Cain would kill him.

Notice the words in bold, So from thiose, we have, brothers=XIONG,兄， where one of them became the murderer=XIONG,兇 who was fierce=XIONG,凶, all three with the pinyin xiong of different intonations. This one picture tells you all. =)

Next, chapter 6, The Flood. This was when the population of mankind increased, as well as the wickedness in them.

Gen 6:5-8 > The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the LORD said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them.” But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

God commanded Noah to built and ark. God saw righteousness in Noah and so God built a covenant with him. God gave Noah instructions how to built the boat and what or who to put into that boat. All from Gen 6:13-22 and Gen 7:1-5. Keywords are in bold. We have, an ark, and who to put into the boat? Answer is in Gen 6:18 and total number of people is 8.

Gen 6:18> ''But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons' wives with you.''

Ark, is a BIG BOAT=CHUAN,船.

Next is Chapter 11, The tower of Babel. Now in chapter 1o, there we can get the family tree of Noah's covenant. Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, and from them came the people who were scattered over the earth. Now right before the happening of the Tower of Babel, there were 8 generations down from Noah. Read and count from Gen 10:21-29, tracing from the descendants of Shem.

Chapter 11: 1 >Now the whole world had one language and a common speech.

With one language everyone was united. UNITED=HE,合.
With the same language, unity ignites ambition. The people decided to build a tower up to the heavens.

Gen 11:3 > Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”

And we have the word TOWER=TA,塔. In unity, they used bricks(clay) and grass to build the tower up to the heavens.

Are you excited? Well I was when I first learn about these. The Chinese did worshipped God way long time before Buddhism, Daosim, and Confucianism came up. And now, whoever that came up to you saying you forgo-ed your ancestors' traditions, beliefs and teachings, tell them these. That's all for today. Be prepared for a few more! =)