Genesis 4:13 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.
This passage of scripture teaches us that God does not despise the wicked who have no interest whatsoever in Him, and who do not acknowledge His kindness and mercy that are renewed to us every morning. In this instance, Cain, who had just slain his brother because of jealousy was told by God that the sure results of his transgression would follow him all the days of his life, to which his response was not any admittance of wrong-doing, but rather self-preservation because of his increased vulnerability. Cain was never forgiven simply because he never asked, and therefore his sins piled up one against the other, to be recompensed through universal abhorrence of him, and through a stubborn soil that would not produce fruit and grain in abundance whenever he tilled it.
After he complained about the severity of what he thought was his punishment, which were in fact the natural results of his own doings, God then proceeded to temper that part of the curse which dealt with his personal safety, with mercies that would follow Cain as long as life would last. What is most striking about this vivid display of God's care for the wicked, is that God already knew that Cain would never afterward turn to Him with confession and repentance, and so the question arises, why would God protect someone who is dead set in their rebellion against Him, even though in His foreknowledge He sees that there will never be any change in that person's thinking? The answer to this very important question lies in the character of God, who is love, and the principles upon which His government is built is mercy, kindness and love, in all of their various manifestations, to the thankful and to the ungodly alike. Let's read:
Luke 6:35 But love ye your enemies, and do good" ....... "and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. 36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
Psalm 68:18 Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them. 19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation.
A great misunderstanding of the character of God caused many of His people in ancient times to look upon heathen nations as deserving of only justice and retribution on account of their callous disregard of God and His laws. The disciples of Christ harbored this mode of thought and even Asaph, David's chief musician had a problem with the material blessings that were bestowed upon the heads of those who wanted nothing to do with God. And it was for our own admonition and instruction that the following verses were penned under the inspiration of The Holy Spirit, so that we may know that God is kind to the evil and the good, and therefore we as His children should emulate His perfect example. Let"s read:
Psalm 73:2 But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. 3 For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 5 They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. 7 Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish. 8 They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily. 12 Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches. 13 Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency. 14 For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning. 16 When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; 17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.
The only heaven that the permanently wicked will ever have is the one that this earth has to offer, and because of this fact, God often allows them to prosper and enjoy life's material blessings during their short stay on this earth, knowing full well that nothing pertaining to the earth made new will be theirs to experience and enjoy. But even with this knowledge God does not withhold the offers of salvation to all, for if He were to do this, no one, including ourselves would be saved in His kingdom, and thus the tenor of His dealings with all is restorative and salvific in nature. This steadfast purpose of God in trying to redeem as many as are willing is written in several passages of scripture, so that equal opportunity might be given to all the inhabitants of the earth. Let's read:
Ezekiel 33:11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
2nd Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
As Christians interact with those who do not fear God, we should manifest the same kindness and forbearance exhibited by God, and instead of looking for retribution on the heads of those who like Cain are determined in their resistance towards God and righteousness, we should instead seek their temporal and eternal good, by offering the gift of salvation to them. If they choose to receive Christ, then God be praised, but if they choose not to, then we too should respect their God-given freedom of choice, and should do good to them as far as is humanly possible. By so doing we will be following in the footsteps of Christ who forgave His enemies, and did not harbor grudges or bad feelings to those who opposed Him and His ministry. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which delineates the attitude we should manifest towards the enemies of God, and it is His will that the principle of love may pervade our every thought and action. Let's read:
Luke 9:51 And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, 52 And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. 53 And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. 54 And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? 55 But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. 56 For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word. God bless!