THE STORY OF THE THREE BROTHERS

Although we can be one with the wilderness, we are not the same as the wilderness.  The human relationship with creation is stewardship.  As caretakers we are not limited to laws  governing what is given for our care.  We may have much in common with animals but we are more than animals.  With genetic engineering, the human will has more and more influence over what species survive and thrive.  In the near future we may even have species created by human beings.  The idea of natural selection is something of a question mark?

I mention these things because we can be lulled into the lie that it is natural for humans to lie, cheat, and steal in order to gain advantage.  Actually short term gains may lead to long term personal disaster.  Humans should not kill the weakest among us like the wolves do.  In fact the wolves survival actually depends upon the mercy and foresight of their human stewards.  

For me, the story of the three brothers, Cain, Abel, and Seth is one of the most disturbing and revealing in the Bible.  The actions of all three brothers’ are referenced in the context of their birth.  The horrible things that happen are happening to mature children.  There is a sense of dependence on their parents.  Their tragedy is directly the result of bad parenting.  It is as if they are doomed from the beginning because of their parents mistakes.

Adam is completely mute throughout the story of the three brothers and Eve is credited with referring to Cain and Seth’s birth as a blessing from God, whereas Abel, the child who is murdered by his brother, says nothing about his birth.  The inconsistency of the blessing announcement says a lot about Eve’s parenting skills.  My understanding is reinforced by careful observation of the two statements.  Cain is placed on his mother’s breast and she says, “I have acquired a man from the Lord.”  Seth is placed on his mother’s breast and she says, “For God has appointed another seed for me instead of Able whom Cain killed.”  Abel is laid on her breast and she has no words, silence is still a statement.

When read together, the three statements illustrate Eve’s selfishness born of her poor handling of her insecurity.  Her first statement begins with “I.”  This is not a prayer of thanksgiving, it is not a statement of love for her new child, it is a declaration of how she has found favor with God.  The statement over Seth’s birth only confirms her self obsession.  In this statement she again focuses the birth on God’s blessing for her and she does so through a damning statement about Cain the murderer.  Her silence over Abel’s birth diminishes any argument that she routinely thanks God for the gift of her children.  However, Adam’s silence throughout the narrative is the most deplorable.  We can feel sorry for Eve and her insecurity, but Adam camouflages his poor parenting culpability by playing the role of the absent father, a continuation of the absent husband.  Adam likewise handles insecurity poorly.  The result is chaos, which always leads to tragedy. 

Although Cain certainly had free will, and even received special counseling from God himself, he is obviously a child in the midst of a chaotic family.  Certainly, the interchange between Cain and Abel establishes the necessity of living by the principle, “The first shall be last and the servant of all.”  And if the powerful and privileged do not live to help others then the second principle, “The first shall be last and the last shall be first,” will be imposed by the laws of creation.  

BUT WHERE I FIND THE GREATEST HOPE FOR THE FUTURE IS:

THE CHOICE OF SETH’S NAME

AND

HIS BIRTH’S PLACEMENT IN THE LINEAGE.

TOMORROW AND THE PEACE THAT PASSES UNDERSTANDING