Notorious

An Integrated Study of the Rogues, Scoundrels, and Scallywags of Scripture

Jeff Lucas

• Publisher: David C Cook
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN:
  9780830778676
• eBook ISBN:
  9780830779185
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Ministry

Notorious: An Integrated Study of the Rogues, Scoundrels, and Scallywags of Scripture by teaching pastor Jeff Lucas will take your congregation through nine weeks of personal and small group study time. You'll see the antagonists of the Bible in new light and discover that there is much we can learn from their lives. Each session features:

• A group study with discussion questions, Scripture references, and a shared devotion
• Seven days of individual devotions to deepen each member's understanding of Scripture and appreciation for the featured character

SESSION 1

Cain

The Call to Authentic Worship

CONNECTING WITH ONE ANOTHER

What’s your favorite worship song, and why?

KEY THOUGHT THIS SESSION

We are all called to worship, and if we don’t worship God His way, we’ll end up worshipping something or somebody else—even ourselves!

SCRIPTURE TO READ

Genesis 4:2–16

Now Abel kechappt flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

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.”

Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”

“I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

The LORD said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.”

Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is more than I can bear. Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”

But the LORD said to him, “Not so; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. So Cain went out from the LORD’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

Hebrews 11:4

By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings.

1 John 3:12

Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous.

Romans 12:1

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

Worship. It’s a subject that can cause a lot of conversation—and conflict—among Christians. Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised at that, because the first murder recorded in human history centered on worship! Cain was envious of the divine favor that Abel enjoyed, even though both men had brought offerings of worship to the Lord.

There are many issues that arise from Cain’s story, not least because the Bible makes reference to him outside of the Genesis account. It’s about anger and jealousy. The writer to the Hebrews speaks of “righteous” Abel and the faith that he expressed in worship. Jude writes about “the way of Cain”—and most commentators think that this refers to Cain deciding to worship his way rather than God’s way.

But before we consider these important lessons, let’s ask: How did Cain and Abel know that one offering had been accepted, while the other was rejected? Jewish tradition has it (and Christian tradition has embraced the idea) that Abel’s offering was consumed by fire that fell from heaven—that happened in five other examples in Old Testament history (Lev. 9:23–24; Judg. 6:21; 13:19–20; 1 Kings 18:30–39; 2 Chron. 7:1). Notable Christian figures like John Chrysostom, Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther, John Owen, and Franz Delitzsch believed that fire descended on Abel’s offering. Whatever the means by which approval was shown, we immediately see this principle: worship is what brings pleasure to God rather than gratifying our own personal likes and preferences. But that’s not to say that there are no benefits to the worshipper.

Participating in worship can strengthen our faith, enable us to focus on what is good and true, deepen our sense of community, and grant us emotional release and strength—to name but a few of the blessings and benefits! But while worship brings us to that right place in our relationship with the Lord—He is the exalted holy One; we are His people—let’s always remember that worship is primarily about ministry to God. Let’s recall that truth, especially when the song or style is not to our liking!

Worship calls us to embrace mystery. We’ve seen that when Cain and Abel each brought their offerings, Cain’s was rejected. Some commentators say that there is no explanation needed for this whatsoever, that God is God and if He chooses to disapprove for whatever reason or no reason, then that’s up to Him. In a moment we’ll consider some possible answers, but for now let’s just affirm the truth that God does not always explain His actions, and when we try to fill in the “blanks” that we believe God has not filled, we rush into speculation and may even hurt people as a result. The most obvious example of this can be found when Christians navigate sickness.

Prayers for healing are rightly offered, but then believers start to speculate about the reasons for the sickness and possible obstacles to healing. Those who are suffering suffer more when they are told, bluntly, that they don’t have enough faith, that there is sin in their lives, or that there are dark episodes in their ancestry that are causing the illness. The Bible does offer a cause-and-effect answer for some sicknesses, but to jump to conclusions and proffer a speculative “diagnosis” can be so hurtful. Let’s know that it’s okay not to know.

Worship also calls for obedience. As we’ve seen, some believe that when the Bible talks about “the way of Cain,” this describes an attitude of wanting to worship according to how we want to worship, rather than in a way that God orders and prescribes. It’s possible that Cain and Abel knew that worship called for a blood sacrifice (even though this obviously happened prior to the giving of the Old Testament law). In bringing an offering of an animal, perhaps Abel already saw the need for atonement for his sins. Pastor Kent Hughes wrote:

God had evidently given explicit instructions to Cain and Abel indicating that only animal sacrifices were acceptable. Very likely they learned this through their parents, Adam and Eve, because Genesis 3:21 indicates that after that couple’s sin and fall, God provided garments of animals slain to clothe their nakedness—an implicit inference that animal blood was spilled in direct response to their sin. While it is true that the categories of ritual animal sacrifices were not established until Moses’ time, the earliest believers nevertheless met at the altar on the basis of blood sacrifice (Genesis 8:20–22; 15:1–11).

Not only had God communicated his will regarding the necessity of animal sacrifices, but if, as we think, he communicated this first to Adam and Eve, then Cain and Abel had been conforming to the practice for some 100 years, because Cain was 129 years old at this time. ¹

Whether or not this is true, we can definitely say that worship is about sacrifice. Abel brought “portions from some of the firstborn of his flock” (Gen. 4:4)—his best. “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:7), and so Abel found approval. Kent Hughes again:

By refusing to bring the prescribed offering, and instead presenting his garden produce, he was saying that one’s own good works and character is enough. Cain may have reasoned, “What I am presenting is far more beautiful than a bloody animal. I myself would prefer the lovely fruits of a harvest any day. And I worked far harder than Abel to raise my offering. It took real toil and sweat. And it is even of greater market value! Enough of this animal sacrifice business, God. My way is far better!”

Cain’s offering was a monument to pride and self-righteousness—“the way of Cain.” Abel, on the other hand, believed and obeyed God: “By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did.” He brought God what God wanted. This was acceptable worship. ²

Worship calls for the right attitude as well. Abel was called “righteous,” but Cain was told that sin was “crouchin...

Table of contents

• Introduction
• Bible Study Tips
• How to Get the Most Out of Your Small Group
• SESSION 1: Cain
• SESSION 2: The Elder Brother
• SESSION 3: Potiphar’s Wife
• SESSION 4: Saul the Persecutor
• SESSION 5: Michal, Daughter of King Saul
• SESSION 6: Jezebel
• SESSION 7: Judas Iscariot
• SESSION 8: Herod “the Great”
• SESSION 9: The Mob in Thessalonica
• Notes