Build on the True Foundation

From: joie (Original Message)

Sent: 1/3/2004 12:05 PM

~~ The Land of Nod ~~

Today is December 13, 2003. Until yesterday, I had no idea what the Land of Nod is. I thought, as does everyone else, that it was just some place on this earth to which Cain went and built his city. But yesterday as I was reading my message on Women in Christ, God spoke to me and told me different. Here is what He was revealed to me on the Land of Nod.

In order to understand what the land of Nod is, you must go back to the punishment God placed upon Cain after he rose up and killed his brother, Abel. Remember that Cain and Abel had brought two different types of sacrifice to God. Abel’s had been accepted and Cain’s had not. For this reason Cain was angry and killed Abel. Now you need to understand what these two men offered to God. It has never been taught by revelation, only in carnal lies.

It said Cain was a ‘tiller�?of the ‘ground�? Now what do these words mean spiritually? This is what you need to find out. Go to the Strong’s Hebrew # 5647. This shows that to till means to serve or enslave, keep in bondage, compel [= bring under laws of commandments, labour, transgress. So this proves what I have said before, that the Law is the Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil. This was Adam’s sin, he ate of the wrong way of serving God, he went to law. Now Cain also went to the works of the law instead of serving God by pure faith, or grace. The entire working of God with man is a battle between law and grace. Law is of Satan, or Adam, but Grace is of God, or Jesus. I have said this before I could prove it, just as I saw that Adam was Satan before I could prove it. But here is the solid proof. Tilling the ground meant Cain came to God under the works of the law, or self-worship. God rejected this form of worship and service. He has always rejected law and he always will. Tilling the ground means the works of the flesh; self righteousness.

Now this proves that Cain had placed himself under the law. But see that he broke the law by killing his brother. This was his damnation. Tilling the ground also meant to enslave, so Cain was bringing others in under the bondage of law. When people try to place you under the law, they are enslaving you, or tilling your ground. Cain never did repent. He refused to acknowledge his sin when God brought him to judgment = when God confronted him about what he had done.

Now when God talked with Cain about this he said to him, Gen. 4: 7. If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

This ‘door�?here represents the entrance into the land of darkness one enters into at death if they leave this world as a sinner. Sin was lying at this door for Cain if he did not repent and do well or right. His desire represents an ‘overflowing�? ‘Thou shalt rule over him�? This shows having dominion or being as a governor.

So this is showing that Cain would be the ruler over some place where sin is overflowing or running rampant. The ‘door�?or opening into this land would be Cain’s death. See God gave Cain a time to repent in as He does to everyone. He had said to Cain, If you do well I will accept you; but if you do not then sin lieth at the door. So God was telling Cain that unless he repents and lives right before he goes through that door of death, then he will be ruling in a land of darkness and sin.

Look up Nod in the Hebrews # 5112 & 5110. It means to wander or exile; to flee, disappear, and vagabond. So see that this is the proof. God told Cain you will be a fugitive and a vagabond. But it does not mean in his life-time. It is showing that in death, he was made to flee into exile, darkness, terror and continue there forever = walking to and fro without any rest. Remember that the raven Noah sent out to test the waters after the flood went to and fro without any rest for her feet? This showed the Cain spirit having to wander or flee from the ‘ark�?of safety. The Dove refused to do this. She returned to Noah until the waters were dried up off the earth. She represents the true Christians who stay with Jesus, the ark of grace.

Now this is a little off this message, but I wish to show it here. What was Abel’s offering? The false teachers all claim that Abel killed a lamb and brought it’s blood to God. But this is just not the answer. Remember that all Scripture is a symbolic language. Abel was accepted by God. Now there is only one way to be accepted by God and that is by pure faith or Grace. Killing lambs is of the law. This is the way God rejected, so Abel did not do this.

There have always been only these two ways of serving God = law and grace. Everything in the Whole Word is of either law or grace. So then we find that Abel came to God in pure faith, the NT way = grace. He offered his body a living sacrifice, holy and ACCEPTABLE to God. This is the only acceptable way to serve God. God never at any time REQUIRED any animals blood for a sacrifice for sins. Men have brought up this false teaching because of a lack of true revelation or understanding of the Word.

Now look up ‘firstlings�?in Hebrew # 1062; 1060 & 1069. All of these meanings of the Hebrew word ‘firstlings�?means the firstborn or to bring forth the first born of children or beast. Now it was a command of God to bring the firstborn child to God and sanctify that first child to God. Now it can mean the firstborn of his children or beast. So if Abel did not have children, he was bringing his firstborn and finest cattle to God.

The ‘fat�?is from Hebrew # 2459 and means the finest or choice part. So Abel was bringing his best to God as a living sacrifice. He was not killing his lamb. This is not God’s way. This was the NT way of grace. God said his acceptable sacrifice is present your body a LIVING Sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. God accepted Abel’s sacrifice, so this has to be what he did. Abel did as the NT Christians did = he gave his all to God, or esteemed that everything he had was already God’s. He would thus do with all of himself and his possessions anything God told him to do. This was Abel’s sacrifice.

Cain is the one who tried to come in by the works of the law, so he probably did kill a lamb and offer its blood to God, thus denying the future blood sacrifice of Jesus.

Rev. 2: 20. Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

21. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.

22. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.

23. And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.

Now we see from this Scripture that the whore, the people who turned away from Serving the true God to committing fornication against God, that He gives them all space, or time to repent in. This space or time is their life-time here in this life. When they refuse to use this time for repentance then he kills her ‘children�?with death. This means they entered into this land of darkness on the other side of this life.

So how does one enter into this land of darkness? Let the Word of God tell us, for He is the only source of that knowledge.

~ Entrance into the Land of Nod~

Job 27: 13. This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage of oppressors, which they shall receive of the Almighty.

14. If his children be multiplied, it is for the sword: and his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread.

15. Those that remain of him shall be buried in death: and his widows shall not weep.

16. Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay;

17. He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver.

18. He buildeth his house as a moth, and as a booth that the keeper maketh.

19. The rich man shall lie down, but he shall not be gathered: he openeth his eyes, and he is not.

20. Terrors take hold on him as waters, a tempest stealeth him away in the night.

21. The east wind carrieth him away, and he departeth: and as a storm hurleth him out of his place.

22. For God shall cast upon him, and not spare: he would fain flee out of his hand.

23. Men shall clap their hands at him, and shall hiss him out of his place.

Job is, as all the people spoken of in the Word of God = the things written of him in the Word are to be taken and read as of Jesus. The only reason anything is told in the Word is that it represents what is true of Jesus. Job, knowing the revelation of where the wicked go at death spoke in this chapter that he will not ...I can explain this better by showing you the full chapter; so here is the beginning of this chapter:

Job 27: 1 Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,

2. As God liveth, who hath taken away my judgment; and the Almighty, who hath vexed my soul;

3. All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils;

4. My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.

5. God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me.

6. My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.

7. Let mine enemy be as the wicked, and he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous.

8. For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul?

9. Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him?

10. Will he delight himself in the Almighty? will he always call upon God?

11. I will teach you by the hand of God: that which is with the Almighty will I not conceal.

12. Behold, all ye yourselves have seen it; why then are ye thus altogether vain?`

See Job says that as long as he LIVES he will hold to his intergrity and not speak wickedness or deceit. Verse six, I will hold fast my righteousness and not let it go, so long as I LIVE. Job, being a prophet knew the revelation I am going to show in this message. So He would do anything to keep from going through that door Cain went through.

Verse eight-- He shows that no matter what the hypocrite gains here, he has no hope when God takes away his soul. So this proves we are speaking of when one dies. When he said let mine enemies be as the wicked, this is Jesus. If you are an enemy of Jesus, this will be your portion at death. Will God hear his cry at the time of death? (9)

Now this leads us up to the time of the death of the wicked. Go back to verse 13. It speaks of the portion of a wicked man and the oppressors which they shall receive of God.

His children will be given to the sword, or God’s destruction. All that remain of him shall be buried in DEATH. Go back to the Scripture in Rev. 2. He said I will kill her children with death. So then this death spoken of here is not what we call death. It is not the breath leaving ones body. It is the place they go to after that happens. See that it said kill them with death. It said buried in death. So it means that after they die the natural death, they go to a land of Death. This is Cain’s land. He is the governor there. So DEATH is the Land of Nod.

Verses 16 & 17 show that all his riches he has gained in life will be given to the righteous and not his descendants.

Verse 19 is important. Remember that the Word says of the righteous that when they die they are GATHERED? Abraham died and was gathered to his people, etc.

19- The rich man dies but is not gathered. He OPENS his eyes, and HE IS NOT.

Is NOT means he is not here in this earth, alive. Proof?

Gen. 5:24. And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

See after God took Enoch, he was not. This means he was no longer here in the land of the living.

Opens his eyes after death? Yes. Proof? Yes.

Luke 16:22. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;

23. And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. Lazarus died and was carried or gathered to Abraham. Isaac died and was gathered to his people = to Abraham. This is a land of Paradise one goes to at death if they have been a righteous person. Nod is a land of torment one goes to after death if they are wicked.

The rich man died and in lift up his eyes, being in torments and sees that land afar off = where Abraham and Lazarus are. So this proves that after one dies and enters into the Land of Nod or torment, the open their eyes and still have their conscious facilities.

Now back to one’s entrance into this Land of Nod.

Job 19 has shown that this person died but was not gathered. He did not go to Paradise. He opens his eyes and he is not proves this person has died and entered into the land of horrors beyond our veil.

Verse 20- terrors take hold on him as ‘waters�? this is that overflowing I showed you in Gen. about Cain. which ‘desire�?meant. A tempest steals this person away in the night. The night here represents his darkness as death catches him.

Verse 21- a storm HURLETH him out of his place, or his body or house he lived in while in this life. He is violently jerked out of his body and hurled somewhere else. The east wind carried him away, he departs. This is his death. He departed this life.[This is an explanation of the ‘east�?wind. It means going away from, or death. As one goes toward the ‘west�?they are dying or going away. So to go to the east of a place means leaving it].

Verse 22- He wishes he could flee out of his hand, for God cast upon him, and did not spare.

Verse 23- Men clap their hands at him, and shall HISS him out of his place.

This shows evil men who have already departed this life standing there clapping their hands as he is hurled into this horrible place of terror and they hiss him out of his body.

In Job 24 we have more on how wicked live and verse 17 shows the same thing, that at the shadow of death they are in terrors of the shadow of death. So this confirms it. This chapter tells in detail the nature of this fake ministry in our land today and shows their end to be the same as any wicked person. I intend to take this chapter as a separate message and show this.

Now one more confirmation:

Job 18: 5. Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out, and the spark of his fire shall not shine. [This is his death.]

6. The light shall be dark in his tabernacle, and his candle shall be put out with him.[This is also showing his death].

7. The steps of his strength shall be straitened, and his own counsel shall cast him down. [His own counsel cast him down means his own mind in his lifetime led him to rebel against God, for he lifted himself up as self-sufficient].

8. For he is cast into a net by his own feet, and he walketh upon a snare.[This net is the land of Nod].

9. The gin shall take him by the heel, and the robber shall prevail against him.[The ‘robber�?is those who tried to get to Heaven some way other than through Jesus; so this causes him to go to hell, the Land of Nod].

10. The snare is laid for him in the ground, and a trap for him in the way.

11. Terrors shall make him afraid on every side, and shall drive him to his feet.

12. His strength shall be hunger bitten, and destruction shall be ready at his side.

13. It shall devour the strength of his skin: even the firstborn of death shall devour his strength.[Devouring the strength of his skin means his physical death.]

14. His confidence shall be rooted out of his tabernacle, and it shall bring him to the king of terrors.[His confidence was his idea that he was self-sufficient and did not need God; that he would be here forever, but now it takes him into the jaws of hell, the land of terrors where Cain is the king].

15. It shall dwell in his tabernacle, because it is none of his: brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation.[This brimstone bears out that this is hell fire].[Remember that God said hell was created for the devil and his angels? This devil is Cain.]

16. His roots shall be dried up beneath, and above shall his branch be cut off.

17. His remembrance shall perish from the earth, and he shall have no name in the street.[This shows his entire family line being cut off out of the earth shortly after his natural death. This happened to Cain and to Judas].

18. He shall be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world.[Now it is easy to see from this verse that this is speaking of leaving this life and being chased into another world or horror].

19. He shall neither have son nor nephew among his people, nor any remaining in his dwellings.

20. They that come after him shall be astonied at his day, as they that went before were affrighted.

21. Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked, and this is the place of him that knoweth not God.

5-9- this shows death.

10- This speaks of the same terror or horror which chapter 27 spoke of. This trap laid in the ground is the Land of Nod.

11- Terror shall make him afraid on ever side. This is as he is dying. It drives him to his feet on the other side, in the Land of Nod, or terrors and torments.

12 & 13 speak of his death.

14 is powerful. It shows that all this person’s confidence he has in this life is now gone from his body and it brings him to the KING OF TERRORS. This King of Terrors is the King of Babylon, Satan or Adam and Cain. They are the rulers here. God told Cain, sin lieth at the door (his death) and you shall rule over him. This is the Land of Nod where Cain and Adam are king. [Now being king does not signify ruling as in earth; it shows the power of their way of life leading one into destruction.

Jude 10. But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.

11. Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain. This is how he ‘rules�?/FONT>

15--Terror dwells in his tabernacle (where he now lives); BRIMSTONE shall be scattered upon his habitation. This is the habitation he is now in after departing the tabernacle of this life, his human body.

16 shows the total destruction of Adam and Cain’s kingdom on earth. It also shows that Cain was as Judas in that his posterity was cut off shortly after his death.

Now I know a false teaching went forth in our day saying that the Serpent was an animal creature which Eve committed adultery with and bore Cain from this. It says that Cain’s descendents are even down to our day and are descendents of that serpent and therefore can never be saved. But I will prove to you that Cain’s descendents were cut off shortly after his death. This prophesy in Job here goes all the way back to Cain and down to Judas showing that men of these two families died out shortly after their decease. So this is proof that the decedents of Cain did not even exist at the time of the flood of Noah. We were taught by the false prophet of our day that Cain’s line crossed the flood and exist today, and cannot be saved. See this is another proof that this prophet taught lies. The prophet that teacheth lies is the tail, or end of things. So we are at the end.

Now read what God did to Cain: Gen. 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.

Thou hast driven me out from the face of the earth. This shows that Cain would not be on the entire face of this earth; he was driven out to wander or be a fugitive. But this is in the spirit world; not here in this earth on its face. I do not think just having to move from one place to another here would have been unbearable to Cain. Besides that it said that he went and DWELT in the Land of Nod. It did not show him moving from one town to another here in this life. It also shows that when he went to this land of Nod, he had gone away from the presence of the Lord. On the ‘east�?of Eden shows he went away from it.

You may say well then it says Cain knew his wife; yes people have always thought it was saying that Cain first went to Nod, then there he knew his wife. But this is not how it is to be taken. It only shows the complete thing of what happened to Cain after God brought him to judgment and pronounced upon him his punishment. But then it goes back and picks up with another part of Cain’s life when he did know his wife.

Cain’s lineage ends in this chapter four of Genesis. He is shown to have seven generations of children and no more are ever given. The prophecy that they would be cut off without even a nephew was fulfilled and no more of Cain’s line is in the earth.

Noah descended from Seth’s line and none of Cain’s line was on that ark. So we have none of Cain’s descendents in the earth.

Adam’s and Cain’s race were at first in an immortal state. (Eze. 28). They were driven from that immortal state to a mortal, corruptible state. This was their first ‘punishment�?which was more than they could bear. They could never again be in that glorious Spirit realm. Now they were in the prison of human flesh. In this state, they were ‘dead�?in trespasses and sins. They were made to run to and fro in this state. The four spirits of the heaven strove upon the great sea of mankind. Out of this came the four kingdoms who ruled this earth. Their spirits now roam to and fro in the invisible spirit world. They cause all the blood shed and evil on this earth. They have caused their terror in the land of the living.

Heb 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

This shows that Jesus came here as human flesh and blood. He died to redeem us from that evil spirit of the devil, Cain and Adam. He will rule over the kingdom eternally and not the spirit of Cain and Adam. Thus he turned it to mankind and out of their spirit hands. This verse shows that the devil, which is Adam and Cain had the power of death. That is what it meant that he would rule over him. But now we who follow Jesus and are filled with the Holy Ghost are delivered from that death and given new life. We walk in Grace and not law. Law is what imprisons. It is the land of death. It is bondage. Grace is life and freedom. Jesus is life and grace.

Those who choose to follow law are in the land of death. They refuse life. The law demands death for every disobedience. Grace forgives the sin. There is no faith in law. So Cain tried to serve God without any faith. He came by works and was rejected. He is the Satan who is accusing the brethern before the Lord. As long as Job clung to his self-righteousness, he did not know God. But when God revealed himself to Job, he said I repent in sackcloth and ashes. He said I now loath myself. This is the one who repents and finds life. This is the ‘breath�?coming into the dead bones and joining us together as one. Jesus took the divided kingdom and brought it together as one. We became one again in the hands of Jesus. The division of law and grace has no part with those who are filled with the Holy Ghost. It is all grace or life. This started on the Day of Pentecost.

By: Jo Smith ~ finished this on Jan. 3, 2004.

From: Isaiah

Sent: 1/7/2004 12:22 AM

Joie, I thought I would post the message that was done on Briers and Thorns here to because it links with some of your message.

Briers and Thorns

Heb.-6:8- But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.

Acts-9:5-And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

2-Cor-12:7-And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

Ok what is these scriptures trying to tell us that old covenant was to be rejected or become a castaway. Those still under that old conveant will become acurse along with that O.T. covenant because they have rejected Jesus.

We know that he was rejected and that law has become acurse if we look at the following scriptures:

MAT-21:42-43-Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

021:043 -Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. [ see he said that the kingdom of God would be taken from them in other words those under the old coveant.]

Gal.3:10- showing that the law was nigh unto cursing- For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

Acts-9:5- What Jesus was saying to Paul here was I know it is hard for you to go against [kick] that old convenant. You were trained or brought up under the best teachers there was.

So we see that thorn in Peter’s flesh as this [prick] one of the meanings to thorn is prick. See he was brought up under that law and it was hard from him to depart from this thing. More on this later

Acts- 9:9- And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. [ see Paul was made to be blinded but unbeknown to Paul he was already blind. He was as the blind leading the blind he thought that he was doing God a favor by persecuting the true people of God as some of you are by holding to that old covenant.

The reason that Paul was made blinded was that he was so well trained in this old covenant that the Lord had to blind him to that old covenant.

In other words he had to untrain him so that he could train him again. I hope this makes sense to you. See the training that Paul first had was from man’s teaching. Now it was going to be the anointing doing the teaching. See that is what is happing to a lots of people today they are going on what man is teaching not what the anointing is teaching.

Gal.-1:11-12-But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. [ from this we see that he was not preaching that old covenant way any more because we know that way was of man. The bible said that the law was given by Moses. From this we can see that Paul was no longer preaching the law. That is why Paul said I die daily he was dieing out to that law of Moses.]

001:012 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. [ now Paul has come to the revelation or Jesus Christ he begins to preach a new and living way the N. T. way.]

1John- 2:27- But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. [See he said it was the anointing. Now how many of you know what the anointing is? John goes on and explains that it is that which ye have received of him that abideth in you. Now tell me what that is? The Holy Ghost is what we received from him. Without the Holy Ghost as they received on the day of Pentecost you will never see that these briers and thorns were the law and 10 commandments.

See he said you need no man to teach you�?Even as it has taught you

Ye shall abide in him. What does this mean abiding in him?

The word abide means to stay in one place, continue, remain. In other words he was saying stay over here in the N.T. and you remain over here where my spirit is. Continue over here there is death over in that old covenant there is no spirit over there. It is the spirit that gives us life. Continue here don’t go back to what I hated and done away with .

There is nothing over in that O.T. covenant but briers and thorns and their end is to be burned. He was saying that God had no more pleasure in that law and those 10 commandments.

Heb.-10:5-9- Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:

010:006 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.

010:007 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.

010:008 Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;

010:009 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second

Eph.-2:15- Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; [ the word ordinances here means law civil, ceremonial, eccl. Eccl. I think stands for ec-cle’si-as’tic which means clergyman] Whoa did I look at this right? Yes I did now where are all you law keepers that say the ceremonial laws are still in existence for us today? I think even if the word ceremonial is not in the bible this still kills your theory. It said he has abolished what? The law of commandments. He said make in himself of twain [in other words they were divided so he did away one [O.T.] to make a new man [N. T.]

To see more on these briers and thorns let’s go to beginning where it all started. Let’s go to Genesis 4:1-

004:001-- And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.

004:002-- And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

004:003-- And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.

OK to see what the fruits of the ground was that Cain brought unto the Lord as an offering, let’s go to Genesis 3:17-18

003:017-- And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

003:018 --Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;

So we see from this that the offering that Cain brought to the Lord was already cursed. That is what the Old Testament law was, it was a curse to God. The people that are trying to live and go by the Old Testament covenant, you are offering God thorns and thistles.

Cain was of the first man Adam, because in Genesis 4:1 we can say that he was the firstborn.

1 Cor.-15:45-47-- “And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.�?/STRONG>

015:046-- “Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.�?/STRONG>

015:047-- “The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven.�?

( That is the way that it had been all down through the Scripture. As in the case of Esau and Jacob. Cain and Able. Esau and Cain, also was showing the earthly, or natural, the first man Adam. Able and Jacob were symbolizing the spiritual on the second man Jesus.)
OK, now that we have seen this let me show you something here. We know from Scripture that the first man Adam was not spiritual by that which is natural. 1 Corinthians 15
⁴⁶   Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
1 Corinthians 2¹⁴   But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discernedRomans 8 ⁷   Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

So after saying all of this we can see the reason that God did not accept Cain’s offering. He was trying to enter in by the briers and thorns, that Old Testament covenant. He was trying to enter in by the blood of Bulls, sheep, goats, tithing, Sabbath keeping, priest, prophets and all these other things that you had to do according to the Old Testament covenant.

What happened to Cain he became entangled in these briers and thorns and they choked him to death.

Matthew 13²²   He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
( See the word thorns here represent that Old Testament covenant. Also while I am here let me show you something else.)

Matthew 13¹⁹   When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
( Who was the wicked one that he was talking about here? Well let me try to show you.)

1 John 3¹²   Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.
(So what I see from here is that is that the first man Adam was the wicked one which was the carnal mind that was in man. So can’t you see what we just read, that the carnal mind is enmity against God.

Matthew 13²⁰   But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
(These stony places are the same thing as the briers and thorns. We know from Scripture that the ten Commandments were written on stone.)

^13- 21   Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
So we see that these briers and thorns( Old Testament covenant) will try to choke out the true word of God.

It is just like a man that has got stuck in quicksand ( miry clay) the more he tried to free himself the deeper he sunk. So if you’re trying to build your house on sand or miry clay it is going to sink deeper and deeper. You’re building it on briers and thorns.)

Psalm 40²   He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.
( The miry clay here represents the Old Testament covenant because it was earthly.)

OK, now that we have seen that these briers and thorns were things of the Old Testament covenant. Let me try to show you something here again with Cain.

In Genesis 4:7- If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. ( In other words he gave Cain the chance to repent and bring the same offering to him as did Able, and we will see what that offering was.)

Acts 3¹⁹   Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.

( We can see from this if Cain had repented God would have forgiven him and blotted out his sins.)

OK, to see the offering that Abel brought to God let us go back to chapter 4 of Genesis versus 4.

Genesis 4: 4.= And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering: ( OK, let me show you some of these meanings of these words.

First let’s start with the word firstling- Strong's Number: 1062 -feminine of 1060; the firstling of man or beast; abstractly primogeniture: -birthright, firstborn(-ling).

Strong's Number: 1060- from 1069; firstborn; hence, chief: -eldest (son), firstborn(-ling).

Strong's Number: 1069 - a primitive root; properly, to burst the womb, i.e. (causatively) bear or make early fruit (of woman or tree); also (as denominative from 1061) to give the birthright: -make firstborn, be firstling, bring forth first child (new fruit). ( Very interesting and we can see from this that Abel inherited the birth right that rightfully belong to Cain. There is more here that meets the eye that I do not want to get into at this time.)

And of the fat thereof. ( The word fat does not mean what a lots of you think.)

Strong's Number: 2459 - from an unused root meaning to be fat; fat, whether literally or figuratively; hence, the richest or choice part: -X best, fat(-ness), X finest, grease, marrow.

John 2- 10. And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. (So what I am saying from this is that Able gave the New Testament way. First of all you give all of yourself to God and you give him the best. See he save the last for the best, he said that which is worse was that which was first those briers and thorns that we have been referring to.

You see that Abel gave the New Testament way-

Romans 12:1- �?I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.�?

( That is what Abel did be presented his body a living sacrifice and that is the only sacrifice that God will accept in the New Testament. We know that he did present his body because it cost him his life.

Also a shadow and type of Jesus Christ. I can go on and on but I think I will stop here. Maybe this study will help someone, I don’t know whether it will or not that I have done my best to bring this forth, in other words I have gave you the fat, and also have presented my body a living sacrifice and that is all that God wants and that is a reasonable service

May God Bless.

Important Announcement The MSN Groups service will close in February 2009. You can move your group to Multiply, MSN’s partner for online groups. Learn More
Build on the True Foundation	[email protected]