Quote:
Great question. Short answer, no. However, physical death as penalty could not be administered because of the absence of law. God’s words to him tells us that he gave no commandment concerning murder / killing of others.
God was guided by His sense of justice set in His purposes for man’s understanding. We must remember that Cain had no advocator to argue his case, either way. Neither did Adam.
Sounds to me like Adam drew the short straw, LOL! And, Cain got off scot-free. Your motto/slogan reflects... God is the same today, tomorrow, and yesterday... So, where's God's righteousness in Cain siring a family and building a city? There's only one advocate before the Father, His son Jesus as we both agree. No one advocated for Er and Onan, and God snuffed 'em both. But, Cain got scot-free? So much for God being the same today, tomorrow, and yesterday!
What was death to God at that point in time??
It's not just death, CR. Cain premeditated the murder of his innocent brother.
Did not Adam “murder” by his by his “vain” act? How is Cain’s “vain” act any different in God’s eyes than Adam's except Cain simply brought it all into focus for us on an individual basis, something we can 'touch'?
I have no dispute with the vanity aspect, CR. Abel's blood crieth out from the ground. Cain was a cold-blooded murderer. At least Adam tried to blame Eve, LOL! She confessed she was beguiled (Genesis 3:13 KJV). Do you hear any remorse from Cain? Whose blood crieth out from the ground in the case of Adam and Eve? God is the author of the law, He doesn't have to write it to execute it. So, please explain Cain's punishment, or accept Cain's acquittal based on a technicality. It that justice?
Because of the written law, God later through Jesus relegated the whole deal to a crime of the thoughts of man, origin-ed in his heart, as being of equal substance with the actual violation. Why? if not for us to recognize it to be a heart issue in us that first needed reconciling with Him before it could be rectified by us. cf 1 Pet 1:22 KJV.
I've no argument to your claim, CR. The Gentiles had a form of law written in their hearts, a conscience, knowing right from wrong not being subject to the law, written or otherwise.
So what was written on Cain's heart that wasn't guided by his own vain thinking, as was everyone else's? There was no other indwelling for guidance, spirit of God. Adam was made an independent nature. Hence, the reason for any given law written either on the heart or or on paper.. Cain lived by vanity, a heart law__ God subjected him to, He was told he needed to rule over, Rom 8:20 KJV; Gen 4:7 KJV.
There's a significant difference between Adam's and Eve's transgression, and Cain's, CR. Adam and Eve were externally influenced by Satan. There is no record Cain was externally influenced: Cain was a bad seed. No remorse, no excuse, rotten to the core. And, Cain gets off scot-free on a technicality?
He succeeded where Adam and Cain failed. He overruled his "vain" nature .hat is how he found great favor with God.
Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations. I proffer Noah's sense of justice was exhibited when he drew a line in the sand separating the Sethites/Gentile-'Japhethites' from the 'Hamites'/Canaanites... Noah was playing the same hand he realized God demonstrated separating the Cainites from the Sethites. Maybe you can offer a scriptural example how Noah "overruled his 'vain' nature"?
Judah was after the written law.
So, you're suggesting God snuffing Judah's two elder Canaanite sons Er and Onan (Genesis 38:6, 7, 8, 9, 10) "was after the written law." I don't suppose you can render up such law? Judah passing his widowed daughter-in-law Tamar from the deceased Er, to Er's next eldest brother Onan, demonstrated Judah's attempt at Deuteronomy 25:5, 6 long before the law. God doesn't need a law, CR. God is the lawgiver.
So, Cain got off scot-free on a 'pre-law' technicality by the God who is the same today, tomorrow, and yesterday. Am I summarizing your position accurately?
kayaker