創世記4:1-7

4:1 有一日，那人和他妻子夏娃同房，夏娃就懷孕，生了該隱（就是得的意思），便說：「耶和華使我得了一個男子。」
4:2 又生了該隱的兄弟亞伯。亞伯是牧羊的；該隱是種地的。
4:3 有一日，該隱拿地裡的出產為供物獻給耶和華；
4:4 亞伯也將他羊群中頭生的和羊的脂油獻上。耶和華看中了亞伯和他的供物，
4:5 只是看不中該隱和他的供物。該隱就大大地發怒，變了臉色。
4:6 耶和華對該隱說：「你為甚麼發怒呢？你為甚麼變了臉色呢？
4:7 你若行得好，豈不蒙悅納？你若行得不好，罪就伏在門前。它必戀慕你，你卻要制伏它。」

Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man.” ² Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.

Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. ³ In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. ⁴ 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, ⁵ but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.
⁶ Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? ⁷ 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.”

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    該隱表現出人性的弱點，尤其是他所預備的祭物不被上帝看重時，「就大大地發怒，變了臉色」！人都希望被看重，不要被拒絕。被拒絕的時候，覺得好像被羞辱。努力沒被人接受，好像白努力一場。這種感覺，讓人非常洩氣！

    該隱是大哥，好勝心是比弟弟強的，自視是非常高的，從來沒有去考慮上帝到底喜悅的是什麼，只覺得自己是很用心準備，上帝一定要接那不可以捨棄。這種「大兒子」的心態也常常發生在教會，總覺得自己是很熱心、很努力事奉上帝。但是從來不會想到，上帝不是要我們憑著自己的才幹來事奉，而是要倚靠主耶穌的恩典來服事。這是有很大的差別：因為我們自義來服事上帝，是以自我為中心，把榮耀歸給自己，承擔不起上帝得拒絕！然而倚靠主耶穌恩典服事，是想到自己是無能，惟有上帝能，會將榮耀歸給上帝，也承受了上帝得拒絕，因為清楚主權在上帝不是自己！

    所以，上帝對該隱說：「你為甚麼發怒呢？你為甚麼變了臉色呢？你若行得好，豈不蒙悅納？你若行得不好，罪就伏在門前。它必戀慕你，你卻要制伏它。」

    所謂「行得好」就是要倚靠耶穌基督所完成的恩典為基礎來服事上帝，而不是倚靠自己的努力和才幹！但是要有這樣的認識，必須透過聖靈的啟示與引導，不是人的教導。人的教導總是以自我為中心，不是以基督為中心！