Cain and Abel: Sin for di Door

Two brothers waka go one field. Na only one of dem waka come back. And then one voice ask di question wey Cain dey hope say nobody go ask. Where your brother dey?

Outside di garden, life continue. Adam and Eve get one son, and Eve name am Cain. With di help of di Lord, I don get man pikin, she talk. Then dem born second son, Abel. Di boys grow and dem choose different kind of work. Abel dey keep sheep and goats. Cain dey work di ground, e dey plant and harvest, di same ground wey dey grow thorns and thistles now. Two brothers, two ways of life, one family wey dey try make home for di east side of Eden.

As time dey go, di two brothers bring offering give di Lord. Cain bring some of di fruit of di ground. Abel bring some of di first born of im flock, and di best parts. And di Lord look Abel and im offering with favour. But Cain and im offering, e no look dem like dat. Genesis no stop to explain why, and people don dey wonder since dat time. Some people dey point say Abel bring di very first and di very best. Di letter to di Hebrews for di New Testament talk say Abel offer im sacrifice by faith. Wetin Genesis show us clear clear na how Cain react. E vex well well, and im face fall.

Then di Lord talk to Cain, gently and direct. Why you dey vex? Why your face fall? If you do wetin dey right, I no go accept you? But if you no do wetin dey right, sin dey crouch for di door. E want to hold you, but you must rule over am. Picture am. Sin, like wild animal, wey dey wait just outside di door, ready to jump. God never give up on Cain. E dey give am warning and choice. Time still dey to turn back.

But Cain no listen. E talk to im brother Abel. And when dem dey inside di field, Cain rise against im brother and kill am. Di Bible tell am for only one sentence, and na so we go tell am too. Then di Lord ask, Where Abel your brother dey? And Cain answer with lie, as if e no care at all. I no know. Na me be my brother keeper?

Wetin you don do? di Lord talk. Di blood of your brother dey cry reach me from di ground. Di ground wey Cain work hard no go give am im strength again. E go be person wey dey wander up and down for di earth, wey no get rest. Now fear catch Cain. My punishment too much pass wetin I fit carry. Anybody wey find me go kill me. And here di story surprise us. God no abandon am. E put one mark for Cain, so dat anybody wey find am no go kill am, and e declare say anybody wey harm Cain go suffer for am seven times. Even for Cain, God put boundary of mercy. Then Cain comot from di presence of di Lord, and e settle for di land of Nod, for di east side of Eden.

One small detail dey for di Hebrew wey English and Pidgin no fit show. God tell Cain say e go be nad, person wey dey wander. And where Cain end up? For di land of Nod. Di name of di place sound just like di word for wandering. Cain settle for di Land of Wandering. E try to put down root, but di play on words show say e no ever really find rest. People wey study Genesis don point out dis play on words since long time, one out of many for dis early chapters.

Cain and Abel. You go find am for Genesis chapter four, verse one to sixteen. Cain ask whether na im be im brother keeper, and di rest of di Bible keep dey answer, yes, we suppose dey care for one another. But before anything happen, God warn Cain say sin dey crouch for di door, and say e fit rule over am. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. When vex dey wait for your door, wetin go help you rule over am?