The Mark of Cain

As I was reading in the Bible today (I was in Genesis 3-4 and Malachi 1-2), the Lord was accusing Israel of doing a lot of stuff that the Lord didn't like so much. It seems like Malachi's prophetic lot was to be a messenger of repentance, only. From the little text that we have from this guy, he just tells Israel what they're doing wrong, and how to fix it. Some interesting thoughts came to mind as I read the Garden of Eden debacle, with the serpent persuading Eve and Adam to partake of the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. I was revisiting a thought that my former mission president said during a mission reunion. Since the temple discusses the Garden of Eden thing in detail, and discusses the covenants that they made with the Lord, he said that the majority of the Garden of Eden thing is figurative, and not literal. I can't help but disagree. There is nothing I can base my assertion off of, except a feeling within my heart, telling me that these events actually happened.

As for the Cain/Abel sibling rivalry, I thought it was interesting that God put a mark on Cain. I think about myself, when I do things wrong, and as I have spoken to people who feel guilt for transgressions, I know that we taint ourselves. Our guilt gets the better of us, and our faces, demeanors, and countenances bear the mark of shame. Cain, who felt a vendetta against God and against his brother, Abel (whose sacrifice was accepted by God), lost all guilt with his evil action. He, obviously knowing that God knew of his crime against his brother, blatantly spat on God with his remark, "I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?". He was despicable. He knew what he did was wrong, he knew that God knew, and yet he still defiantly resists against his Father, who previously told him to try again with making a sacrifice. Since Cain did not feel the "Godly" sorrow for his action, God had to place something on him, to show the people of the world that sin does not pay off.

Our sorrows, our grief, our guilt, and our shame are worn on our faces, our countenances. I'm sure you've felt it before. I know I have, when I walk past someone and I just know that they have done something truly despicable in the eyes of God. I don't care about the physical mark that was placed on Cain as a result of his evil. But something that we have inherited from our forefathers is the vibe, aura, feeling (or whatever you want to call it) that we permeate from ourselves. When we are good, when we are caring, when we are generous, we emit an aura of confidence and trust. Maybe even a charisma that causes others to want to do the same. However, when we're evil, selfish, or devilish, a vibe of hatred, fear, and discomfort permeates from our being, and people can feel it. That is the true mark of Cain.