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“Am I My Brother’s Keeper?”

The above-titled question was asked by one of the members of our Wednesday evening Bible class, and is an excellent question worth pondering over and answering before we enter the New Year. This question was taken from the response of Cain to God’s question as to the location of his brother Abel in Genesis 4:9.

Some Observations

Before we biblically answer the question, “Am I my brother‘s keeper,” let us consider the following observations from the texts found in Genesis 4:1-9 and Hebrews 11:4:

One of the reasons why Cain’s sacrifice was not accepted, was that he disregarded God’s instructions as to the authorized sacrifice (see commentary on Hebrews 11:4; cf. Numbers 18:12,17) — he did not “abide in the truth” (cf. John 8:44 KJV; 2 John 1:9-11). He didn’t offer his sacrifice “by faith” [according to the specific instructions found in God’s truth] as Abel had (cf. Hebrews 11:4; Romans 10:17).

Note that Abel offered to God “a more excellent sacrifice” than Cain, simply because he offered the sacrifice approved of God. This is a lesson for us as we offer our sacrifices of praise — God only accepts sacrifices and worship offerings that He specifies as being acceptable to Him as expressed in the New Testament (Matthew 7:21).

Offering A “Different” Worship Pattern

Offering a “different” worship in place of the worship pattern God has authorized in the New Testament, is called “will worship” in Colossians 2:23 KJV — that worship which originates from the mind of man, is unauthorized by the Lord (Colossians 3:17), and thus is unacceptable before God (cf. Matthew 6:1-8; Matthew 15:9; Mark 7:5-13).

Doing What Is Right In God’s Sight

Let us also note God’s beginning response to Cain in Genesis 4:7 — “If you do well, will you not be accepted?” Genesis 4:7 NIV renders this verse, “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?“ Obviously, Cain did not “do what is right” in God’s sight in the sacrifice he offered, otherwise, his sacrificial offering would have been accepted as Abel’s sacrifice was (cf. Genesis 4:4; Numbers 18:17). We “do what is right” when we obey God’s “righteous” commands (Psalm 119:172; cf. Psalm 119:142,144,151-NKJV)

Answering The Question

Now, let us biblically answer the question that Cain so flippantly asked, “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

To do that, let us look at the text of 1 John 3:11-19, where Cain is mentioned in verse 12. The text reads:

“For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother, And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous. Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. By this we know love, because He laid down  His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.”

Brethren and friends, from the above text, it is inferred that we are indeed “our brother’s keeper,” for we must love our brethren if we are to be acceptable before God and attain eternal life  (1 John 3:14; cf. Romans 12:10; 1 Peter 1:22; Hebrews 13:1; 1 John 2:10-11; 1 John 4:16-21).

Conclusion:

One last observation. A part of being “our brother’s keeper” has to do with our concern for our brother’s spiritual welfare and well-being. We cannot go to heaven alone — we must take others with us (Psalm 51:12-13; cf. Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16; John 21:15-17; Acts 20:28; 2 Timothy 2:1-2).

Let us therefore be found teaching others the saving gospel of Christ — being “our brother’s keeper” (Romans 1:16; cf. 1 Corinthians 1:18).