A DARK MATTER

Chapter Three: Death

Now the curse which God placed upon the ground can often be misunderstood. For after the days of the flood men plowed the fields and planted seeds, but this was not done in the same way before the flood and the ground was not hard in those days before the Flood.

The curse of the ground was that the plants were so covered with thorns and thistles, that man spent more than half of his time cutting away the thorns to get at the herbs that were good for food. He no sooner made a path through the thorns then they would begin to grow over the path again.

Now the Man's name was Adam and he called his wife Eve and she had a son by him. And they believed that their son was the promised Seed who would bruise the head of the Seed of the Serpent. And growing up with this belief he became very skilled at clearing the ground and tilling the soil so that only those good plants should thrive, though he had to watch and keep the thorns from creeping over and covering his fields. And he brought the best of the fruit and herbs to his parents and they were always pleased with him.

Now Adam and Eve also had a second son who was somewhat lazy and never measured up to the skills and perfections which his older brother demonstrated. What is more he constantly brooded over his faults. He was a rather thin man compared to his strong muscular brother, and made many blunt statements which shocked his family and made them angry with him and he often had to apologized for them afterward. Now the second son learned from his father Adam how to kill sheep and to make clothing from them for himself and for his older brother. And he did very well, but their clothing was not nearly as well made as those coats which the Word had sewn together for their father Adam and their mother Eve.

Now it came to pass when they were grown that the older brother decided one day that he wanted to bring a gift of the fruit of the ground to the LORD as he had done before for his parents, thinking that by doing this he might receive the favor of the LORD, as he had from his parents. And coming to the eastern gate of the garden of Eden where the cherubim stand he laid the fruit of his labor before the Flaming Sword and then stood back. Thus he waited until the fruit no longer looked good to eat, and seeing no response from the Flaming Sword, he took up the fruit and went away to dispose of it.

And a short time after this the younger brother also came and he had brought nothing with him except his favorite ram, who he loved more and cared for better than any other creature. And the younger brother was full of sorrow and fear and would not even raise his eyes to look at the Flaming Sword. And he slew his favorite ram and took out the fat that covered the inwards, and the caul that was above the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that was upon them and he laid them out before the Flaming Sword, and there was no blemish in them and he bowed himself with his face to the ground and said, "Behold I am a sinful man and there is nothing in me that is good. Behold I have brought that which means more to me than anything in this world which is under my care and I offer it up to You. Have mercy on me oh my LORD." and with that he began to weep uncontrollably knowing that his sin was so great and thinking that the Holy God would not receive anything at his hands.

Now the Flaming Sword came near and licked up the offering of the younger son and commanded him to stand upon his feet saying, "I will have mercy on your sacrifice, and I will not despise it. Your sin is covered. You will live but a little longer and then you will die and be brought into this place. And behold I shall stand at the latter day upon the earth and your eyes shall behold me in the flesh. Your faith has saved you, go your way and be at peace."

Now when the younger brother returned home and spoke of these things the older brother was very angry and he returned to the east gate, and would not look upon the Flaming Sword. And the Word asked him why he was full of wrath and why his countenance was fallen. And He told him that if his thoughts had been right his offering would have been accepted, but that if his thoughts were evil, sin was about to come forth out of him, but that he could rule over his thoughts and not let them rule over him. but the older brother went away from the presence of the LORD still angry.

And it came to pass that a disagreement arose between the two brothers while they were in the field and the younger, (who's name was Able), said things that angered the older and the older, (who's name was Cain), thought to inflict hurt upon Able so that Able could understand how his words hurt him and Cain struck Able but upon not seeing any repentance for the things that Able had said, Cain thought to inflict greater pain, and it wasn't long before he was pounding upon his younger brother's weaker body.

Now unknown to Cain, my older brother was speaking into his mind, And when my brother finally departed from him, Cain fainted and fell to the earth.

And when Cain had arisen from his faint he had forgotten for a moment what he had done, but behold his brother lay dead under him and his hands were covered in his blood, and then he remembered what he had done.

Cain was now sorry but he didn't realize at first that he had killed his brother. Cain lifted Able's head and was filled with horror to find that his jaw was broken and his nose was crushed into his face. The slashes from his blade had also severed many of his veins and blood covered the ground all around the place where Cain had killed him. Now Cain wept for his brother.

"Why! Why did you make me do that!" Cain shouted at his brother's dead body as tears of rage streamed down his bloody face. But then he felt the thorns and thistles that were creeping down all around and had almost covered the place. Cain stepped back and let the thorns block that part of the field from view.

Cain sunk his hands and his blade into the soft wet clay of the ground and let it suck away the blood from his skin and then he arose and turned to leave the place.

"Cain, where is Able thy brother?"

The voice shook Cain to his core with terror, and turning he saw that there before him stood the Word of God.

"I know not," Cain said in anger and fear, "Am I my brother's keeper?" Cain knew that according to his parents the Word was all places at all times. Why would He ask such a question unless He didn't know, and if He didn't know He should have known, or he didn't care. The Word hadn't stopped Able from dieing. Therefore it was the Word's fault that Able was now dead.

"What hast THOU done?" said the Word with a thunderous voice that shot through Cain like a shock wave.

Cain suddenly fell to the ground. The Word was dividing between his soul and spirit and looking into the innermost thoughts and intents of his heart. Nothing was hidden from His sight. "I am naked and undone before his eyes", thought Cain.

Suddenly Cain hated himself above all things. There was no evil in the Word. Cain had killed Able and he knew it. "I killed him! I am guilty! I have never done anything good! I have been evil since I first thought that I was righteous. I am not the promised Seed. I am a worm, and no man. I am of the Wicked one." Cain thought

"The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground." said the Word "And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand; When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth." but Cain did not hear anger in the voice of his Judge, but sadness almost as if this was a curse that had been set in motion long ago and the Word was sorry to be carrying out the judgment, but that Cain had brought the punishment upon himself.

And Cain new that the Word was being very merciful to him in not killing him for his rebellion but he knew that in the time to come no one would fear to kill a murderer, as a murderer was outside of the protection of the Word, "My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me."

Then the Word reached out and touched the forehead of Cain and set a mark on him, "Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold."

And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.

Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.