the story, the hope lies in God and God’s insertion into Cain’s affairs. God’s insertion before the wrongdoing—“Why are you angry?” (v. 6)—was ineffective; Cain turned away from God. The insertion did, however, underscore that though Cain may have had “good reasons” he had no right to be angry. After the wrongdoing, God’s second insertion—“Where is your brother Abel?” (v. 9)—did not seem to achieve much either; it elicited only self-justifying denial. But again, God’s question made clear that life in community means sharing a common social space and taking responsibility for the other. God’s
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