Genesis 4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

Think of sin for a moment. Do not define it. Do not example it. Place it in context to its sentence structure.

Is sin a noun, verb, adjective or adverb? Oddly enough the first use of the word sin is as a noun. Even if you read other versions for clarity, most replace his with it, which is still a noun. Deal with him or deal with it, there seems to be little difference since we now have to deal with sin as a noun and not a verb.

The distinction of a noun verse a verb is subtle and takes a little consideration. Looking to the last sentence of Genesis 4:7 there is a connection between self and sin. Sin desires us. As a verb sin would be spent, as a noun it can follow us. We shall have rule over sin, meaning that sin answers to us, not we it. The issue of rule is subject, a noun is a subject, but consider that a ruler cannot shed a subject and must deal with it always.

While studying this subject I search Cain as this was a conversation between God and Cain. Did you ever notice that God’s word does not give an ending period of Cain’s life? Not only Cain but none of his descendant have been given a life span. There seems to be no end to sin. Well not until Daniel talks about it in a prophecy about Jesus Christ.

Daniel 9:24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.

Hebrews 5:2 Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.

Hebrews 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

As we read the Word of God it is possible that we move from one chapter to the next and begin to see things, which when taken out of context, seem to tell us to do two opposite things. I also see the possibility that others might not see what I do in these two verses. Some will not feel wounded by the word ignorant and some will. Some will read foundational principles as being simple truths which others might take it to mean that the deeper things of God are preferred over the bare essentials of the good news.

Such is the error of understanding without context. The context of Hebrews 5:2 is compassion; that a pastoral calling must find compassion for the flock he has been called to tend. In Hebrews 6:1 context is the leading edge to a larger conversation, that is as much a warning about the dangers about to be approached in the knowledge of deeper things, that if care is not taken, ones foundation will crack under the weight of understanding.

This warning goes back to the words of Isaiah 28, the crown of pride, which must be also read in context to understand this verse properly.

Isaiah 28:9-10 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:

Care must be taken as to how the bricks are laid upon a good foundation.

Do not take this out of context, see the whole picture.