Anger, part one

“In Gen 4:1–16, readers receive their first glimpse of life outside Eden. There, anger takes center stage as Cain becomes enraged when God ignores his offering but regards his brother’s offering. God intervenes and speaks to Cain about his anger, which is quite remarkable given that the divine word in Genesis is reserved for the most significant of developments, including the creation and salvation of the world. In sharp contrast to divine words elsewhere, God’s speech in chap. 4 falls flat. Cain refuses to heed God’s warning. He kills his brother although Abel has done nothing wrong. Fratricide represents one extreme on the spectrum of what can happen as a result of anger.”— From Fratricide to Forgiveness: The Language and Ethics of Anger in Genesis , page 4

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Interesting observation about how often God speaks—and under what circumstances—in Genesis...and that it gets ignored in this case. Again, I am drawn to Hebrews, where we are warned not to harden our hearts against God speaking.
</idle musing>