April 13, 2025 • 15 mins
In this enlightening episode of The Heartbeat of Faith Podcast, Dr. Andrew Farley takes us on a profound journey through the eternal struggle between humanity and God. Beginning with the poignant story of Cain and Abel, Dr. Farley explores how mankind's pride, jealousy, and contempt often manifest as a declaration of war against the divine. This gripping episode delves deep into the darkness of these ancient biblical narratives, shedding light on the human inclination to strive for dominance, even to the point of defying God Himself.
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By placing our faith in Christ, we acknowledge our inability to overcome God and instead seek to share in His victory over the darkness that surrounds us. The episode concludes with a tantalizing promise of a dark but enlightening future installment, in which the podcast will tackle humanity's struggles against one another. If this episode resonated with you, we encourage you to leave a review and share how this series has impacted your life.
Download the Pray.com app today to experience the vivid revelation of God's divine presence through cinematic storytelling, guided by the influence of the Holy Spirit.
For more encouragement in God's grace visit AndrewFarley.org.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Let us pray. But now in Jesus Christ, you who
once were far off, are made near in the blood
of Christ. Ephesians, Chapter two, verse thirteen. Dear Lord, thank
you for not casting me aside because of my failures
and shortcomings. Although there are times when I actively disobey you,
(00:25):
you never cease to show me grace. I should have
been abandoned, but you adopted me and called me your own.
I should have been forgotten, but you always remember me.
You brought me near to you through your sacrifice.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
God.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
You say that you'll never leave me, ever forsake me,
and nothing separates me from your love. All I can
say is thank you and that I will love you
all the days of my life in Jesus name. Amen,
thank you for praying with me today. Now discover the
(01:04):
profound intricacies of scripture through prey dot COM's podcast The
Heartbeat of Faith with doctor Andrew Farley. Stay tuned after
this quick word from our responsors. America's federal debt just
reached thirty three trillion dollars, and many economists predict the
weight of this crippling debt load we'll soon topple the
(01:24):
whole financial system. Concerned Americans are diversifying their assets into
physical gold with the help of Birch Gold Group. If
you want a physical asset held in attack sheltered retirement account,
you should call Birch Gold too, But learn for yourself.
Text the word heartbeat to nine eight nine eight nine
eight and they'll send you a free infoKit on gold.
(01:47):
If you have an IRA or a four oh one
K from a previous employer just gathering dust, Birch Gold
can help you convert it into an IRA in gold,
and you don't have to pay a penny out of pocket.
Text Heartbeat to the number nine eight nine eight nine
eight to claim your free infokid on gold. There's no
cost or obligation, so do it now. Text heartbeat to
(02:09):
nine eight nine eight nine eight.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
Every generation after Cain sought to gain an advantage over God.
Unwilling to yield their pride, they warred against him by
contending to be gods themselves.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
They said, come, let's build ourselves a city and a
tower whose top reaches to the sky, and let's make
a name for ourselves lest we be scattered abroad on
the surface of the whole earth. Genesis eleven four.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
God is not against human progress. He desires to see
humanity flourish. However, he knows that in endeavor fueled by
fleshly pride, will eventually end in disaster one way or another. Hello,
I'm doctor Andrew Farley with today's episode of The Heartbeat
(03:14):
of Faith podcast. Today marks the beginning of war. Will
wrestle through Biblical conflict, war and turmoil by revisiting some
of the more violent Biblical stories. At the end of
this mini series, I hope we understand even more about God, ourselves,
(03:34):
and each other in the midst of conflict. Remember, peace
is not the absence of conflict, It's the presence of
God's love and justice in the midst of it. Today,
let's talk about humanity's war with God. Humanity has been
at war with God since the Fall. Cain and Able
(03:55):
were the first generation to grow up east of Eden,
and they started to fight with God by shedding innocent blood.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Jealousy gripped Kine's heart, Contempt towards God boiled up inside him.
This is mankind's first rumblings of true hatred. Cain's face
gave away his true feelings. God noticed this and asked,
why are you so angry? Knowing full well what the
issue was. If you do well, will you not be accepted?
(04:31):
God asked, If you don't do well, you give more
room for hatred and sin to rule in your heart.
Do not let hate rule over you. You can overcome it.
But Cain didn't listen. His anger had already won him over.
There would be no stopping the sin he was about
to commit. Cain lured his brother into the fields. Then
(04:55):
at that moment, all the hatred, jealousy, and contempt of
Cain leashed unto his brother. Flow after flow, Jane unleashed
his wrath and spited God by murdering his brother. His
hands stayed red, dripping with the blood of his brother.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
Make no mistake, Cain's act of violence against Abel was
first and foremost a declaration of war against God. Cain
was filled with spite against God because he had blessed
Abel over him. Cain's pride and jealousy erupted against his maker. Unfortunately,
(05:38):
it was Abel who ended up dead because of it.
Every generation after Cain sought to gain an advantage over God.
Unwilling to yield their pride, they warred against him by
contending to be gods themselves. The people of Babel desired
to make a name for themselves and above God. Essentially,
(06:02):
they tried to build another Eden for themselves through the
Tower of Babel. But it was a feudal attempt at
reclaiming Eden, and they were poisoned by corruption and greed.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
The whole earth was of one language and of one speech.
As they traveled east, they found a plain in the
land of Shinar, and they lived there. They said to
one another, come, let's make bricks and burn them thoroughly.
They had brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar.
They said, come, let's build ourselves a city and a
(06:41):
tower whose top reaches to the sky, and let's make
a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad on
the surface of the whole earth. Yahweh came down to
see the city and the tower which the children of
men built. Yahweh said, behold, they are one people, and
(07:01):
they all have one language, and this is what they
begin to do. Now. Nothing will be withheld from them
which they intend to do. Come, let's go down and
there confuse their language that they may not understand one
another's speech. So Yahweh scattered them abroad. From there on
(07:22):
the surface of all the earth, they stopped building the city.
Therefore its name was called Babel, because there Yahweh confused
the language of all the Earth. From there, Yahweh scattered
them abroad on the surface of all the Earth Genesis
eleven one through nine.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
God is not against human progress. He desires to see
humanity flourish. However, he knows that any endeavor fueled by
pride will eventually end in disaster another This is the
ongoing struggle between humanity and God. We think we know
(08:07):
what's good for us, but only God truly knows how
to make us flourish and bring the best out of humanity.
We were designed to bear his image. After all. The
wrestling match humans have with God was personified through Jacob's
fight with an angel of the Lord when the two
(08:27):
engaged in one on one combat for Domin.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
That same night, Jacob arose with his wives and eleven
children and sent them across the stream of Jabbok. He
sent them away to be safe. With everything else he
had in his possession, Jacob was left alone until a
man sprang up from behind him. Struggling in the mud
and gravel. Jacob wrestled with this man in the dead
(08:54):
of night, sweat and blood dripping from his body, Jacob
fought for his life under the weight of this unknown stranger.
The night drew on and the sun was beginning to
rear its head between the hills. Jacob, while endeavoring with
this man, became increasingly more aware of his divine nature.
His wrestling match was not an assault, but an invitation.
(09:17):
This is God's camp, echoed in his memory. Jacob, the
once timid tent dweller, found himself grappling on the ground
with God himself. Dawn peeked through the trees. The man
saw that he would not prevail against Jacob. He touched
his hip socket and jammed his hip out of its joint.
(09:38):
Jacob screamed and released his legs from around the man,
Yet he clung to him with his arms, refusing to
let go. Let me go, for the day is broken,
the man said. Jacob, who had spent his entire life
making his own luck, was face to face with the
end of himself. He had deceived his brother into selling
(10:01):
his birthright, he had tricked his father into blessing him,
and he had swindled Laban into making him richer. Yet
now Jacob was faced with God himself and had no
means to trick his way into victory. Jacob's eyes closed tightly,
and he flexed his arms firmly to the legs of
this man and said, I will not let you go
(10:24):
unless you bless me. A slight smile came across the
man's face. What is your name, he asked, Jacob? He
shouted in pain. You shall no longer be called Jacob,
he said, but Israel, for you have wrestled with God
and with men and prevailed.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
Every blessing Jacob received up until that point had been
one through deception. He wanted God's blessing, but always tried
to seize it in his own way. However, with a
broken hip and his face in the dirt, there was
no tricking his way into a blessing. This time. Jacob's
(11:07):
only option was to cling to God. He realized he
had lost. It was only in that humble place that
he could recognize his destiny. God renamed him Israel, meaning
he who wrestles with God. The name is nuanced in
its meaning. Not only does it mean he who wrestles
(11:29):
with God, but it also means God prevails, and he
who prevails with God. The meaning of the name is
multilayered and beautiful. If we, as believers were to attempt
to succinctly summarize the depth of the name Israel and
apply it to our own situation, it would be something
(11:52):
like this. We wrestled with God, we warred against him,
and sought to seize blessings for ourselves through human effort.
But God's way of grace ultimately prevailed. And that's to
our benefit because God shares his own victory with us.
(12:13):
This concept was beautifully expressed by the apostle Paul when
he talked about us being alienated from God, but then
through Christ being reconciled and made holy and blameless. In short,
we get to share in Jesus's victory.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
For all the fullness was pleased to dwell in him
and through him, to reconcile all things to himself by him,
whether things on the earth or things in the heavens,
having made peace through the blood of His cross. You
being in pastimes alienated and enemies in your mind in
(12:55):
your evil deeds, Yet now He is reconciled in the
body of his flesh through death, to present you holy
and without defect and blameless. Before him, if it is
so that you continue in the faith, grounded in steadfast,
and not moved away from the hope of the good
news which you heard, which is being proclaimed in all
(13:18):
creation under heaven, of which I Paul was made a
servant Colossians one, nineteen through twenty three.
Speaker 3 (13:32):
As expressed with striking clarity by the apostle Paul, we
were once estranged, enemies, even in our own thoughts and actions.
But in Christ's sacrifice, we're not just reconciled, were remade,
brought into a realm of holiness, faultlessness, and unparalleled grace.
(13:55):
Humanity once found itself at odds with God, emptied time
and again to grasp blessings and favor through sheer force
of will and human endeavor. Yet in God's profound mercy,
a bridge was constructed. This bridge, Jesus Christ, became the
(14:16):
embodiment of God's inexhaustible grace. It was through his death
that we found redemption from our alienation, and through his
resurrection that union with God became possible. The blood of
his cross didn't just offer peace, it forged an unbreakable
(14:36):
bond between us and our creator. In choosing Jesus, we
don't merely acknowledge our inability to conquer the vastness of
God's might. We joyfully participate in his triumph over everything
that once ensnared us in him. We aren't just victorious,
(14:57):
we are eternally and profound only united with Jesus forever.
In the next episode, we'll turn our attention toward humanity's
war with each other and how God's love can defuse
that conflict. Thank you for listening to the Heartbeat of
(15:18):
Faith podcast. If you enjoyed today's episode, please leave us
a review and let us know how this series has
impacted your life. Remember to download Theprey dot com app,
and for more encouragement in God's grace, visit Andrewfarley dot org.
That's Andrewfarley dot org.
Let us pray. But now in Jesus Christ, you who
once were far off, are made near in the blood
of Christ. Ephesians, Chapter two, verse thirteen. Dear Lord, thank
you for not casting me aside because of my failures
and shortcomings. Although there are times when I actively disobey you,
(00:25):
you never cease to show me grace. I should have
been abandoned, but you adopted me and called me your own.
I should have been forgotten, but you always remember me.
You brought me near to you through your sacrifice.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
God.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
You say that you'll never leave me, ever forsake me,
and nothing separates me from your love. All I can
say is thank you and that I will love you
all the days of my life in Jesus name. Amen,
thank you for praying with me today. Now discover the
(01:04):
profound intricacies of scripture through prey dot COM's podcast The
Heartbeat of Faith with doctor Andrew Farley. Stay tuned after
this quick word from our responsors. America's federal debt just
reached thirty three trillion dollars, and many economists predict the
weight of this crippling debt load we'll soon topple the
(01:24):
whole financial system. Concerned Americans are diversifying their assets into
physical gold with the help of Birch Gold Group. If
you want a physical asset held in attack sheltered retirement account,
you should call Birch Gold too, But learn for yourself.
Text the word heartbeat to nine eight nine eight nine
eight and they'll send you a free infoKit on gold.
(01:47):
If you have an IRA or a four oh one
K from a previous employer just gathering dust, Birch Gold
can help you convert it into an IRA in gold,
and you don't have to pay a penny out of pocket.
Text Heartbeat to the number nine eight nine eight nine
eight to claim your free infokid on gold. There's no
cost or obligation, so do it now. Text heartbeat to
(02:09):
nine eight nine eight nine eight.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
Every generation after Cain sought to gain an advantage over God.
Unwilling to yield their pride, they warred against him by
contending to be gods themselves.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
They said, come, let's build ourselves a city and a
tower whose top reaches to the sky, and let's make
a name for ourselves lest we be scattered abroad on
the surface of the whole earth. Genesis eleven four.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
God is not against human progress. He desires to see
humanity flourish. However, he knows that in endeavor fueled by
fleshly pride, will eventually end in disaster one way or another. Hello,
I'm doctor Andrew Farley with today's episode of The Heartbeat
(03:14):
of Faith podcast. Today marks the beginning of war. Will
wrestle through Biblical conflict, war and turmoil by revisiting some
of the more violent Biblical stories. At the end of
this mini series, I hope we understand even more about God, ourselves,
(03:34):
and each other in the midst of conflict. Remember, peace
is not the absence of conflict, It's the presence of
God's love and justice in the midst of it. Today,
let's talk about humanity's war with God. Humanity has been
at war with God since the Fall. Cain and Able
(03:55):
were the first generation to grow up east of Eden,
and they started to fight with God by shedding innocent blood.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Jealousy gripped Kine's heart, Contempt towards God boiled up inside him.
This is mankind's first rumblings of true hatred. Cain's face
gave away his true feelings. God noticed this and asked,
why are you so angry? Knowing full well what the
issue was. If you do well, will you not be accepted?
(04:31):
God asked, If you don't do well, you give more
room for hatred and sin to rule in your heart.
Do not let hate rule over you. You can overcome it.
But Cain didn't listen. His anger had already won him over.
There would be no stopping the sin he was about
to commit. Cain lured his brother into the fields. Then
(04:55):
at that moment, all the hatred, jealousy, and contempt of
Cain leashed unto his brother. Flow after flow, Jane unleashed
his wrath and spited God by murdering his brother. His
hands stayed red, dripping with the blood of his brother.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
Make no mistake, Cain's act of violence against Abel was
first and foremost a declaration of war against God. Cain
was filled with spite against God because he had blessed
Abel over him. Cain's pride and jealousy erupted against his maker. Unfortunately,
(05:38):
it was Abel who ended up dead because of it.
Every generation after Cain sought to gain an advantage over God.
Unwilling to yield their pride, they warred against him by
contending to be gods themselves. The people of Babel desired
to make a name for themselves and above God. Essentially,
(06:02):
they tried to build another Eden for themselves through the
Tower of Babel. But it was a feudal attempt at
reclaiming Eden, and they were poisoned by corruption and greed.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
The whole earth was of one language and of one speech.
As they traveled east, they found a plain in the
land of Shinar, and they lived there. They said to
one another, come, let's make bricks and burn them thoroughly.
They had brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar.
They said, come, let's build ourselves a city and a
(06:41):
tower whose top reaches to the sky, and let's make
a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad on
the surface of the whole earth. Yahweh came down to
see the city and the tower which the children of
men built. Yahweh said, behold, they are one people, and
(07:01):
they all have one language, and this is what they
begin to do. Now. Nothing will be withheld from them
which they intend to do. Come, let's go down and
there confuse their language that they may not understand one
another's speech. So Yahweh scattered them abroad. From there on
(07:22):
the surface of all the earth, they stopped building the city.
Therefore its name was called Babel, because there Yahweh confused
the language of all the Earth. From there, Yahweh scattered
them abroad on the surface of all the Earth Genesis
eleven one through nine.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
God is not against human progress. He desires to see
humanity flourish. However, he knows that any endeavor fueled by
pride will eventually end in disaster another This is the
ongoing struggle between humanity and God. We think we know
(08:07):
what's good for us, but only God truly knows how
to make us flourish and bring the best out of humanity.
We were designed to bear his image. After all. The
wrestling match humans have with God was personified through Jacob's
fight with an angel of the Lord when the two
(08:27):
engaged in one on one combat for Domin.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
That same night, Jacob arose with his wives and eleven
children and sent them across the stream of Jabbok. He
sent them away to be safe. With everything else he
had in his possession, Jacob was left alone until a
man sprang up from behind him. Struggling in the mud
and gravel. Jacob wrestled with this man in the dead
(08:54):
of night, sweat and blood dripping from his body, Jacob
fought for his life under the weight of this unknown stranger.
The night drew on and the sun was beginning to
rear its head between the hills. Jacob, while endeavoring with
this man, became increasingly more aware of his divine nature.
His wrestling match was not an assault, but an invitation.
(09:17):
This is God's camp, echoed in his memory. Jacob, the
once timid tent dweller, found himself grappling on the ground
with God himself. Dawn peeked through the trees. The man
saw that he would not prevail against Jacob. He touched
his hip socket and jammed his hip out of its joint.
(09:38):
Jacob screamed and released his legs from around the man,
Yet he clung to him with his arms, refusing to
let go. Let me go, for the day is broken,
the man said. Jacob, who had spent his entire life
making his own luck, was face to face with the
end of himself. He had deceived his brother into selling
(10:01):
his birthright, he had tricked his father into blessing him,
and he had swindled Laban into making him richer. Yet
now Jacob was faced with God himself and had no
means to trick his way into victory. Jacob's eyes closed tightly,
and he flexed his arms firmly to the legs of
this man and said, I will not let you go
(10:24):
unless you bless me. A slight smile came across the
man's face. What is your name, he asked, Jacob? He
shouted in pain. You shall no longer be called Jacob,
he said, but Israel, for you have wrestled with God
and with men and prevailed.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
Every blessing Jacob received up until that point had been
one through deception. He wanted God's blessing, but always tried
to seize it in his own way. However, with a
broken hip and his face in the dirt, there was
no tricking his way into a blessing. This time. Jacob's
(11:07):
only option was to cling to God. He realized he
had lost. It was only in that humble place that
he could recognize his destiny. God renamed him Israel, meaning
he who wrestles with God. The name is nuanced in
its meaning. Not only does it mean he who wrestles
(11:29):
with God, but it also means God prevails, and he
who prevails with God. The meaning of the name is
multilayered and beautiful. If we, as believers were to attempt
to succinctly summarize the depth of the name Israel and
apply it to our own situation, it would be something
(11:52):
like this. We wrestled with God, we warred against him,
and sought to seize blessings for ourselves through human effort.
But God's way of grace ultimately prevailed. And that's to
our benefit because God shares his own victory with us.
(12:13):
This concept was beautifully expressed by the apostle Paul when
he talked about us being alienated from God, but then
through Christ being reconciled and made holy and blameless. In short,
we get to share in Jesus's victory.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
For all the fullness was pleased to dwell in him
and through him, to reconcile all things to himself by him,
whether things on the earth or things in the heavens,
having made peace through the blood of His cross. You
being in pastimes alienated and enemies in your mind in
(12:55):
your evil deeds, Yet now He is reconciled in the
body of his flesh through death, to present you holy
and without defect and blameless. Before him, if it is
so that you continue in the faith, grounded in steadfast,
and not moved away from the hope of the good
news which you heard, which is being proclaimed in all
(13:18):
creation under heaven, of which I Paul was made a
servant Colossians one, nineteen through twenty three.
Speaker 3 (13:32):
As expressed with striking clarity by the apostle Paul, we
were once estranged, enemies, even in our own thoughts and actions.
But in Christ's sacrifice, we're not just reconciled, were remade,
brought into a realm of holiness, faultlessness, and unparalleled grace.
(13:55):
Humanity once found itself at odds with God, emptied time
and again to grasp blessings and favor through sheer force
of will and human endeavor. Yet in God's profound mercy,
a bridge was constructed. This bridge, Jesus Christ, became the
(14:16):
embodiment of God's inexhaustible grace. It was through his death
that we found redemption from our alienation, and through his
resurrection that union with God became possible. The blood of
his cross didn't just offer peace, it forged an unbreakable
(14:36):
bond between us and our creator. In choosing Jesus, we
don't merely acknowledge our inability to conquer the vastness of
God's might. We joyfully participate in his triumph over everything
that once ensnared us in him. We aren't just victorious,
(14:57):
we are eternally and profound only united with Jesus forever.
In the next episode, we'll turn our attention toward humanity's
war with each other and how God's love can defuse
that conflict. Thank you for listening to the Heartbeat of
(15:18):
Faith podcast. If you enjoyed today's episode, please leave us
a review and let us know how this series has
impacted your life. Remember to download Theprey dot com app,
and for more encouragement in God's grace, visit Andrewfarley dot org.
That's Andrewfarley dot org.
Host
Andrew Farley
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