Cain and Abel from a new perspective
About The Wanderer Scorned by Natasha Woodcraft
Have you ever wondered what it would have been like to have lived just after the fall? A life overshadowed by the banishment from paradise that Adam and Eve experienced. What about why God scorned Cain’s sacrifice? Or what happened between Cain and Abel during their fateful encounter in the field?
The Wanderer Scorned was written to address these questions – to delve deeply into the Bible, discovering its depths, and presenting the story of Cain and Abel from a new perspective.
Who is The Wanderer Scorned written for?
This series is aimed at adults, but there is no inappropriate content, and many teens have enjoyed it. If you love literary or historical fiction, then you’ll likely enjoy this series. Here are some reader reviews:
There are so many books out there. Why do I need this one?
The Wanderer Scorned will:
- Challenge your assumptions about the first murderer
- Illuminate God’s word in Genesis
- Shed light on the human condition and the Creator’s earliest interacts with humankind
I’d love this. Can I read a Sample first?
Sure! Here’s a sample from a conversation between Kayin and Havel (Cain and Abel) after Kayin has sustained a life-threatening injury:
Havel joined me a few moments later. He grinned, clapped me on the back, then sat down in the dust. He faced me at a slight angle, crossing his legs and leaning back on his arms. ‘Awan said you want to speak to me.’
Although I had wanted to ask him questions the day I woke up, right now, I wasn’t in the mood. I nodded anyway.
‘I am glad,’ he continued. ‘I have been worried about you ever since we returned, but I didn’t want to force you to talk.’
All my questions seemed to flit away. I didn’t like the way he was sitting and smiling. Being patronised by a brother half my age wasn’t pleasant. However, I decided to swallow my pride for Awan’s sake. I searched my mind for the things bothering me most.
‘Tell me, Havel. If Elohim cares for me, why would He allow my foot to be bitten? And why did He not heal it straight away? Why did I have to almost die before He decided to help me?’ I completely failed to hide the bitterness in my voice.
Havel didn’t look surprised. I’d expected a more significant reaction to doubt in his Elohim.
After pausing a few moments, he spoke. ‘I too have pondered these things. It wasn’t pleasant for any of us seeing you suffer.’ Havel ran a hand through his hair. ‘I certainly don’t have all the answers. However, I think that sometimes Yahweh allows bad things to happen to teach us something. Perhaps He wants to teach you how to wait on Him?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Kayin, you are very skilled; you have always been strong and capable. Everything you put your hand to flourishes. But now you have an injury, you might rely less on yourself and more on Yahweh to meet your needs.’
‘So He caused my injury so I might be less productive; so I won’t be able to provide as well for this family? That is ridiculous!’
‘He allowed the wolves to attack you, yes. I don’t know if that’s the same thing as causing it.’
‘It seems like the same thing to me. For if Elohim is all-powerful, then He could have stopped it.’
‘Certainly. But then you would always have continued in the same way. Oh, it is a great mystery, Kayin! I feel in my soul that He holds all things in His hand, even the details of our lives, yet we also hold responsibility for our actions. I don’t know the answer, but I must trust He is good and will always do what is right. Perhaps He appointed these things because the way you were heading wasn’t beneficial for you?’
‘How not? Who is the one who feeds this family, Havel? It is not you or Abba. You just play around with sheep all day. You think that Chayim could do it all by himself?’
Havel ignored my insulting tone. ‘Kayin, we all appreciate you, and I have just acknowledged your great skill. But where do you think that skill comes from? It is a gift from Elohim, a gift given you to use for His glory.’
I did not reply.
Havel smiled. ’Do you remember the time I bit Chayim when I was little?’
I did remember and, despite my bad mood, I smiled too.
‘You asked me then whom the ground belonged to, and I confessed it belonged to Elohim. It is the same with our skills. Everything belongs to Him.’
Was Havel suggesting I couldn’t own my skill – that I shouldn’t take pride in the one thing I was good at? If I didn’t own that then I had nothing to base my confidence in. ‘Aren’t I using my skills for His glory by providing for His people? What else should I do?’
‘I’m not sure it’s all about what we do – more about why and how we are doing it.’
‘You’re questioning my motivations? Everything I do is for others. Am I not selfless enough for you?’
‘That’s not what I meant, Kayin. Let me give you an example from sheep; I’m better with sheep.’ He grinned. ‘When a lamb is born, it’s totally dependent on its mother. It needs her for everything: milk, care, warmth. Yet as the lamb grows, it becomes more independent. At that point, what happens? It starts wandering away, deciding to explore rather than keep its eyes on its mother. Then it gets into trouble because the truth is, it is not yet old enough to leave its mother’s side.
‘We are a little like those lambs, Kayin. We are born reliant on our parents not just to care for us but to guide us. Although certainly capable of doing wrong, we instinctively trust what they tell us about our Creator. Yet as we grow, we may wander away, trusting in ourselves when we are not yet trustworthy. We may do things in our own strength rather than relying on the one who created us to give us wisdom.
‘Yahweh doesn’t want us to wander. Like a good shepherd, He desires to keep us safe. He wants to stop us hurting ourselves in a bid for independence. He wants to keep us from walking dangerous paths. Sometimes, to do that, He will need to use His staff to bring us back in. Or even to discipline us.’
‘But what is the right path? How do I know if I have wandered from it?’
‘I’m not exactly sure. Perhaps the right path looks different for each of us, but we will not find it unless we allow Yahweh Elohim to guide us.’
This was all very vague. I tried to think about what Havel was saying. As regards my parents, it wasn’t I who had left: they had withdrawn from me. Yet, wasn’t he talking about Elohim? I didn’t think I’d wandered from Him either. He’d never shown Himself to me in the first place.
‘I have not tried to wander – if you would put it that way. If I have withdrawn, it is due to certain circumstances…’ I was thinking of my relationship with Abba. ‘…Due to the suffering and chastisement I have endured.’
‘A lamb rarely tries to wander,’ Havel said quietly. ‘It happens when they take their eyes off their mother. Then, once they realise they are lost, they bleat loudly, calling for someone to help them.’
‘So I should bleat loudly?’
Havel laughed. ‘Yes!’
‘To whom?’
‘Your Creator, Yahweh! Tell Him your concerns and ask Him for His way to be made known. Trust Him that He cares for you and desires what’s good for you.’
‘But I have no confidence that He does care!’ Unbidden tears welled in my eyes. ‘He has shown me no favour! If He cares, why did He cause so much pain? Why prevent me from fulfilling my purpose? How… how can I provide for everyone while confined to a chair?’
‘Chayim has managed pretty well the last few weeks.’
‘Barely,’ I scoffed. ‘He needs you all to help him. I’m sure the crops will suffer from my neglect. How can you think my injury is good for us? Or for me?’
‘Because life is not just about food, Kayin! It is not just about providing for your family – much as we appreciate you doing so. I have a suspicion that life is not even about us, but that He made us for something bigger than ourselves. We were created for the Creator. He has purposes that go beyond the skills He has given us. He desires to know each one of us. We just need to trust Him.’
Anger rose in my throat. ‘Well, I’m beginning to think the Creator made a mistake. If He wants to know me so badly, if He wants me to trust Him, He should not have made me suffer!’
Sample from The Wanderer Scorned © Natasha Woodcraft 2022
Where Can I Purchase the Book?
You can buy paperbacks & ebooks directly from our shop page here https://broadplacepublishing.co.uk/product/scorned/
The Wanderer Scorned is also available in a set with The Wanderer Reborn here https://broadplacepublishing.co.uk/product/the-wanderer-series-set/
If you’d love this book to deepen your knowledge of the story of Cain and Abel, but you cannot afford it, we do run a bursary program. Please contact us to request a book.