“What Hast Thou Done?”

by Micky Galloway

God asked this question of Cain in Genesis 4:10. He asked this of Cain to arouse a consciousness of the sacredness of human life and the enormity of the sin he had committed (Genesis 4:8). The flagrant deed that Cain had committed cried out to God for accountability. God said, “The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground” (Genesis 4:10). What did the voice of Abel cry unto God. It said, “You are not a brother’s keeper, you are a destroyer, you are foolish, driven by anger and self-willed. You have no regard for God nor for others, you are vile and sinful.” Indeed, our sins speak loudly against us. Isaiah said, “Behold, Jehovah's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, so that he will not hear” (Isaiah 59:1-2). Death could not silence the testimony of Abel. We learn in Hebrews 11:4, “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he had witness borne to him that he was righteous, God bearing witness in respect of his gifts: and through it he being dead yet speaketh.”

God cursed Cain because of his sin (Genesis 4:11,12). Man must learn that human life is too precious to be regarded so lightly (cf. Exodus 20:13). God will not condone sin. Sin is a cruel slaveholder whose only wages are death (Romans 6:23).

Samuel asked Saul, “What hast thou done?” (I Samuel 13:11). The Philistines gathered their forces against Israel. Israel was distressed, afraid and had hidden themselves in caves, thickets, rocks, coverts and in pits (I Samuel 13:5-7). Samuel told Saul to wait seven days, and he would come to him, and show him what to do (I Samuel 10:3). Samuel kept his word, for we find him there before the seventh day was ended; but as he did not come at the beginning of the day, Saul became impatient. He took the whole business into his own hand, and acted the parts of prophet, priest and king. In the Law the king, the prophet, and the priest, are perfectly distinct in their roles. Saul acted as a rash and headstrong man. Motives of worldly expediency and plausible necessity were not to be weighed against the express commandment of God. It was exactly the same sin of willful disobedience which broke out again, and was so severely reproved in I Samuel 15:17-23.

God removed the kingdom from Saul because of his disobedience. Samuel rebuked Saul, “Thou hast done foolishly; thou hast not kept the commandment of Jehovah thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would Jehovah have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. But now thy kingdom shall not continue: Jehovah hath sought him a man after his own heart, and Jehovah hath appointed him to be prince over his people, because thou hast not kept that which Jehovah commanded thee” (I Samuel 13:13-14). Later we learn that “Jehovah repented that he had made Saul king over Israel” (cf. I Samuel 15:35).

Pilate also asked Jesus, “What hast thou done?” (John 18:35). Luke says expressly, that when the Jews brought him to Pilate they began to accuse him as a rebel, who said he was king of the Jews, and forbade the people to pay tribute to Caesar (Luke 23:2). It was in consequence of this accusation that Pilate asked the question mentioned in the text, “What hast thou done?” If you do not profess yourself king over this people, and an enemy to Caesar, what is it that you have done, for which they desire your condemnation? Jesus answers in such a way that Pilate understands that Jesus was no threat to his political position or the kingship of Caesar, but that this was a religious matter motivated by the Jews’ envy and jealousy (cf. Matthew 27:18-19). Answering Pilate’s question, Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world…” (John 18:36). If Jesus had sought an earthly kingdom, His servants would have fought to deliver Him from the Jews. The kingdom of God was not to be an earthly, material reign. Jesus’ kingdom is spiritual (cf. Colossians 1:13-14), and all who are born again ("born of water and the Spirit", John 3:3-5) are in His kingdom (cf. Revelation 1:5-6; 5:9-10). Jesus never denied being a King. “What hast thou done?” Jesus affirms that he came into this world to bear witness of the truth, and all who are of the truth hear His voice (cf. John 10:1-5). Pilate who knew justice and knew Jesus was guilty of no crime declared, “I find in Him no fault.” Peter later declared, “For hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that ye should follow his steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered threatened not; but committed (himself) to him that judgeth righteously” (I Peter 2:21-23).

Man’s works have a voice. Cain’s outrageous deed cried out against him in an unmistakable voice. King Saul’s sins of disobedience testified against him and could be heard in the bleating of the sheep and the lowing of the oxen (cf. I Samuel 15:14). The works of Jesus spoke on his behalf. They are expressed in the words of Nicodemus, “for no one can do these signs that thou doest, except God be with him” (John 3:2).

What hast thou done? What we do cries out to help or hurt others (cf. I Corinthians 5:6). Our works will speak long after our tongues are silenced in death (cf. Revelation 14:13). The voice of our deeds will ring forth to bless us or curse us at the day of judgment (II Corinthians 5:10).