Those who are familiar with Victor Hugo’s classic novel, Les Misérables, would probably have no contention in agreeing with me that, in the main character, Jean Valjean, is personified the words “fugitive” and “vagabond”. The Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines the word fugitive as someone who is ‘running away to avoid being captured’ and the word vagabond as someone who is ‘moving from place to place without a fixed home.’

Genesis 4:12 records that God told Cain as part of his curse, that Cain would be a fugitive and a vagabond.

Because of the willful sin of Cain, he had to be on the run as a fugitive – running from the Lord God. In addition to Cain being a fugitive, Cain was also sentenced to be a wanderer, because he was weak and he let sin not only wander into his life, but rule over him and became of snare of the devil (Genesis 4:7; 1 John 3:12; 1 Timothy 3:7). As a wanderer, Cain would have been restless, all his life, with no rest. Cain’s life, in a sense, would have been miserable.

Points to ponder:
Let us watch and pray so we do not fall into temptation, for the Spirit of God in us is willing, but our flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41). Let us give no room for the devil to wander into our life (1 Timothy 3:7), lest we like Cain willfully sin and become a wanderer and a fugitive. Let us not be like Les Misérables Cain.

Genesis 4:12 (KJV)
12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.

1 Timothy 3:7 (KJV)
7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

Matthew 26:41 (KJV)
41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.