GENESIS 4: CAIN & ABEL: EVIL & MURDER ENTER THE WORLD.
IN GENESIS 1-2 ALMIGHTY GOD, THE TRIUNE GOD, INTRODUCES HIMSELF. TELLS MANKIND WHO HE IS. AND TEACHES US ABOUT THE CREATION OF THE WORLD, THE SOLAR SYSTEM, & MANKIND’S CREATION.
IN GENESIS 3 ALMIGHTY GOD TELLS US OF THE FALL OF MANKIND, ADAM AND EVE, BY THE SLY, CRAFTINESS, AND DISTORTIONS OF THE EVIL ONE…SATAN HIMSELF….AND THE CONSEQUENCES THAT DESTROYED PARADISE.
NOW IN GENESIS 4 ALMIGHTY GOD TELLS US THAT PURE EVIL ENTERS THE WORLD. THAT THIS CHOSEN EVIL AT ITS HEART IS SELFISH, SELF-CENTERED, & WILLING TO DO THE UNSPEAKABLE BECAUSE OF PRIDE, AND ONE UPMANSHIP. GENESIS 4 TELLS US THE UTTER DESTRUCTIVENESS THAT IS AT THE HEART OF THE DESIRE OF MANKIND TO BE NUMBER 1...TO BE APPLAUDED AND LAUDED…AND PRAISED…AND HONORED AT ANY COST…EVEN IF IT SEEMS THE PREMEDITATED MURDER OF A BLOOD BROTHER.
SO TURN WITH ME NOW TO GENESIS 4...
AND LET’S SEE WHAT JESUS SHOWS US & SEEKS TO TEACH US THROUGH Cain’s murder of Abel.
Verse 1 tells us of the birth of Cain.
“Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the Lord.”
Now Adam KNEW EVE HIS WIFE…This is the FIRST SPECIFIC mention of sex in the Bible. The term “knew” or “to know” is a polite way of saying they had sexual relations and the term is used often in the Bible in this sense (Genesis 4:17; 4:25; 38:26; Judges 11:39; 1 Samuel 1:19).
There is POWER, INTIMACY, SPECIALNESS, & UNITY & how our TRIUNE GOD VIEWS the sexual relationship BETWEEN HUSBAND AND WIFE.
TODAY, more than ever, the lost world, society’s “terminology” DEGRADES & HAS MADE COARSE & CRUDE & CLINICAL of what THE TRIUNE GOD sees sex as a means of knowing one another in a committed relationship. “Knew” indicates an act that contributes to the bond of unity and the building up of a one-flesh relationship.
The name Cain basically means, “I’ve got him” or “here he is.” It is likely Eve thought that Cain was the seed that God promised, the deliverer who would come from Eve (Genesis 3:15). There is a sense in which Eve said, “GOD promised us…and here he is!”
Adam, and especially Eve, had GREAT EXPECTATIONS for Cain, far beyond what we as parents hope for in our children. Adam and Eve EXPECTED Cain to be the Messiah God promised to REDEEM THEM, what they got was a MURDERER.
Verses 2-5 tells of the birth of Abel and the offerings of Cain and Abel.
“Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.”
DID YOU CATCH THIS?
ANOTHER TRUTH GIVEN US?
ABEL WAS A KEEPER OF SHEEP, & CAIN WAS A TILLER OF THE GROUND. Agriculture and the domestication of animals were practiced FROM THE FIRST. Adam and his descendants did NOT spend tens of thousands of years living as hunter-gatherer cave dwellers, as knuckle-dragging beasts.
SINCE THE TREE OF LIFE…was the “holy of holies” for Adam and Eve, & their children…their meeting place with THE TRIUNE GOD as told us in GENESIS 3:24, we know Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground there.
The Lord respected Abel’s offering, but NOT Cain’s.
Why?
Abel brought an offering of blood (the firstborn of his flock) and Cain brought an offering of vegetation (the fruit of the ground).
Many erroneously assume that the difference between their professions, a rancher versus a farmer was the cause for God’s rejection of Cain’s grains/fruit, but LEVITICUS 2 clears up that mistake, by telling us that grain offerings WERE acceptable before God, though NOT for an atonement for sin.
ALSO HEBREWS 11:4 confirms WHY CAIN’S OFFERING WAS REJECTED. “By faith Abel offered up a more excellent sacrifice than Cain.”
ANOTHER BIBLE QUESTION ANSWERED. JUST AS THE LORD TOLD SAMUEL THE PROPHET, “YOU SEE AND JUDGE THE MAN‘S OUTWARD APPEARANCE, BUT I SEE AND KNOW AND JUDGE THE HEART.”
JUST AS JESUS REJECTED & WAS NOT IMPRESSED BY THE PHARISEE AND HIS LOUDLY BRAGGING BOASTS ABOUT WHAT HE HAD AND HAD DONE FOR HIS TEMPLE & COMMUNITY…JESUS NOTICED AND WAS TOUCHED & PLEASED BY THE HUMBLE WIDOW WHO QUIETLY GAVE TWO PENNIES, ALL SHE HAD TO HONOR/OBEY HER LORD JESUS.
THEN AND NOW…SOME PEOPLE WHO FOLLOW JESUS HAVE RELEGATED JESUS TO A “HERE IS MY DAILY CHRISTIAN WALK WITH JESUS CHECK LIST”. Pray today…check check!. Read my Bible today…check, check!…Attend church service and sit on the front row…check check! and after COMPLETING their MENTAL CHRISTIAN DUTY…NOT LOVE…BUT DUTY & LEGALISM TO JESUS….there are those who then RETURN TO THE REAL WORLD…AND THEIR LIVES. They may have a CLEAR MIND, BUT FOR THEM, THEY HAVE A DYING OR DEAD HEART.
CAIN HAD A HEART PROBLEM, NOT A CHEAP GIFT OR LABOR PROBLEM, AND NOT A LAZINESS PROBLEM, BUT WHAT HE DID WAS DUTY…NOT LOVE, NOT RESPECT, NOT NEED TO FELLOWSHIP…IT WAS ANOTHER CHORE TO BE DONE AND CHECKED OFF OF HIS DAILY TO-DO LIST.
THAT IS WHY ALMIGHTY GOD REJECTED CAIN’S OFFERING.
AND ABEL ALSO BROUGHT THE FIRSTBORN…AND THE FAT OF HIS FLOCK. ABEL GAVE JESUS HIS PRIZE SHEEP.
WHY WAS IT SO SPECIAL?
The fat of the animal was prized as its “luxury,” and was to be given to God when the animal was sacrificed (Leviticus 3:16-17; 7:23-25). The burning of fat in sacrifice before God is called a sweet aroma to the Lord (Leviticus 17:6).
ABEL WANTED TO HONOR AND PLEASE JESUS.
CAIN JUST WANTED TO GET HIS DUTY DONE.
ALSO THIS IS THE BEGINNING….ONE LAMB FOR A MAN. WHEN PASSOVER BEGINS WITH MOSES, IT WILL BE ONE LAMB PER FAMILY. ON THE DAY OF ATONEMENT, IT WILL BE ONE LAMB FOR THE NATION. UNTIL FINALLY, WITH OUR PRECIOUS JESUS CHRIST, HE WILL BE, …. “THE ONE LAMB WHO TAKES AWAY THE SIN OF THE WHOLE WORLD,” promised in JOHN 1:29.
I HAVE HAD PEOPLE ASK, “HOW DID CAIN AND ABEL KNOW WHETHER THEIR OFFERINGS WERE ACCEPTED OR REJECTED BY JESUS?
THE BEST ANSWERS ARE FOUND IN THE BIBLE. THERE ARE SEVERAL BIBLICAL EXAMPLES THAT TELL US
an acceptable sacrifice consumed by fire from God (Judges 6:21; 1 Kings 18:38; 1 Chronicles 21:26; 2 Chronicles 7:1).
Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell…SO WE SEE ANGER, & POUTING & PRIDE & ENVY have afflicted mankind since Cain. And pride and sin is QUICKLY becoming worse.
Cain now commits the rather sophisticated sins of spiritual pride and hypocrisy.
Verses 6-7 tells us of God’s warning to Cain.
“So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”
And we see here ALMIGHTY GOD IS STILL THE PATIENT FATHER…CONFRONTING CAIN IN LOVING PATIENT CONFRONTATION. GOD made it clear that he would be accepted if he did well & when his HEART matched his gift.
And God KNEW what was going on in Cain’s heart and mind, but HE patiently pointed it out, because ALMIGHTY GOD IS STILL ALL ABOUT CHOICE…FREEWILL. AND HE WANTED Cain to know and STOP what was happening inside himself.
AND GOD PATIENTLY WARNED CAIN about the destructive power of sin.
GOD SAID CAIN YOU HAVE TWO CHOICES.
YOU MUST CHOOSE.
YOU CAN RESIST SIN & FIND BLESSING….OR GIVE IN TO SIN & BE DEVOURED.
“And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it:” TOLD CAIN, AND HE IS TELLING US THAT WE HAVE THE CHOICE AND THE ABILITY TO PREVENT SIN FROM RULING OVER US…BY ALLOWING JESUS CHRIST to rule and reign within our hearts and lives. BUT WITHOUT JESUS AS OUR MASTER, WE WILL BE SLAVES TO SIN.
OF COURSE…CAIN CHOOSES SELF…PRIDE…JEALOUSY.
Verse 8 tells us Cain murders Abel.
“Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.”
Cain PLOTTED & PLANNED to catch Abel by surprise, lulling him with pleasant conversation. This shows that Cain NOT ONLY KILLED, BUT HE COMMITTED PREMEDIDATED MURDER, INSTEAD OF CHOOSING GOD’S WAY OF ESCAPE.
NO human had ever died or been killed before, but Cain HAD WATCHED HIS PARENTS KILL LAMBS FOR SACRIFICE. HE KNEW HOW TO KILL…AND HE KILLED ABEL THE SAME WAY.
IMAGINE EVE AND ADAM’S HORROR AND SADNESS…their hope that CAIN would be GOD’S PROMISED REDEEMER FOR THEIR SIN…BECOMES A murderer, and their SECOND SON BECOMES A VICTIM OF MURDER. ADAM & EVE’S HOPE THAT SIN/SATAN WOULD BE ENDED THROUGH THEIR CHILDREN IS DESTROYED.
Verse 9 God confronts & questions Cain.
“Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”
God KNEW the answer to this question. He asked Cain because He wanted to give CAIN THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONFESS AND REPENT HIS SIN/HIS RESPONSIBILITY IN THE DEATH OF ABEL….AND TO START DOING THE RIGHT THING.
JUST LIKE HIS FATHER ADAM, IT WAS INSANELY STUPID TO THINK HE COULD SUCCESSFULLY LIE, MUCH LESS HIDE ANYTHING FROM GOD, BECAUSE GOD KNEW WHERE ABEL WAS…HE WAS ALREADY IN WHAT WOULD BE LATER CALLED “ABRAHAM’S BOSOM.”
“Am I my brother’s keeper?” This reply of Cain is famous. The POUTING DISMISSAL AND DEAD-HEARTED COMEBACK TELLS US WHERE CAIN’S HEAD AND HEART WAS AT.
CAIN WAS THE OLDEST…AND HE WAS SUPPOSED TO CARE FOR AND WATCH OVER HIS YOUNGER SIBLINGS…but was instead his brother’s murderer, and he murdered him for the lowest of reasons. Abel had not injured Cain in any way. Cain’s murderous rage was inspired purely by a spiritual jealousy & as with ADAM to blame God and/or pay God back for, to his own mind at least, showing “favoritism” for Abel over him…the OLDEST SON.
And Jude 1:11 warns & reminds us of the way of Cain, which is unbelief, empty religion leading to jealousy, persecution of those truly godly, and murderous anger.
2 TIMOTHY 3:5, tells us that there is NO GREATER CURSE ON THE EARTH than empty, vain religion, those who have a form of godliness, but deny the power of God.
Many are deathly afraid of “secular humanism” or atheism, but DEAD VAIN SELF-SERVING RELIGIONS send MORE people to hell than anything else.
Verses 10-12 tells us God’s curse upon Cain.
“And He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground. So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth.”
The idea of blood crying out to God from the ground is repeated in the Bible. Numbers 35:29-34 describes how the blood of unpunished murderers defiles the land.
HEBREWS 12:24 reminds us that the blood of Jesus speaks too, not of judgment as with ABEL…“but of better things, of grace and of sin having been judged.”
The curse upon Cain was that Adam’s curse would be amplified in regard to him. If bringing forth food from the earth would be HARD for Adam (Genesis 3:17-18), it would be IMPOSSIBLE for Cain (who was a farmer). If Adam were driven from Eden (Genesis 3:24), Cain would find NO resting-place on all the earth (a fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth).
Verses 13-15 tells us Cain has the ARROGANT GALL AND NERVE TO COMPLAIN OVER the severity of God’s judgment.
“And Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear! Surely You have driven me out this day from the face of the ground; I shall be hidden from Your face; I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth, and it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill me.” And the Lord said to him, “Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the Lord set a mark on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him.”
DID YOU NOTICE…EVEN IN THE BEGINNING…Cain didn’t feel bad about his sin, but only about his punishment. JUST A REMINDER THAT REGARDLESS HOW TIMES CHANGE….HUMAN NATURE AND ITS SELFISH, SELF-CENTERED MINDSET HAVE NOT CHANGED ONE BIT.
THEN AND NOW….PEOPLE HAVE OR THE PSYCHOLOGICAL FIELD ARE QUICK TO MAKE EXCUSES FOR WHY PEOPLE COMMIT THE UNTHINKABLE…THE CRUEL…THE EVIL…THE DESTRUCTIVE.
As significant as God’s judgment against Cain was, God did not want TO ENCOURAGE NOR GIVE THE NOD FOR ANYONE ELSE TO PLAY VIGILANTE.
Verses 16-17 tells us Cain moves away and marries.
“Then Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden. And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. And he built a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son; Enoch.”
Genesis 5:4 says Adam had several sons and daughters. Cain obviously married one of his sisters. Though marrying a sister was against the law of God according to Leviticus 18:9; 18:11; 20:17, and Deuteronomy 27:22 (which even prohibits the marrying of a half-sister), this was long before God spoke that law to Moses and the world.
And at this point, the “gene pool” of humanity was PURE enough to allow close marriage without harm of inbreeding. But as a stream can get more polluted the further it gets from the source, there came a time when God decreed there no longer be marriage between close relatives because of the danger of inbreeding.
Even Abraham married his half-sister Sarah (Genesis 20:12). God did not prohibit such marriages until the time of Moses (Leviticus 18:9). Marrying a brother or sister was NOT forbidden until God forbade it.
“And Cain BUILT a city” Here we see the beginning of industry and of urbanization - and that it is strongly man-centered INSTEAD OF God-centered.
Verses 18-22 tells us the generations following Cain.
“To Enoch was born Irad; and Irad begot Mehujael, and Mehujael begot Methushael, and Methushael begot Lamech. Then Lamech took for himself two wives: the name of one was Adah, and the name of the second was Zillah. And Adah bore Jabal. He was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. His brother’s name was Jubal. He was the father of all those who play the harp and flute. And as for Zillah, she also bore Tubal-Cain, an instructor of every craftsman in bronze and iron. And the sister of Tubal-Cain was Naamah.”
THESE verses show RAPID INDUSTRIAL/SOCIAL/TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES. Succeeding generations quickly made progress in areas such as the founding of a city, home building, music and the arts, and metalworking.
AND HERE THE BIBLE SIMPLY & CONCISELY DISPROVES “idea people” & “theorists” over the ages, who say we were cave dwellers, knuckle-dragging Neanderthals, and scroungers for tens of thousands of years. ALMIGHTY GOD TELLS US THE TRUTH…MANKIND ADVANCED VERY QUICKLY.
Lamech, was the seventh from Adam on Cain’s side. Lamech’s arrogance (Genesis 4:23-24) is a contrast to Enoch, who was the seventh from Adam on Seth’s line as confirmed in JUDE 1:14.
Lamech took TWO WIVES, which makes him the FIRST BIGAMIST in history, going against God’s original plan for one man and one woman to become one flesh (Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:4-8).
EVEN the names of his wives and daughter show the emphasis in his heart: Adah means, “pleasure, ornament, or beauty.” Zillah means, “shade” probably referring to a luxurious covering of hair. His daughter’s name was Naamah, which means, “loveliness.” Lamech’s culture was committed to physical and outward beauty….they were the FIRST HOLLYWOOD mindset…where looks, pleasures, and ME ME ME…. are all that matters
Verses 23-24 tells us Lamech’s chest-thumping boast shows him to BE IN THE IMAGE OF HIS FATHER…CAIN.
“Then Lamech said to his wives: “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; Wives of Lamech, listen to my speech! For I have killed a man for wounding me, even a young man for hurting me. If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy-sevenfold.”
The way Lamech boasts about his murder of another, and the way he believes he can promise a greater retribution than God, shows a progressive degeneracy among humanity. Things are going downhill fast, a true devolution.
AND YES…HERE IS ANOTHER ANSWER…HUMANISM began in Genesis 4…not just in the 1960’s, but right here with CAIN…who DID NOT LEARN FROM HIS PAST, BUT PASSED HIS MEISTIC HUMANISM ON TO HIS CHILDREN.
This is all a picture of humanism. The city IS Cain’s city; the focus of Lamech IS his beautiful wives and his own perceived strength. But for all of Lamech’s boasting, neither he nor his descendants are ever heard of again in the Bible. He came to nothing.
Verses 25-26 tells us Seth is born to Adam and Eve.
“And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, “For God has appointed another seed for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed.” And as for Seth, to him also a son was born; and he named him Enoch. Then men began to call on the name of the Lord.”
Adam and Eve had many children who are not specifically named, but Seth IS WORTHY of mention because he “replaced” Abel and IS THE ONE WHOM THE PROMISE OF A DELIVERER from the seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15) would be passed.
Even in those wicked days, the worship of God was not unknown. Some have called Genesis 4:26 “THE FIRST REVIVAL,” because it is the first indication of a spiritual resurgence after a clear decline.
THERE ARE MANY FIRSTS IN GENESIS 4.
IT IS THE FIRST FARM.
IT IS THE FIRST RANCH,
IT IS THE FIRST CHOSEN EVIL ATTACK.
IT IS THE FIRST APPEARANCE OF EGO IN MANKIND.
IT IS THE FIRST HUMAN BLOOD SHED BY MANKIND.
IT IS THE FIRST PREMEDITATED MURDER BY MANKIND.
IT IS THE FIRST CITY BUILT.
IT IS THE FIRST SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT.
IT IS THE FIRST MUSIC & FINE ARTS CREATION.
IT IS THE FIRST BIGAMY BY MANKIND.
IT IS THE FIRST MURDER FOR FUN/ARROGANCE.
IT IS THE FIRST “ISM” IN HUMANISM.
IT IS ALSO THE FIRST REVIVAL.
AND IT IS THE FIRST PROCLAIMED BLOODLINE OF PROMISED AND HOPED FOR SALVATION AND REDEMPTION OF JESUS NAMED, THAT TOLD US 1000S OF YEARS IN ADVANCE….THAT THE MESSIAH WOULD COME THROUGH EVE’S SON…SETH.
LONG BEFORE JESUS, OR THE PROPHETS, MUCH LESS THE GOSPELS….ALMIGHTY GOD TELLS US AND SHOWS US THAT HE KNOWS AND READS THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF MANKIND.
THAT HE KNOWS THE DIFFERENCE AND JUDGES RIGHTEOUSLY AND FAIRLY THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CHRISTIAN WHO HAS A DAILY CHRISTIAN “DUTY” CHECK LIST AND FOLLOWS IT…INSTEAD OF THE HEART THAT SEEKS ALWAYS TO PLEASE, HONOR, PRAISE, AND BE THANKFUL.
GENESIS 4 SHOWS US THAT SELFISHNESS, EGO, PRIDE, SELF-IMPORTANCE, AND SPOILED HEARTEDNESS…CAN AND DOES LEAD TO THE UNSPEAKABLE…THE CONSUMMATE EVIL OF CHOICES AND DECISIONS.
BUT AS ALWAYS…ALMIGHTY GOD SHOWS UNDERSTANDING, GRACE, MERCY, PATIENCE, AND PROVIDES/OFFERS HOPE…EVEN IN THE WORST OF CIRCUMSTANCES FOR THE REPENTANT HEART….AND PUTS IN PLACE…LONG BEFORE IT IS NEEDED A WAY OF REDEMPTION…ESCAPE…SALVATION.
OUR JESUS CHRIST IS OUR ONLY HOPE THEN…AND NOW.
REACH OUT FOR JESUS AND HE WILL REACH OUT TO YOU.
TRUST OUR JESUS!
STAY BLESSED…