Introduction
In Genesis 4, we see that mankind didn’t stop sinning. Although the text doesn’t tell us if Adam and Eve continued to sin or not, the text clearly tells us that their son did and so, we read about the first murder and the first family breakdown in society and.
CAIN AND ABEL
‘Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, ‘With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man.’ Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.’ Genesis 4:1-2
Adam and Eve had sexual relations, Eve became pregnant and gave birth to Cain, Genesis 4:1 / Genesis 4:17 / Genesis 4:25 / Genesis 38:26 / Judges 11:39 / 1 Samuel 1:19. In chapter 3 we saw that sin entered the world and it separated man from God. And what we are going to see in chapter 4 is that sin quickly begins to separate man from his brother. This is the very first family feud and I think we will find that this story still has got a lot to say today.
This story speaks of the two ways all men must choose. This chapter documents the assertion that was made by God back in Genesis 3:15, that there would be enmity between the offspring of the serpent and the offspring of the woman.
It didn’t take long for that enmity to show up, and Cain and Abel are going to be viewed in Scripture as the prototype of the two races. We divide men up into black and white, male, and female etc. God only sees two kinds of people, lost people and found people, saved people, unsaved people, children of Abel, children of Cain.
No child ever entered this world with a greater measure of hope than Cain. I believe that Adam and Eve saw him, as the head crusher that God had promised would come from her seed, Genesis 3:15.
Remember they have never gone through pregnancy before, it’s a totally new experience for them. God has promised that from your seed there is going to be somebody that is going to crush Satan’s head. Her body starts changing, she’s going through all kinds of feelings she’s never had before, then she delivers a baby, Genesis 4:1, something that has never been done before.
And she says on the day that boy is born, ‘Quanah’ or ‘acquired’, Genesis 4:1, that’s what she named that baby. The idea was, ‘here he is’ or ‘I’ve gotten him’. In fact, the Hebrew literally says, ‘I have gotten a man, the Lord’. In other words, what she was saying was, ‘here is the deliverer, here is the head crusher,’ Genesis 3:15.
But as we read on the great irony is, that Cain isn’t going to be a Saviour, in fact, he is going to be a killer. And the Bible is later going to describe the popular path that most people take, the path of rebellion, the path of wickedness. The Bible calls it, ‘the way of Cain’, Genesis 4:2 / Jude 11.
I believe that Cain was the prototype of all people bound for hell, and I think Cain was the first man sentenced to hell. And his way has been popular, his way his broad. I want to focus on what the Bible says about Cain’s younger brother because Abel managed to say a lot in a short time.
In what way, does Abel still speak? Hebrews 11:4. A message to the seed of the woman. A message of rebuke to the seed of the serpent. What does Abel still say to us today? Well, he says three things.
1. Abel still speaks of the necessity of faith.
In that great chapter in Hebrews 11 where all the heroes of faith are mentioned, the very first name is Abel’s. You remember that chapter says in the beginning, ‘without faith it is impossible to please God,’ Hebrews 11:6.
And the very first person that showed us that principle was Abel. By faith, Abel offered a better sacrifice to God than Cain did. One thing that story tells us is not only is man called to work but from the very beginning, he’s been called to worship. So, in in this chapter we see men coming to God to worship Him.
‘Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time, Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favour on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering, he did not look with favour.’ Genesis 4:2-5
They both brought to God the best of what they did all day, Genesis 4:3-4. Cain brought grain, Genesis 4:3, while Abel offered fat offerings, Leviticus 3:16-17 / Leviticus 7:23-25 / Leviticus 17:6.
We need to ask the question, why was Cain’s offering of labour not pleasing to God? Genesis 4:5. In the Old Testament, grain offerings were often given to the Lord, and he was pleased with it, Leviticus 2:1-16 / Leviticus 6:14-18 / Leviticus 7:9-10 / Leviticus 10:12-13.
But why wasn’t he pleased with the grain offering of Cain? Genesis 4:5. Obviously, the story leaves a lot out, but I think the text implies that God had given specific instructions concerning proper sacrifice.
Notice, for example, there appears to be a proper time because the text says literally, ‘in the course of time they came to the Lord,’ Genesis 4:3. In other words, there was a ‘prescribed time’. Apparently, there was also a ‘prescribed place’, it says, ‘they brought their offerings to the Lord,’ Genesis 4:3-4.
Where was that? My suspicion is, that it was at the place where the cherubim were, Genesis 3:24, because in the Old Testament often the cherubim guard the presence of God, Exodus 25:10-22, but that is just speculation. But there was apparently a prescribed time, in the course of time and there was a prescribed place to the Lord and evidently, there was also a ‘prescribed way’.
‘So, Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. Then the LORD said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.’ Genesis 4:5-7
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘There are many things which we do not know about this episode, one of them being how the brothers knew that God had accepted one sacrifice and rejected the other. Speculation is vain; we still do not know.’
Cain was angry and his face was downcast, Genesis 4:5, but notice God asked Cain, ‘Why are you angry? If you do what’s right, won’t you be accepted?’ Genesis 4:6. God could only say that if Cain knew what was right to do. What does the Bible say about faith? ‘Faith comes through hearing,’ Romans 10:17.
You can’t act in faith until you’re given a revelation from God for you to act on. So evidently God had given to them an instruction about a time and a place and a way to bring Him offerings. And evidently, God had instructed these first worshippers, that the only acceptable offering for sin had to involve death.
I suspect that He gave that revelation when he made coats of skin for Adam and Eve, Genesis 3:21. But somehow God had communicated a revelation that an offering of atonement must involve death. Yes, the Bible does talk about grain offering but never for atonement. Any offering in the Bible for atonement always involved blood, Leviticus 17:11 / Hebrews 9:22.
Think about this, is that why possibly Abel was a keeper of flocks? Genesis 4:2, because he wanted to act in faith to the Lord’s command. We might ask, well why wouldn’t he keep flocks? Remember at this point man is still a vegetarian. Why would he keep flocks if he’s not going to eat meat? I guess the wool would be useful for clothing.
But evidently, it was important to Abel to always make sure there was always a lamb ready for sacrifice to God. When it comes to approaching God, all men have got to choose either the way of Cain or the way of Abel. Abel offered God faith, and Cain offered God fruit, Genesis 4:3. Because those exact two choices are still the same two choices that people make today. Most people go the way of Cain, and they offer God the fruit of their hands.
It could be their labour, it could be their morality, it could be their religion, it could be their knowledge. Whatever it is, they’re going to offer God the fruit of their hands. But the Bible says in the very beginning, ‘God is not pleased with an offering of fruit for atonement,’ Genesis 4:5.
The only thing that can make atonement is blood. It cost God the blood of His holy and sinless Son to make atonement for sin. The Bible says, ‘God’s way of making us right with him depends on faith, counting on Christ alone.’ Philippians 3:9. And that’s what Abel still says, he still declares it’s impossible to please God without faith.
Notice God tells him that sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it,’ Genesis 4:7. God knew Cain better than Cain knew himself and so, here He prewarns Cain in an effort to get him to stop and think about what he is about to do. As Christians we too, must learn to master any sin that desires to control us, James 1:15.
2. Abel still speaks of the hostility against righteousness.
‘Now Cain said to his brother Abel, ‘Let’s go out to the field.’ And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.’ Genesis 4:8
This is the first recorded murder that was committed and the first from religious motives and Abel was the first human to suffer physical death. Originally Cain was angry at God, Genesis 4:5, so why did he turn his anger at God onto his brother? Worldly people cannot stand to be reminded that their lives aren’t lined up with the will of God. Abel is telling us that devote people should expect hostility from an ungodly world, 1 John 3:11.
Abel was hated because his life was a public rebuke to the way of Cain. In Luke 11:51, we find when Jesus was talking to the Pharisees, He says, ‘you know, you guys, you kill prophets and then your kids make monuments to them’, he says, ‘you’ve been doing that ever since the days of Abel.’
Jesus says Abel was a prophet, so perhaps not only did Abel’s own righteous life rebuke Cain but perhaps Abel even preached to Cain. Perhaps Abel tries to say to his brother, ‘Brother Cain, you need to listen to God, you should not go your own way, you should not rebel against God, you need to do what God says, and you need to honour God.’
Jamieson, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Under the guise of brotherly familiarity, he concealed his premeditated purpose until a convenient time and place for the murder.’
Jesus knew something, He knew that the murder of Abel was really the work of the serpent,. John 8:44. Jesus knew who was behind the murder of Abel, He knew the offspring of the serpent would always be at enmity with the offspring of the woman.
Paul said, ‘Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,’ 2 Timothy 3:12. We can just count on that, there aren’t going to be any peace talks. There’s only one way we can avoid hostility from the world and that’s to compromise and look so much like the world that they can’t recognise their own actions as evil as they are. That’s the only way.
In other words, there’s going to be enmity between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman as long as this world turns, it’s going to be with us until Jesus comes back. If you accept a standard that’s different from the world, there’s going to be clashes. If you pursue loyalties that are above earthly loyalties you’re going to be opposed.
When God said, ‘from this woman’s seed there’s going to be a head crusher’, Genesis 3:15. Satan made up his mind that he was going to attack every godly seed that comes from this woman. He did to Abel; he did to every prophet who came after Abel and he’s still doing it today.
Don’t be deceived into thinking that someday there is going to be great harmony and there’s going to be great peace between the people of God and the people of the world. There’s never going to be peace because Satan doesn’t want peace.
What I’m saying is that Christians need to feel good that we’re on the serpent’s enemy list and when he comes after us and he attacks us, when he sends the Cains of this world to attack and oppress and confront and ridicule us, Christians need to feel good that we’re on the serpents enemy list, because this thing is going to keep going until the world stops.
And that’s what Abel is trying to say. 1. You’ve got to focus on faith. 2. The hostility between me and Cain is going to last until Jesus comes back.
3. Abel still speaks of the certainty of judgement.
‘Then the LORD said to Cain, ‘Where is your brother Abel?’ ‘I don’t know,’ he replied. ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’ The LORD said, ‘What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.’ Genesis 4:9-12
Willis, in his commentary, says the following.
‘When the original parents were caught in their rebellion, they admitted it reluctantly, but Cain told an outright lie about his sin, showing, as suggested, “the growing power of sin’s grip over the human race.’
Evidently, Cain thought that nobody would notice his crime. God comes to him and says, ‘Cain, where is your brother?’ Genesis 4:8. And this arrogant fool thinks he can even fool God. He says, ‘I don’t know, I don’t make it my job to keep up with my brother’, Genesis 4:9. This was Cain’s opportunity to confess just like Adam and Eve did in the garden, Genesis 3:9-13. And God says, ‘What have you done? Listen!’ Genesis 4:10.
I’m sure there was a pause and Cain turned his head, he hears the sound of the birds in the trees, the sound of the breeze against the grain. ‘What? What?’ Then God said, ‘your brothers blood cries up to me from the ground,’ Genesis 4:10, and for the first time God curses a man, Genesis 4:11-12.
Aalders, in his commentary, says the following, concerning Genesis 4:11.
‘This as an ‘extension’ of the cursing of the ground ‘for Adam’s sake’ in Genesis 3:17-18.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following, concerning Genesis 4:12.
‘Cain is later represented as going out and building a city; and from this we should conclude that the principal thing in view in this was probably the constant flight of wicked people loaded with guilt and apprehension, Proverbs 28:1.’
‘Cain said to the LORD, ‘My punishment is more than I can bear. Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.’ But the LORD said to him, ‘Not so; if anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven times over.’ Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. So, Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.’ Genesis 4:13-16
Cain is so hardened in sin at this point, that he doesn’t respond with remorse, he doesn’t fall down on his face and repent. He responds with reproach, he says, ‘You can’t do that, that’s too much, I can’t bear what you’ve done,’ Genesis 4:13-14. Basically, he’s saying, ‘God, you don’t have the right to assign that kind of judgment.’ The serpent’s seed is always blasting God at his right to assign judgment.
Have you ever heard this question? How can a loving God send people to hell? The serpent has been getting Canaanites to ask that question since the beginning of creation. That is not the question the Bible asks, the Bible says upfront that a Holy God has the right to assign judgment.
Here is the question of the Bible, how can a Holy God let Christians into heaven? How can a Holy God let people into heaven? And that’s the question the Bible answers. The amazing thing to me is that God put a mark on Cain to say to the rest of the world, ‘even this evil man’s blood is my property, so don’t touch it,’ Genesis 4:15-16.
Notice Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.’ Genesis 4:16. The word Nod, means wandering.
Constable in his commentary, says the following.
‘Cain’s punishment consisted of his being banished from God’s presence and unable to enjoy his family’s company and the fruitfulness of a settled pastoral life, Genesis 4:11-12 / Genesis 4:14. He would have to wander from place to place seeking food rather than living a sedentary life. This punishment was just since he had alienated himself from his brother and God.’
Who was going to kill Cain? Cain was to come to represent the social world, and his mark was for protection from his family, his brothers or sisters, Genesis 5:4. God knew that Cain’s family would take revenge for killing their brother, Genesis 4:24.
God also sent out another word, He put the world on alert that God hears the cries of the Abels who have been treated unjustly, and He will take up their cause. One of the things that burden us as believers, is that we see a world where there is little justice, and we get upset with God.
Why do innocent babies get shot when there is a war? Who’s going to speak for all the infants that were torn out of wombs by abortionists? What all the women who have been raped and the people who did it were never caught? All the millions and millions of kids who have been abused and violated and nothing ever happened?
The list just goes on and on and on and on and on, and sometimes it gets so big that people even start to doubt God. And they see this world that is so full of un-judged evil, they start to think nobody is in control. This story tells us that judgement is certain, God has heard the cry of every innocent drop of blood that’s ever been spilt, Revelation 6:9-11.
Wait God says and that’s probably not the answer you want to hear to that question. God, how long are you going to wait before you avenge the blood of all the righteous people on earth? And the answer is, ‘I’ll take care of it, but not yet,’ Revelation 6:9-11.
We need to understand that nobody is going to escape the justice of God’s court. That happens in the world, sometimes in the world, people fall through the cracks in the justice system, but God’s justice system doesn’t have any cracks, Hebrews 9:27. A time is coming when all men will either be born again or wished they had never been born at all. The blood of Abel still cries for justice.
You might be thinking, wait a minute, I’ve made mistakes, I’ve gone the way of Cain in my life, what hope is there for me if all the people I’ve hurt are crying for justice? Well, Abel still speaks, but Abel doesn’t have to have the last word because Jesus speaks too, and Jesus speaks a better word than Abel. We are told, ‘how awesome God is, how God is a consuming fire, how God is a God that makes men tremble and quack,’ Hebrews 12:28-29.
But read what it says about us as Christians, Hebrews 12:22-24. Abel’s blood cries out for judgement, but Jesus’ blood cries out for mercy, Abel’s blood sends the sinner away from God to wander and Jesus’ blood opens the way back to God, Hebrews 10:19.
All men can’t hear the blood of Abel, but God can, but there is something else that God can hear that men can’t hear. God hears the blood of Jesus and God hears every time the blood of Jesus speaks for a sinner, every time.
We need to pray for sinners who are still living the way of hostility, these people will face judgement, and if they don’t have the blood of Jesus to speak for them, the blood of Abel will speak against them, and they will be lost.
Cain is representative of a worldly person, he was self-willed, Jude 11, he suited himself about how he wanted to worship God. He got angry with God when his offering wasn’t accepted, Genesis 4:5. He was an intentional murderer, it was planned, Genesis 4:8 and he was a liar. Genesis 4:9. And yet God had mercy on him and God is still prepared to be merciful to the worldly people today.
Conclusion
Though mankind reached heights in achieving great things, he sunk into the depths of sin. Economic development never assumes moral allegiance to the will of God. Families are supposed to be a blessing from God, children are supposed to be a blessing from God. Parents have the special privilege and responsibility to raise their children by training and instructing them in the ways of the Lord, so that they may come to know Christ, Ephesians 6:4.
Let me tell you what parents are not responsible for. Just because you raise your child in the Scriptures, just because you showed them what saving faith looks like, just because you’ve demonstrated to them how a Christian lives. This is no guarantee that they will grow up to become Christians or stay faithful all their lives.
I say this because many parents feel like they’ve failed if their kids don’t become Christians or fall away. But you’re not a failure, not once in the Scriptures does it say you are responsible for your children becoming Christians or remaining faithful. If God holds parents accountable for anything, it’s raising our children up in His ways, Proverbs 22:6, but becoming a Christian is their choice, remaining faithful is their choice.
Most families that are broken, are broken because they have lost sight of who and what is the priority in the midst of their family. Godly families are usually healthy families because they have one priority and that is God. But what happens when families break down because mum or dad decide they don’t want to follow God anymore? What happens when your husband or wife says to you, it’s God or our marriage?
Jesus tells us that these very scenarios were going to happen in His day and indeed today, Matthew 10:37. He says, that when someone becomes a Christian, the chances are, it’s going to affect the relationship with their families.
And He says, when that happens, when tension arises within a family because one of them decides to become a follower of Christ and the others don’t like it, what are you going to do? Are you going to follow Jesus or give in to your family? Matthew 10:34-36.
Jesus is not saying that we shouldn’t love our families or neglect our families. He’s letting us know that there will be times when the temptation to please our families is going to be more powerful that our decision to follow Jesus.
Did Jesus literally mean that we should hate our families and our own lives? Luke 14:26. Of course not, the key to understanding what Jesus means is found in the word ‘hate’ which simply means to love less.
Jesus is simply saying what He said in Luke 14:26. Jesus is saying that even if a person’s family comes to stand between them and their Lord, then a choice needs to be made. A choice between the natural affection of family or a devotion to their Saviour Jesus Christ, Matthew 10:37.
And sadly, that’s where many a Christian fall, where friends and family give us a choice sometimes daily. We’re faced with choices every day and the way to deal with those choices is to ask ourselves a simple question.
Which choice has in mind the things of God? And which choice has in mind the things of men? Too many Christians choose wrongly that’s why they have abandoned the faith, and you never see them anymore. But the true followers of Christ will always be and must be ready to treat their dearest friends and family as those who are opposed to God and His ways.
Joshua stood up in the midst of the Israelite nation and gave them a choice. They can go back to serving gods which don’t exist, or they can follow the One True God.
But notice that Joshua declared that he and his family had already made their choice, they choose to serve the Lord, Joshua 24:14-15. The question is simply this, who will you choose? The world? Your physical family? Or the One who died on Calvary?
