Key Verse:
Genesis 4:10 NKJV
10 And He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.
Our sin so affects all of Creation. Dear God! Your words resonate so clearly to those of us who will hear. What have we done?
What you need to know
We are at the beginning. No prelude is required.
The Lesson
Genesis 4:1 NKJV
1 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore [a]Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the Lord.”
The first man born of a woman. Cain. His name translated from Hebrew provides a deeper understanding: What Eve intimated was, “With the Lord’s help, I have acquired a spear.” The naming of a child always includes the hope and aspirations of the parent for that child. Cain was no exception. God placed Adam and Eve on a really big Earth. They would need all of the help they could get in accomplishing that task. Cain was an answer to their prayers. He was born to further God’s plan for man to bring God’s dominion to the Earth. He was to be king. The first king born of a woman.
Genesis 4:2 NKJV
2 Then she bore again, this time his brother [b]Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
The second man born to Eve was named Abel. His name has dual meanings; a. Breath, and b. Vanity. In that, there were only three men on the planet at that moment, let’s assume that Abel’s name is more closely associated with ‘Breath’. That would more closely associate him with the Ruach Ha’Kodesh, The Holy Spirit of God, the Third Person of the Trinity.
Abel was a shepherd. Cain was a farmer, or rather a tiller of the ground. His call was to bring the earth, the very ground under God’s dominion. Abel was to assist by becoming the earth’s first and chief shepherd. Both would fall short of God’s long-term vision for their lives, but each would leave their mark on the planet.
Genesis 4:3-4b NKJV
3 And [c]in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. 4b Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat….
They both brought offerings, but notice that Abel’s is distinguished in the narrative by the fact that they were firstborn and fat, meaning healthy. In juxtaposition, the narrative makes no mention of any special characteristics of Cain’s offering. Almost as though his offering to God was an afterthought. Being the king of the world keeps a man busy. Who has time for church? Beloved every offering to God is deemed Holy, not common, and should be considered so by the giver. Such was the oversight of Cain.
Hebrews 10:29 NKJV
29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?
Genesis 4:4b-5 NKJV
4b …And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.
God’s lack of respect for Cain’s offering reflects Cain’s disrespect for God in the offering. On the other hand, Abel found favor with God based on what He brought before the Lord. Both of these men were to have reflected something of God’s nature and character to the world. Cain exhibited selfishness and unconcern for the things of God. Abel showed us something else. A future King who would be Savior!
Hebrews 9:22 NKJV
22 And according to the law almost all things are [h]purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no [i]remission.
Genesis 4:6 NKJV
6 So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?
Notice that there is no harsh reprimand from God directed toward Cain. After all, God has chosen him to be the pre-eminent among. Why wouldn’t God reach out to him in love and with concern? God approaches Cain as a parent would a wayward child; always hoping for their best. Gently, lovingly, God entreats Cain with a question. A question meant to reveal to a child the error of their intent with the hope that they will self-correct and learn from the experience.
Genesis 4:7 NKJV
7 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 [d]for you, but you should rule over it.”
The Lord continues this moment by offering correction after allowing time for Cain to reflect on his emotions. Everything God does reflects the love, care, and concern He has for Cain. Cain has God’s purpose built into his being. All of us do. He does not want to see us fail.
Genesis 4:8 NKJV
8 Now Cain [e]talked with Abel his [f]brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and killed him.
But Cain was unable to see past his anger and he killed his brother Abel. His actions only reflect his disdain for the purpose and plan of God. His pride outweighed his prudence. Called to reflect God’s dominion, Cain chose to impose dominion over his brother and fellow servant Abel. Again, some of this should resonate, shouldn’t it? I am reminded of a great king who coveted his servant’s wife and had the servant abandoned in a battle to be killed so that he could acquire his servant’s wife for himself. What happens when one deserts God’s plan for his own selfish desires. A prophet warned the king that the sword would never leave his house. There are always consequences.
Genesis 4:9 NKJV
9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?”
He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”
God never asks a question He cannot answer. Again, He presents an opportunity to confess his sin with a question. Cain, in turn, responds with a question of his own. Does he think himself equal to God? Such is the cost of pride. It blinds us to the loving, caring, gentleness of a Father who will strive with us for our own good, rather than forsake those for whom He has declared His love. Cain’s disdain will prove costly.
Genesis 4:10 NKJV
10 And He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.
But wages of sin are death. God could not ignore what had transpired. Class has been in session for Cain (and for us). Class is about to be dismissed. God confronts Cain about the egregious sin he has committed against his brother. However, the narrative gives us a vision of eternity. God has an eternal purpose for us. He had a purpose for Abel, and though he was unable to pursue his purpose on this plane, Abel continues to see his purpose fulfilled in scripture. To God, Abel is very much alive.
Hebrews 11:4 NKJV
4 By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts, and through it, he being dead still speaks.
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Genesis 4:11 NKJV
11 So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.
And so God declares Cain’s punishment. In a moment, everything is lost. The importance of inheritance cannot be overstated. Cain lost his inheritance, an inheritance that included the title ‘First’ in just a moment. All of the promise, all of the potential would never be fulfilled. Not by the hand of Cain. Another would take his place. Seth.
In that same spoken Word, God declares the righteousness of Abel’s offering and the eternal reward he has received, in that, the very earth received him as righteous.
Genesis 4:25 NKJV
25 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.”
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Genesis 4:12 NKJV
12 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.”
Each one of us has God’s purpose abiding in us. We’ve seen justice work in Abel’s behalf. He still has a voice. His voice still carries weight. His declaration of God’s righteousness through the eventual sacrifice of God’s own Son is written in the foundation of eternity. Conversely, Cain is forever a vagabond. Forever, he will call no one place home. In the same way, the earth received His brother, it now will reject him.
Genesis 4:13-14 NKJV
13 And Cain said to the Lord, “My [g]punishment is greater than I can bear! 14 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.”
We have seen justice and vengeance on Abel’s behalf. What about Mercy? Cain begins to realize the weight of God’s judgment against him. The worst of it is that He will forever be driven from the Presence of the Lord. Forever. Beloved, those who have chosen the path of sin may forever incur the greatest of all losses, the inability to ever dwell in God’s Presence. How great is the need for the gospel to be preached in this day?
Genesis 4:15 NKJV
15 And the Lord said to him, [h]“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.
God is love. Even in judgment, He protects Cain, the first man born of a woman. Though He was born in sin and shaped in iniquity, God loved Cain so that forever marked Cain as His very own. He would go on to build cities and father nations. He would still find himself a leader of men, though he forsook his inheritance when he rejected God’s counsel. God is always merciful. How great was his mercy toward Cain?
One more thing:
Genesis 4:26 NKJV
26 And as for Seth, to him also a son was born; and he named him [n]Enosh. Then men began to call on the name of the Lord.
Cain missed his moment by missing his moment in the Lord’s Presence. Seth, the third man born of Eve, in his day led men to call on the name of the Lord. Beloved, such is the inheritance of the children of the Lord.
Selah,
wb
2 Timothy 2:19-21 NKJV
19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of [g]Christ depart from iniquity.”
20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. 21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, [h]sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.
P.S. There is a component here that cannot be overlooked. Justice should always offer restoration. Justice that does not provide a way of redemption is not justice at all.
