Cain and Abel

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Introduction: Abel and Cain give the original contrast between good and evil. Abel obeyed God and was accepted of Him. Cain came up with a better idea and displeased God. But instead of getting things right, Cain took matters into his own hands and murdered his own brother. This world is still divided into those who submit to God’s plan and those who are determined to do things their own way. This lesson teaches obedience and the importance of doing things God’s way.

I.           THE SONS OF ADAM & EVE (4:1-2) 

A.    Their Birth (v.1-2a) 

1.   Cain (means possession) – a man from the LORD

2.   Abel (means breath or vapor) 

B.    Their Vocations (v.2b) 

1.   Abel – a keeper of sheep

2.   Cain – a tiller of the ground 

II.          THE OFFERINGS OF CAIN AND ABEL (4:3-5a) 

A.    The Offerings Brought (v.3-4) 

1.   Cain – of the fruit of the ground (v.3)

2.   Abel (v.4)

a.    Of the firstlings of his flock (the firstborn sheep)

b.    Of the fat of his flock (the best sheep) 

B.    The Offerings Received by God (v.4-5) 

1.   Abel’s offering respected (v.4b)

2.   Cain’s offering not respected (v.5a) 

III.         THE REACTION OF CAIN (4:5b-8) 

A.    Cain’s Anger (v.5b) 

B.    God’s Warning (v.6-7) 

1.   Look at the cause of your wrath (v.6)

2.   Admit that your sin caused the problem (v.7a)

3.   Recognize the power and danger of sin (v.7b) 

C.    Cain’s Murder of Abel (v.8) 

1.   Cain talked with Abel

2.   Cain slew Abel

IV.        THE JUDGMENT OF CAIN (4:9-15) 

A.    The Lord Seeks Cain (v.9-10) 

1.   Cain’s denial of responsibility (v.9)

2.   Abel’s blood crying from the ground (v.10) 

B.    The Lord Curses Cain (v.11-12) 

1.   Cursed from the earth (v.11)

2.   Unable to bring fruit from the ground (v.12a)

3.   A fugitive and a vagabond in the earth (v.12b) 

C.    The Lord Protects Cain (v.13-15) 

1.   Cain’s complaint (v.13-14)

2.   Cain’s mark (v.15) 

V.         THE LINE OF CAIN (4:16-24) 

A.    Cain’s Departure (v.16-17) 

1.   From the presence of the Lord (v.16)

2.   To the land of Nod (v.16)

3.   With his wife who bare Enoch (v.17)

4.   Building the city of Enoch (v.17) 

B.    Cain’s Genealogy (v.18) 

C.    The Fruits of Civilization (v.19-24) 

1.   Bigamy (v.19)

2.   Commerce (v.20)

3.   Music (v.21)

4.   Manufacture (v.22)

5.   Lawyers (v.23-24) 

VI.        THE REPLACEMENT OF CAIN (4:25-26) 

A.    The Appointed Seed – Seth (v.25) 

B.  The Beginning of Prayer (v.26)

Conclusion: Sin may start small but it causes big problems in the end. We can only be saved God’s way and we can only please God by doing things His way. Are you submitted to God’s plan for you? When you are caught doing something wrong, do you rebel even more as Cain did or do you confess your sin and submit to God?

COMMENTARY:

v.1 – When Eve bare Cain and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD, she probably thought that this was the promised seed of Genesis 3:15 who would bruise the serpent’s head. Little did she know that this son would serve the serpent and that her woes and the woes of the world were only beginning. The consequences of sin are always greater than we can imagine.

v.3-4 – The offerings of Cain and Abel provide a lesson in salvation and have parallels in the coverings for Adam and Eve in Genesis Three. Cain’s offering of the fruit of the ground was the result of his own labors and required no shedding of blood. This matches the fig leaves with which Adam and Eve tried to cover themselves (3:7). God is not pleased with our own human effort. We cannot be saved by what we do.

Abel, however, brought of the firstlings and fat of his flock. Although he watched over the sheep, he did not make them grow. They were the work of God. Also, their blood had to be shed. This compares with the covering of skins that was given to Adam and Eve by the Lord (3:21). These two stories picture man being saved by the blood and by the provision of the Lord.

v.7 – Sin is personified in this verse. If we rebel against the Lord, sin (like an old dog) lies at the door of our heart controlling access and ready to be stirred up anytime we make a move. However, if we repent of our sins and submit to the Lord, sin has to submit to us and we can rule over him. (see 1Jn.3:12)

v.10 – This is the first Biblical reference to blood defiling the land. (see Num.35:33; Ps.106:38).

v.12 – Cain’s curse was to lose his livelihood. He was a tiller of the ground (v.2) but now the ground would not yield him any fruit. A fugitive is one who is fleeing from justice. A vagabond is one who moves from place to place having no fixed abode.

v.15 – The mark of Cain has given rise to much speculation. Many have tried to figure out what the mark was. The best approach is to take God at his word and not try to discover things He has not revealed. God put a mark on Cain that was easily visible and clearly distinguished him from other men. This mark was God’s warning to those who would kill Cain. Why do you think God protected Cain?

v.16 – Cain “went out from the presence of the LORD.” When Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden of Eden, they did not go very far from the Cherubim which guarded the tree of life. They were still close to the presence of God (3:8). God still spoke to them in an audible voice (4:6,9) and they did not think it unusual. But Cain now leaves God’s presence. He does not want to be bothered by the voice of God. He wants his freedom.

v.20-22 – Lamech’s three sons are the precursors of civilization. Jabal keeps cattle and sets the stage for the accumulation of wealth. Jubal plays musical instruments and makes way for the pursuit of pleasure. Tubel-cain works with metal and begins the specialization of labor. Christians may enjoy some of the fruits of civilization, but they are warned against its wiles (Ezek.16:49; Amos 6:1-6). We are not to live our lives according to the standards of this world (Rom.12:2; 2Cor.6:17; Heb.13:13; Jas.4:4; 1Jn.2:15).

v.25 – Cain’s murder of Abel was Satan’s first attempt to destroy the godly line that would one day lead to the promised seed. But it failed. God sent another son, Seth, who would be the appointed seed to carry the line to the Messiah.

v.26 – Up until the time of the birth of Enos, God just spoke to men when He wanted to tell them something. Now, they must learn to pray and “call upon the name of the LORD.”