Cain Kills Abel

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PASSAGE: Genesis 4:1-26

COMMENT: In this chapter, the first two brothers have a falling out and Cain kills Abel because God accepted Abel’s sacrifice from his flock and rejected Cain’s sacrifice of fruits and vegetables.  Cain is made a fugitive in the earth and given a mark to protect him from those who would kill him.  He then goes out and establishes the first human civilization.

WHAT DOES IT SAY?

1.                   When Cain was born, Eve rejoiced that she had gotten a ______ from the Lord.

2.                   The Lord admonished Cain, “If thou doest well, shalt thou not be ___________? And if thou doest not well, _______ lieth at the ________.”

3.                   Cain complained to the Lord that his punishment was __________ than he could ________.

4.                   Cain went out from the __________ of the Lord and dwelled in the land of ________.

5.                   One of the descendants of Cain was Jubal who was the father of all such as handle the ________ and the ________.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

1.                   Scriptural passages often use a key object or word to bring unity and meaning to the story.  In the first twelve verses of this chapter, the word ground is used four times (in verses 2, 3, 10, 12).  Not only that, the ground is key to what is happening in this passage.  Tell what part the ground has in each of these four verses and try to explain why the ground is mentioned so much.

2.                   Cain feared that whoever found him would kill him.  God gave him a mark to warn others not to kill him (v.14-15).  Why do you think God protected Cain?  Why did God use a mark to protect him?

3.                   When Adam’s son, Seth, had his son, Enos, the Bible says, “then began men to call upon the name of the LORD” (v.26).  According to the fifth chapter of Genesis (v.3, 6), 235 years passed between the creation of Adam and the birth of Enos.  To call on God’s name refers to prayer in the Bible.  Why did man wait 235 years before he began to pray?  Think about this chapter.  How did God and man communicate before Genesis 4:26?  How is this different from what we do today?

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO ME?

1.                   When Can and Abel brought of their offerings to the Lord, Cain brought the fruit of his labor as a farmer and Abel brought of the firstlings of his flock.  God rejected Cain’s offering and accepted Abel’s offering.  Why was this so?  What was the difference between the offerings?  What does this teach us about how we should approach God today?

2.                   When God asked Cain about the whereabouts of Abel, Cain replied (v.9), “Am I my brother’s keeper?”  This question has troubled man ever since.  What are the limits of our responsibilities to others?  What should we do?  What are we not required to do?  What does the Bible say about this?  Your answer may require a bit of thought.

SUGGESTED MEMORY VERSES:  Genesis 4:4, 9