Hear God’s word read. Let me pray for this, the reading of his word. This will flow from Psalm 119, the section entitled Zion. Let us pray. Lord, remember your word to your servant in which you have made me hope. This is my comfort in my affliction that your promise gives me life. The insolent utterly deride me, but I do not turn away from your law. When I think of your rules from of old. I take comfort, O Lord. Hot indignation seizes me because of the wicked who forsake your law. Your statutes have been my songs in the house of my sojourning. I remember your name in the night, O Lord, and keep your law. And this blessing has fallen to me that I have kept your precepts. Lord, as we come to your word, may this prayer become true in our lives. Amen. With your Bibles in hand, please turn with me to Genesis 4 and hear God’s holy and and in errant words. This will be the first 16 verses of that chapter. Now Adam knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain saying, I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.
And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of the sheep, and Cain, a worker of the ground. In the course of time, Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering. But for Cain and his offering, he had no regard. So Cain was very angry and his face fell. And the Lord said to Cain, Why are you angry? And why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door, and its desire is contrary to you. You must rule over it. Cain spoke to his brother, and when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. And the Lord said to Cain, Where is Abel, your brother? And he said, I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper? And the Lord said, What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground, and now you are cursed from the ground, which is opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.
When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength, and you shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth. Cain said to the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden, and I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me. ‘ And then the Lord said to him, ‘Not so. If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. ‘ And the Lord put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him. Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord, and he settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden. The word of the Lord. Thank you, God. You may be seated. We pray now for the preaching of the word. The grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of the Lord stands forever. Amen. Let no one say when he is tempted, I am being tempted by God, for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each one is tempted when he lured and enticed by his own desire.
Then desire, when it is conceived, it brings or gives birth to sin. And sin, when it is fully grown, brings forth death. You may recognize that from the epistle of James. It is also exactly what we see happening here in Genesis 4. And yet, while sin and depravity are expanding, God’s faithfulness still abounds. He is present, he is fatherly, and he is good. And God, we see, is worthy of our lives lived out in worship. Adam and Eve are driven. They’re kicked out of the garden in chapter 3, and then they turn to each other in love. And with a promised hope for that future savior, began to grow their family. Eve rejoices in the birth Cain. And with a play on words, uses a homonym in declaring that she has gotten Cana, a man with the Lord’s help. She names him Cain. It’s also a gentle reminder that God is sovereign even in the conception and birth of our children. They are not our property. They are God’s treasure to us. Here we see, again, Adam and Eve, they’re kicked out of the garden, but God is still blessing them. To Eve, God gives a second son as well, Abel.
These are two different sons, and they show two different lines that were full-told in Genesis 3: 15, when God, to the serpent, declared, I will put emnity between you and the woman between your offspring and her offspring. And as this passage to continues, to build, we see some encouraging developments. Cain works the ground like his father, Abel tends the sheep, fulfilling Adam’s dominion mandate to tend and to keep. And then in verse 4, we see that first overt act of public worship. We’re not told where they learned about worship. We can presume it was from their parents, Adam and Eve. But what we are told is that they, on their own volition, brought gifts to offer to the Lord. Cain brought fruit from the ground, Abel from the first born of his flock with their fat portions. And while we’re given very little detail into their lives, we’re given a glimpse here of their most important relationship, man’s most important relationship, that is, with the Lord. A note further that even though Adam and Eve were driven from the presence of the Lord, The Lord is still with them. Here we have Cain and Abel, their children, coming to the Lord to bring an offering.
We see God also in this chapter speaking directly with Cain. Again, if the story stopped right here, we would see a successful family, two children with vocations coming to the Lord to offer to him. But immediately, next in verse 5, we read, But for Cain and his offering, the Lord had no regard. Trouble is brewing. We’re not told why the Lord didn’t regard the offering or Cain himself. If you find that frustrating, Cain was even more upset. We read, he was very angry, and his face, his countenance, fell. Why might God have rejected Cain and accepted Abel’s offering? Since we’re not given any explicit reasoning here, we need to be careful and allow the whole Council of Scripture to inform our understanding. You may note that in the sacrificial system, while the sacrifice of sheep was more prominent, you could use it for sin offerings, for guilt offerings, for peace offerings, for burnt offerings. Grain was also an acceptable offering for types of offering, like the thank offering, for instance. You may also notice a couple of the minor or small details in this text. First, in Abel’s offering, we’re specifically told he brought of the first born of his flock.
This detail is not mentioned with Cain. And interestingly, in Leviticus 2: 2, verse 14, the people there are specifically told that if they’re bringing a grain offering, it is to be of their first fruits, fresh ears, wasted with fire, crushed new grain. And yet that detail of being first fruit is not mentioned with Cain. Secondly, with Abel, it’s also included the phrase with their fat portions. This would be the most costly cut, which would create the most pleasing aroma when wasted. From this, we can reasonably conclude that Abel offered that which cost him more. He brought the best of his best into the presence of the Lord. And Cain, it appears, simply brought some of his harvest. And even though we are not told here why Cain’s offering was rejected, in Hebrews 11: 4, we are told why Abel’s was. Hebrews 11: 4 reads, By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. Some scholars see that Abel in faith brought a substitute offering, a reminiscent perhaps of the blood that would have needed to be shed when God clothed Adam and Eve with skins in Genesis 3, or also of a blood sacrifice of something perfect, the best of the best, as a substitution for his own sin.
Hebrews suggests or declares that Abel was trusting in faith for that promised one of Genesis 3: 15. In the end, Abel’s gift, which was a superior gift, was offered with a superior attitude of faith. He was trusting in God’s acceptance, and Cain’s gift was not so offered, and both he and his offering were rejected. We may pause for a moment and reflect on what God expects of us in worship. In Psalm 95: 2, we are called to come into God’s presence with thanksgiving. We are to make a joyful noise with songs of praise. In 96: 8, we are to ascribe to the Lord the glory, do his name. And we’re told there to bring an offering. In Psalm 100, we are told to come into his presence with singing and to serve him with gladness. Offerings take forethought and planning. Serving takes planning and a gift of time and energy. Making joyful noises requires a heart prepared and ready. Thanksgiving requires reflection on what we are thanking the Lord for. God cares how you come into his house to worship him. And next in our text, we see an extraordinary dialog between God and Cain.
God notices Cain’s reaction. He sees his anger and his fallen face God’s fatherly love has not ended. Even though Adam and Eve were banished from the garden, God is still there. And he asks Cain directly about that reaction. Why are you angry? It’s a beautiful question. And God moves from this question to encouragement and advice. You may also notice a change of what’s happening here. In Genesis 3, the serpent is tempting Eve and says to Eve, did God actually say? Here in Genesis 4, God is actually saying. He’s speaking directly to Cain, and he’s saying to him, you should not sin. He’s encouraging him a better way. In fact, Old Testament scholar Richard Phillips notes, God’s grace provides a way of return. The Father gives a way out of temptation. Please look at verse seven. If you do well, will you not be accepted? It’s a beautiful offer from the Father. Then God reminds him of the consequences. If you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it. Notice a couple of things in that language that God uses. Sin is crouching at the door.
It’s a picture of a beast, maybe a foreshadow of Peter’s charge in 1 Peter 5: 8. Be sober-minded, be watchful for your adversary, the devil, proules around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. Sin is described here as an active force. Be warned, sin desires to control you. God warns Cain, but you must rule over it. There’s actually another echo here from Genesis 3, the Hebrew phrasing is the same. Not only was Eve cursed with pain in childbirth, but as Adam’s helper, she will find that her own sinful nature will desire to control him, and yet he must rule over her. Speaks to the tension many find in marriage. And consider what we have seen up to this point. Cain has come into the Lord’s presence with an offering which has been rejected. God has now spoken to him, and Cain has heard that fatherly warning, and he rejects the very words of the one he had come to worship. Surely this shows us a hard heart and a stubborn pride. Cain would worship in his own way. And that sin that selfish desire had birthed has now become mature, and death awaits. Now in a field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and he killed him.
Called to love his brother. Instead, he slew him in anger. This is the first recorded human death. It’s the first murder, and it is over in a flash with just a few words, Abel’s Life is ended. The next word is from God again. God speaks to Cain and he asks, Where is your brother Abel? Again, you might hear the echo from Genesis 3 when God walks in the garden after Adam and Eve have sinned and asks, Where are you? And they were hiding in their shame. Cain seems to lack shame, and moving past Adam’s blame shifting, he simply lies outright. I don’t know. And then he follows up this lie with a retort which shows his arrogant heart. Am I my brother’s keeper? One wonders, what was Cain thinking here? Did he expect God to be rebuffed by that snarky response? Notice God’s response. What have you done? Cain has acted in accordance with his nature. He was mad, and he couldn’t take it out on God, so he chose instead to take it out on a younger brother. He hated being confronted by Abel’s righteousness. He hated Abel because he was accepted by God, and in his hate, he killed his brother.
We ought to take care and consider how we often act in likewise manner. Perhaps we don’t engage in senseless killing, but who us hasn’t spoken hurtful words to another when we ourselves were upset? At times, it seems that we even delight in causing pain to those we ought to love the most. Do we not remember that God is there, that God sees our sinful, hateful, hurtful acts, and that he hears the cries of the suffering of those we afflict? God reminds Cain of his eternal presence by declaring that Abel’s blood is crying out to him from the ground. Abel’s name, by the way, in Hebrew, It means vapor, which might fit his short life. And yet it was not insignificant, for he has mentioned multiple times in the New Testament, Jesus refers to Abel in Matthew 23: 35, he notes that Abel foreshadows his own persecution. And Hebrews 11: 4, that passage that we looked at earlier, telling us that Abel’s offering was an acceptable sacrifice because it was offered in faith. That passage goes on to state that through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. Abel’s legacy, faithful though short, reaches out to point to Jesus, to his suffering and to his crucifixion, where in Hebrew 12: 24, we read there that we are to come to Jesus, who is the author of a better covenant.
We are to come to his sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. A better word. Abel’s blood cried out for justice. Christ’s blood brought justice. Abel’s blood stained the ground. Christ’s blood cleanses all who would be covered by it. All who in faith have clearly seen their sin, who can answer the question from God, What have you done? You can say, I have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed. And I am tired of lying, tired of arrogant responses, tired of hiding from your presence, and now asking Jesus, May I come to you? May I come into your presence? Will you cover me with the mark of the new covenant? Will you lift my curse and give me a new nature and a new heart. ‘ Our heavenly Father will hear that cry and respond with forgiveness and the blessing of new life. What’s keeping you from calling out to him. His blood will cover a multitude of sin. And yet Cain did not cry out to God. And Abel’s blood was crying for justice. And God was quick to bring his judgment to Cain. Cain is cursed from the ground that soaks up Abel’s blood.
That’s what our text says. With echoes again of Genesis 3, Cain hears that he will no longer or have success in farming. He will now be a fugitive and a wanderer. You may be surprised to hear Cain’s protest in verses 13 and 14. This is another aspect of the growing impact of sin in one’s life. Adam and Eve, when confronted with their sin, they heard and abided by God’s judgment. But Cain still filled with himself, protests, It’s too much. And besides, if someone finds me, they will kill me. Who is around to kill him? And the answer is his own brothers and sisters, and then eventually, nieces and nephews. Genesis 5: 4 tells us that Adam and Eve had other sons and daughters. In fact, the patriarchs before the flood would live as long as seven and eight generations. You can see how the numbers would begin to add up pretty quickly. When Cain’s fear, the Old Testament scholar, Victor Hamilton, notes the irony. He says, He who killed his brother, now frets lest one of his brothers kill him. And yet notice what happens. God, in his infinite mercy, with incredible patience, choose to act and places a mark or a sign on Cain for his protection.
This mark, though we have no idea of what it might have been, functions as a sign, that is, which somebody defined as that which awakened a knowledge of something with its observation. Quoting Hamilton again, he writes, he who is receiving words of divine judgment now receives a word of divine promise and an act of divine protection. Somehow, when people saw Cain, they knew not to kill him. This is a truly beautiful act of God. From Hans Nielich calls it the, quote, utmost mercy can do for the unrepentant. How do you treat the unrepentant in your lives? It’s a good question for us to ponder. And this is a beautiful God worthy of our worship. Marked by mercy, verse 16 tells us that Cain moves away from the presence of God and settles in the land of Nod. Another curious wordplay as Nod means wandering. Cain settles in the land of wandering, and he, with his wife, likely a sister, perhaps Perhaps a niece, extend their line. When we think of these two lines promised from Genesis 3: 15, that seed of the servant and the seed of the woman, and we wonder, maybe not so much, but what line is Cain in?
First John 3: 11-12, settle it for us. That’s a passage that calls, ironically, for brotherly love and gives Cain as the negative example, noting that he was of the evil one, and he murdered murdered his brother. And John asked, why did he murder his brother? Because his own deeds were evil and his brothers were righteous. Continue to read through Chapter 4 in verses 17 to about 24, we’re presented with seven generations of the line of Cain. And in those seven generations, we’re introduced with several sons who are credited with introducing guilds or aspects of civilization. Jubal, for instance, is the father of stringed and wind instruments. Tubal Cain is the first forger of all things, bronze and iron. Jable is the father of stockmen and ranchers. And in Lamech, we see Cain’s pride and arrogance accelerated. Some consider him the world’s first narcissist. He takes two wives, it’s the first instance of polygamy, and then brags to them in song or poetry that he has killed a man for wounding him. And he’s ready to repay anyone, not the sevenfold revenge of Cain, but 77-fold. That’s how significant Lamech is in his own mind. Seven generations focused on and proud of their accomplishments.
Cain has fathered many generations who gained the world. And yet you may notice there is not one mention of their relationship with the Lord. That is man’s most important relationship. And in Cain and in his children, we see no mention of God. And what of Abel’s line? What of the seed of the woman who would one day crush the serpent’s head? Verse 25 returns us to that hope. Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel whom Cain killed. And with Cain, we get the simple mention of one generation. But notice the highlight in verse 26, to Seth, a son was born, and he called his name Enish, and at that time people began to call on the name of the Lord. We are reassured that hope is alive, that the savior that we know to be Jesus is coming, and God has a name to which all other names are subservient. There is one name alone that people can call on in worship and adoration and for help. The one name Jesus, by whose blood we are saved.
Let us pray. Father, we thank you again for your word. We thank you that indeed it was Jesus’ blood that saved us. Father, we thank you that his blood was superior to Abel’s blood. Lord, we ask that we would reflect in our own lives. Do we bring the best of the best to you of ourselves in worship? Do we care for the unrepentant with the patience that you have? Father, have we called out to you to forgive us our sins? Lord, these are the questions we ought to wrestle with. And we thank you for your work in our lives. Through Christ our Lord, we pray.. Well.
Discaimer: This sermon text was generated by an automated transcription service.