Series Introduction: 

This morning we are continuing a sermon series in the book of Genesis titled "Beginning and Blessing." Last week we looked at Genesis three and how sin entered this perfect world and messed everything up. We also focused on how our fall from grace was not the end of the story. God has promised that a descendant of Eve would one day undo the curse of sin and utterly defeat the serpent who led us astray. Today we will focus on the first children of Adam and Eve and how sin continues to plague the human race. We will also focus on the truth that God's promises can never be thwarted by human sin, which should be a great comfort to us all. 

Scripture Reading: 

Genesis 4:1-16, ESV: Now Adam knew Eve 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 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. 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. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it."

Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" 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 has 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. 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. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me." 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 settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden

Opening Prayer: 

Father God, we come together today to study your Word and, in doing so, are reminded of the fallen state of humanity. The story of Cain and Abel warns of the dangers of false worship, jealousy, and unrepented sin. As we respond to your Word preached, guide us to recognize the growth of sin in our lives so that we can repent and overcome our sins through your grace. Thank you for your patience and mercy. Open our ears and hearts to receive your Word. Amen. 

The Birth of Cain and Abel

When a baby is born, it is not uncommon for people to talk about the "miracle of new life." There is something miraculous about how God brings new people into this world every day, but imagine how miraculous it must have been to witness it all for the first time. This is the joy that Adam and Eve experienced leading up to the birth of Cain, the first child ever born. This baby boy was not formed from dust like Adam or from a rib of a man like Eve. This baby was created through the loving union of his father and mother. The name "Cain" in Hebrew means "possession." It is possible that Eve named him so because at his birth she exclaimed, "I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord" (Genesis 4:1, ESV). Cain was the first born of many billions to come, fulfilling God's creation command to "be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth" (Genesis 1:28, ESV).

In addition to the excitement that the birth of the world's first baby would have generated, there was also the hope that this baby might be the promised seed of the woman, who would crush the serpent and restore what Satan had broken by tempting Adam and Eve to sin. Remember what God had told the serpent in Genesis 3: 

"I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel." - Genesis 3:15, ESV

Although we understand that Jesus Christ was the prophesied offspring of the woman, Adam and Eve may have had the hope that one of their children would break the curse during their lifetime. Could Cain succeed where Adam had failed? This question was probably on the minds of Adam and Eve as they watched their baby boy grow into a man, but Cain was not their only child. 

Adam and Eve were blessed with a second son whom they named "Able," a name derived from the Hebrew word for "breath." This name was likely meant to serve as a reminder that Able came from Adam, who was given life by the breath of God. Ironically, Able's name also foretold his tragic fate, as the fleeting nature of human life is often symbolized by the shortness of a breath.

"Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow." - Psalm 144:4, ESV.

Although we don't have much information about Cain and Able's upbringing, we can infer some details from what we know. It is reasonable to assume that Adam taught his sons how to work and support their families. Able became skilled in caring for animals, while Cain became gifted with the care of plants. Both activities were crucial for providing their families with food, clothing, and shelter. These skills also mirrored the role of Adam, who was tasked by God with cultivating the land and caring for its creatures.

We can also assume that Adam taught his sons how to worship God. Unlike Cain and Able, Adam knew what it was like to have perfect fellowship with God. As we already mentioned, Adam hoped that one of his offspring would reverse the curse of sin that expelled him from the Garden of Eden. Because of this, Adam would have impressed upon his sons how important it was to approach God with reverence and worship. Adam must have designated a special place of worship because we are told in Genesis 4:3 that Cain and Able "brought" their offering to a particular location to sacrifice to the Lord. This show is that even from the very beginning, mankind was gathering at special times and in special places to worship God. Sadly, in the bringing of these worship sacrifices where we begin to see the first signs of trouble for the sons of Adam. 

The Offerings of Cain and Able

Offering gifts and sacrifices to God is not for God’s gain but for ours. As God declared through the prophet Hosea,

"For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings." - Hosea 6:6, ESV. 

The offering of sacrifice is not what God desires in and of itself. Rather, the offering is a tool that allows us to express our love and gratitude towards God and strengthens our relationship with Him. To put this teaching into a modern context, we might say that God does not want our songs or tithe if they do not come from a heart of worship. God has no need for money and he has the heavenly voices of angels ever singing in his ears, but he still delights in our giving and in our singing when we do so with a grateful and worshipful heart. In Genesis four, we see that Cain and Abel voluntarily made these offerings to demonstrate their reverence and devotion to God, and yet, only one of the offerings was acceptable in God's sight. 

Abel, as a shepherd, offered his firstborn animals as a sacrifice. Before Able used his livestock for any other purpose, he gave a portion to God. Able also did not give God his second best, but he returned to God the best of what he had been given. This was the custom that Israel would later follow when bringing sacrifices to the Lord under the Law of Moses. Cain, as a gardener, offered a portion of his crops. However, unlike Able, we are not told that Cain brought his first fruits or the best of what he had. Cain did not neglect to bring an offering, but it appears his offering needed to be made in faith or with a heart of worship. 

The author of Hebrews referred to this when he wrote: 

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. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. - Hebrews 11:4, ESV. 

Likewise, in the Epistle of Jude, false worshippers who snuck their way into the Christian assembly are referred to as a people who "walked in the way of Cain" (Jude 11, ESV). 

Worship is a serious matter, it is a central aspect of our faith. The Scriptures frequently make mention of the importance of proper worship and the dangers of insincere or irreverent worship. Worship that does not show proper reverence or respect for God is unacceptable, and even often, in His eyes. In Leviticus 10, God strikes down Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu because they approached God without reverence or respect for His holiness. The scriptures tell us that they offered "unauthorized (strange) fire" (Leviticus 10:1, ESV) before the Lord. As a result, "fire came out from before the Lord and consumed them" (Leviticus 10:2, ESV). 

Unlike the Old Testament Israelites, we who are in Christ can approach God's Holiness without fear because of the atoning work of Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, but this is still no excuse to come with insincere or irreverent worship. As the author of Hebrews wrote: 

“Thus let us offer God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” - Hebrews 12:28-29, ESV. 

Insincere worship is dangerous for many reasons. It can blind us to the fact that we are not right with God. The Israelites of Isaiah's day thought they were doing all that God commanded them to do. Still, God rebukes the people of Israel, saying:

 "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me" - Isaiah 29:13, ESV. 

When our worship becomes insincere or irreverent, it is a sign that our relationship with God has become superficial and shallow. The distance between God and us grows, and sadly we often fail to realize it. God is worthy of our sincere worship and the best of our offerings, and we should strive never to give him anything less. 

It is also important to note that God didn't simply accept or reject the offerings brought to Him, but also the individuals who presented them. 

"the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard." - Genesis 4:4-5, ESV.

This rejection deeply affected Cain, causing him to become angry and downcast. Cain had not made an offering acceptable to God, and God had made this known to Cain. Cain was at a crossroads, and like anyone confronted with sin, he had two choices. He could ask for forgiveness, learn from his failure, and present an offering in right faith and proper worship, or he could refuse to repent and carry resentment towards those who did nothing wrong other than remind him of his failure by their obedience. 

Sin is Crouching at the Door

The Lord God desires Cain to be restored. This is evident in his response 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. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it." - Genesis 4:6-7, ESV

God already knows the answer to the question, "Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen?" (Genesis 4:6, ESV). He asks, not for His benefit, but so that Cain would be led to question the reason for his anger. If Cain did an honest self-examination, he would see that there was no one to blame but himself for the rejection of his offering, and his heart and actions might be changed. 

Anger is one of the most powerful emotions that a person can experience. As a result, it can be a difficult emotion to control. Not all anger is wicked. If you love someone, you will be upset by the things in this world that harm them. It should bother us when God is mocked or when we see someone hurting our neighbors and the people we love. If wickedness does not stir some emotion in us, then something is wrong within our hearts. At the same time, there are many ways that anger can be sinful. Sometimes our anger results not from injustice but simply because our pride was injured or things did not go how we wanted them to. If we do not address this anger, we feel it can lead to bitterness, resentment, and even outright hatred. 

Whenever we feel anger rise in us, we ought to be quick to pray over it, ask God to reveal if our anger is justified, and slow to act on it. As the author of Proverbs declares:

"Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly." - Proverbs 14:29, ESV. 

Be slow to act on anger, but be quick to examine your anger and pray over it. Even if we feel our anger is justified, we must not be led by it because "the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God" (James 1:20, ESV). Instead, we ought to do as the Apostle Paul instructed the Church in Ephesus: 

"Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." - Ephesians 4:31-32, ESV.

The Lord God then tells Cain, "If you do well, will you not be accepted? "And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it." (Genesis 4:7, ESV). Cain had not worshiped God in sincere faith, but God made it clear that Cain could receive forgiveness, learn from his mistake, and be accepted like his brother. What was broken could be mended. God desired Cain to repent and be restored to a right relationship with God and his brother. All that was required would be acknowledging His fault, bringing the proper sacrifice, and approaching God in the right heart of worship.

The alternative would be to continue wallowing in anger and bitterness. Still, God warns Cain of the dangers that lie along this path. Sin is personified like a lion ready to pounce from the shadows. It would be far better to take the safe route of repentance than to hold onto your anger and risk falling victim to sin. God warns Cain that, unlike God, sin's desires are contrary to you. This is another way of saying that sin does not lead to anything good for you. Either you will rule over it, or you will submit to temptation, and it will rule over you. 

Cain Kills His Brother Able 

Cain did not heed God's warning. Refusing to repent, Cain allowed anger and jealousy to fester in his heart, creating animosity between him and his brother. His brother's blessing was a constant reminder of his shortcomings, and rather than working on himself, he sought to bring down his own brother. 

It is a sad truth that sometimes Christians are guilty of similar sins. If you take the Christian life seriously, your life will look radically different from those around you. Christians who prefer to blend in with the world may start to look down on you, not because you have done anything wrong, but because your obedience reminds them of their hypocrisy. We all are guilty of this occasionally, whether we realize it or not. We want to be comfortable where we are, and we naturally avoid those among us who challenge us to grow in uncomfortable ways. We may even look for flaws in our brothers and sisters as a way of telling ourselves that they aren't all that great. If you feel that in your heart, pray to God and repent. The last thing we need is brothers and sisters tripping up one another to stay comfortable and avoid growing. 

Take the words of Jesus seriously when he declares: 

"But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, 'You fool!' will be liable to the hell of fire." - Matthew 5:22, ESV

Six times in our passage this morning, Able is referred to as Cain's brother. This reminds us that sin has the power to corrupt and destroy what we hold most dear in our hearts. We read, 

“And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him”. - Genesis 4:9, ESV

The son Adam and Eve hoped would crush the head of the Serpent (Satan) instead became corrupted by sin and crushed the head of his brother.  

What follows causes me to marvel at God's patience and steadfast love. Remember in Genesis 3, when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden? God called to them and asked them what they had done, allowing them to confess and repent. Remember also when Cain's sacrifice was rejected, God called to Cain and asked him why he was downcast and troubled, allowing Cain to reflect, to turn from sin, and to make things right. After Able is slain, God says, "Where is Able, your brother?" Again giving Cain the chance to confess his guilt and plead for forgiveness. 

For a second time, Cain does not repent. He doubles down upon his sin, outright lying to God, saying, "I do not know." Like his parents, who tried to hide from God under the trees in the Garden of Eden, Cain foolishly thought if he committed this crime far from any human witness, he would escape justice. While we might be tempted to think of our early ancestors as foolish, how many of us are guilty of brazen disobedience to God, and yet we act as if our all-knowing Father in Heaven will not take notice? As Jesus himself declares: 

"Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops." - Luke 12:2-3, ESV. 

Twice Cain was given a chance to come into the light and confess his sins, and twice he chose to hide in the dark and deny the wickedness that had taken hold of his heart. 

Cain then adds the often-quoted question, "Am I my brother's keeper?" (Genesis 4:9, ESV). Last week we discussed the dangerous question, "Did God Really say?" It was this question that Satan used to cause Adam and Eve to question God's goodness and to entertain the thought of disobedience that led to the first sin. Here we find another question that has led many people astray, "am I my brother's keeper?"

Cain essentially denies that he has any responsibility for his brother's well-being. Cain, believing that his crime had no witnesses, is trying to claim that if something happened to Abel, he certainly bore no responsibility. 

I find it interesting that when Jesus was asked what was the greatest commandment, he replied: 

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets." - Matthew 22:37-40, ESV. 

Both of these commandments were broken by Adam and Eve, as well as by their offspring Cain. All failed to love God as they should and valued their selfish desires and pride over their loved ones. Now sin has progressed to the point where a person blessed by God and made in the image of God has bled and died at the hands of his own brother. 

Seeing that Cain will not repent or admit guilt, God tells Cain, "The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground" (Genesis 4:10, ESV). Blood would become a reoccurring symbol for life, and the spilling of blood would come to symbolize the taking of life. When God called the Israelite nation to be his chosen people, he gave strict commands against the unjust taking of human life. To take an innocent life was to forfeit your own life. If human life was taken in Israel and the murderer was not caught, the elders of the nearest city would have to offer a sacrifice to God and openly declare before God and the assembly: 

"Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it shed. Accept atonement, O Lord, for your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, and do not set the guilt of innocent blood in the midst of your people Israel, so that their blood guilt be atoned for." - Deuteronomy 21:7-8, ESV. 

They did this because human life is sacred, and the guilt of spilling innocent blood needed to be purged from the land even if the guilty could not be held accountable. 

As a result of his sin, Cain was driven even further from Eden than his Mother and Father. He was destined to become a wanderer whose life would be even more challenging than his father's, and Cain would bear this curse for the rest of his days. 

Cain has the audacity to tell God, "My punishment is greater than I can bear" (Genesis 4:13, ESV), not realizing that God is showing him mercy by allowing him to live after shedding innocent blood. Cain tells the Lord, "I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me" (Genesis 4:14, ESV). Cain feared that Adam, or a brother yet unborn, would come after him to avenge Able's death. This fear was not unjustified, but God gave Cain a second gift of mercy. Not only was Cain's life spared, but the Lord God placed "a mark" on Cain that would protect him from any who would seek to do him harm. Just as God gave Adam and Eve's clothes made from animal skin, both for their protection and a reminder of their sins, so too would God give Cain a mark, both for his protection and as a continual reminder of sin that led to his exile. 

In the following verses, we learn that Cain journeyed to the land of Nod and had descendants who became like their father. Adam and Eve likewise had another son named Seth, whose descendants walked in godliness like Able. Even in the midst of death, God preserves a faithful remnant. And while Cain would be only the first of many children of Adam and Even who failed to undo the curse of sin, God never forgot his promise. 

As we celebrated this morning through Communion, God would send his own Son to pay the price of our sins and break the curse of sin and death forever. While we may not have literal blood on our hands, our souls have been stained by the crimson stain of sin. Praise God that the scriptures declare: 

"Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool." - Isaiah 1:18, ESV.

Closing Prayer: 

Father God, as we conclude our sermon this morning, we pray that the lessons we have learned will stay with us and guide us in the days and weeks to come. May we honor You through our daily worship and how we live out the days You have given us. Guard our hearts against jealousy and help us to root out anger or hatred before it consumes us and leads us to sin. Protect us from those who would wish us harm, and help us to walk in obedience to your ways. Teach us to love others in a way that reflects your love for us so that we may lead others into true worship of you. You alone are worthy of all honor and praise. We ask and pray all these things in your Son's precious and holy name. Amen.