The First Fam

Introduction

That God wanted to express His dominion, sovereignty, glory, wisdom, and power through the family becomes evident at the outset in the Genesis account of creation and its utter fall into sin.

God made the first human family when He joined the first Man, Adam, to the first woman, Eve, who He specially created from the rib of the first Man.

In God’s plan, all subsequent men and woman would be born from these first two parents, live under their supervision, and become adults like their parents who also bear the image of God and are responsible to represent Him in their families, continuing to carry out God’s mandates for creation.

But now mankind must do this in their fallen state and living under God’s curse on man’s dominion.

Let’s look at Genesis 4 and to see the first family in action after the fall in Genesis 3.

I. The first children born.

Genesis 4:1 ESV

1 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.”

A. Adam knew his wife (v. 1a)

B. Eve conceived and bore Cain (v. 1b)

C. Eve bore his brother Abel.

D. The two sons chose two different occupations

1. Abel was a keeper of sheep

2. Cain a worker of the ground

II. The grown children offer to the LORD. (v. 3-4a)

Genesis 4:3–4 ESV

3 In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, 4 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,

A. Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground (v. 3)

B. Abel brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. (v. 4a)

III. The LORD responded to the children. (vs. 4b-7)

Genesis 4:4 ESV

4 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,

Hebrews 11:4 ESV

4 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.

Genesis 4:5–7 ESV

5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. 6 The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 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.”

IV. Cain slew Abel! (v. 8)

Genesis 4:8 ESV

8 Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.

1 John 3:12 ESV

12 We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous.

Genesis 1–11:26 (3) Cain’s Murder of Abel (4:8–16)

The virus of sin has infected the parent’s children; Adam and Eve do not have to await their own death to experience the devastating effects of their rebellion in the garden. They witness the murder of their youngest and the exile of their firstborn.

V. The LORD confronted Cain. (vs. 9-10)

Genesis 4:9–10 ESV

9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” 10 And the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground.

A. Where is Abel your brother?

B. What have you done?

C. The voice of Abel’s blood is crying to me from the ground!

Hebrews 12:24 ESV

24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

VI. The LORD punished Cain (vs. 11-16)

Genesis 4:11–16 ESV

11 And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 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.” 13 Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. 14 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.” 15 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. 16 Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

VII. The line of Cain (vs. 17-24)

Genesis 4:17–24 ESV

17 Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. When he built a city, he called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch. 18 To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad fathered Mehujael, and Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushael fathered Lamech. 19 And Lamech took two wives. The name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. 20 Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. 21 His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe. 22 Zillah also bore Tubal-cain; he was the forger of all instruments of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah. 23 Lamech said to his wives: “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say: I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for striking me. 24 If Cain’s revenge is sevenfold, then Lamech’s is seventy-sevenfold.”

VIII. Adam and Eve receive a replacement for Abel (vs. 25–26)

Genesis 4:25 ESV

25 And 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, for Cain killed him.”

A. Adam knew his wife again. (v. 25a)

B. Eve bore a son (v. 25a)

C. She named him Seth God has appointed another offspring instead of Abel (v. 25b)

Genesis 4:26 ESV

26 To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to call upon the name of the Lord.

A. Seth had a son named Enosh (v. 26a)

B. People began to call on the name of the LORD (v. 26b)

Genesis 12:8 ESV

8 From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord.

Genesis 13:4 ESV

4 to the place where he had made an altar at the first. And there Abram called upon the name of the Lord.

Genesis 21:33 ESV

33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and called there on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God.

Genesis 26:25 ESV

25 So he built an altar there and called upon the name of the Lord and pitched his tent there. And there Isaac’s servants dug a well.