Cain & Abel

The story of Cain and Able is kind of a strange one. We get the feeling that they are the only people on earth at this time, but what we must understand is that the bible is showing the genealogies and bloodlines through these two, and later Seth for a specific reason.

Genesis 4:1-11

The Archetypes

In one of the first two named offspring of Adam and Eve, we see Archetypes, or a divide in the human race that begins, and will continue.

Before we can see the true divide we have to go back to the curse that God had pronounced on the serpent.

3:15

“your offspring, and her offspring.”

Who are the offspring of the serpent?

Matthew 3:7

Matthew 3:7 ESV

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

The image that they are showing wasn’t the image of God, but that of vipers.

This is because they were against the work of God.

Matthew 12:34

Matthew 12:34 ESV

34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

Jesus states you brood of vipers.

For what they were saying with their mouths showed that they were rotten at the core.

John 8:44

John 8:44 ESV

44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Jesus says that they are of the devil. Because the lie, they practice deceit.

So back into Genesis.

God has said that there would be a divide, a war between the people of God, and the people of Satan.

We see that this isn’t a result of bloodline, but of spiritual state. Because they are from the same bloodline.

The people of Satan are those who don’t live for God, but for themselves.

We find the Archetypes, or the two dividing lines between the seed of Eve and the seed of the serpent.

Cain represents evil, rebellious, self satisfying ways of the serpent

Able represents pious, obedient, and mission centered way of life who approaches God on His own terms.

Different views on life will always bring them into conflict.

For darkness hates the light, the two will be at war with one another.

Seed of the Serpent

v.3

Brought his offering

Cain showed up with an offering before the Lord.

Cain had been taking dominion of the land as God had commanded. He had yielded a harvest. Now he was presenting it before the Lord.

But it wasn’t accepted. Why?

It indicates that Cain brought an offering, but Able brought the best of his flock.

By implication this would mean that what Cain brought wasn’t his best.

God doesn’t desire our leftovers. He wants our best!

Are you bringing your best before God?

Is gathering with the saints important, or is it something that you’ll make time for if there isn’t something better going on?

Is spending time with God, letting Him speak to you through His word, and spending time in prayer. Is that important to you? Or is it not important, after all, that’s why you go to church.

When your here singing praises. Are you mouthing the words, or is it a praise that is coming from your heart?

While I break down the scripture, are you listening. More importantly are you using this time to examine your life and see what needs to be fixed?

Are you repenting of sin?

A fool looks into the mirror, sees what needs to be fixed and goes away forgetting what needs to be changed.

The way that you raise your kids, the way you work. Are you bringing your best before God?

Cain wasn’t rejected becasue he had no sacrifice, but becasue he had approached God on his own terms. With something he believed to be decent, but it was disgusting in the eyes of God.

Became Angry

Cain corrupts God’s way to magnify his own way. He doesn’t bring what God had required, but what he was willing to part with.

Then he is outraged when God is unimpressed with his weak gift.

He doesn’t explode and yell at God for not accepting his gift.

The word means to burn. We see Cain developing a burning anger, one that will turn into bitterness.

“And sin when it is fullgrown will bring forth death.”

v.7

In God’s mercy, God warns him.

The warning is to do things God’s way, not your own.

Moreover, God lets him know that sin is invading his life. But he must rule it!

That mean’s to have dominion over the sin!

Many times Christians try to over spiritualize our war with sin.

We are to give it over to God in prayer… but it doesn’t stop there!

It’s desire is going to be against God, against what is best, but you must rule it!

It begin’s with prayer, but it doesn’t end with prayer!

Romans 6:14

You are under grace. Sin doesn’t have dominion over you, you must have dominion over it!

God is working in you to give you strength, that’s what is inferred by you being under grace.

Because you are under grace, there is a duty we are given to accomplish.

Romans 6:12

Don’t let sin rule over you.

You fight against your desires, and you submit to the will of God.

Those who are of the seed of the serpent, are led by their passions, not by the spirit.

Because of that, we see Cain rise up, and slay his brother.

1 John 3:12-15

Don’t be surprised when the world hates us.

Darkness, hates light.

We want to make sure that we don’t fall into the same trap as Cain.

In the body of Christ, we will have conflict.

We must learn to ask for forgiveness, and work through forgiving others, so that we ourselves don’t walking the same path as Cain.

Godly Seed

We see Able taking dominion in tending the sheep.

Do you realize that even before Able offered His sacrifice, he was worshipping the Lord, he was ministering to the Lord.

We get our heads that the only way we can “minister” to the Lord is if we are a missionary or a pastor.

But that is simply incorrect.

Genesis 1:28 “28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.””

Tending the sheep was mandate that God had given to Adam, and Adam had passed onto Able.

Able was raising his flock, and honoring God with the way that he worked.

He was performing a ministry. Because He was accomplishing a task that God had laid out before him for the glory of God.

We see this because of the offering that he brings.

A joyful, worshipful heart, brings an offering of praise before God. Giving to God the honor that he is due.

Have you come to this realization, that every aspect of your life, should be done in worship to God.

The way you work, the way you honor your parents, the way you raise your kids, the way you love your wife or respect your husband.

The way you act around friends, play or watch sports. In all things, we are to be worshipping God!

That means that you are giving thanks to God for the blessings that you see.

You are to be finding ways to direct your, or others attention to God through circumstances in practical ways.

Able approached God on God’s terms.

When Able brought a sacrifice, it wasn’t him cutting the weak ones. But Able recognized that it was God who gives all things. Because of this he brought the best his had before the Lord.

For this duty, he was killed.

We must remember, we are working for heaven. God does bless us here on earth, but our inheritance is eternal.

If our lives are cut short in this life, we must remember what God’s perspective in Hebrews 11 is. “They were destitute, afflicted, mistreated, of whom the world was not worthy.”

Sometimes when we see stories like this we can become disheartened.

A thought that evil always wins.

God Always Provides a Witness

v.25-26

God continues a line to follow him through Seth.

The genealogy of Cain, is a genealogy of death.

Through Seth we see God starting a new line. One that would follow after him.

God will always provide witnesses for Him here in this world. Lets make sure that we are those witnesses.

Benediction

Go with the Lord this week. May you find yourself worshipping on pointing people to Jesus as you take dominion of what God has placed in your care.