The Beginning of Conflict

Introduction

Setting

Despair and hope in the story of the fall

A recently fallen world

Anticipation of a war between the serpent’s offspring and the woman’s offspring

An Exciting Birth (vv. 1-2)

Genesis 4:1–2 NIV

1 Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man.” 2 Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil.

Eve’s offspring arrives on the scene to crush the serpent’s head!

Not just one offspring, but two

Exercising dominion over the earth as they were commanded

But this offspring doesn’t actually live up to this

The Offspring Fails

A Failure of Worship (vv. 3-5a)

Genesis 4:3–5 NIV

3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. 4 And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

Lots of unanswered questions about these offerings

Comparing the offerings

The word for offering usually refers to grain offerings in the law so the offering being vegetarian is not the problem

Emphasis on firstborn and fatty parts implies Abel chose the best for an offering, such implication is absent from Cain’s offering

The NT shows us that the difference between the offerings was the heart of the worshiper rather than the type of offering

Abel – Heb. 11:4 “4 By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.”

Cain – 1 Jn 3:12 “12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous.”

A Failure of Humility (vv. 5b-7)

Genesis 4:5–7 NIV

5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. 6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”

Cain is angry that his offering is rejected

The Lord sees this and warns Cain

Contrast with Eve who is persuaded to sin by the Serpent. Cain is warned not to sin by God himself, but still does.

Cain must be aware of the looming presence and power of sin

Sin is waiting to pounce – it is inherently discontent

Correction was easy – make a better offering

The evil that motivated him to give a stingy gift will grow and he will commit an irreversible offense by destroying his brother

How is sin crouching in your life?

Resentment

Fear

Money

Vanity

We must be actively fighting the presence of sin

Pro 4:23 “23 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

Be killing sin or it will be killing you. (John Owen)

A Failure of Action (v. 8)

Genesis 4:8 NIV

8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

Of course Cain cannot successfully attack the Lord so he does the next best thing, kills his worshiper

Abel didn’t do anything to Cain in this story

A satanic pattern is established: Satan attacks the Lord’s people as a way of attacking the Lord

Application: Self-Centered Worship Leads to Sin

Much like Cain, our false worship is the breeding ground of our sin

When we love ourselves like Cain did, we are following the way of the Serpent

Failure of worship leads to failure of behavior

Romans 1:18–27 NIV

18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. 24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. 26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

Our conflict with our brothers is a product of our failed worship

The Offspring Condemned

Cain’s Trial (vv. 9-10)

Genesis 4:9–10 NIV

9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” 10 The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.

Just like his parents before him, Cain is sought out in his sin

The Lord asks a question he knows the answer to

Unlike his parents, Cain lies

“I don’t know” – Cain refuses responsibility for his brother while Abel’s death is indeed Cain’s sole responsibility

Abel has gone to the ground (cf. 3:19) and his blood cries out to the Lord from the ground

Because of the curse man will naturally return to the ground

The first recorded death is not natural though

Cain’s Sentence (vv. 11-12)

Genesis 4:11–12 NIV

11 Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.”

The ground he once worked and in which he put his brother would no longer produce for him

This account starts with Cain refusing to be generous with the produce of the ground, but in the end, the ground will not be generous with Cain.

Because he can no longer work the ground, he will wander

Cain’s Appeal (vv. 13-16)

Genesis 4:13–16 NIV

13 Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is more than I can bear. 14 Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Not so; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. 16 So Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

The punishment is too harsh

Removal from God’s presence – which he did not value

He will be killed – which he did to his brother God’s promise

God’s Response

He will be protected from being killed

There is no protection from the removal from God’s presence

Application: Self-Centered Worship Leads to Suffering

Like Cain we often reserve what belongs to God for ourselves.

We are not generous with him. We do not value him.

When we are stingy with God we find ourselves with less than what we would have if we were generous with him

This happens to Adam and Eve It happens to Cain

We may give up things for God, but what he gives us is better.

Conclusion

Self-centered worship advances the cause of the serpent

Self-centered worship will lead to sin

Self-centered worship will lead to suffering