IN THE BEGINNING PART 16

Cain and Abel’s Offerings (1-5)

Give recap on the fall, curse, and conflict between the serpent’s seed and the woman’s seed.

Genesis 3:15 “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.””

John 8:44 “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.”

Matthew 23:33 “You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?”

Cain means formed or made thing. Abel means mere breath.

Since animal husbandry at this time was not for food (humans were not meat-eaters until after the flood), Abel’s shepherding would have been to provide milk, wool and skins.

Why did the Lord have regard for Abel’s sacrifice, but not Cain’s?

Let us be careful to not go beyond what Scripture tells us. We have no record of the Lord giving specific instructions about what to bring as offerings. As a matter of fact, in the Law of Moses, there were both animal and grain offerings. Notice that our text tells us that the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but no regard for Cain and his offering. So the Lord’s acceptance of the offering had more to do with the one who offered it, rather than the offering itself. Scripture seems to back this up emphatically.

Proverbs 15:8 “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him.”

Hebrews 11:4 “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.”

1 John 3:12 “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.”

Matthew 15:7–9 “You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: “ ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ””

Sin is Crouching at the Door (6-7)

Romans 2:4–5 “Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.”

Proverbs 13:1 “A wise son hears his father’s instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.”

Numbers 32:23 “But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the Lord, and be sure your sin will find you out.”

1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

“Be killing sin, or sin will be killing you.”

Colossians 3:5 “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”

Matthew 5:29 “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.”

2 Timothy 2:22 “So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.”

Sin Pounces (8-9)

Matthew 5:21–22 ““You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 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.”

See 1 John 3:11-15...

James 1:14–15 “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.”

The Crying of Blood (10-16)

Proverbs 28:13 “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.”

Genesis 3:9 “But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?””

Genesis 3:11 “He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?””

Genesis 3:13 “Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.””

Where is Abel your brother? What have you done?

My punishment… That term in Hebrew is literally ‘iniquity’, but it also includes its consequences—those two ideas are inseparable to the Hebrew mind-set. So, Cain’s sin and its rewards weigh heavily on him. There is, however, no indication of any repentance on Cain’s part.

2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

Hebrews 9:27 “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,”

Matthew 10:28 “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”

Hebrews 12:24 “and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.”