The First Sons

Thank Shirley Ray for what she does.

Slide #1

- Genesis 4:1-16

Since the beginning of this year, we have soared over the planets and landed on planet Earth just as the Spirit of God was hovering over the planet.

We have witnessed the creation of the animals, birds, and all creeping this that crawl, creep, walk or fly on this great created planet.

We have also witnessed the crown jewel of God’s creation, Man, created from the dust of the ground, and life breathed into him from God himself.

We have also witnessed the forming of his help mate, Eve, whom he called the mother of all living, and their eviction from Eden, a perfect paradise located somewhere, lost in time.

Today we will Re-visit this couple and their lives after Eden.

In Genesis 4 we read that they have obeyed God’s command by becoming fruitful and multiplying.

They had children,

Although, through out their many centuries together, they had many sons and daughters,

Today, we will focus on three of their sons.

Cain, Abel, & Seth.

These are the only children of theirs that are named in scripture.

So, join me now as we walk back into their lives.

Slide #2 thru #4

Genesis 4:1–16 (CSB)

1 The man was intimate with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain. She said, “I have had a male child with the Lord’s help.” 2 She also gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel became a shepherd of flocks, but Cain worked the ground. 3 In the course of time Cain presented some of the land’s produce as an offering to the Lord. 4 And Abel also presented an offering—some of the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions. The Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but he did not have regard for Cain and his offering. Cain was furious, and he looked despondent.

6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you furious? And why do you look despondent? 7 If you do what is right, won’t you be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.”

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

9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”

“I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s guardian?”

10 Then he said, “What have you done? Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground! 11 So now you are cursed, alienated from the ground that opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood you have shed. 12 If you work the ground, it will never again give you its yield. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.”

13 But Cain answered the Lord, “My punishment is too great to bear! 14 Since you are banishing me today from the face of the earth, and I must hide from your presence and become a restless wanderer on the earth, whoever finds me will kill me.”. 15 Then the Lord replied to him, “In that case, whoever kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” And he placed a mark on Cain so that whoever found him would not kill him. 16 Then Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

Slide #5

These first two sons are placed front and center in this account of the first family.

- Cain & Abel

Cain, the first born was a sort of pre-historical farmer.

He worked the ground, and Abel tended to animals.

In verse 3 it says that they both brought an offering to the Lord.

Slide #6

Genesis 4:3–4 (CSB)

3 In the course of time Cain presented some of the land’s produce as an offering to the Lord. 4 And Abel also presented an offering—some of the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions. The Lord had regard for Abel and his offering,

The first thing we notice here in the account of these first two sons of the first family, is

The faith of their parents, Adam & Eve, did not count for their kids.

Meaning, Cain & Abel were on their own when it came to God and His commandments,

Sacrificial offerings, ethics, and life in the pre-history world etc.

Adam & Eve were still expected to do what was expected of them, but their sacrifices did not provide a covering for their kids, being now old enough to fend for themselves now.

We know that because Cain knew how to work the ground and Abel was in charge of animals.

Now, the very fact that they even presented an offering at all tells us that they must have learned about the institution of sacrifice as a temporary covering, if you will, of the sin of their parents, by their parents.

Who happen to be the very first two humans beings, of Mind and Soul.

So what does this have to do with us today, in our Facebook, Instagram, and Tik-Toc generation?

It means, if you are expecting to get to heaven on the faithfulness of your faithful mom or dad’s coat-tails,

You are gravely mistaken.

- You are on your own

You are on your own when it comes to your own salvation.

Slide #7

Philippians 2:12 (CSB)

12 Therefore, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, so now, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. (Emphasis added)

The faith of mom or dad is counted as their faith, your faith will be your faith.

You are on your own. Mom and Dad can’t save you.

- The Offering

We also read, at the end of this verse that God had regard for Abel and His Offering.

(The Lord had regard for Abel and his offering,)

But in verse 5 it says,

Slide #8

Genesis 4:5 (CSB)

5 but he did not have regard for Cain and his offering.

Slide # 9

There are a several different possible reasons why God didn’t accept Cain’s offering, from our point of view.

It could be that God, Cain only gave “some” and not the first them.

It could also be that Cain offered something that came from the ground that was already cursed through sin, and Abel gave innocent blood.

Slide #10

Leviticus 17:11 (CSB)

11 For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have appointed it to you to make atonement on the altar for your lives, since it is the lifeblood that makes atonement.

Drop in - Slide # 10

Hebrews 9:22 (CSB)

22 According to the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

I was asked once to help out in a criminal court case with someone close to us.

- Angry Cain

In the defense process, the Judge ordered us to supply certain financial documents.

As I was going around obtaining these ordered documents, I noticed some weren’t were not complying with the judges order.

When I went to ask about it, I was told that they didn’t agree with the Judges order and that they were not going to provide those documents,

And then suggested I tell the judge, thats all they were willing to supply.

They expected me to tell the judge, to suck it up, and get over it, because thats all he was gonna get.

Now, I don’t know how things work in other countries, but here in the US, when a judge gives you an order,

you either follow it, or risk being held in contempt of court.

Whereby, even if you aren’t the defendant, you can still go to jail for defying a judges order by being in contempt of court.

If that’s how a human court system works,

Why on earth would we assume we can just tell God almighty, to suck it up, and get over it?

That’s all the offering we are willing to give you!

This is basically what Cain did,

He knew what the offering was supposed to be.

He most likely had been with his parents Adam and Eve when they gave their sacrifice growing up.

That’s how he learned, from them.

But, you see, he decided that regardless of the reason, that was all he was going to give God.

And God would just have to live with it.

Side note: Early man was still vegetarian, so one could ask,

Why would they keep flocks of sheep if they didn’t eat them?

There are several practical reasons,

First being for the sacrifices

To harvest their hides and wool.

To make bags,

To make tents to sleep in, etc.

The rest of verse 5 says,

Slide #11

Cain was furious, and he looked despondent.

Slide #12

The word translated Despondent in the Hebrew is (Na-phal) which means = Fallen

(Remember that word, because we will re-visit that word when we visit Noah)

His face was sulking, he was angry, he was furious.

Slide #13

Genesis 4:6–7 (CSB)

6 Then the Lord said to Cain, Why are you furious? And why do you look despondent? 7 If you do what is right, won’t you be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.”

Slide #14

Here we see that even though God knows Cain, He is trying to reach him with reason.

I remember many times when I was young and hot headed, people would try to talk and reason with me before I did stupid things,

And I am grateful now, that I was reachable most of the time.

I try now to reach my own kids, and I feel bad when sometimes I can’t talk them out of stupid things.

But then I realize, its not me, I didn’t fail them, they were un-reachable in their fury.

The people who tried to reach me didn’t fail me, I was un-reachable in my fury

Brothers and sisters, Prisons, hospitals, and cemeteries are filled with people who were un-reachable.

- Sin Crouching At The Door

Even God couldn’t reach Cain in his fury, so much so, that he went right after this, and killed his own brother.

Slide #15

Genesis 4:8 (CSB)

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

Slide #16

Sin was crouching at his door, and achieved its objective, It ruled over Cain.

We in our lives today must heed the same warning.

Sin is always at your door and is desiring to rule over you

You also must learn to rule over it.

Slide #17

Genesis 4:10–12 (CSB)

10 Then he said, “What have you done? Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground! 11 So now you are cursed, alienated from the ground that opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood you have shed. 12 If you work the ground, it will never again give you its yield. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.”

Slide, Hold until next slide

- Poetic Justice

It is poetic justice that the very ground Cain used to offend God, was now cursed again because of it.

God will not be mocked,

Slide #18

Galatians 6:7 (CSB)

7 Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a person sows he will also reap,

Slide #19

Cain killed his brother Abel because his offering was rejected.

But Abel didn’t do anything but follow the rules he learned from his parents.

Cain on the other hand, made up his own rules,

Slide #20

Hebrews 11:4 (CSB)

4 By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was approved as a righteous man, because God approved his gifts, and even though he is dead, he still speaks through his faith.

Just like his mother Eve did when the serpent asked her, Did God really say?

Well Cain found out, just like Eve did.

God means what He says and Says What He means

People won’t be in hell because if their sins, they’ll be in hell for rejecting the covering of their sins by the blood of Jesus.

Slide #21

Genesis 4:13–15 (CSB)

13 But Cain answered the Lord, “My punishment is too great to bear! 14 Since you are banishing me today from the face of the earth, and I must hide from your presence and become a restless wanderer on the earth, whoever finds me will kill me.”. 15 Then the Lord replied to him, “In that case, whoever kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” And he placed a mark on Cain so that whoever found him would not kill him.

Slide #22

There are many ideas and conjectures on what the mark of Cain was.

Let me just say, its fun to imagine what it could have been, but in reality; We just don’t know!

What ever it was, must have been erased by the flood, because even if it was hereditary, meaning passed on to his children,

They all died in the flood.

Slide #23

Genesis 4:17 (CSB)

17 Cain was intimate with his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch. Then Cain became the builder of a city, and he named the city Enoch after his son.

The age old question, a favorite of critics of the faith,

“Where did Cain get his wife?”

It must have been either a sister, or a niece, since this wasn’t forbidden until Moses’ time.

Up until then, it was not uncommon for men to marry within the family.

Slide #24

Genesis 4:25 (CSB)

25 Adam was intimate with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, for she said, “God has given me another offspring in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.”

Slide # 25

It is through this line of Seth that Noah came from

It is through this line of Seth, that the Saviour comes,

It is through this line of Seth that you and I are today.

Scripture doesn’t mention any children through Abel,

However, even if Abel had children, they all perished in the Flood of Noah’s time.

In closing,

Cain and Abel were raised by the same parents.

They had the same opportunities in life.

This goes directly to the nature vs nurture argument,

In this case, One chose to follow God’s way for himself,

- God’s Way or Your Way?

The other chose his own way for himself.

Which are you going to choose?

God’s way leads to

salvation through the covering of Jesus’ blood

Eternity with Him,

And re-uniting with Family and friends that have gone on before us in Christ.

If you choose the way of Cain, or rather Your way, it leads to

Condemnation

The only way to get to heaven is by being covered in the blood of Jesus.

Invitation: