Sin Lieth At The Door

As you turn to Genesis 4 today, I know automatically that your mind is going to the most obvious truth surrounding this passage: Cain’s murder of Abel. This chapter of Genesis, like the rest of the book, is not without its attacks from unbelievers. Perhaps you have heard questions like: “If God is all-powerful, why didn’t He stop Cain from killing Abel?” This one in particular is used today as a blanket accusation against God, “If God is all-powerful, why does He allow evil to exist in the world?” When I reply to these questions I always do so with another question: “If God is purely holy as the Bible teaches, and we are all sinful as the Bible teaches, where would you have Him stop if He were to wipe out all evil from the world?”

Another question hurled at this passage from unbelievers is: “From where did Cain get his wife?” I’ll answer that one next week!

Today, however, I want us to look at this negative chapter, and see something positive. There are three “Firsts” I want to point out in this chapter. We see the...

First Family

I will admit there is quite a bit we do not know about what took place in those early chapters of Genesis. However, if we apply a little bit of logic we can infer that prior to their fall, Adam and Eve must have only been in the garden for a short period of time. We gather this because there is no record of their having any children prior to chapter 4, which means they had not yet begun to fulfill God’s command to replenish (fill) the earth.

However, when we come to chapter 4 we are introduced to two of their children — Cain and Abel. It is very likely that Adam and Eve had had other children, and most likely they were daughters, given the expression in verse 1 from Eve. In other words, Cain was not their first child, but their first son. So what do we see about this first family?

We See Their Faith

Eve’s expression “I have gotten a man from the LORD” is a declaration of her faith in God

God had promised in Gen. 3:15 that Eve would have a Son and that Son would be the Savior of the world.

Cain and Abel were born to parents who had a deep faith in God, a faith learned through disobedience, but still a strong faith.

Someone has rightly said, “Faith that cannot be tested is faith that cannot be trusted

Adam and Eve’s faith had definitely been tested, and here comment in verse one is proof that it could be trusted.

Not only do we see their faith, but...

We See Their Frustration

The name “Cain” means “Gotten” or “Acquired”

Eve truly believed Cain was the Messiah

I’m sure he was loved and adored by both parents, but how long did it take before they realized his very own sinful nature? Then...

Their Second son was born...

Abel — his name literally means “emptiness” or “Vanity”

The Hebrew word is Hebel and is used throughout the book of Ecclesiastes to demonstrate the pointlessness of life apart from God.

Most scholars believe the naming of their second son “Hebel” indicates that the two boys were born several years apart, with possibly many sisters in between

After years of having children and still being cursed by sin, they began to think life was hopeless…at least that is what some believe, but I disagree.

I believe what we see from this first family is exactly what we see in ourselves. The ups and downs of life, the victories and the defeats. We see that at family faithful to God can still have its frustrations. That a mom and dad that love the Lord and love their children and raise them right can still live to see them walk away from God…some of y’all know what I’m talking about.

There are people here today that have children that God has blessed you with, that you have poured your heart and soul into only to have them completely turn their backs on God.

What do you do in that situation? Simple — you remain faithful! That is what Adam and Eve did! We see this in the next first, the record of the....

First Worship

Genesis 4:3–4 KJV 1900

3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. 4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering:

A look at these verses shows us of some truths which Cain and Abel were aware of. They knew:

When to Worship

The Bible says, “And in process of time”

The phrase means, literally, “at the end of days”

Now, this is not “end of days” as in “end of the world”

Rather it means “at the end of a period of time

Most scholars believe that the reference here is to the end of the week

We know from the Bible that God rested and set apart the seventh day

We know from the OT that the Jewish Sabbath is Saturday, which is the seventh day of the week.

So therefore we can infer that these two boys knew exactly the day to worship God.

From where did they learn this?

From their parents, who learned it from God directly!

Parents listen to me, you need to teach your children that you can, and should, worship God everyday of the week, not just on Sunday, BUT, you should also teach your children about the importance of gathering together with other believers on the Lord’s day as well.

Stay with me, we’re going to answer the question in the back of your mind...

They knew when to worship, and they knew...

How to Worship

They brought offerings to God

Cain brought of the fruit of the ground

He was a “tiller of the ground”

Today we’d call him a farmer

He brought the best vegetables and herbs he’d grown

He hand picked them for their beauty and fragrance.

He had worked hard planting, watering, and harvesting, but the problem was…this is not the offering that God demanded

Abel, however, was a shepherd.

He brought the best lamb he had and placed it on the altar as a sacrifice to God.

He understood that the penalty of sin was death and that because of his sin he should have died, but God in His mercy allowed the lamb to die as a substitute.

Abel’s offering was accepted; Cains was rejected

Not because God loved Abel more, but because Abel loved God more.

Abel was not proud when his offering was accepted, he was humbled

Cain, on the other hand, his offering wreaked of pride!

He brought an offering of his works

Abel brought an offering of grace

From where did these two boys learn how to worship God? From their parents. Yet, one obeyed God, and one when his own way. Mom and dad, it is difficult when your children decide to go their own way. You’ve raise them, taught them, and prayed for them, and still they break your heart and they break God’s heart. One more first, we see the...

First Conflict

Genesis 4:5–6 KJV 1900

5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. 6 And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?

Cain was angry, his temper was boiling when God refused his offering.

He was angry with God

“How dare He! Does He not know how hard I’ve worked to grow this produce? Does He not understand the time it took to pick out the absolute best?”

How foolish to be angry with God for not accepting your offering when it was God who set the standard for your offering!

It’s not that he didn’t listen to his parent’s teaching about how to worship God, it is that he thought his way was better!

Friends, that is the heart of every false religion out there:

I know what God demands, but my way is better.

If God won’t accept me on my terms, why should I accept Him on His?

How about because God’s terms are the only ones that matter!

This one is free, but with Cain we see the first pity party.

Anger is dangerous because, even though he was angry at God...

He took his anger out on his brother! Genesis 4:8 “8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.”

The idea is that he led him out into the field, away from everyone else for the purpose of killing him.

Cain’s anger led to the first recorded murder

The Bible doesn’t say that directly, but what it does say is bad enough.

They went into the field, no one was there to intervene, and Cain “rose up” and killed his brother.

We can go through this verse by verse, but it’s clear…Cain was angry because he wanted to approach God on his own terms, and God said no.

Cain was an irrational man because only an irrational man would even try to please God in away that God has said does not please Him.

Notice his reaction — Genesis 4:13-14

Genesis 4:13–14 KJV 1900

13 And Cain said unto the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear. 14 Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.

Talk about overreaction! Today we hear grown people exclaim: It’s not fair! Who are we to tell God something isn’t fair?

Conclusion:

Before we leave this passage I want to point out something that is easy to miss. Right after Cain’s offering was rejected, before he lost his temper and killed his brother, before he overreacted to his punishment, God said this to him: Genesis 4:7

Genesis 4:7 KJV 1900

7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

That phrase “Sin lieth at the door” is what struck me in my study of this passage. On reading it I thought it meant “If you don’t do well then sin is laying in wait for you and will take you” but that is not the right way to interpret this phrase.

A better way to understand “sin lieth at the door” is “the offering for sin is near at hand.”

I don’t want to end our time together today without pointing out this important truth: Cain had disobeyed and disappointed God, but God was not willing to give up on him! He was offering a chance for Cain to repent and to do what was right!

Even after Cain killed Abel, God went straight to the point, He didn’t beat around the bush: Genesis 4:9-10

Genesis 4:9–10 KJV 1900

9 And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper? 10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.

By asking Cain about his brother and what he had done God was not trying to gain information, but was giving Cain a chance to see the error of his way and to repent for what he’d done. My point? Mom and Dad of that wayward child, God is not done with them! Keep praying for them.

Friend, maybe today you are here and you are struggling with doing life your own way, in your own power...God is not done with you today! You can, right now, lay down what you are doing and trust in what God has done.