Cain and Abel: The Option of Repentance

The Beginning - Genesis 1-11  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  46:47
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Genesis 4
We have covered Genesis chapters 1-3 at this point, and I hope everyone had an opportunity to read Genesis 4 in preparation for this week.
We have seen God's wonderful power in and through creation, we have seen that what God makes is good, and we have seen that man is made in the image of God. The fact that mankind (all of humanity) is made in the the image and likeness of God is what gives people their value and dignity. This is what everyone's source of identity should flow from. I would like to read to you an excerpt of a book I am reading by David Lomas, The Truest Thing About You. "Our identity is the lens through which we see the world. Our identity shapes the way we live. Identity drives motivation, motivation drives action, and action drives results."
Personal IDENTITY is commonly based on a few basic things: what we do (or have done), what we have, what we desire, and what others think of us. This all would encompass things like who we once were, what we do, who to whom we were born, how much money we have, what good things we have done, what sins we have committed, who we know, what we think of ourselves, or what others think of us. Relying on any of these things or anything else besides what God says about us for our identity results in an identity crisis. We studied two weeks ago that our identity should stem from what God says about us. The base of our identity, therefore, is that we are made in God’s image. Genesis 1:26-27
Today, I want to take a look at a man and a story that we are probably very familiar with. I want to analyze the actions of this man in the light of how he identified.
PRAY
Genesis 4:1-2
And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. 2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
Let's notice some things about Cain and Abel. First thing we see is that Cain is the older brother. Not only that, Cain is a tiller of the ground; he is a farmer. Of Abel, we see that he is the younger brother (duh), but he is a shepherd. This right here does not reveal their identity, this just tells us which one is older and what they do. The next few verses will reveal the identity of one, and we will have to go to the New Testament to see the Identity of the other.
Genesis 4:3-7
Cain's Identity Crisis
I. The Offering v. 3-5
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: 5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
A. Cain's offering- Fruit of the ground
B. Abel's offering- A sheep (presumably a lamb) of the firstlings of his flock.
II. Two Problems v. 5
5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
Cain's offering [Heb- donation, voluntary sacrifice (usually bloodless), gift, present, sacrifice] is often cited as the sin because God had made a blood sacrifice to cover Adam and Eve. If this was a sacrifice for sin, it would have to be a sacrifice involving blood (an animal must die), however, the Bible does not specify that this was a sin offering/sacrifice. It only says that this was an offering. Throughout the Bible one can see acceptable offerings of fruits and grains and herbs to the Lord. Leviticus 2:1, 4, 14, 15. So I am very hesitant to say that there was something wrong in what Cain offered. We find the error of Cain to be a problem of the heart. (Cain's sin was a problem of the heart.)
Problem of the heart - Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
Abel came in faith, Cain did not. Abel was righteous (in right standing with God) before the offering was made, Cain was not.
We cannot live like the devil and expect that offering the Lord part of our time on Sunday and our tithe in the offering will make Him pleased with us. And how do I know that this is how Cain lived? 1 John 3:12 tells us that Cain was "of the wicked one."
Gen. 4:6-7 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? 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.
The phrase "doest well" in the Hebrew is one word. This one word heavily implies doing, not just doing the right thing, but doing the right thing joyfully, cheerfully, sweetly, merrily, and with gladness. When we read "do" in this English passage, our thoughts go to actions, and we are prone to reading this verse as "If you do what is right, you will be accepted; if you do what is wrong, you are sinning." But what the author is saying here is that if your heart is right, you'll be accepted. If your heart is wrong, "sin is at the door," meaning, your next action is going to be sinful.
People with a heart problem rarely give to the Lord or serve the Lord with joy. Paul makes it clear in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 the necessity of having a good attitude as we give to the Lord: But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. 7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
Problem of pride - Cain became jealous of his brother and worried that that Abel may take his place (Cain was the firstborn) because Cain's offering was not accepted, but Abel's was. In v.7, God clearly tells Cain that even in all this, Cain would still maintain the "older brother" status. This jealousy is born of pride. The fear that Cain has of being replaced is born from pride. Cain prizes his position more than he does his brother.
But there is something in this interaction between Cain and God that I want to point out. God gives Cain the answer to the issue. He tells Cain why the offering was unacceptable. I want you to stop here and forget everything that you have hear of this rather well known story.
Put yourself in Cain's shoes. You have just offered an unacceptable sacrifice, and your younger brother, in your eyes, has "shown you up." you get angry and a bit afraid that he is going to take your place in the family hierarchy. However, God comes to you and talks to you. He tells you where you went wrong and how to make it right. What would you do? I would get my attitude right and give another offering.
When confronted with his sin, Cain is given the opportunity to confess and repent, but Cain holds onto pride and does not do so.
III. The Option of Repentance v. 8-11 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.
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. 11 And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand;
God confronts Cain about his sin, v. 9. The question "Where is Abel?" is a throwback to when God says to Adam, "Where are you" back in the garden of Eden. When Adam hears the question, he promptly responds truthfully and humbly. But when Cain hears the question, he deflects. The question is meant to give Cain a chance to confess and repent like his father had years before. Cain, however, plays dumb.
Upon refusing to confess and repent, God pronounces reveals to Cain that he knows what Cain has done and that there is a punishment for him. But please notice, as God pronounces a curse upon Cain, that there is grace and mercy intertwined.
IV. Mercy in the Curse v. 11-16 And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand; 12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth. 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. 15 And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.
16 And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.
What is Cain's occupation? He is a farmer, a fruit and herb cultivator. God cursed Cain "from the earth." Cain would no longer be a successful tiller of the ground. What he loved the most, what he was the most good at, God had stripped away because of sin and unrepentance. Cain would be a fugitive and a vagabond, a wanderer. It is awfully hard for a wander to plant and reap crops. God had the absolute right to end Cain's life right then and there, but He did not.
Instead of looking at God's mercy and seeing it as an opportunity to do right, what Cain does is complain, v. 13-14. He is rightfully afraid for his life, but instead of trying to make things right with the Giver of Life, he complains. And what we see here is something that we will eventually study in depth. Cain has an identity crisis. Notice what he says in verse 13, "My punishment is more than I can bear." Cain's identity was that of a farmer, but now Cain cannot farm, and if he ever tries to, God has made it to where the earth will fight against his efforts. He follows this with, "You have driven me out from the face of the earth." V.14
The rightful punishment for Cain was death, but instead, God brings Cain to an identity crisis in hopes that Cain will return back to Him. Cain then utters some words that make us a bit hopeful for his relationship with God: "and from thy face shall I be hid." This is the greatest of the punishments, being hid from the face of God, a break in the fellowship with God, but this is the only time that Cain makes this kind of statement. I am led to think that to Cain, this is not the greatest punishment. Cain, as a farmer, as a person who has always lived in community with others is now driven from the presence of all others, condemned to live as a wanderer which makes it impossible for him and his family to put down or to cultivate any kind of plant because of their need to be rooted in the ground. And though he is brought to a point where all he can do to better his situation is to look for God, he looks within and finds helplessness. We see in his statements and in his actions that Cain prized his vocation more than his relationship with God.
Now we see even more goodness of the Lord. V. 15. God set a mark on Cain. This mark was not a punishment, this mark was not a representation of the curse, and this mark was not something bad. (I will make a side note here. What exactly the mark of Cain was is not known. There has been a lot of speculation. But one of the most damaging of those speculations is that the mark of Cain was darker skin. During the slave trade days, this was a particularly popular opinion that in the eyes of many "religious" people helped justify the enslavement of other races. This idea, besides making no logical sense (because, as we will see in chapter 6, everyone except for Noah's family dies in the worldwide flood. Cain's genetic line ended there.), but besides making no logical sense, it shows that those that were using this idea as a way to enslave those that were of a different color did not understand the purpose for the mark in the first place.
This mark was a mark of God's protection, not a punishment. Cain did not deserve to be protected like this; Cain deserved death! But here God is, protecting him from vengeance and promising to avenge Cain's murder sevenfold if anyone were to take his life.
Cain should have woken up and seen the goodness and mercy of the Lord right here! Again, Cain could have repented, but we see in verse 16 that he leaves the presence of the Lord. Nowhere do we see in the Scriptures that Cain ever repented. In fact, Cain is described in the New Testament as being "of that wicked one."
1 John 3:12
Well, what does this have to do with identity? We have dealt a little with this, but let's dive a little deeper into it. It is quite simple, really. Abel's life was a life that was righteous, not just at the time of the sacrifice, but before, as we read in Hebrews. Aside from that, we don't know much about Abel, except that he was a man of faith. But Cain, on the other hand, was different. Not once do we see Cain with an attitude of repentance or remorse. Not once was he attempting to please God. How different this story would have turned out if Cain was truly trying to please the Lord!
But Cain's identity was not tied to the fact that he was made in the image of God, it was tied to who he was as the oldest brother and what he did as a farmer. When God said, "Cain, I am not happy with your offering." Cain did not ask how to make it right. He got angry that his younger brother had "shown him up" and was worried about losing his place as the older brother.
When God told Cain, "You are cursed from the ground," Cain didn't ask what he could do to please God elsewhere, because he didn't work the ground for God's pleasure in the first place. He worked the ground out of pride. And when that area of his life took a blow, all he could say was, "Lord, that punishment is more than I can bear."
His identity was tied to what others thought of him. He had no care that he had displeased God, but, "others are going to hate me and want to kill me." Cain had a true identity crisis.
Because of this crisis in identity, Cain never saw and never considered the option that he had all along to make things right: the option of repentance.
Cain had the opportunity here to repent so many times. As soon as the Lord spoke to him (v. 6), Cain could have repented and offered a new sacrifice that was acceptable to the Lord, but he did not. His non-repentance led him led him to anger and rage, which, when dwelt upon led to murder.
When God confronted Cain in v. 9, Cain could have confessed his sin and repented there, but he played dumb.
When God cursed him from the land, Cain could have repented then, but he complained instead.
Even when God, in His mercy, put a mark on Cain to show others he was protected, Cain could have repented and mended his relationship with God, but instead he chose to leave the presence of the Lord.
What we think when we think about God is the most important thing about us.
Cain's thoughts of God were skewed.
- Cain believed that God would be pleased by simple actions, not taking into account that God views the heart and intentions of man.
- Cain thought that God could be fooled, and tried to hide his sin.
- Cain viewed God as cruel and unfair, which led to Cain viewing himself in a wrong light.
- Cain viewed himself as a victim, when in reality, he was the offender. He offended God by his pride and victimized his brother by killing Able.
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Life Group
Outlook determines everything. Our outlook plays a heavy role in our attitude. During the life group time we are going to look at the two topics of ATTITUDE and REPENTANCE.
Attitude - The very first thing that we see is the attitude with which Abel and Cain give their offerings. Hebrews 11:4 tells us that Abel offered up a more excellent sacrifice than Cain. He did this by faith. His worship to the Lord in faith and from a pure and willing heart was counted for righteousness. Though not much else is said about Abel, this one act still speaks to us today. When we come to God, our hearts matter.
Read Luke 6:45 and Mark 7:21. How do these verses speak to Cain's two problems (heart problem and pride problem)?
In light of all this, how can we apply this in the following areas:
- Worship
- Reading the Bible
- Praying
- The way we treat others
- Coming to church services
- Working in different ministries or volunteering in the church (like the current projects we have)
In times when are attitudes are not right and it is time to worship, pray, read the Bible, etc., what should we do? (Align my heart with God's again)
How can accomplish this? (Pray. Be honest with God. Ask God to point out attitudes and ways of thinking that are wrong. Confess and repent from having those sinful attitudes. One of the best ways to combat negative attitudes is to begin to express gratitude - 1 Thessalonians 5:18. The best way to combat bad thoughts and attitudes we may have toward others is to begin to pray for them. Pray that God would truly bless them. And always pray that God will make your heart more like Jesus'.)
What are ways people react when they are confronted with sin in their lives? (Defensiveness, denial, blame shifting, etc.)
Why do people rarely react immediately with confession and repentance?
Have you ever gotten yourself in to more trouble because you tried to deny something that you had done wrong?
Why do we get defensive when we are confronted with sin in our lives? (pride)
Has there ever been a time where you were confronted by God or someone else about sin, and you became defensive about it to the point of it actually having more consequences for you than you would have thought?
We need to understand that we always have the option of repentance. We will sin because we are imperfect. The best time to confess and repent of sin is immediately after the sin has been committed. The longer we wait to d:]*o so, the harder it gets. Satan will tell you, "Well, you've already messed up this much, what's a little more?" Pride will tell you that you won't get caught or you don't need to repent or you can get right with God later. Satan will also tell you that you have gone to far to be forgiven. But as long as you are drawing breath, you have the option of repentance. Make that move toward God, and He, like the prodigal son's father, will run to you and embrace you with love. He wants to restore relationships.
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