Genesis 4

V. 1-5

Cain means Acquired

Eve must’ve thought this he was the promised offspring (3:15), the Messiah, but obviously that’s not true.

Abel means Vanity or Empty

Some say that since she thought that Cain was the promised seed, she was so focused on him that Abel was just vanity to her.

Those of you who have an interest in Christ, and make Him your all, everything else means nothing at all. The longer we are in love with Him, the longer we understand this world is just vanity.

Abel’s sacrifice was accepted because He did it by faith.. Cain didn’t.

and so God must’ve spoken to them and told them what He wanted..

Abel did was God said, while Cain did what he wanted.

Sin causes death.. God brought the sacrificial system because sin causes death.. so a life for a life.

“his countenance fell”

Some say that this is the first mention of depression in the bible.

V. 6-7

Cain was so full of anger that he would not be talked out of his sin.. His mind was set.

God’s advice was “do what is right”, but if not, since will devour you.

Cain could’ve had control over his sin, but chose not to.

That’s the same thing today… It’s good vs evil.. We can have control over sin, but we allow sin to run free in our lives because we don’t want to do what is right.

v. 8-16

Courson’s Application Commentary, Old Testament Volume 1 (Genesis–Job) Genesis 4:8, 9

Sin says, “I don’t care about him. He hurt me. I don’t care about her. She offended me. I don’t care about them. They wronged me.” That explains how, after killing Abel, Cain could say, “I don’t care about him. I’m not his keeper.”

Sin says, “

After killing his brother, Cain was punished!

There are consequences to your sin..

Cain claimed that God’s punishment was way to severe… God protected Cain with a mark that would show people not to mess with him, but God made him a wanderer for the rest of his life.

What was the curse of Cain? Being banished from God’s presence.

Cain could’ve sought forgiveness.. but instead he went to Nod.. Which means “wandering.”

V. 17-18

Cain began a family in Nod.. Basically a land of fugitives.

v. 19-24

Lamech altered God’s plan and married two women..

His family produced musical instruments.

Even though they had a good life, Lamech killed a youthful warrior. He even boasted about it.

What a picture of a society defying God and His laws.. Seeking their own pleasure and self-indulgence.

V. 25-26