Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction: I look like my dad and my son looks like me

This becomes the primary point of .

That the children of Adam and Eve resemble their parents in their sin.

And as Adam and Eve are fruitful and multiply, so does the effect of their sin

We should remember God’s commission to Adam before the fall was to be be fruitful and multiply.

And while much has changed since the fall , one thing that has stayed the same is that Adam and Eve are continuing to multiply.

The theme of having children permeates this whole chapter

God’s commission to Adam before the fall was to be be fruitful and multiply.

And we are here after the fall and should recognize that this command has not been removed.

Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the LORD.” 2 And again, she bore his brother Abel.

And again with Cain’s descendants.

And we don’t just see in these verses, but we see it again with Cain’s descendants.

And again at the end of the chapter

25 And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth

We are being introduced to an important theme that will show up throughout the rest of the Old Testament and right into the New Testament.

The theme being a that of a family tree.

And this family tree is important because of God’s promise back in ch 3

So as we are introduced to the children that come from Eve, we should be reminded of God’s promise.

We should be anticipating arrival of the wounded victor.

The one who would crush the head of the serpent while simultaneously having his own heel wounded.

So as we are introduced to the children that come from Eve, we should be reminded of God’s promise.

We should be anticipating arrival of the wounded victor.

The one who would crush the head of the serpent while simultaneously having his own heel wounded.

In this chapter we are to be mindful of God’s promise

and we trace that promise into the two sons that come from Eve

But this chapter comes to us with mixed emotions doesn’t it?

But this chapter comes to us with mixed emotions.

First we are filled with hope!

As we are introduce to the two sons of Eve we are reminded are hopeful that one of these sons will be the promised one from Ch 3. We are hopeful that he will be the wounded victor!

But quickly we see that there is a problem as only one of their sacrifices are accepted by God

Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground.

3 In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, 4 and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions.

And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard.

And so we begin to look earnestly to Cain as the promised one we would think that the firstborn son, Cain might be the promised one from ch 3

But after his offering is is rejected by God our hope in Cain turns to doubt… and so we begin to look at his younger brother Abel.

Is he the one?

So Cain was very angry, and his face fell.

6 The LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen?

7 If you do well, will you not be accepted?

And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door.

Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”

8 Cain spoke to Abel his brother.

And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.

And just like that, any hope we had in either of these sons being the wounded victor is gone.

We see that in Cain he is unable to defeat the temptation of the serpent, but instead he gives into the temptation of the serpent… just like his mom and dad did before him

And Able is not the wounded victor, but only the wounded victim.

And Able is not the wounded victor, but only the wounded victim.

Able did not defeat the serpent, but instead the serpent defeated him

What is the purpose of this being in the story of Genesis?

We see here that the sin of Adam and Eve…

The sin of their disobedience to God’s word

The sin of not believing God at his word but instead believing the depicts of the serpent…

The original sin has not stayed with Adam and Eve

Original sin has infected every person

No in fact as Adam and Eve are fruitful and multiply… so does their sin.

God’s commission to Adam before the fall was to be be fruitful and multiply.

And we are here after the fall and should recognize that this command has not been removed.

And we don’t just see in these verses, but we see it again with Cain’s descendants.

Because:

We are being introduced to an important theme that will show up throughout the rest of the Bible:

Original sin has infected every person.

Where does Cain’s sin begin?

That being family origins.

This is important because of God’s promise back in ch 3

This is important, because God promised that Eve’s son would be the one to destroy the serpent, but

And this is a tremendous problem for us as we anticipate the seed from Eve that is supposed to crush the serpent… because every person that will be born from eve is infected by sin.

And that sin not only infects Eve’s sons, but it ultimately will defeat them.

Rendering them unable to defeat the serpent.

Paul said it best:

But let me try to anticipate any objections that some might have… because odds are, most of us in here aren’t murderers.

And even some might believe that we are good!

And so let us trace back from the murder of Abel to see where Cain’s sin began

So first, did Cain’s sin begin with the murder of Abel?

Because if that was where it began, then most of us are off the hook this morning right?

Because most of us haven’t commited murder lately.

Or have we?

Remember the teaching of Jesus on the Sermon on the Mount

Matt 5:21-

So we see that Cain’s sin proceeded his act of murder.

Look back to 4:5

Was it in Cain’s anger?

Is this where his sin began for Cain?

If so there are many of us who while being guilty of being angry this week, maybe there are some that have had self-control today and come to church feeling like you are able to worship because you are righteous!

If so there are many of us who while being guilty of being angry this week, maybe there are some that have had self-control today and come to church feeling like you are able to worship because you have managed to go 24 hours without being angry!

You haven’t murdered, you haven’t been angry: your good right?

You’d be wrong.... because Cains sin preceded even his anger

but it was in vv 3-5

Cain’s first sin was hidden, and even unmentioned until we see that his sacrifice unable to please God.

It appears that in comparison to Ables firstborn from his flock and the fat that is offered to God… Cain gave a common “sacrifice” that really wasn’t a sacrifice

Isa 15:22

Now I we would do well to not wander into speculation as to what kept his sacrifice from being pleasing to the Lord.

But one thing that is clear in this text is this:

Original sin has infected every person.

Not only has sin infected the children of Adam and eve… but

Paul said it best:

Sin cannot be silenced or hidden

Sin cannot be silenced or hidden

We aren’t even explicitly told what Cain did that would make his offering to the Lord unacceptable… and further we don’t need to know what it was do we?

Because the point is that God knows what it was…

And God was knew even the hidden secrets of Cain that would cause his worship of the Lord to be rejected