Foundations #4: The Fallen First Family

I. Introduction

A. Foundations #1: The God of Creation

B. Foundations #2: The God Who Made Us

C. Foundations #3: The Corruption of God’s Creation

II. Adam and Eve’s first children (Gen 4:1-2a)

Genesis 4:1–2 ESV

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

III. The occupations of the two children (Gen 4:2b)

Genesis 4:2 ESV

2 And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground.

IV. Cain and Abel’s worship of the LORD. (Gen 4:3-7)

Genesis 4:3–7 ESV

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. 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.”

A. Cain brought an offering from the ground

B. Abel brought and offering from the firstlings of his flock

C. God accepted Abel’s offering but rejected Cain’s (vs. 4b-5a)

D. Cain is angry (vs. 5b)

E. God encourages Cain to try again, but warns him to beware of sin (vs. 6-7)

V. Cain rose up against his brother (Gen 4:8)

Genesis 4:8 ESV

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

VI. God confronts Cain (Gen 4:9-15)

Genesis 4:9–15 ESV

9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” 10 And the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground. 11 And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.” 13 Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. 14 Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” 15 Then the Lord said to him, “Not so! If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the Lord put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him.

VII. Cain’s family in the land of Nod (Gen 4:16-17)

Genesis 4:16–17 ESV

16 Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden. 17 Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. When he built a city, he called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch.

VIII. The ungodly posterity of Cain (Gen 4:18-24)

Genesis 4:18–24 ESV

18 To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad fathered Mehujael, and Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushael fathered Lamech. 19 And Lamech took two wives. The name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. 20 Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. 21 His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe. 22 Zillah also bore Tubal-cain; he was the forger of all instruments of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah. 23 Lamech said to his wives: “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say: I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for striking me. 24 If Cain’s revenge is sevenfold, then Lamech’s is seventy-sevenfold.”

IX. Adam and Eve’s 3rd Son. A godly line. (Gen 4:25-26)

Genesis 4:25–26 ESV

25 And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, “God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.” 26 To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to call upon the name of the Lord.

A. Adam and Eve conceived another son named Seth.

B. Eve thought of Seth as a replacement for godly Abel.

C. Seth had a son called Enosh.

D. People began to call upon the name of the Lord.

X. Foundational Importance

God graciously allowed Adam and Eve to conceive and bear children

The ability to bear children is a blessing bestowed on mankind from God at creation (Gen 1:28) and attested even after the fall (Genesis 3:16a)

Even fallen life is still made in the image of God and is attributed to Him. (Pss 127:3–5; 139:13)

Eve sees child bearing as a realization of her divinely assigned role. (Gen 4:1). Having children is the divine-human means whereby the man and woman might achieve the dominion that God has given them (Gen 1:28)

Giving is an act of worship. The heart of the offerer is more important than the offering! (Gen 4:3-5; cf. Hebrews 11:4, Hos 6:6)

We see the inception of sin in the parents inside the garden (Gen 3:1-7) is now spread and manifest in the children outside the garden (Gen 4:1-8), thus all who are descended from Adam and Eve are born into sin and therefore spread sin wherever they are.

Hatred of one’s brother is offensive to God! In Gen 4:9-14, we see the first human murderer, who, though severely punished by God, was graciously allowed to continue to live. We see that anger is at the root of murder. (1 John 3:15; Matt 5:22)

Who was Cain’s wife? Here we see that Adam and Eve must have had several, if not many children besides these three sons (cf. Gen 5:4) The original daughters became wives to Cain and Seth and so on. (Gen 4:17-19)

Cain and Abel typify the ages long struggle between ungodly and godly mankind. Cain is viewed as the forefather of an unrighteous seed who drew first blood against the godly seed in anticipation of Genesis 3:15. (see 1 John 3:10-15).

Genesis 4:20-22 paints a very different picture about early man than our current history books do. They show that early mankind was intelligent and sophisticated, with tentmaking, animal husbandry with flocks and herds, music, including lyre and pipe, and metallurgy, including bronze and iron.

Quote by Donald Chittick in The Puzzle of Ancient Man: Advanced Technology in Ancient Civilizations:

Being closer to Creation than we are, they had not degenerated as far as we have. Their bodies were far more perfect, their minds more alert and capable, and their lifetimes longer. With their good health, keen observational powers and alert minds, they soon began to develop a high level of science and technology. It is an error to assume, as current culture does, that early man was not mentally highly capable or that he was ignorant of what we would call science and scientific principle.

God has been seeking out mankind to restore relationship with him since man first fell in the garden and some have responded. (Genesis 4:26)

The promised seed has come, Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, whose sprinkled blood speaks better word than that of Abel. (Hebrews 12:24)