The Sad Saga of Cain and Abel.

Introduction:

The text we’ve just read together records for us the tragic events that give way to the first murder ever committed in human history. That being said, though the first homicide is at the forefront of the chapter, the chapter is less about murder and more about what Jude 11 calls “the way of Cain.” Genesis is ultimately a story of the depravity of sin and God’s abounding grace toward the sinner.

The record laid out before us doesn't begin with tragedy, it begins with celebration. V.1 begins with Adam and Eve giving birth to a son and Eve joyfully crying out “I’ve given birth to a man with the help of the Lord.” I imagine that Adam and Eve were much like every young couple who is having their first child. Maybe Adam would place his hand on her stomach to feel the baby kick or lean his ear on her stomach to hear the heartbeat. Maybe Eve battled “morning sickness” and “heartburn” as many do. Ultimately she felt the very first pain in childbirth as a result of the events recorded for us in chapter 3 and gave birth to the second man and named him Cain.

Some amount of time passed and again Adam and Eve felt the joy of childbirth as Eve gave birth to a second boy and named him, Abel. There were now three men on the face of the earth and know doubt Adam and Eve were very hopeful of their future together as a family. But, that hope quickly gives way to tragedy.

We don’t really know anything abut the childhood of Cain and Abel. All we really know is that Cain followed in Adams footsteps and became a farmer and that Abel became a shepherd (keeper of the animal flocks).

We also don’t know if Cain and Abel regularly gave offerings to the Lord or if this was their first time doing so. Likely, this was not their first offering because the text uses the words “in the process of time”. When this phrase is used or something similar to it it almost always denotes a precise period of time. It could have been that this was at the end of an agricultural season and a time when they would have had a regular practice of offering a sacrifice to the Lord at a designated place of worship.

Whichever the case, their presentation of offerings created a crisis situation.

Genesis 4:3–5 NKJV

3 And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. 4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.

Abel’s offering from the flock was accepted but Cain’s offering from the ground was not and this made Cain incredibly angry. Instead of taking God’s lack of acceptance for his offering as a warning to do better next time, Cain became so angry that he couldn't hide it, it was written all over his face.

In vs.6-7 God intervenes and offers Cain a warning.

Genesis 4:6–7 NKJV

6 So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”

God personified Cain’s sin as a wild animal crouching at the door ready to pounce. If Cain did not get a hold of his anger, Cain’s anger would get ahold of him; and that is exactly what happened.

In v.8 we see that Cain was so overcome with anger that he murdered his little brother (think how close and brutal this was) and bury him in a shallow grave.

Understand, Cain wasn’t just angry with Abel, he was just the victim of Cains outburst. Cain’s anger was directed toward God.

Murder is an act of hatred toward God for making or accepting another who offends us or troubles us or is favored with gifts and honors we do not have or stands in our way.

This is why when David killed the husband of Bathsheba, Uriah the Hittite, his confession and repentance toward God was

Psalm 51:4 NKJV

4 Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight— That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge.

Immediately after Cain murders Abel and buries him, God shows up and asks Cain some questions. Just as he did when Adam and Eve sinned in the garden. This time, just as before, God already knew the answer.

Genesis 4:9–10 NKJV

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 He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.

God responds in v.10

Genesis 4:10 NKJV

10 And He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.

The cry of Abels blood could not be silenced by the dirt he was buried in. Cains slaughter of Abel could not be hidden from God.

Genesis—Beginning and Blessing Postlude to Murder (vv. 9–12)

“According to the Old Testament view, blood and life belong to God alone; wherever a man commits murder he attacks God’s very own right of possession. To destroy life goes far beyond man’s proper sphere. Spilled blood cannot be shoveled underground; it cries aloud to heaven and complains directly to the Lord of life.”

In response of Cains murder of Abel God, places a curse on him. (v.11-12)

Not only would the ground no longer yield its’ bounty to Cain as it had before, he would be forced to wander the earth as a life long pariah. His family relationships broken beyond repair.

There are two main ideas that I want us to glean from our text this morning.

Abel’s accepted sacrifice.

Cain’s mark of mercy.

1.) Abel’s accepted sacrifice. (v.4-5)

If you have heard or read this account before, have you ever wondered why God accepted Abel’s sacrifice and why Cain got so angry that God did not accept His sacrifice?

The most common thought is that is that animal sacrifices were more acceptable to God than grain sacrifices. That blood sacrifices were superior to harvest sacrifices. That Abel’s offering of an animal was a type of Christ and harkened back to God killing animal in Genesis three in order to clothe Adam and Eve.

While this sounds good on the surface, there are two problems with this idea:

Later in the Old Testament when the Law is given, God honors both kinds of sacrifices for varying reasons.

Secondly, the text of Genesis 4 does not say anything about God requiring a blood sacrifice in this situation.We have to be careful not to impose upon the text when we read and study but to just go with what the text says. We must not impose our theology upon the text of scripture but rather draw our theology from the text of scripture

v.3-4 tell us exactly why God honored Abel’s sacrifice over Cain’s

Genesis 4:3–4 NKJV

3 And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. 4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering,

Remember I said that it is very likely that this was not the first time that Cain and Abel had brought a sacrifice to the Lord.

Cain was evidently indifferent about his offering he “brought an offering of the fruit of the ground.” Abel however, “brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat.”

One translation says that Abel brought the “choicest firstlings of his flock.”

Cain was indifferent, Abel was very careful. Cain brought some vegetables and fruit, but Abel brought the “pick or best of the flock.”

The difference was in the attitude behind the sacrifice.

Cain came to God on his own self-prescribed terms but Abel came to God on God’s terms. Cain came before God with arrogance and Abel came before God with faith.

Hebrews 11:4 NKJV

4 By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.

The ESV says “”through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.”

Cain’s offering wasn't an offering by faith. He tried to define what kind of sacrifice God would accept.

Application: The offering of a sacrifice, though Cain and Abel would not have fully understood this was a picture of the sacrifice of Christ on calvary for the sins of mankind. We cannot approach God any way we desire. Our own works will never be good enough.

Isaiah 64:6 NKJV

6 But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.

All roads and religions do not lead to heaven only faith in Christ alone can bring the forgiveness of sin.

John 14:6 NKJV

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Cain tried to approach God on his own terms instead of on God’s terms. The reason that God rejected Cain’s sacrifice is the same reason God rejects those who try to make their way to Him apart from the blood of Christ.

2.) Cain’s mark of mercy. (v.15-16)

When God pronounces a curse on Cain for murdering Abel, he cries out in lament. Not because he is sorrowful over killing his brother, not because of the heartache he has brought upon his parents, not because he had sinned against God.

No, he cries out of terror for his own life and self pity. He feared that as more people were birthed into this world that someone would come after him to avenge the death of Abel. Cain didn't cry in remorse, he cried in self pity.

Now look with me at verse 15.

Genesis 4:15 NKJV

15 And the Lord said to him, “Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the Lord set a mark on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him.

God hears Cain and amazingly responds that God would mark him in a distinctive way. This mark wouldn't in any way lighten the punishment that Cain was receiving but, God did remove the chances of a vengeful and violent death.

God’s mark, whatever it may have been was an act of God’s divine mercy. Cain would live the rest of his life under a curse, separated from God and his family and yet still guarded by God’s divine mercy and grace.

Cain’s life still belonged to God. Cain was still created in the image of God though, now, that image was marred.

This was an act full of mercy that only God can do and still does even for those who are unrepentant of their sin today.

God doesn't entirely abandon Cain, but instead protects Cain for the duration of what would wind up being a long life. That is an abundance of Mercy and Grace as God gave him a lifelong chance to repent of his sin.

As far as we know, Cain never is repentant for murdering Abel. The Scriptures never speak of Cain in a positive way.

Here is what we do, that murdering, lying angry, selfish, unrepentant sinful Cain was never beyond the mercy and Grace of God.

Conclusion:

Even in the awful story of the first murder, we see a beautiful picture of the mercy and grace of God that is available even to the worst of sinners. No one is beyond the grace of God.

The Bible tells us that in coming to Christ we must

Hebrews 12:24 NKJV

24 to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.

Abels blood rightly cried out from the ground for vengeance. But the blood of Christ shed for sinful mankind shouts forgiveness to all who come to him by faith. There is hope for every sinner. The blood of Christ will wash away every sin (public or private) of those who come to him.

No one is beyond the grace and mercy of the Lord.