CAIN AND ABEL

Genesis 4

If you look back at chapter 3:15 God tells the serpent that “He will put enmity between the serpent’s seed and the seed of the woman.”

  • Well, here in chapter 4 that enmity manifests itself in Cain and Abel.
  • Cain and Abel are going to be viewed in scripture as the early representations of the two different off-springs or seeds…the offspring of the serpent and the offspring of woman and the enmity that exists between the two.

So, look at vs. 1. Now, I want you to notice that when Eve gives birth to Cain she says, “I have gotten…or I have acquired a manchild with the help of the Lord.”

  • Why does Eve seem to put special emphasis on the fact that she has given birth to a baby boy “with the help of the Lord?”

Well, remember what the Lord said before to the serpent when He said that “one would come from the woman’s seed who would crush the serpent’s head”…and Eve may have thought this baby was the One!

  • In her mind she may have been thinking, “Here he is! This is the head crusher!” “I have gotten him.”

But the thing is, as we read the story we find out that Cain is not going to be the “head crusher.”

  • Instead, he is going to be a killer.

But now in vs. 2 we are told that “Eve gave birth to a second son, a brother to Cain…: and Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the soil.”

Now let’s read vs. 3-5 again: So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the LORD of the fruit of the ground. 4 And Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering; 5 but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard.

  • Now, one of the first things to notice is from the very beginning man has been called to worship the Lord.

But, why was Abel’s offering more pleasing to the Lord than Cain’s?

  • They both brought to God the best of what they had.
  • And there are places in the O.T. where grain offerings were often given to the Lord and He was pleased with them.
  • So why wasn’t God pleased with the fruit offering of Cain?

Well, apparently God had given them instructions on what to bring for an offering. Look at vs. 6. God speaks to Cain and He says,

“Why are you angry?”…Vs. 7: If you do well will not our countenance be lifted up?”

The NIV says: 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?

Now, God could only say that if Cain knew what the right thing to dowas. .

  • So evidently God had given both Cain and Abel instructions on what to bring and Abel did the right thing and Cain didn’t.

So, what was so right about Abel’s offering? Well, evidently God had instructed them that the only acceptable offering for sin had to involve death.

  • Blood is required for atonement and that is what Abel did…he brought of the firstlings of his flock.
  • But Cain offered an offeringof the fruit of the ground even though he knew better.
  • And what it really amounts to is Abel acted by faith…he obeyed God and Cain didn’t.

In fact, look at this found in Hebrews 11. Hebrews 11 is the chapter where all the great heroes of faith are mentioned.

  • And the chapter tells us that “without faith it is impossible to please God.”

Well, in this chapter that lists all these great heroes of faith guess who is the very first one mentioned? Abel.

  • And look at what vs. 4 says:

4 By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous,

And remember what the Bible says about faith: Romans 10:17: Faith comes by hearing…

Evidently, God had given both Cain and Abel instructions on what would be an acceptable sacrifice and by faith Abel did the right thing…and Cain didn’t.

And when it comes to approaching God all men have to choose how they are going to approach Him…either by faith and offering what is acceptable to Godlike Abel did …or by the way of Cain…by offering that which is not pleasing or acceptable to God.

  • And how can you know what is pleasing…well remember by faith Abel offered a better sacrifice…and faith comes by hearing.
  • The only way you can know what is acceptable to God is by hearing the word of God.

The majority of people today want to offer the works of their hands (things they make or do…their talents)…law-keeping…the fact that they are a good person and do good deeds as a sacrifice to atone for their sins.

  • But atonement requires the shedding of blood and the only acceptable sacrifice for our sins is Christ on that cross and by putting our full faith and trust in Him and being obedient to Him we then find forgiveness of our sins.

By faith Abel offered a better sacrifice…we must do the same. It is not up to us to determine what is acceptable. It is up to God.

Now, let’s look starting in vs. 4: And the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering; 5 but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell. 6 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 "If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it." 8 And Cain told Abel his brother. And it came about when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.

Now, originally Cain was angry at God. So why did Cain turn his anger at God onto his brother?

Let me tell you. Worldly people cannot stand to be reminded that their lives are not lined up with the will of God.

  • What we learn here is that devout people should expect hostilities from the ungodly world.
  • Look with me at 1 John 3:11

For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; 12 not as Cain, who was of the evil one, and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother's were righteous. 13 Do not marvel, brethren, if the world hates you.

Back when Gerald Ford was President he had a golf outing with Jack Nicholas, and Billy Graham…and there were a couple of other professional golfers who were also playing.

  • When they were through with their rounds one of the other golfers asked a second golfer what it was like to play golf with the President and with Billy Graham?
  • And the golfer said, “I don’t need Billy Graham stuffing religion down my throat!” And he just stomped off to the practice range to hit a bucket of balls.
  • So, after he was through hitting the bucket of balls the other golfer walked up and said, “So, I guess Billy was kind of rough on you out there?”
  • And they guy said with and embarrassed smile, “No. To tell you the truth, he never mentioned religion one time!”
  • You see, just a simple example of Christ’s likeness was repugnant to him because it made his own actions seem evil.

Abel was hated because his life was a public rebuke to the way of Cain.

If you look over in Luke 11:51 you will find that when Jesus was talking to the Pharisees he indicates that Abel was a prophet.

  • So perhaps not only did Abel’s life cause Cain to dislike him…but maybe Abel preached to Cain.
  • Maybe Abel tried to tell his brother, “Cain, you need to listen to God. Don’t do things your way. Instead do what God has said. You need to honor God.”
  • And perhaps that was a part of what caused Cain to murder his brother.

But look at what Jesus says in John 8:44:

"You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning,

Who was it that was really behind Cain murdering his brother?

The offspring of the serpent will always have enmity towards the offspring of the woman.

  • In fact, look what Paul says in 2 Timothy 3:12:

And indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

You can count on it. There is not going to be many peace talks. There is not going to be any reconciliation.

  • There is only one way to avoid hostility from the world and that is for the faithful to compromise so that we look like the world.

Otherwise, there is going to enmity between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman as long as the world turns.

  • It is going to be constant. It is going to be pervasive. It is going to be with us until Jesus comes back.

If you accept a standard that is different from the world there is going to be clashes.

  • If you pursue a standard that is above the world…if you pursue a loyalty that is above earthly loyalty…you are going to be opposed.

God said, “From the woman there is going to be a head crusher” and Satan made up his mind right then that he was going to attack every godly seed that comes forth from the woman.

  • He did it to Abel. He did it to every prophet that came after Abel. And he is still doing it today.
  • Don’t deceive yourself into thinking that this world is getting better and someday there is going to be great harmony…and there’s going to be great peace between the people of God and the people of the world.
  • There is never going to be peace because Satan doesn’t want peace.

Do you remember when President Nixon was forced out of office? Later it was divulged that he and his administration had worked up an “enemies” list. And there were certain names on the list that were very surprising. And some of the people when they found out their name was on the list said, "I am flattered. I am glad I am on the list.”

  • Well, let me tell you, you need to feel good about being on the serpent’s enemy list.
  • And when he comes after you and when he attacks you…and when he sends the Cain’s of this world to beat, and to oppress, and to confront, and to ridicule you, you need to feel good that you are on the serpent’s enemy list.
  • And let me tell you why.

Look starting in vs. 9. When Cain murdered Abel he thought that no one would notice. “I will take him out into the field, we will be by ourselves, I will kill my brother and who will know?”

  • And so God comes along and says, “Cain, where is your brother?”
  • And Cain in his arrogance thinks he can fool God and he says, “I don’t know. Is it my job to be my brother’s keeper?”

And God says, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to Me from the ground.”

  • And for the first time God curses a man.

And Cain is so hardened by his sin at this point that he doesn’t respond with remorse. And he doesn’t respond with faith and repent. Instead he responds with reproach.

  • He basically tells God, “You can’t do that. That is too much! I won’t be able to bear it!”
  • He is basically saying, “God you don’t have the right to assign that kind of judgment.”

Let me tell you something about the serpent’s seed. They are always blasting God and His right to assign judgment.

  • Have you ever heard this question? “How can a loving God send people to hell?”
  • The serpent has been getting Cainites to ask that question since the beginning of creation.

Let me tell you. That is not the question the Bible asks. That is not the concern.

  • The Bible says upfront that a holy God has the right to assign judgment.
  • And here is the question the Bible really asks. The Bible doesn’t waste time with “How can a loving God send people to hell?”
  • The question of the Bible is, “How can a holy God let people into heaven?” That is the question the Bible answers.

In this story of Cain and Abel God has put the world on alert that He hears the cries of the Abels who have been treated unjustly and He will take up their cause.

  • We see innocent babies and children abused and sometimes killed.
  • We see infants who are torn from the womb by abortionists.
  • We see women who have been raped and their assailants never caught.
  • Millions and millions and millions of kids who have been violated and abused and nothing has ever happened.
  • We could go on and on and on…and sometimes it causes us to doubt God or even His existence.
  • But this story tells us that judgement is certain. God has heard the cry of every innocent drop of blood…and they will be avenged.

And that is why you need to feel good about being on the serpent’s “enemies” list.

  • Some will not like this but, a time is coming when all men will either be born again or wish they had never been born at all.
  • The voice of the blood of Abel cries out and God hears.

Now, you may be thinking, “Well, I have made mistakes too. I have gone the way of Cain in my life. What hope is there for me?”

  • Well, the voice of Abel’s blood does cry out but Abel’s blood does not have the last word.

You see, Jesus speaks too. And Jesus speaks a better word than Abel. Look with me at Hebrews 12.

  • In this text we are told how awesome God is and how God is a consuming fire.
  • We are told how God is a God that makes men tremble and quake…but look at what Jesus says about it.

Heb12:22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, 23 to the general assembly and church of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.

Abel’s blood cries out for judgment. But Jesus’ blood cries out for mercy.

  • Abel’s blood sends the sinner away from God to wonder. Jesus’ blood opens the way back to God
  • And so the Hebrew writer says in Heb. 10:19 that we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus,

Most men can’t hear the blood of Abel but God can. But there is something else that God can hear that most men can’t hear.

  • God hears the blood of Jesus.
  • And God hears every time the blood of Jesus speaks for a sinner.
  • Romans 6:1-4 tells us that we come in contact with the blood of Christ at baptism.
  • And anyone who does not have the blood of Jesus to speak for them has the blood of Abel to speak against them.
  • Which is it for you?