THE WAY OF CAIN. Genesis 4:1 16

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1 1 Dear Friend, this is a transcript of a sermon preached by Pastor Jeremy Tan from the pulpit of Amazing Grace Baptist Church Singapore. We are committed to expository preaching because we believe it is the most effective way to expose, explain and expound the Holy Scriptures. And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, [Jesus] expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself (Luke 24:27). Through careful systematic and sequential exposition, the preacher is able to declare unto you all the counsel of God (Acts 20:27), and Christians are blessed with a regular, well-balanced diet of God s Word. Expository preaching also helps us to have a high view of Scripture. We wish to extend a warm welcome to you to join us in our church services for a time of uplifting worship and helpful Bible study, which will bring rejoicing and refreshment to your soul. Do visit our church website at or write to us at amazingracebc@gmail.com. THE WAY OF CAIN Genesis 4:1 16 In Genesis 4 we witness the spread of sin from the first human pair, to their family, and then upon all humanity. In the first part of this chapter (Genesis 4:1-16), the narrative is about Cain and Abel, the sons of Adam and Eve. In the second part of the chapter (Genesis 4:17-24), we are introduced to the godless civilization which originated with Cain. When the LORD God expelled Adam and Eve from the Garden, He gave them a promise, that the seed of the woman would defeat the seed of the serpent. Adam understood the meaning of God s promise, so he gave to his wife a new name, Eve, which means the mother of all living (Genesis 3:20). This name reflected Adam s faith in God to give them a deliverer through Eve s seed or offspring. This seed would redeem them from their sins. Note that these two seeds came from the same womb, thereby proving to us that the entire human race is divided into two families: we either belong to the seed of the woman, or to the seed of the serpent. However, part of God s promise involves conflict between the two seeds. In Genesis 4 we see the beginning of the conflict between these two seeds. Cain is the character in focus in these first sixteen verses, and we will see Cain s unbelief revealed at critical stages of his life. Cain is the archetype of a religion described as the way of Cain. This term is used in Jude 11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. The error of Balaam for reward and the gainsaying of Core reveal the Way of Cain as the way of apostasy for those who know God but then in unbelief, they reject and rebel against Him. The Way of Cain is manifested by jealousy, persecution of true believers, and murderous anger. In 1 John 3 we have another summary of the Way of Cain. 1 John 3: In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. 11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love

2 2 one another. 12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother s righteous. People in the Way of Cain are self-righteous, self-interested, and self-serving. Like Cain, they have no love for a brother, and their works [are] evil. In this study of the Way of Cain, we will follow an outline of seven main points based on the narrative. As we open up the text, we will highlight some principles that we can learn and apply to ourselves. Genesis 4 begins with I. Eve s Conception of Children. Genesis 4:1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. The word translated knew does not mean cognition or head knowledge, but it is the euphemism for sexual intimacy between the husband and wife. Cain is the firstborn son of Adam and Eve, the first baby ever to be born in human history. Cain s birth brought great joy to his parents. His name is a transliteration of the Hebrew qayin, which means to acquire or to possess. Most parents have hopes and expectations of their children; they wonder if their children will achieve some great or high purpose when they grow up. Adam and Eve had great expectations of their first child, and not just because he was their firstborn. Notice that Eve did not think of her son as a child or a baby; instead she said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. Eve believed that this man was God s promised redeemer. She believed that Cain would bruise the head of the serpent (Genesis 3:15), thereby defeating Satan. But as we shall see, her hope was premature and misplaced. Instead of the Messiah that God promised, Eve cradled in her arms the first murderer in human history. Genesis 4:2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. The name Abel is also transliterated; it is derived from the Hebrew hebel, which means vanity or emptiness, a word Solomon used repeatedly in the book of Ecclesiastes. Given at birth, Abel s name was prophetically fulfilled in the brevity of his life. We observe that from birth, comparisons are made between Cain and Abel. First of all, their occupations are different: Cain was a farmer, and Abel was a shepherd. In the Bible, the shepherd is often regarded positively; David was a shepherd, and the Lord Jesus identified Himself as the Good Shepherd (John 10:11). Cain, as the firstborn, followed Adam his father, who was a gardener. God called Adam to be a farmer, so there is nothing wrong in the occupations of his sons. We also observe at this early stage in the Scriptures that the firstborn son is not always preferred. God chose Isaac instead of Ishmael who was Abraham s firstborn, God chose Jacob over against Esau, who was Isaac s firstborn. Then Jacob, instead of choosing Reuben his firstborn, replaced Reuben with Joseph s two sons; and even with that rearrangement, Jacob selected Manasseh the younger son instead of Ephraim. The

3 3 sovereignty of God moved the patriarchs in their choices. God s sovereignty always takes precedence over human priority and choice. Another vital observation we must note is that Cain and Abel represents two types of worshippers. We will elaborate on the differences in their worship. From Eve s conception of Cain and Abel, the narrative leads us to II. The Crisis between the Children. Genesis 4:3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. The words in process of time refer to an indefinite period of time. We do not know the ages of Cain and Abel when they brought their offerings to God but at the end of this time, it came to pass. There was a day when Adam and his family gathered to worship God with their sacrifices. Perhaps this was at the beginning of the harvest season because Cain offered his farm produce to God. Now, Adam would have educated and explained to his children the way to worship God. Cain and Abel must have seen their father offering sacrifices to God on many occasions. Just as God had sacrificed lambs to cover the shame of their nakedness, shame that was the result of their sin, we think that the sacrifice God required at this time was a lamb. However, we cannot be dogmatic because the Hebrew word translated offering is minha, which describes an acceptable offering in the Levitical code. Under the Law given to Israel, grain offerings and animal sacrifices are both acceptable to God, though blood was required as the atonement for sin. We would expect Cain the farmer to bring an offering from the ground, the produce that required his efforts, but there is a more significant reason why God accepted one of the offerings and not the other. We read in Genesis 4:4-5 4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: 5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. Abel offered to God the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. He went to his flock and selected the best animal to offer to God. The fat of the animal represents the sweet aroma when it is burned at the altar (Leviticus 17:6). So what is the difference between the offerings of Cain and Abel? In Hebrews 11, we learn that the difference between these two worshippers is not the material quality of their sacrifice, but it is the spiritual quality. Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. The spiritual quality is faith. Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice than Cain because of faith. Sacrifices to God must be offered with a heart of faith. With faith as our motivation, our offerings to God will always be our best, and not our least.

4 4 As for Cain, his offering was unworthy to God because faith was missing. He gave to God that which cost him little. Cain s offering was the bare minimum, given out of religious obligation, and merely to discharge his duty. Cain s sin is tokenism. He looks religious, but in his heart he is not totally dependent on God, childlike, or grateful. (Genesis: A Commentary, Bruce A. Waltke with Cathi J. Fredricks p. 97). How did God show His approval of Abel s offering? The text does not give us the answer, but as we see so often in the Scriptures, God may have sent fire to consume Abel s offering. God often used fire to signify His pleasure with the sacrifices offered to Him, such as those of Gideon (Judges 6:21), Solomon when he dedicated the temple to God (2 Chronicles 7:1), and Elijah on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:38). When God rejected his offering, Cain became angry. He displayed rage on his face: he was very wroth, and his countenance fell. This leads us to the next point in our outline. III. God s Counsel to Cain. Genesis 4:6-7 6 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? 7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. Cain was very angry with God. Perhaps he was pouting and scowling, and God saw the blackness of sin all over his face. So God approached him with a question. Cain, why are you angry? God did not ask the question to gather information. Just like with His question to Adam and Eve, God asked Cain as an act of grace to allow him to confess and repent of his sin. Why was Cain angry? It is possible that the sacrifice was performed in public. So when God received Abel s offering with approval but not Cain s, he was put to public shame. His anger revealed his unbelief and pride. He had no faith to give God his best, and now he became angry instead of humbly accepting God s verdict. Cain was more interested about public opinion than what God thinks of him. How about us? Are we motivated to please God or to please ourselves? Is God s judgment more important to us, or are we concerned about the world s opinion of us? Let us live for the approval of God than for the applause of the world! Cain was a self-centred person who cared about his reputation, but he had no interest in repentance. Many religious people are like Cain; they want God to answer their prayers, grant them their wishes, and ask them no question about their lives. But that is idolatry; that is moulding God to suit our preferences. People bow to idols because the idols will not hold them to account. There is no judgment from the idols. This is the way of Cain. Cain gave no answer, so God proceeded to give His counsel to the sinner. God said to Cain, If you do well, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Notice that sin is personified as a wild animal, crouching at the door to pounce on Cain to devour and destroy him. One Jewish translation describes sin here as a demon. Whichever description comes to our mind, there are two places in the Bible that give us similar warnings.

5 5 1 Peter 5:8-9 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. flesh. The second warning in Romans 7 relates to the beast within us, which is our unruly Romans 7: For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. The apostle struggled every day of his life with sin that raged between his flesh and his regenerated mind. Unless we have sold out to sin, we too will have the same struggle! In fact, the closer we are drawn to God, the more sensitive we are to sin and our struggle becomes acute. Nevertheless, our faith in Christ will overcome sin! Now notice in Genesis 4:7 that God said to Cain, And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. We have already seen the words desire and rule over in God s warning to Eve in Genesis 3:16. The warning to Eve is that she would desire her husband, not with love but to overcome and overrule his authority. As for the meaning of the word rule, both husband and wife would be struggling for power. The same meanings apply to Cain. Sin would seek to overrule and overwhelm him, but he must have the mastery of his sin. If Cain does not master his sin, in this case his anger, sin will pounce on him and devour him. Anger can be a terrible beast if we do not master it. Thus the apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 4: Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: 27 Neither give place to the devil. Anger can break up relationships at home, in churches, and cause nations to go to war. Now that we have seen the two kinds of worshippers, what kind are we? Are we more like Abel, giving our first and our best to God? Or are we more like Cain, giving whatever is at hand, or worse, our leftovers? Do we give to God cheerfully, with joy in our hearts, or are we giving without the heart for it? Our giving reveals our faith or unbelief. But some would argue that tithing is part of Old Testament law, and that it is obsolete in the New Testament. Not true at all. Abraham gave his tithe to Melchizedek, long before the law was given to Israel (Hebrews 7:2). If we are consistent with Scripture, what would Abel s sacrifice represent? Would Abel s firstlings of his flock represent his first 10% or his last 10%?

6 6 Then what about our service to the Lord? Are our efforts half-hearted? To serve God, only our best will do! If we cannot do our best, then our service is unworthy of the God we worship. God s warning to Cain is as gracious as His counsel. It is wise to heed God s counsel and warnings to us. But Cain saw nothing wrong with his offering, nor with his angry response toward God. Therefore, Cain did not answer God s counsel and warning. IV. Cain s Crime against Abel. Genesis 4:8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. Instead of repentance, Cain sought to vent his anger on Abel. He was displeased that Abel received God s approval. The sense of Genesis 4:8 is that Cain planned to catch Abel by surprise. When they were alone in the field, Cain committed premeditated murder. No human being had ever died or been killed before. Abel became the first person to die. The hoped-for redeemer was found to be a murderer, and the second son was the victim of murder. If we do not master the sin of anger, it will destroy us, and our relationships with others, and with God. V. God s Confrontation with Cain. Genesis 4: And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother s keeper? 10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother s blood crieth unto me from the ground. For the second time, God confronted Cain. God could have sentenced Cain immediately with death. Instead, He graciously asked Cain for the whereabouts of his brother. Of course, God knew where Cain had buried his brother s body, but this was another opportunity for confession and repentance of his sins. Cain foolishly thought he could get away with murder; he thought God would not know, and he refused responsibility to care for his brother. Cain s insolent and arrogant reply to God was a further sign of his unbelief. VI. God s Curse on Cain. Genesis 4: And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother s blood from thy hand; 12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth. So far, God only cursed the serpent and the ground. Now Cain is the first person whom God cursed. Adam would have to till the ground with sweat on his face (Genesis 3:19), which means hard work, but his son would not be productive at all, even with hard work. The land would refuse to give its fruit to him. Thus, Cain had to become a fugitive and a vagabond. A vagabond is one who is not rooted to any place. More about the fugitive in the next point, which is

7 7 VII. Cain s Complaint about His Punishment. Genesis 4: And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear. 14 Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me. Cain did not even admit his crime. He cared more about his punishment than repentance. One of the clearest marks of sin is our almost innate desire to excuse ourselves and complain if we are judged in any way. (James Montgomery Boice, Genesis: An Expositional Commentary, p. 258). The unrepentant sinner laments and pities himself instead of turning to God. The apostle Paul explains the difference between worldly sorrow and godly sorrow. 2 Corinthians 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. Have we ever complained to God about our suffering? Perhaps we have suffered the consequences of our sins, but we complained to God and said, That s not fair! But one of the signs of new life is that the individual takes sides with God against himself. If God only acted fairly instead of with mercy, all of us would be executed on the spot and be consigned to hell! Nevertheless, God responded to Cain s complaint with another act of grace. Genesis 4:15 And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him. To protect him from an avenger for his murder of Abel, God set a mark of protection upon Cain. We do not know anything about this mark, but it was enough to warn everyone to stay away from Cain. Later when God gave the law, there is a penalty for murder (Exodus 21:12), but at this early stage in human history, God allowed the first murderer to live. One reason is that vengeance belongs to God, and He did not want vigilante justice. But who would the avenger be? Who else were there beside Adam and Eve, and Cain and Abel? A reasonable answer is that Adam and Eve had other children after Cain and Abel. Now that Cain had killed his brother, the irony is his fear that someone in his family would take his life. Genesis 4:16 And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. God drove Adam and Eve from the Garden, but now Cain would be driven from the land. He would enjoy no resting place anywhere on earth. Cain left the presence of God for the land of Nod. Another name for Nod is the land of wanderings. Surely there is significance in the statement, Cain went out from the presence of the LORD. Cain could have repented of his sins and turned to God. Instead, he went out from the presence of the LORD. God did not leave Cain, but Cain left God because he was an unbeliever.

8 8 Cain became a nomad, a person without a permanent home. He had to keep moving because in every place he stopped, the ground refused to yield its fruit to him. Life became a tough struggle for him. The curse on Cain is a reminder to us that we need the blessings of God to live. Without God s blessings of physical health, bodily strength and stamina, and mental ability, life would be a struggle in everything we do. Conclusion The Way of Cain shows us that God is not pleased with the sacrifices of a religious unbeliever. There are religious people, even those who identify themselves as Christians, but according to 2 Timothy 3:5, they have a form of godliness but they are denying the power thereof. There is no merit with God in anything we do, without a spirit-regenerating faith in Christ. We have a good summary of the Way of Cain in Proverbs 21:27 The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination: how much more, when he bringeth it with a wicked mind? Abel gave his best to God, but in Cain s mind any sacrifice would do. Cain lacked the spiritual quality of Abel s offering, which is faith. When we give to God by faith, our offering will be acceptable to Him. Cain became angry because God rejected his offering, so God warned him that sin was the wild beast or demon that crouched at the door, waiting to devour him. Cain must not allow the sin of anger to master him, but he ignored the warning from God. He vented his anger on Abel with premeditated murder. God s warning to Cain is also applicable to us. The English Non-Conformist theologian John Owen ( ) gave this exhortation about mastering sin, Be always at it whilst you live; cease not a day from this work; be killing sin or it will be killing you. Let no man think to kill sin with few, easy, or gentle strokes. Let us read the exhortation of the apostle Paul in Galatians 5: This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. Instead of the Way of Cain, we must turn to the way of Christ for our salvation. There is no salvation without personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. According to Hebrews 12:24 the blood of Jesus the mediator speaketh better things than that of Abel. And Hebrews 12:25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. The blood of Abel cried out to God for justice, but the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ cries out to God for grace and mercy upon the sinner. The blood of Jesus Christ satisfies the justice of God! The blood of Jesus Christ does not cry out for a curse upon the sinner, but it removes the curse of sin which is everlasting punishment in hell. If you are an unsaved person, stop wandering in your sin. The lost sinner cannot run away from sin s curse. Come to God and admit to Him that you are a sinner. If you come to

9 9 God for salvation through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, God will forgive your sins and He will save your soul. Permission: We share our materials with you as a blessing from the ministry of our church. You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in any format, provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For web posting, a link to this document on our website is preferred. Any exceptions to the above must be explicitly approved by Amazing Grace Baptist Church. Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: Copyright: Amazing Grace Baptist Church Singapore. Website: Used by permission as granted on website.