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1 Creation Revelation God is in the details Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth forever. Psalm 119:160 Free Subscription: Tel ; Robert & Mary Tozier, 1

2 Opening Prayer 2

3 The Origin of Evil [130] 3

4 THE ORIGIN OF EVIL - Lesson The Proper Worship Genesis 3:22-4:7 4

5 Genesis 3:22 4:7 In dealing with the sin problem, God provided a proper form of worship when He clothed Adam and Eve. We will see that man must approach God on God s terms not on man s. There is true religion and there is false religion. In Part 1 of this lesson we will see that Abel brought the acceptable sacrifice. In Part 2 we will learn that Cain practiced a false religion. 5

6 Genesis 3:22 4:7 Genesis 3:22 4:7 GEN 3:22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: 23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. 24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. (Continued) 6

7 Genesis 3:22-4:7 GEN 4:1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. 2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. (Continued) 7

8 Genesis 3:22-4:7 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. 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. 8

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10 Genesis 3:22 - Trinity GEN 3:22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: The Lord God said illustrates the divine unity, while us signifies the plurality of God. 10

11 Genesis 3:22 - Trinity God is counseling with Himself as the Trinity. He last counseled when He was deciding to make man in Genesis 1:26. GEN 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. 11

12 Man Experienced Evil Knowing good and evil In Genesis 3:22 we find that man not only knows the goodness of God, but has also experienced evil in rejecting God s Word. 12

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14 Genesis 3: Cherubims GEN 3:23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. 24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. Man resisted leaving so God had to drive him from the garden. This is the first mention of Cherubim. They would prevent man from living forever 14 in a fallen state.

15 The Cherubims In Ezekiel 1:4-28 and 10:1-22 the Cherubim are described as follows: Brightness, Shining, fire. Likeness wings. of four living creatures with Faces of man, lion, ox, and eagle; or cherub, man, lion, and eagle. They do not rest. They are watchers, full of eyes. They are associated with the Throne of 15 God.

16 The Cherubims Notice the description of cherubs in Revelation 4:6-8: REV 4:6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. 7 And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. (Continued) 16

17 The Cherubims 8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. It is instructive to note that Satan is called the anointed cherub in Ezekiel 28:

18 The Cherubims Always Near Throne The Cherubim are always associated with the throne of God. PSA 80:1 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth. PSA 99:1 The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved. 18

19 God s Presence At The Tree Of Life The presence of the Cherubim suggests that God s presence was at the tree of life. This further suggests a separation, loss of fellowship or personal relationship. Earlier, God met with man One to one without the presence of the Cherubim. 19

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21 The Tree of Life and the Mercy Seat Note the similarity of the Tree of Life to God s instructions to make the Mercy Seat in the Holy of Holies of the Tabernacle in the wilderness: EXO 25:17 And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof. 18 And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat. 21 (Continued)

22 The Tree of Life and the Mercy Seat 19 And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof. 20 And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be. 21 And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee. (Continued) 22

23 The Tree of Life and the Mercy Seat 22 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel. 23

24 The Tree of Life and the Mercy Seat Now look at what the New Testament writer of Hebrews has to say: HEB 9:3 And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all; 4 Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; 5 And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak particularly. 24

25 The Tree of Life and the Mercy Seat The Mercy Seat is overshadowed by two golden Cherubim. The high priest was not permitted to enter the Holy of Holies, except once a year he entered with sacrificial blood of atonement to sprinkle on the Mercy Seat. 25

26 The Tree of Life and the Mercy Seat Entry in to the Holy of Holies was restricted as seen in Leviticus: LEV 16:2 And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat. 26

27 The Tree of Life and the Mercy Seat The Ark of the Covenant 27

28 The Tree of Life and the Mercy Seat It has been suggested that God continued to meet with Adam s descendants between the Cherubim guarding the way to the Tree of Life. [90; 93] 28

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30 Eternal Life If they had eaten of the Tree of Life in their fallen condition they would have remained forever in their sins, like the fallen angels, incapable of death, locked in the guilt and penalty of their sins. Eternal life was a gift of God now denied to mankind because of Adam. This gift could only harm man without the atonement of Christ. 30

31 Eternal Life We now have eternal life, obtained for us by the substitutionary blood of Christ. The significance of the sin of the fallen angels was that they were already created with eternal life, incapable of death, and therefore locked in their sins. 31

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33 The Tree of Life Notice the healing power of trees in the following description of the future temple in Ezekiel and Revelation: EZE 47:12 And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine. 33

34 The Tree of Life REV 22:2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. Because of Christ, the saved will once more have access to the Tree of Life. The significance of the Book of Revelation is that what was lost by Adam, will be restored by Christ (the Last Adam). 34

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36 Genesis 4:1 - Cain GEN 4:1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. Knew his wife - The first reference to married sex in the Bible. Conceived - First reference to conception. Cain means gotten (Acquisition). The practice of giving names associated with events continues throughout the Bible. 36

37 Cain Seed of Satan Cain was the first of the seed of Satan (Genesis 3:15) notice what John writes: 1JO 3:10 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 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. 37

38 God s Children or Satan s Children We are either God s children or Satan s children. Abel was in the household of faith. HEB 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. 38

39 God s Children or Satan s Children Abel was a type of Christ. Abel offered a bloody sacrifice. HEB 12:2424 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. 39

40 I Have Gotten From The Lord In Genesis 4:1 the expression I have gotten a man from the Lord literally means in Hebrew I have gotten a man (Ish), even Jehovah. [90] The word from is not in the Hebrew text. Eve was expecting the promised Seed (the Messiah) of Genesis 3:15. Ish means man as contrasted with adam (man). Ish is used of a great man as contrasted with an ordinary man. When God is spoken of as a man, Ish is used. 40

41 Jesus Validates Cain and Abel The following testimonies of Jesus validate the story of Cain and Abel as true historical events. MAT 23:33 33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? 34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: (Continued) 41

42 Jesus Validates Cain and Abel 35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. LUK 11:49 Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute: 50 That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; (Continued) 42

43 Jesus Validates Cain and Abel 51 From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation. Jesus named Abel among the prophets sent by God. In Hebrews 11:4 we saw that Abel being dead still speaks by his shed blood that speaks of the blood shed by Jesus on the cross. 43

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45 Genesis 4:2 - Abel GEN 4:2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. Abel means uncertainty. vapor, vanity or Eve, expecting the promised Seed in Cain, was now uncertain. 45

46 Sheep For Sacrifice and Clothing Abel was a keeper of sheep. The sheep were to be for sacrifice and clothing, not food. Animals were not authorized for food until after the flood. 46

47 Food Before The Flood Before the Flood we find: GEN 1:29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. GEN 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: (Continued) 47

48 Food Before The Flood GEN 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. 48

49 Food After The Flood After the flood we find: GEN 9:3 Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. Animals are now for food. 49

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51 Genesis 4:3-4 Worship GEN 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. 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: 51

52 Worship [93] The central truth of Genesis chapter 4 is threefold: 1. God is to be worshipped. 2. God is to be worshipped through sacrifice. 3. God is to be worshipped through sacrifice by faith. 52

53 Worship That the proper form of worship was to be sacrifice can be seen in the following: ROM 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 53

54 Worship [93] We will see that Worship was to consist of three things: First - There was a particular place for worship. Second - There was an appointed time for worship. Third - There was a prescribed means of worship. 54

55 Worship A Particular Place [93] Worship was to consist of three things: First - There was a particular place for worship. Cain brought an offering to some particular place....the firstlings of his flock and of their fat of verse 4 suggests an altar on which the sacrifice would be made. The particular place may have been at the east of the Garden of Eden where God dwelt between the Cherubim. 55

56 Worship A Particular Place GEN 3:24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. The NKJV reads: "to guard the way to the tree of life." Was there a mercy seat established by God between the Cherubim at the entrance to the Garden? [93] 56

57 Worship A Particular Place [54; 90, 93] The Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary translates Genesis 3:24 as follows: GEN 3:24 And He (God) dwelt at the east of the Garden of Eden between the Cherubim, as a Shekinah (a fire-tongue or fire-sword) to keep open the way to the Tree of Life. According to Arthur W. Pink (Gleanings in Genesis) this same thought is presented in the Jerusalem Targum (paraphrase). 57

58 Worship A Particular Place [54; 93] Notice in Genesis 3:24 (KJV & NKJV) the word translated placed is the Hebrew word shaken. Nowhere else in the Old Testament is shaken translated placed. All other eighty-threethree translated to dwell. times it is This would indicate that God dwelt at the east of the Garden of Eden between the 58 Cherubim.

59 The Shekinah [54] THE SHEKINAH (AS IN THE GLORY OF GOD) Now let s look at this verse 24 of Chapter 3 again: GEN 3:24 So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life. NKJV 59

60 The Shekinah [54] Look again at the Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary translation of Genesis 3:24: GEN 3:24 And He (God) dwelt at the east of the Garden of Eden between the Cherubim, as a Shekinah (a fire-tongue or fire-sword) to keep open the way to the Tree of Life. The Hebrew word for placed may be translated dwelt. The Shekinah as in Shekinah Glory, or the Glory of God, or fire tongue, or fire sword, dwelt. 60

61 The Shekinah The following is an example of the presence of God as the Shekinah: EXO 13:20 And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness. 21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: 22 He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people. 61

62 The Shekinah Because of Christ, God now dwells with us. We don t need to go to a special place where God dwells between the Cherubim - He dwells in us (the temple of the Holy Spirit) 62

63 Worship An Appointed Time [93] Second - There was an appointed time for worship. Genesis 4:3 says... in the process of time or literally in the Hebrew......at the end of days This could mean at the end of the week or Sabbath God was to be formally worshipped. 63

64 Worship A Prescribed Means [90; 93] Third - There was a prescribed means of worship. The means was sacrifice. There must have been instruction as to place, time and means of worship. How else could Cain and Abel have known about worship unless they had been taught? 64

65 Worship A Prescribed Means [93] HEB 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. ROM 10:1717 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Their instruction (faith) came by hearing what God required. Abel must have heard (been taught) in order for faith to come. 65

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67 Genesis 4:5-7 - Attitudes GEN 4:5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. 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. 67

68 Attitudes [93] The difference in these sacrifices most likely was in their attitudes. Abel had a right heart, Cain did not. By faith God was to be approached. HEB 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. Abel had heard that God required a sacrifice, he believed and he complied with God s requirement. 68

69 Attitudes [52] God is to be approached on God s terms, not ours. The sacrifice s that Cain and Abel were making would later be incorporated in the Mosaic Law as the peace offering of Leviticus 3: LEV 3:16 And the priest shall burn them upon the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire for a sweet savour: all the fat is the LORD'S. 69

70 Pride & Anger [93] Cain s inward pride was revealed in his anger and resentment toward God and Abel. It s possible that Abel knew in Genesis 4:4 that his sacrifice was accepted because God had consumed it on the altar. How can we say that? Let s see: 70

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72 An Acceptable Sacrifice In Leviticus 9:23 and 24 we find: Lev 9:23 And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the Lord [Shekinah Shekinah] appeared unto all the people. 24 And there came a fire out from before the Lord, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces. In 2 Chronicles 7:1 we also find that God consumed the sacrifice by fire from heaven at 72 the dedication of Solomon s temple.

73 An Acceptable Sacrifice Then, in 1 Kings 18:20 we find: 1KI 18:20 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel. 21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word. 22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men. (Continued) 73

74 An Acceptable Sacrifice 23 Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: 24 And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken. For their part, the Prophets of Baal tried every way they could to call down fire on their sacrifice on the altar, including hollering, dancing about, and cutting themselves, but there was no response. 74

75 An Acceptable Sacrifice Finally, Elijah mocked the priests of Baal. 1KI 18:27 and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked. Then the priests of Baal tried even harder while cutting themselves, but to no avail. Then Elijah repaired the broken altar of the Lord, and prepared his sacrifice. 75

76 An Acceptable Sacrifice Elijah cut the bullock and laid it on the wood on the altar, and poured much water on the sacrifice. He then filled the trench around the altar with water. 1 KI 18:36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. (Continued) 76

77 An Acceptable Sacrifice 37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. 38 Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. Blood was shed bullocks, but the serving a false god. in the priests killing of the of Baal were We find that there is a proper sacrifice. 77

78 Blood Must Be Shed Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. HEB 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. 78

79 Blood Must Be Shed In lesson 2, we saw that Christ made the proper sacrifice once for all of us by the shedding of His own blood as the Lamb of God. This was the message of sacrifice throughout the Bible, setting the stage for the sacrifice of the Lamb of God. 79

80 Cain and required. Blood Must Be Shed [93] Abel both knew what God They had been told. God Himself had shown their parents. GEN 3:21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them. This required the shedding of blood, the first sacrifice. 80

81 Christ s Way or Cain s Way [90] You can approach God by way of the cross or you can approach God by way of Cain. Cain offered a bloodless sacrifice contrary to God s requirement. Abel s and Christ s shedding of blood. sacrifice was by the Christ s way leads to heaven, the other way leads to hell. The story of Cain is the story of the world s 81 first false religion.

82 5 Minute Break 82

83 THE ORIGIN OF EVIL - Lesson False Religion and Murder Genesis 4:3-4:154:15 83

84 Genesis 4:3-4:154:15 Genesis 4:3-15 GEN 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. 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. 6 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? (Continued) 84

85 Genesis 4:3-4:154:15 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. 8 Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose against Abel his brother and killed him. 9 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" And he said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?" (Continued) 85

86 Genesis 4:3-4:154:15 10 And He said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground. 11 "So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. 12 "When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth. 13 And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear. (Continued) 86

87 Genesis 4:3-4:154:15 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. 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. 87

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89 Genesis 4:3-7 False Religion Let us now consider how false religion develops. In Genesis 4:3-7 we see: Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. (v. 3) The LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: (v. 4) Unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. (v. 5) 89

90 Genesis 4:3-7 False Religion When Cain became upset, God told him: 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. (v. 7) 90

91 Cain s False Human Religion [90] Cain s False Human Religion [90] Cain s religion was a purely scheme (salvation by works). human Cain s religion sacrifice. Cain s religion satisfaction. was a purely was a purely human human 91

92 False Religion - A Human Scheme [90] First - Cain s religion was a purely human scheme, salvation by works. Cain s religion was self centered humanism, he was going to do it his way. Cain s offering was the fruit of his own labors. Abel s sacrifice was a blood sacrifice. We cannot save ourselves, we are saved by the Blood of Christ. 92

93 Salvation Requires Blood EXO 12:1313 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. EPH 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 1JO 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 93

94 Atonement Is Not Obtained By Works [90] When God sees the blood of Christ He will pass over your sins if you belong to Christ. 1PE 1:1818 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Atonement is not by works offerings as brought by Cain, but by the blood offering as brought by Abel, and once for all as by Christ s shed blood. 94

95 Good Works [90] Good works is at the heart of all false religion. Cain brought fruit of his own labors. Cain knew that the proper sacrifice required blood. God had shown that to his parents when He killed an animal to cover their sin. 95

96 The Way Of Cain [90] The Way of Cain is false religion: JUD 1:1111 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 [Korah]. Balaam, for gain, tried to lead God's people astray, to turn them away from following Jehovah, (hired by Balak - see Numbers chapter 22). Korah, with two companions, rebelled against the authority of Moses; after which, they were swallowed up by the earth, together with their 96 followers (see Numbers chapter 16).

97 False Religion - A Human Sacrifice [90; 93] Second - Cain s religion was a purely human sacrifice. Works expects a reward. Cain brought an offering, not a sacrifice. Cain brought the fruit of the cursed ground. GEN 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; 97

98 A More Excellent Sacrifice [90] HEB 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. Abel brought the proper sacrifice. Cain had no reason to be angry with God or his brother. If Cain had brought the proper sacrifice with a right heart it would have been accepted. Cain ignored Calvary (the Blood). 98

99 A More Excellent Sacrifice [90] Cain was willing to worship only on his own terms. Cain approached God without a sense of sin or guilt. Cain s offering was a rejection of the promised seed. It was the first attempt of salvation by works, without need of the blood sacrifice of Christ. Cain thought he could do it his way. Remember the song written for Frank Sinatra by Paul Anka, I Did It My Way. Success is our way, or so the world world believes 99 believes.

100 False Religion - A Human Satisfaction [90] Third - Cain s religion was a purely human satisfaction. Cain was satisfied that God should be satisfied. He had done his convinced himself. best, or so he 100

101 God Encouraged Cain [90; 93] According to Genesis 4, Verse 7 - If you do well, will you not be accepted? God invited Cain to come to Him the right way. Cain was encouraged to bring the proper sacrifice. Then he would regain the right of the first born (seniority) over Abel. 101

102 Jealousy [93] Jealousy - In Cain s mind, God seemed to favor the younger Abel. Thus Cain would lose his seniority or privilege of the first-born born. He lost earthly position. Pride rose up! Rather than submit to God and bring the proper sacrifice Cain decided to murder his brother. 102

103 Jealousy [93] In Genesis 4, Verse 7 we see the words Sin lies at the door. If Cain refused to bring the offering, sin would devour him. proper JAM 1:1515 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. 103

104 Rebellion [93] Cain was a rebellious person, not a believer as regards faith, trusting in a form of religion or godliness. Abel was a true believer, trusting in God. Cain provided for himself, not trusting in what God had provided. God will accept us only in Christ we cannot save ourselves. 104

105 Rebellion [93] Like many religious people today, Cain was infuriated by what he heard from God. Today s humanists are infuriated by the very mention of God s word. Don t you dare impose your values on me! Man in his pride does not accept that he is subject to God s law. 105

106 Rebellion Imagine God looking down on Shirley MacLane, like a tiny ant, standing defiantly on the beach with her guru in Out on a Limb proclaiming that I am god, I am god. Imagine God saying: OK Shirley, Walk on water. Man shows a form of godliness, but he denies the power thereof, destitute of any genuineness or reality. We see this in 2 Timothy chapter 3: 106

107 Watered Down Christianity 2TI 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 107

108 Watered Down Christianity Men practice religion but do not have faith in its power. Many men today practice a watered down form of Christianity. 108

109 Approach God With A Right Spirit If Cain had approached God with a right spirit he would not have been angry if his offering was rejected. We need a humble desire to learn God s will. We are to rule over our own wills and practice self-control. 109

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111 Genesis 4:8 - Murder GEN 4:8 Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose against Abel his brother and killed him. 111

112 Cain s Religion [90] The seed of the Serpent was striking at the Seed of the woman, trying to prevent the fulfillment of the redemption. We will now begin to see that Cain s religion was marked by four things. 112

113 Cain s Religion [90] Cain s religion was marked by four things: 1. Cain s religion was marked by force. 2. Cain s religion was marked by falsehood. 3. Cain s religion was marked by futility. 4. Cain s religion was marked by fear. 113

114 Cain s Religion Marked By Force First - Cain s religion was marked by Force. Force - It produced rage and murder. Cain spoke with Abel. He was upset that his beautiful offering was rejected in favor of the blood sacrifice of Abel. Cain s offering cost labor. Abel s sacrifice cost nothing. Labor and nothing, that s the difference between works and sacrifice. 114

115 Cain s Religion Marked By Force [13; 90] Today many denominations want to remove the atoning blood from their hymnals and Bibles as disgusting and offensive. False religion would martyr those who stand for God s truth. According to the notes for verse 8 in the Companion Bible: Religion is and ever has been the greatest cause of blood-shedding shedding. In the world we need relationship, not religion. 115

116 Genesis 4:9 - Confession GEN 4:9 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" And he said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper? God was trying to get Cain to confess. Am I my brother s keeper? - Cain questioned God s right to ask the question. 116

117 Cain s Religion Marked By Falsehood [90] Second - Cain s religion was marked by Falsehood. Falsehood - Cain lied to God saying I do not know. False religions are based on lies. At their heart are deception and fraud. 117

118 Genesis 4:10 Blood Cries Out [93] GEN 4:10 And He said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground. Sin cannot be silenced, it cries out, God sees it. Blood is mentioned the first time. 118

119 This blood Blood Cries Out blood would be avenged at Calvary. HEB 12:2424 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. Christ offered the perfect sacrifice. 1JO 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 119

120 Genesis 4: Thorns GEN 4:11 "So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. 12 "When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth." 120

121 Thorns [93] Cain can no longer produce the fruits by which he sought to approach God. Those who attempt to earn salvation by good works find that they can produce only thorns and thistles. Cain would be a perpetual reminder of the consequences of rebellion against God. 121

122 Cain s Religion Marked By Futility [90] Third - Cain s religion was marked by Futility. Futility - God exposed Cain s false religion. As all who follow false religion, Cain would spend his days wandering away from God. Faith made Abraham a pilgrim and a stranger. False religion made Cain a fugitive and a vagabond, a lost and cursed man. And, as we shall soon see, the father of a 122 doomed and fallen line.

123 Genesis 4: Lost Ground GEN 4:13 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. 123

124 Lost Ground [54]...face of the ground (or earth) = Literally face, as in turning away, from the red earth. Refers to that portion of the ground that Cain had been long accustomed to, the home of his parents, his native country. The earth was his possession, his idol which he worshipped. 124

125 Cain s Religion Marked By Fear [90] Fourth - Cain s religion was marked by Fear. Fear - Cain s religion did not produce repentance, only resentment, guilt, unrest, unhappiness and fear. He feared man, not God. Cain s legacy, like today, was to found a civilization characterized by great social, secular and scientific activity, which ignored God s promise. His line would be totally destroyed by the 125 Flood.

126 Genesis 4:15 - Fear GEN 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. God would mark Cain as a continuing warning against sin to his generation. 126

127 The Mark of Cain Whatever the mark was, it identified Cain as one that was protected by God as a sign to his generation. The Lord gave a sign, a token or pledge to Cain, as a warning to anyone who should kill him. Sevenfold - Anyone who killed Cain would suffer worse punishment. 127

128 End of THE ORIGIN OF EVIL - Lesson

129 Closing Prayer 129

130 Creation Revelation God is in the details Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth forever. Psalm 119:160 Free Subscription: Tel ; Robert & Mary Tozier, 130