CAIN AND ABEL

Primary Bible Passages: Genesis 4:1-7

Key Verse: Genesis 4:7

Memory Verses: Hebrews 11:4

Lesson Aim: to verify, through a case study, the superiority of obedience to god over self will and presumption.

Preparatory Daily Bible Readings:

Monday: Genesis 4:1-7, Genesis 2:21-24, Genesis 9:3
Tuesday: II Kings 21, II Chronicles 33
Wednesday: II Samuel 14-18
Thursday: I Kings 2-10
Friday: Ecclesiastes 1:2-3, Romans 14:11-12
Saturday: Romans 10:17, Romans 1:17, Habakkuk 2:4, Hebrews 11:6, Romans 14:23
Sunday: Hebrews 11:4, Hebrews 9:22

Lesson Outline

I. THE FIRST HUMAN BIRTHS. (Genesis 4:1-2)

A. Adam "knew" Eve. (Genesis 4:1)

1.In the Hebrew, "knew" is yada (yaw-dah’), a word used in a wide variety of ways, including intimate discovery with a familiar friend.¹

2.This is "the first use of the familiar Biblical euphemism for marital intercourse."²

3.It should be remembered that this act occurred only after a marriage relationship had been established between Adam and Eve. (Genesis 2:22-24)

B. The birth of Cain constitutes the first of all human births.

1. Eve was joyous at the birth of Cain. The name she gave him indicates that she deemed him a possession or "acquisition" from the Lord. ³

2.The birth of Cain, and Eve’s response, graphically illustrate the inability of parents to foresee what their children will prove to be as they grow to maturity.⁴ Cain turned out to be a murderer.

C. Shortly after the birth of Cain, Eve became pregnant with Abel. (Genesis 4:2)

1. Though some think Cain and Abel were twins, there seems to be no legitimate ground for such a presumption.⁵

2. Whereas Eve had greatly rejoiced over the birth of Cain, she named her second son "Abel" meaning "nothingness, vanity." Her joy seems to have been overcome by the realistic discovery of the consequences of sin and the vanity of this earthly life.⁶ (Ecclesiastes 1:2-3)

D. Unlike Adam and Eve, who were brought into the world as adults by special creation, Cain and Abel arrived on earth as babies.

1. It is interesting to imagine how Adam and Eve must have reacted to the many aspects of life, none of which had ever previously occurred or been observed.

2. Like all babies, many years of time were required for Cain and Abel to grow to adulthood at which time they pursued agricultural careers and offered sacrifices to God.

E. These two sons of Adam and Eve represent two fundamentally different types of people.

1. Cain was evil and corrupt while Abel had a heart to serve the Lord. Though both sons were infected with the sin nature, Abel yielded himself to the Lord while Cain rebelled against the expressed will of God and exalted himself. "Cain did not go wrong through the influence of the boys down at the pool room. There were no evil companions to lead him in sin."⁷ Thus, back at the time of so many beginnings, God established the fact that men are not evil and corrupt only because of and by their evil environment. Their nature is corrupt and sinful and will always find a way to demonstrate itself, regardless of its environment.

2. It is noteworthy that both sons, Cain and Abel, had the same parents and that they were reared in the same way, yet one turned out very badly while the other turned out to be a most godly person. All children do not accept godly direction from their parents.

Extremely wicked Manasseh did not follow his godly father, Hezekiah. (II Kings 21; II Chronicles 33) Though they were brothers, Absalom did not turn out like Solomon. (Compare II Samuel 14-18 with I Kings 2-10) All parents should do all within their power to rear their children in the ways of the Lord, but doing so is no guarantee of spiritual success and godliness in the child’s future. Individuals have minds of their own and the free will and ability to make their own choices. Ultimately, all persons are accountable to God for their own choices and directions in life. (Romans 14:11-12) In the final analysis, no wayward child will be able to excuse himself by blaming his parents or anyone else for his wrongdoing. The first two children to ever live illustrate the personal nature of choice and accountability to God, and the futility of the vain promise that a godly, Christian upbringing will guarantee a Christian adult in submission to God. Many godly parents have watched in dismay the awful, continuing, downward trend of their children in spite of all of their efforts to stop the trend.⁸

II. THE OFFERING OF SACRIFICES BY CAIN AND ABEL. (Genesis 4:3-7)

A. Abel offered an acceptable sacrifice to God.

1. Abel had grown up to be a shepherd or "keeper of sheep." (Genesis 4:2) At that time meat had not been added to man’s diet, (Genesis 9:3) although sheep were used in sacrifices and for clothing.

2. Abel brought a sheep and offered it in a sacrifice unto the Lord. (Genesis 4:4) The phrase "of the fat thereof" denotes that Abel brought not merely the first good sheep that came to hand, but he searched out and brought the finest and fattest sheep he had.⁹

3. Abel’s sacrifice was accepted by the Lord. (Genesis 4:4)

B. Cain offered an unacceptable sacrifice to God.

1. Cain had grown up to be a farmer or "a tiller of the ground." (Genesis 4:2)

2. For his sacrifice to God, Cain brought of the fruits, vegetables and grains he had raised. (Genesis 4:3)

3. Cain’s sacrifice was rejected by the Lord. (Genesis 4:5)

C. God has been careful to explain that Abel’s sacrifice was accepted because it was offered by faith and Cain’s was rejected because it was offered presumptuously in self will.

1. Hebrews 11:4 is a divine commentary on this event. This verse says, "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."

2. Romans 10:17 explains that "...faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Faith is not something that just happens to get hold of a human heart.¹⁰ Faith is acceptance of the stated Word of God. An act of faith is an act in harmony with God’s stated Word.

3. Abel’s offering was an act of faith. Abel offered what God had prescribed. God’s acceptance of his offering is not a mystery. God says, "The just shall live by faith." (Romans 1:17; Habakkuk 2:4) Abel acted in faith.

4. Conversely, Cain offered presumptuously; not in faith. He did not offer what God had prescribed. He offered what he wanted to offer, an act of presumption. Cain was not an infidel or an atheist. He was a religious man who believed in worship. Even so, regardless of how much he may have thought that what he was doing was acceptable to God, it was not. The Bible says "without faith it is impossible to please" God. (Hebrews 11:6) In fact, "whatsoever is not of faith is sin." (Romans 14:23) Cain was rejected because he did not offer in faith. He did not offer God’s way; he did it his way.

5. Abel and his offering represent redemption by means of a substitutionary offering. It required the shedding of blood, apart from which there is no forgiveness. (Hebrews 9:22) Cain and his offering represent salvation by works. Thus, back at the beginning of all things, God clearly and unequivocally established the fact that all acceptable worship and any acceptable approach to God must be by faith. Men can only come to God by faith in the blood sacrifice of the Savior. They cannot come to Him upon the merits of their own ideas or works.

 

FOOTNOTES

1. Strong, James, Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary, New York: Abingdon Press, 1958, page 47, reference 3045.

2.Morris, Henry, The Genesis Record, Grand Rapids: Baker, 1976, page 134.

3.Entzminger, Louis, Studies in Genesis, Forth Worth: The Manny Co., 1946, page 32.

4. Henry, Matthew, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible, London: Fleming H. Revell Co., 1706, Vol.I, Genesis 4.

5. Morris, page 135.

6. Keil, C.F. and Delitzsch, F., Commentary on the Old Testament, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1973, Vol.I, Page 109.

7. Rice, John R., In the Beginning, Murfreesboro, Tennessee: Sword of the Lord Publishers, 1975, page 152.

8. Ibid., page 153.

9.Keil and Delitzsch, page 109.

10.Entzminger, page 34.

SUMMARY

At some point after God united Adam and Eve as husband and wife, apparently shortly thereafter, Eve conceived a son. It is important to note that this first case of sexual intercourse was between a male and a female and only in the bonds of marriage.

The birth of Cain constituted the first of all human births. Adam and Eve had been created mature, fully grown. Cain was born a baby and had to grow up to maturity. Most of the things experienced by Adam and Eve had never before occurred. Experiencing the routine events of life must have constituted quite an adventure. That they were able to do so is testimonial to their intelligence. They were not backward "cave men" barely able to function.

Eve was very joyous at the birth of Cain. His name means "acquisition" from the Lord. Her joy represents the blindness which parents have regarding the future of their children. Little did she realize that Cain would grow up to murder his own brother.

Shortly after the birth of Cain, Eve became pregnant with Abel, her second son. By the time of Abel’s birth, Eve had reaped enough of the bitter fruits of her sin in Eden to corrode her view of life. Abel’s name means "nothingness, vanity."

Cain grew up to become a farmer while Abel became a shepherd. Cain and Abel represent two categories of people. Cain was corrupt and evil while Abel yielded himself to the Lord. Cain is typical of the lost, rebellious sinner while Abel is typical of the child of God, whose will is to do God’s will. Both were sons of the same parents and there is no reason to believe they were reared differently, yet they grew up to be direct opposites. Cain turned out very bad while Abel turned out well. All parents should do all within their power to rear their children in as godly a fashion as possible, yet a Christian upbringing is no guarantee of future spiritual success in any child. Ultimately every person must personally decide what he will do with God. Not only is that decision his, he is accountable for his decision. Others, such as parents, may have influence and input into his life and decisions, but ultimately every person is accountable to God for his own decisions and actions.

Both Cain and Abel were religious men. Cain was not an atheist. He brought a sacrifice to God from his farming enterprise. There is no indication that he was insincere or that his offering was not attractive, yet Cain’s offering was rejected by God. Abel brought a sheep as an offering to God. His offering was accepted. A divine commentary is given on these offerings in 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 reason Abel’s offering was accepted while Cain’s was rejected is not a mystery. Abel offered his sacrifice in faith; Cain offered presumptuously. We know Abel offered in faith because Hebrews 11:4 says he did. Faith is taking God at His Word. Acting in faith is doing it His way. The Bible spells that truth out clearly in Romans 10:17 which says, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." For faith to have occurred in Abel, God had to have previously informed Abel as to how to offer a sacrifice. There is no reason to believe he would have informed Abel without informing Cain and the rest of the family. Abel simply offered as God told him to offer, but Cain did not. Cain brought something other than what God had commanded. His was an act of rebellion and self will. It was presumptuous on his part to depart from God’s instructions. No person should ever do so. All who do will not be accepted by God.

Cain is a symbol of efforts to secure salvation and acceptance before God by works. He offered to God of the works of his own ingenuity and hands. As in the case of all who hope to achieve salvation by works, Cain failed. Salvation is not of works; it is exclusively by grace through faith. Abel is a symbol of efforts to secure salvation and acceptance before God by faith. He gave up on himself and sought to approach God by faith. In so doing, he was successful. Abel is a picture of salvation upon the strength of a blood sacrifice. His offering was a great foreshadow of Christ, who shed His blood as our sacrifice on the Cross.

QUESTIONS

1. Explain the word "knew" as used in Genesis 4:1.

2. Describe the only relationship in which human sexual intercourse should occur.

3. Who was the first person to be born?

4. What was Eve’s response to the birth of Cain?

5. What is the meaning of the name "Abel" and why do you suppose Eve gave him that name?

6. Describe the adult life of Cain.

7. What general class of people is represented by Cain?

8. Describe the adult life of Abel.

9. What general class of people is represented by Abel?

10. What do the differences in these sons of identical parents say about the ability of parents to predict the future spiritual lives of their children?

11. Describe the sacrifice which Cain offered to the Lord.

12. Why is it accurate to say that Cain offered presumptuously to the Lord?

13. What kind of offering did Abel offer to the Lord?

14. Explain why Hebrews 11:4 says Abel offered in "faith."

15. Explain how Abel’s offering shows the necessity of the offering of a blood sacrifice for sins.

16. Explain how Abel’s offering previews the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ.

17. Explain how the offering of Cain speaks of the futility of works for salvation while Abel’s offering speaks of salvation exclusively by grace through faith.

18. Discuss the great Biblical concept of justification by faith.

19. Discuss God’s stated opinion of all efforts to approach Him which are out of harmony with His instructions on the subject.