CAIN AND ABEL
Genesis 4:1-15
If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” (7)
chapter 4
1. Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, "With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man."
2. Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil.
3. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD.
4. And Abel also brought an offering - fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering,
5. but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.
6. Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast?
7. If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it."
8. Now Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let’s go out to the field." While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
9. Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" "I don’t know," he replied. "Am I my brother’s keeper?"
10. The LORD said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.
11. Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.
12. When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth."
13. Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is more than I can bear.
14. Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me."
15. But the LORD said to him, "Not so; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over." Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
1. After the fall, Adam and Eve bore two sons, Cain and Abel. Abel kept flocks, while Cain worked the soil. Both brought an offering to God in the course of time. Hebrews 11 tells us that, by faith, Abel brought a better offering than Cain (Heb 11:4). God favored Abel’s offering but not Cain’s. Are our offerings and actions before God done in faith?
2. Cain became angry and downcast that he did not receive God’s favor. But the LORD instructed him that if he did what was right, he would also be accepted. He also warned Cain, knowing that anger resided in Cain’s heart, that if he did not do what was right, sin would master him. Sadly, Cain did not listen or repent, and his anger led him to kill his brother Abel. As a result, he was driven away from the LORD’s presence and became a restless wander on the earth.
3. There are consequences for our unrepented sin. We must learn to master our sinful will and desires through confession and repentance. One key way to do this is by humbly responding to God’s words. When we repent by heeding His word, we can master the sin in our hearts and walk in the light.
Prayer: Father, we confess our unrepented and hidden sin, our false motives, jealousy, pride, and fear to You. May we heed Your words and warning to do what is right.
One Word: Learn to do what is right