Genesis Chapter 4 Verses 1 – 2

• Now this is interesting, Cain was a tiller of the ground while Abel was a keeper of sheep. Why do I find that interesting? Because I see here a truth that we parents so often forget and man we should not…we bring our kids into the world that we have created.

• Before the fall, tilling the ground was the joy of Adam. It wasn’t work, it wasn’t sweaty brow, back breaking toil…it wasn’t work at all…Cain knows nothing of that…why? Adam. Before the fall, the sheep need not be kept but rather enjoyed and ruled over. Before the fall they weren’t killed to cover the nakedness of mankind…the point is that whatever way in my life I am allowing sin and bowing to my flesh, my children have no choice but to follow me into it…and ultimately suffer knowing a world they ought not to know…it’s a sobering fact and one we as parents so often conveniently forget…

Genesis Chapter 4 Verse 3a

• “And in the process of time,” is a lot of time…years, decades, Cain and Abel have grown and as we will see later in this chapter, Adam and Eve had had more children and some of those children had grown as well, moved a bit away from the homestead and started families of their own…

Genesis Chapter 4 Verses 3 – 5

• I wonder why they brought offerings to the Lord. All we can really do here is speculate because God has not set out any requirements for offerings…The word for offering in the Hebrew literally means, “a gift, present, or tribute.” We give gifts and presents and tributes to those we love, to those we care about…it could be something along those lines…I think that from the moment we fell away, we’re missing something…
• Something that is needed…closeness with God. A longing for our Creator Father…now the exceedingly sinfulness of sin is evident in that I do see folks today that seemingly have zero desire and regard for their Creator…and in a way, that confuses me…but across all religions I see one constant, all are looking for God…when before we fell away, God was right there…
• Now Cain offered fruit of the ground and God did not respect his offering…and I know why…because he brought carrots and God hates carrots! HA! Just kidding. But this is interesting because we immediately zero in on the object of what was offered but the issue, if we slow down and read again, the issue was not the offering but rather the issue was Cain himself.

• It says here, “God did not respect Cain AND his offering…” So the issue was the offeror, not the offering and man that is the truth every day! Jesus was impressed to tears with two mites from the lowly widow in Mark Chapter 12 and Luke Chapter 21…something was up with Cain’s heart and that comes out and shows itself with Cain’s response.

• This word “respect” is a tough one for me because Acts 10:34 as well as Romans 2:11 both say that God is not respecter of persons and shows no partiality, (and oh by the way neither should we in accordance with James 2:9 which says that if we show partiality then we sin), and so think of this word not as “respect” in contradiction to these other verses but rather as “received.” God received the offering of Abel but would not look upon the offering of Cain…
• Now, a pure heart, a heart bringing this offering in love, would have been crushed. Sorrow and submission would have followed. Lord, I’m sorry, tell me, teach me, show me such that I might change, learn and return…that is a pure heart…but a heart that grows angry, falling countenance…he didn’t want to bring this offering in the first place…or even if he did, it wasn’t for God…it was for him.
• Hebrews 11:4 says that Abel brought his gift by faith…in contrast, Cain brought his give by obligation…religion…and God wants nothing of that…His desire is to be near to you, not to be played by you…and so God rejects Cain…not the offering…Cain himself…but I love this, God’s rejection is not to drive Cain away but rather to heal his sick heart…God immediately reaches out and seeks to lead Cain back from the darkness controlling him…

Genesis Chapter 4 Verses 6 - 7

• Are you ok hearing from God that you’re not doing well? Does that make you sit still in His presence, listen up and learn of what “well” is? I hope so…not Cain. We see no response from him…isn’t that telling? Because the next thing he does is murder.

Genesis Chapter 4 Verses 8 – 9

• God already knows what has happened…just like with Cain’s parents, God is trying again…again and again and again He does this with us as well…God again is trying to help Cain, even in his sin…to heal him…, “Cain, where is your brother? Come clean, confess and repent and change and be healed…” But Cain’s response is one of excuse…and no healing ever came from an excuse…

• And so Cain has missed his chance at repentance, reformation and redemption…so the curse is his choice and the curse he shall have…

Genesis Chapter 4 Verses 10 – 12

• Notice this, the curse caused by Adam, by the fall of man, is amplified in Cain. Tilling the ground was difficult for Adam…for Cain it will be impossible. Adam was driven out of Eden but Cain would be a fugitive on the entire earth! And this is the truth, man! Life is hard enough on its own…but we have the power and authority to make it harder…

Genesis Chapter 4 Verses 13 – 15

• Isn’t it interesting how we would never want done to us what we will so readily do to others? Cain here cries out because someone else might kill him…and what blows me away is that Cain doesn’t lament over the sin…he cries over the punishment…
• Boice said it this way, “One of the clearest marks of sin is our almost innate desire to excuse ourselves and complain if we are judged in any way.” Welcome to ‘merica, y’all! Right!?!?
• So why did God do this and what mark did God set on him? Well in terms of the mark, we have no idea although some have speculated but in terms of why God now protected Cain…it’s interesting…God is always ready to put a stop to evil…that’s just His heart…to block the darkness, to shine through it…and His mercy and grace mark this murderer…just like His mercy and grace marked this murderer…(me).