Genesis 4 Part 1

Teaching 3.18.10

• Genesis 4:1-2
• “Adam lay with 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.” Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil.”
  • Eve had 2 sons, Cain and Abel
• Genesis 4:3-5
• “In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.”
  • Cain and Abel are bringing sacrifices to God
  • God only accepted Abel and not Cain
  • It’s not the offering that God was looking at
  • It was whoever presented the offering
  • Cain is getting angry
• 1 Samuel 16:7
• “But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.’”
  • We look at the outside appearance
  • God looks at our hearts
• Hebrews 11:4
• “By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.”
  • If you want to come close to God then you’ve got to have faith in God
  • God wants us to trust Him
  • Abel trusts God, Cain did not
    • Cain tried to prove himself through works
    • Ephesians 2:8-9
  • Faith vs. Works
• Galatians 2:16
• “Know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.”
  • We cannot get to God by good works
• There are 2 ways to get to Heaven:
• Be perfect
  • No one is ABSOLUTELY perfect besides Jesus
• Through Jesus’ death on the cross
• Genesis 4:6-7
• “Then the LORD said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 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 master it.’”
  • God did not validate Cain’s feelings
  • Cain did not have to be angry
  • God understands that Cain is angry and God doesn’t want Cain to become bitter
• Genesis 4:8
• “Now Cain said to his brother Abel, ‘Let’s go out to the field.’ And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.”
  • Cain was angry at God, but killed his brother
• 1 John 3:12
• “Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous.”
  • Cain was bad and his brother was good
• Genesis 4:9-10
• “Then the LORD said to Cain, ‘Where is your brother Abel?’ ‘I don’t know,’ he replied. ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’ The LORD said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out   to me from the ground.”
  • Cain starts lying to God because of his bitterness
• Genesis 4:11-12
• “’Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.’”
  • Cain lost his green thumb
• Genesis 4:13-14
• “Cain said to the LORD, ‘My punishment is more than I can bear. 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.’”
  • Cain feels sorry for himself
  • He felt bad that he got in trouble, he didn’t truly feel sorry
• Genesis 4:15-16
• “But the LORD said to him, “Not so; if anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. So Cain went out from the LORD’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.”
  • Why didn’t God kill Cain?
    • God had mercy for Cain to give him another chance at life