Cain And Abel

Commentary

Chapter 3 ends with five events: (1) Adam names his wife Eve (v. 20). Remember that God named Adam, and Adam named all the animals. Naming is linked to authority. (2) God gave them clothing made from animal skins (v. 21). Without innocence clothing is necessary. Also, death will now be a part of life going forward. (3) God sent them from the garden lest they eat from the tree of life and live forever (vv. 22-24). 

In Chapter 4 the story of God’s dealings with sinful man continues in the story of two brothers, Cain and Abel, the sons of Adam. Cain was a farmer, while Abel was a shepherd (v. 2). They both brought offerings to the Lord. Cain brought the first fruits of the ground (v. 3), while Abel brought the firstborn of his flock (v. 4). We are not told why Abel’s offering was accepted and Cain’s was not. Cain’s angry response (v. 5) shows a heart not fully trusting in the justice of God. The Lord was calling Cain to a higher standard (v. 7), “If you do well, will you not be accepted?” The Lord warned Cain that sin was stalking him. Cain would need to master his sinful desires, lest they destroy him. But Cain did not master his sinful desires. Instead, he lured his brother out into a field, and like a wild beast, he rose up and killed his brother (v. 8). Again, God questioned Cain, and he denied any responsibility over the welfare of his brother (v. 9). But the very blood of Abel, soaked into the ground, cried out to God in witness against Cain (v. 10), and the Lord cursed the ground because of Cain’s murderous deed (v. 11). Cain would be a farmer no more and would instead be forced to flee from others, always wandering, never staying put (v. 12). Cain said it was too great a punishment for him to bear (vv. 13-14), but the Lord gave Cain a mark of protection, to prevent anyone who found him from killing him (v. 15). Cain left the presence of the Lord to live a life of wandering (v. 16). He started a new life in a new land and bore a son Enoch. Cain also built a city in defiance of God’s statement (v. 17). He named the city after his son Enoch. This shows man’s passion to establish his own name on the earth. Lamech, one of Cain’s descendants, became the first recorded polygamist (v. 19) and the second murderer mentioned in the Bible (v. 23). Lamech had come to the place where he had taken the law into his own hands. All of this sets the background for why God sends the Flood in chapter 6.

Application

Attitudes are important in my life. My pious thoughts, good works, religious rituals, and social actions are valueless apart for the finished work of Christ on the cross. My heart attitude is much more important than anything I say or do.