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THE FIRST CHILDREN

Chapter 4

In this chapter we see the serious consequences of human disobedience, such as pride, jealousy, hatred, murder, lies, bigamy.

Eve acknowledged God's help to get her son Cain, and gave him the name of Cain, which means “acquisition”: she considered that she had purchased him - certainly with the suffering that preceded birth. Then she had another son (they were possibly twins) and she called him Abel, “what goes up”, or according to others, “breath”, or “vanity”.

After a while - we presume that the two had reached physical and mental maturity, they brought offerings to the LORD. Abel was a shepherd, and brought an offering of the herd: of the first fruits (first born), and of the fat of the flock (the strong and healthy) - a valuable offering, no doubt, expressing his desire to please God.

Cain was a tiller of the ground and brought the fruit of the land for his offering.

Although both brought offerings from the result of their industry, the Lord was pleased with Abel and his offering and not with Cain and his offering. This passage does not tell us why, but the Lord Jesus declared that Abel was a righteous man (Matthew 23:35, Luke 11:51), and in Hebrews 11:4 we are told that by faith Abel offered a better offering than Cain, receiving the approval of God to his offering. God was not pleased with Cain because his behaviour was evil (v.7).

It is possible that God had already told them directly, or through Adam, what should be the form and nature of their sacrifices.  Even if it were otherwise, God would certainly be teaching by His acceptance or rejection, which was to His liking. Abel's offering involved in the shedding of the blood of animals, which illustrates the redemption to be effected by Christ with His blood. The fruit of the land offered by Cain represents only his own efforts, and we know that no matter how hard we try, we can never compensate for our sin before God's holiness.

Cain was angry: it was the attitude of a person who is wounded in his pride, which was unjustifiable given the absolute righteousness of God. His anger was revealed in his expression. God took pity, however, and promised him that if he proceeded well (in obedience) he would be accepted, but also warned him that if he did not, he would be assailed by sin: the word describes an animal lying ready for attack; the desire to sin was contrary to the interests of Cain, and he must control himself.

Faced with the alternative proposals, Cain, driven by his jealousy, succumbed to sin by eliminating his brother Abel (the first murder in history).

When the Lord inquired about the fate of Abel, Cain replied with a lie and insolence. God then avenged the death of Abel cursing the work of Cain (the result of which was not accepted by God as an offering) and sentenced him to be a fugitive and a vagabond on earth.

Cain realized that he was away from God and was in danger of his own life, and complained about the severity of the punishment. God once again proved His compassion and put a sign on Cain so that nobody would kill him, for whoever killed Cain would suffer vengeance sevenfold.

Cain left the area near the Garden of Eden where he presumably lived, and headed east to sojourn in exile (translation of “in the land of Nod”). He took to himself a wife (she could have been a close relative, a sister, niece, or even great-niece, since those early days there were no mutant genes to harm her unborn child), had children and built a city (permanent housing) for his descendants.

Five generations later emerged Lamech, a descendant of Cain, and he distinguished himself by his bigamy, for having a son (Jabal) who became a Bedouin, another (Jubal) who was a musician and played stringed instruments (harp) and wind (flute), and another that worked with metals making sharp objects out of bronze and iron (Tubal-Cain). Lamech told his wives that he had committed murder, probably in self-defence, and that if someone killed him, he should be avenged seventy times seven: no doubt a violent man! His logic seems to have been that, if having killed an innocent man Cain was to be avenged seven times, he himself should be avenged seven times more for having killed in self-defence.

Going back to Adam and Eve, shortly after the death of Abel, they had another son, whom he called Seth (meaning “chosen”) to replace Abel. The lineage of Adam comes through Seth to our days, as Noah was his descendant. From Enosh (grandson of Seth) “men began to call on the name of the LORD”: there is more than one understanding of the meaning of these words, but the most accepted view seems to be that from him came the people who sought the LORD and obeyed Him: a small minority of which Noah and his family were the last before the flood.

R  David  Jones

1 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, "I have acquired a man from the LORD."
2 Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
3 And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD.
4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering,
5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.
6 So the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?
7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it."
8 Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.
9 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" He said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?"
10 And He said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground.
11 So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.
12 When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth."
13 And Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is greater than I can bear!
14 Surely You have driven me out this day from the face of the ground; I shall be hidden from Your face; I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth, and it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill me."
15 And the LORD said to him, "Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold." And the LORD set a mark on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him.
16 Then Cain went out from the presence of the LORD and dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden.
17 And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. And he built a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son—Enoch.
18 To Enoch was born Irad; and Irad begot Mehujael, and Mehujael begot Methushael, and Methushael begot Lamech.
19 Then Lamech took for himself two wives: the name of one was Adah, and the name of the second was Zillah.
20 And Adah bore Jabal. He was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock.
21 His brother's name was Jubal. He was the father of all those who play the harp and flute.
22 And as for Zillah, she also bore Tubal-Cain, an instructor of every craftsman in bronze and iron. And the sister of Tubal-Cain was Naamah.
23 Then Lamech said to his wives: "Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; Wives of Lamech, listen to my speech! For I have killed a man for wounding me, Even a young man for hurting me.
24 If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, Then Lamech seventy-sevenfold."
25 And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, "For God has appointed another seed for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed."
26 And as for Seth, to him also a son was born; and he named him Enosh. Then men began to call on the name of the LORD.

Chapter 4