1. Introduction

Sin has caused our relationships to be cold and distant. This applies to God and to the relationship with fellow human beings. Adam and Eve have children. The names of children usually had some bearing on the character or appearance of the child. Cain means “here he is” and perhaps she thought Cain would be the seed who would crush the head of the Serpent mentioned in Genesis 3:15. However, was not the one. She then had Abel. They were both farmers. This does not mean that these are the only children born to Adam and Eve. Hebrew narrative only mentioned people who are critical to the narrative and not mentioned.

2. Cain and Abel

The focus is upon Cain and Abel who have grown up and both brought offerings. God only had regard for the sacrifice of Abel (animal from flock) and not the one offered by Cain (crops). Why we are not told. Abel brough a blood sacrifice but there is nothing wrong with a grain offering in the Law. It is the book of Hebrews that explains it in Hebrews 11:4-6. Cain’s offering was given in a lack of faith (unbelief). Cain did not have faith. Abel clearly had faith. Cain will talk with God, but he is a man of unbelief.

Cain becomes angry and seems to be depressed. The Lord warns Cain that sin is waiting to pounce when the opportunity arises. God personifies sin. God is exhorting Cain to escape from this, but we find that Cain lures his brother into conversation in a field and then kills Abel. It is premediated murder. It quickly goes from disobedience to murder. Once sin comes things quickly get out of control.

3. God speaks to Cain

God asks the question to Cain to give him and opportunity to repent. He doubles down on his sin. He askes if he is his brother’s keeper. He kills Abel for pure jealousy and seems to believe he can hide his actions from God! See Jude 11 – The way of Cain. It is unbelief, jealousy towards those God has accepted and the willingness to murder.

The blood of Abel cries out to God. It seems that it pollutes the land. When someone was murdered in a region it was the responsibility of locals to investigate. Cain will be cursed from the ground. He raised crops from the ground. Cain will not be able to produce from the land. He will be forced to wander and depending on others. God gave the land as a blessing, but God took it away from Cain.

Cain shows no sign of repentance or remorse. He seems to think it is harsh. He is sorrowful but not in a godly way. See 2 Corinthians 7:10. Worldly sorrow produces death. Cain is sorrowful that he got caught rather than that he has sinned. He shows self-pity about being slain. God puts a mark upon Cain. Opinions abound on what this mark was, but we don’t know. It was actually an act of mercy by God. Unless someone attempted to take vengeance upon Cain. Cain did not get what he deserved.

4. The Descendants of Cain

Cain the first Apostate

Cain became an outsider – outside of the family unit, outside of the society of his parents and upbringing, and outside of the presence of God. The land of “Nod” means the land of wanderings. He had wanted to worship God on his own terms, not God’s. It seems that Cain held deep-seated resentment against God – perhaps because of what God had done to his parents; perhaps because of his own wilful character. Whatever the reason was, he turned his back on God. He was someone who has known the truth, been brought up in a privileged, believing household and enjoyed intimacy with God, for such a person to turn away from God altogether is apostasy. This is why Jude presents Cain as an apostate. See Jude 11 – “the way of Cain”.  Cain is also mentioned specifically in the New Testament in Hebrews 11:4 and 1 John 3:12 and it is clear he is a child of the Devil rather than a child of God. The way of Cain is destruction.

Lamech

This Lamech is a descendent of Cain and not the same as the Lamech born to the lineage of Seth. The degeneracy accelerates with Lamech. Lamech took two wives in direct contravention to God’s order of monogamy. Lamech stoops to a new moral low. Polygamy is now introduced to the new age in the new city. Lamech murders someone for injuring him and is arrogant and boasting of this sin to his two wives and exulted in that he suffered no consequences. He shakes a fist to God that anyone coming after him will face worse than God’s judgment for those who came after Cain for murder.

The Rapid Development

This follows from Lamech’s sons. Along with all this advancement undoubtedly came material prosperity, social pleasure, and economic power. They were on the cusp of a new world order, a new age that abandoned their religious upbringing and morality in favour of the thrill of independence and prosperity and the throwing away of restraint. These sons of Lamech were clever, inventive, and ambitious.

1. Agricultural development. (4:20). Moving out of the city, Jabal developed a new way of living. He became a nomadic farmer
2. Recreational development. (4:21). People who live in a city want entertainment, something to fill their leisure time. It’s not like living off the land as his fore-bearers had done by the sweat of their brow. Possibly this demand for pleasure was also generated by the drift away from God. They didn’t want to remember God or allow their consciences to be active, so they needed to be entertained during their leisure time. What better way to do that than through music? Music drowns out everything around you. Music fills your mind, ears, and heart.
3. Industrial development. (4:22). Tubal-Cain initiated the first industrial revolution. He had discovered, designed and developed metal processing and manufacturing. He was known for his knowledge and creativity in the area of metal working. Not everyone could do this – this was a technological, scientific and manufacturing break through. This would have put him at the cutting edge of technology in that day.

This is truly an age of utter defiance – defiance of opponents and defiance of God. That’s what happens in advancing societies. People become rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing. Their lives are self-sustaining, self-propagating, self-enriching, and self-advancing. They have economic prosperity, social pleasures, and military protection. But none of this leads them closer to God. On the contrary, it leads them further away from God and further down the path of degeneracy.

5. The Descendants of Seth

Seth is the next born son of Adam and Eve. With Adam’s death, Seth became the patriarch of the first family.  We see that the descendants of Seth are calling on the Lord. This may mean that they prayed or worshipped the Lord. Unlike the descendants of Cain, they generally sought to regain a relationship with the Lord unlike the rebellion of Cain’s lineage.

Enoch

One of the most notable descendants before Noah is Enoch. This Enoch was a descendant of Seth – not Cain. We find that Enoch walked close to God and that God took him away. This is seen that God translated him and that he did not experience death. See Hebrews 11:5.

In Jude 14, Jude relates a statement made by Enoch concerning the fate of the ungodly apostates. This seems to be an oral tradition but is revealed by the Holy Spirit in Jude as prophetic and to be fulfilled when Christ returns. The Epistle of Jude is difficult to determine, but it is generally thought to have been written between 50 and 110 AD.

The book of Enoch is dated around 300 B.C so it could have been a source that was used to illustrate a point. Only a few Orthodox Christian churches would not accept the entire book of Enoch to be inspired.

Categories: Genesis

Tags: bible, cain, faith, Genesis, god