Let me first apologize. This post was originally to be titled “The First Murder,” but there’s more to Genesis 4 than that, and I had not done my homework at that time.
Begin by reading Genesis chapter 4 (ESV, KJV). In the Introduction to Genesis, I tried to make this point clear: the Bible will not answer all of our questions. This chapter raises some good ones. A quick glance will immediately reveal issues, and I will be upfront about 2 things: 1) We do not know where Cain found a wife. Was she his sister? Did God create wives for Adam and Eve’s children? The first is more likely, but to the author of Genesis these details were unimportant. 2) Why do the two brothers make sacrifices in the first place? There was no law, no commandments, no ordinances at this time. Had God required sacrifice from Adam after his sin, and the sin of his wife Eve? Sacrifice is hinted at when God made coats of animal skin, but we have no official proclamation from God.
Let’s now focus on what we do know. Cain was, by our standards today, a farmer. Abel was a herdsman. They each presented a sacrifice to God. Did God prefer an animal sacrifice to that of fruits and vegetables? We must be careful not to apply extrabiblical standards here. 1 John 3:12 says that Cain’s deeds were done by his wicked heart, whereas Abel acted righteously. Hebrews 11:4 supports this, adding that by faith Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice than his brother, and that his faith was commended by God as righteousness. Cain was given the opportunity to correct his behavior. He was not punished by God for his offering, but given constructive criticism. His choice was to reject God’s instruction, and to do even more wrong by murdering his brother. God even warns himthat sin desires to overtake him, and to beware. Cain’s did not sin in offering fruits from his labor. His sin was two-fold: first, by refusing to do better as God suggested, and secondly by ignoring God’s warning and choosing to obey sin’s desire. Cain continues to show his unwillingness to submit to God in the way he dodges the questions when asked about Abel.
After Cain takes a wife, again most likely his sister since Adam and Eve are the ancestors of all human life on earth, the Bible gives us a partial listing of his descendants. By the end of chapter 4, Eve has another son that according to her reckoning is to replace the son she lost. The closing verse tells us that “at that time people began to call on the name of the LORD.” There are no details given, but this seems to be the first form of public worship. This statement is related by proximity to the birth of Enosh, son Seth. Some have inferred that corporate worship begins with Adam’s own family.
Up next: The Flood
