Jun 12, 2016
Genesis 4:6-24
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Recap last Sunday… Genesis 4:1-5, “Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the Lord.” Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.”
Genesis 4:6-7, “So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 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.”
This really is an incredible development in our travels through Genesis for this is not only the first time we see God outside of the Garden, but what do we see Him doing? In His grace God is seeking out yet another sinner - Cain! He asks him, “Why are you angry?” Note: As in the Garden God does not ask this question to ascertain information, rather He asks the question in an attempt to draw something out of Cain - mainly repentance.
God then provides Cain a very simple exhortation, “If you do well (or better translated “If you offer correctly”), will you not be accepted?” God is making an appeal for Cain to repent of his religious pride and humbly approach Him the right way… Faith in an atoning sacrifice!
And yet, we should also point out, with God’s appeal also came a warning. Because of Cain’s festering anger, God tells him, “If you do not offer well, sin lies at the door!” In the Hebrew this word “lies” describes an animal ready to pounce. God is warning Cain that this sin of pride would eventually destroy him if it was allowed to continue unabated! It’s been said, “Sin fascinates before it assassinates!” Deal with sin or it will deal with you.
Genesis 4:8, “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.”
Please notice we don’t know how much time existed between God’s appeal to Cain in verses 6-7 and the conversation he eventually has with his brother Abel in verse 8. Beyond this, we also aren’t even told how much time lapsed between this particular conversation and his murderous deed… All we know is “it came to pass, when they were in the field.”
What I do find interesting is what eventually pushed Cain over the edge, what moved his anger with God from simply residing in his heart into the murderous actions of his hands? Aside from the fact there is no record of Cain ever responding to God’s appeal, it ends up being this conversation with Abel that seems to have set him off!
I wonder what they talked about? My guess, in context, is that Abel probably reiterated the same warning God had given to Cain. How compelling a thought that Abel (a righteous man of faith), out of love for Cain, is literally sharing his faith or witnessing to his brother? Sadly, when a man rejects the Truth he’s also likely to silence the messenger.
How ironic that the first murder was a religious murder! In his anger over God’s rejection of his best works, his refusal to repent in spite of God’s appeal, and in light of the grace and favor Abel’s enjoyed, we’re told “Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.”
Understand… It’s not as though Cain just lost it and fleshed out… As if his temper simply got the best of him. In 1 John 3:12 we’re told Cain “slew his brother” or literally he slit Abel’s throat. The act he committed was brutal, barbaric, bloody, and deeply personal.
Consider that upon the birth of Seth, who’s lineage the promised Savior would descend, Eve makes this interesting comment, “For God has appointed another seed for me instead of Abel.” It appears in some way Eve had come to see Abel as either being God’s promised Savior or at least the one in which the Savior would come.
With this in mind, I personally believe Cain’s murder of Abel was Satanically motivated which explains why in 1 John 3 Cain’s described as being “of the wicked one.” Could it be that Cain, who’s offering had been rejected by God, killed Abel in the attempt of making sure everyone else would be forced to share the same fate as he… That Cain defiantly acted against God by seeking to deliberately cut off the Messianic line of Abel?
Genesis 4:9-10, “Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” And He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.”
Once again… It’s amazing that God came again to Cain with a question! The implications are that God was still graciously giving him an opportunity to repent. God pursing the murder! And yet, Cain’s response is that he first lies to God (he knew where his brother was) only to then proceed to smart off… “Am I my brother’s keeper?” The irony of this statement is that YES we are called to care for the well-being of our fellow man and be others-centric!
Genesis 4:11-12, “So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 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.”
Because of Cain’s sin and the fact he refused to repent 3 consequences would result:
First, Cain’s life would be ruined… While he had been a “tiller of the earth,” now the earth would no longer yield for Cain, which was the most natural consequence of his sin. Please know sinful behaviors will not make your life better. In actuality sin will only make things more difficult by robbing you of the very life God created for you.
To this point Jesus said in John 10:10, “The thief comes to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” The truth is that I’ve never met a soul that, when evaluating the choices they made, ended up regretted the decision to obey God!
Secondly, Cain would forever be a “fugitive…” Because of his actions and his refusal to repent Cain would always be on the run. You can image not only would he live in fear of retribution, but, as is the case with most sin, he would be running from his own conscious.
Just because you’re unwilling to deal with your sin doesn’t alleviate you of the inner guilt caused by your sin. You can ignore it. Rationalize it. Justify it. Normalize it. Even embrace your sin. But you will always be running from the knowledge you’re acting against the will of God… That the life you’ve chosen stands in opposition to the one He intended. To this point C.S. Lewis writes, “We have a strange illusion that mere time cancels sin. But mere time does nothing either to the fact or to the guilt of a sin.”
Thirdly, Cain would live as a “vagabond…” As a consequence of his actions Cain would be forced to flee his home and, despite his best attempts at creating a new one, would always long for the home he’d left. The word “vagabond” means “one who wonders.”
In Ecclesiastes 3:11 King Solomon explains that since “God has put eternity in our hearts,” apart from Him, humanity is only left to wonder throughout this fallen world seeking to be satisfied by things that never can and never will.
Because Cain refused to repent his life was ruined, he would always be running from his conscious, and as such he would never find rest. Although the same results manifest in our lives when we stubbornly refuse to repent of our sins, understand it doesn’t have to be so!
It’s interesting that in Hebrews 4 we’re given this promise that through Jesus’ work on the cross we are now able to “enter His rest.” While sin causes wondering and can prove exhausting, in Jesus you can find rest for your souls knowing your sin has been forgiven!
Genesis 4:13-14, “And Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear! 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.”
How telling it is that, while Cain knows full well that the ultimate consequences of his sin eternally separated him from God (“You have driven me out… I shall be hidden from Your face”), his most pressing concerning is someone robbing him of this new existence!
You see Cain doesn’t care about his relationship with God, he cares not about repentance, nor is there any concern for the people his actions have harmed! The only thing Cain seems concerned about is how his punishment will negatively effect his life moving forward. Look again at verses 13 and 14… “I, me, I, I, me, me…” This man is utterly self-consumed.
Genesis 4:15, “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.”
In order to protect Cain’s life from some type of retribution on behalf of Abel, God is clear anyone who “kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken sevenfold.” It’s almost as though God is telling Cain, “I’m going to insure you can live the rebellious and godless life you desire.”
While I have not the slightest clue what is meant by “the Lord set a mark on Cain,” and there is no doubt the Hebrew word indeed denotes some type of physical sign, I can say with complete certainty there is simply no textual justification for the postulation some have made in times past that God cursed Cain by making him into a black man.
Regardless, what’s fascinating about this passage is not only does God show Cain mercy, but God then establishes a law designed to deal with man’s sinful condition. Why is this unique? Although the command given by God to man in the Garden “not to eat of the fruit” was designed to preserve his relationship with the Creator, in this instance, God establishes a law with the intention of preserving and maintaining order amongst fallen man.
Keep in mind… There are only two forms of law: The letter of the law to deal with sinful man and the law of the Spirit reserved for the righteous man. Because the first intended to curtail man’s behaviors warped by sin, those who’ve now been made righteous by Jesus and brought under the power of the Holy Spirit no longer have a need for such law.
Note: We no longer need the restrictions of the law not because these restrictions aren’t warranted, but because our hearts have been transformed by God’s Spirit. Romans 7:6, “We have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.”
Before we transition it should be pointed out the significance of this phrase “the voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.” While the blood of an innocent sacrifice offered in faith could have served to atone for Cain’s sin, because of his rebellion and refusal to repent, the blood of this innocent sacrifice would now serve to condemn him for his sin! Note: The blood of the sacrifice either atones or it condemns.
C.H. Mackintosh observes, “Abel’s blood cries out for justice, but Christ’s blood speaks of justice satisfied on the cross. Able’s blood declared Cain’s guilt and made him a wanderer, but Christ’s blood speaks of grace and forgiveness and reconciles believing sinners to God.”
Genesis 4:16-17, “Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden. 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.”
Before we continue let me quickly address a common question that always surfaces from this passage… Where did Cain get his wife? Answer: She was either his sister or a niece. Though incestuous relationships are taboo and even outlawed in our modern society because of the social stigma and genetic birth defects that typically result, such negative perceptions and consequences have not always existed in times past.
It’s only logical that in the beginning it was common and necessary that brothers would marry sisters, and because of the original complexity and purity of the genetic code negative mutations simply wouldn’t have occurred. It should be pointed out that this particular practice remained until God specifically outlawed it in Leviticus 18:6.
What’s important to consider is the fact that since Cain almost immediately “builds a city” after the birth of his first son Enoch, it follows that the human population of the earth grew rapidly and was quickly civilized. Consider a few important facts…
Aside from not being given any timelines in the last two chapters, we have no idea how much time may have transpired between Cain leaving “the presence of the Lord” and when he “knew his wife.” Additionally, while Cain was the first-born, Abel the second, with Seth coming after Abel’s death, it is highly likely, Adam and Eve had many more children not specifically named in the Bible - many who were likely born between Abel’s birth and the arrival of Seth.
To this point Jewish historian Josephus reported that Adam and Eve actually had 56 children in totality (33 sons and 23 daughters). Using even conservation population growth formulas many Biblical scholars believe it was entirely likely there could have been in upwards 120,000 people alive at the point Cain marries. Side point: Using the genealogical records provided in the next chapter, the population of the earth when the Flood occurred (1656 years later) could have been the same as today.
Regardless, don’t miss the key line in our text… “Cain went out from the presence of the Lord.” Here we find a man who, like his parents, rebelled against God; and yet, in contrast to his parents, refused to repent, rejected God’s grace, doubled down in his rebellion, and now intentionally heads out into the world uninterested in the things of the Lord.
Though we’re told Cain eventually “dwelt in the land of Nod” (“Nod” meaning “unrest or wandering,” what does he immediately set about doing? He seeks to create a world apart from God by making for himself a life, a family, and a home. J. Vernon McGee said this of Cain, “He was radically corrupt, fundamentally wrong; and all he wanted was to get out of the presence of God, and lose himself in the world and its pursuits.”
Genesis 4:18-24, “To Enoch was born Irad; and Irad begot Mehujael, and Mehujael begot Methushael, and Methushael begot Lamech. Then Lamech took for himself two wives: the name of one was Adah, and the name of the second was Zillah. And Adah bore Jabal. He was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. His brother’s name was Jubal. He was the father of all those who play the harp and flute. 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. 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. If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy-sevenfold.”
Though every descendent of Cain would die in the Flood, Moses provides these seven generations of his lineage in order to specifically bring us to this man Lamech. And he does this for a reason… While Cain built a city apart from the influence of God, it would be this man Lamech and his three sons who’d carry this pursuit out to it’s logical end.
Within the verses we just read three characteristics emerge:
First, this godless society was progressive. Instead of a divine intervention yielding a spiritual regeneration in the hearts of man, this society had adopted the philosophy of progressivism which asserts that “advancements in science, technology, economic development, and social organization are essential to improving the human condition.”
Philosopher Immanuel Kant identified progressivism as being a movement away from barbarism towards civilization. Within this city, founded by a man who specifically wanted a world without God and one that in turn didn’t need His involvement, we see Lamech’s three sons engaging in several pursuits aimed at bettering society: “Jabal” developed industry, “Jubal” instituted the arts (specifically music), and “Tubal-Cain” created metal-working.
Understand, while being “progressive” is not in and of itself a bad thing, sadly we live in a culture that celebrates progressive ideas over traditions without ever considering to what direction we’re actually progressing towards. Simply being progressive is not the end game, especially when the progress is aimed at carrying us further away from God! It’s been said a wise man always considers why a fence was built in the first place before he extends the energy to tear it down. Traditional ideas often exist for important reasons.
In the case of this first society that had abandoned God’s involvement, the development of these incredible advancements were specifically designed to facilitate their independence from God’s provision - life apart from God! Keep in mind… It’s not that any of these things were in and of themselves wrong. What was wrong was that their ingenuity intended to create a dynamic whereby their society no longer had a need for God!
I think it’s important Christians always remember our chief aim should not be focused on creating a better society for man on this fallen earth; instead, our primary pursuit should be seeing sinful men saved for the kingdom of heaven. The goal should never be improving the conditions for those wondering, but to see the wonderer ultimately come home!
Secondly, this godless society redefined the institution of marriage. Notice it was Lamech who, in his perversion and rebellion, “took for himself two wives.” God had been clear, even before the Fall, that His blueprint for marriage specifically necessitates only one man and one women. And yet, here Lamech takes it upon himself to redefine the institution by normalizing polygamy (one man and two women became culturally accepted).
Understand… It’s only logical that a godless society would ultimately reject God’s definition of this most important of all human relationships? You see if there is no God weighing in on such matters, then the decision of whom to love and marry will be left up to the perspective of each individual free of the judgement of anyone else.
Thirdly, this godless society assumed the right to establish their own law. Apparently, in this declaration to his wives, Lamech admits to killing a man in an act of self-defense. What is interesting is that, in response to what he determines to be a justifiable act, Lamech then proceeds to make a moral equivalency to God’s handling of Cain being “avenged sevenfold” by declaring any act of revenge against him be “avenged seventy-sevenfold.”
What makes this detail significant is that, while God initially instituted a law to address the interactions of sinful man in His handling of Cain, within this godless society, man has now assumed the position of forming his own law. When the idea of a Moral Absolute Giver has been abandoned there is no longer any basis for moral absolutes. Laws are now free to reflect the whims of society, not protect against the whims of society as God intended.
How interesting we see today the same three characteristic of a godless society manifesting in our country - a country that was at one point considered to be “one nation under God,” but in more recent times has increasingly rejected His influence.
In America, Humanistic Progressivism has replaced Divine Revelation as the remedy for the human condition. In his desire to be inclusive, man’s perversions are now called love as the parameters for marriage have been expanded beyond those initially determined by a God who’s clearly intolerant. Ultimately, within our society, the basic underpinning of law is now based on the determinate consensus of immoral man verses the moral absolutes of God.
It’s been said concerning such a society, “When God’s remedy to cleanse is rejected, man’s efforts to improve is put in its place.” Sure in many ways we do live in the greatest country the world has ever seen, but it’s undeniable there are spiritual forces seeking to move our country further and further away from the involvement and influence of Almighty God!
And yet, while many consider these societal advancements as progress, it’s simply a reality the further you move away from the influence of God the more wicked and vial a society becomes. Not to get to far ahead of ourselves, but in Genesis 6:5-6 we’re given God’s evaluation of such a society. “The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.”
It’s important we consider what soon followed such an evaluation? God’s Judgement! This is why in Jude 1:11 we’re warned, “Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain…”
Keep in mind how all of this began… One man chose to make a life for himself apart from God because he was unwilling to admit he needed a Savior, rejected God’s grace, and refused to repent of his sin! And yet, here is the interesting reality of the story of Cain and the one you should consider… God not only allowed Cain to create such an existence in this life, but He allowed it to continue on into the afterlife.
Understand… God will never force Himself upon a human soul. He’ll never save without a request to do so. He’ll never make a person repent of sin and live in His presence. While “Cain went out from the presence of the Lord” it’s amazing the Lord allowed him.
This morning if you want to make for yourself a life free of the influence and involvement of God you have this freedom. Just remember these three realities:
(1) A life apart from God is characterized by wondering and emptiness.
(2) The further you progress away from God the darker this world becomes.
(3) God’s future judgement is inescapable.
And yet… While the world was progressing away from God, not all men had been swept up in this tide. As we’ll see next Sunday, God still had a remnant of the faithful within this dark world He’d called to be His witnesses of a coming Savior.
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