GENESIS 4
Read Genesis 4:1-26
After sin has come into the world in Chapter 3, we now see the escalation of sin with the first murder. Adam and Eve had children, Cain and Abel. Cain worked the soil and Abel kept flocks. The problem came when they both offered sacrifices of thanksgiving to God. Abel brought sacrifices from his animals and Cain brought sacrifices from his crops. Both are acceptable sacrifices according to Old Testament scripture, but God accepted Abel’s sacrifice but not Cain’s. Why was this? The issue seems to be the attitude with which these offerings were given. In Hebrews 11:4 we read that, “By faith, Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings”. The implication was that Cain did not offer his sacrifice by faith and was not righteous and that is why God did not accept his sacrifice.
The result is that Cain killed his brother Abel and tried to avoid the consequences by saying, ‘Am I my brother’s keeper’ when God asked him where Abel was; in effect saying, ‘Am I the shepherd’s shepherd?’ The answer to that is ‘yes’, and throughout the Bible, Old Testament and New, we see the image of the shepherd and the responsibility to care for one another. We see that particularly in Psalm 23 and the description of Jesus as the Good Shepherd.
Once again, we see that sin brings judgement. Whereas Adam was condemned to harder labour after his sin, Cain is told that his labour will be fruitless and he will be condemned to be a restless wanderer and he was driven from the land just as Adam was driven from the garden. Cain also appealed to God that he would be a marked man and his life would be in danger. As with Adam and Eve, we see that God’s judgement is tempered by mercy and put a mark on Cain so that no-one would kill him (v15). The real judgement for his sin is in Verse 16, ‘So Cain went out from the Lord’s presence’. Sin throws up a barrier between God and the sinner and that close presence of God is lost because of sin, and the relationship between God and sinner is damaged.
The chapter continues with the next few generations and with a further escalation of sin. We read that Lamech boasted about killing people for injuring him. When Cain feared for his life in retribution for killing Abel, God said ‘If anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven times over’. Lamech proudly cried out, ‘If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times’. In effect, ‘You might think Cain was bad, but I am ten times worse than him’. We remember the significance of the number seven meaning perfection, wholeness, completeness; that sort of thing. So, if Cain is avenged seven times – fully – then how much worse is the situation with Lamech. This phrase of Lamech recalls Jesus speaking to Peter in a much more positive context in Matthew 18:21-22. Peter asked Jesus, ‘How many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times’.