Genesis 4

Last updated on: February 11, 2014 at 5:17 pm by Scott Slayton

Genesis 4 2014-02-11T17:17:21-05:00 Scott Slayton

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Adam and Eve’s sin came with dramatic repercussions. Genesis 4 introduced readers to their sons Cain and Abel. The sons, a shepherd and a keeper of the ground, come before the Lord to offer sacrifices. It is important to note that the writer of Genesis does not tell us why they came to sacrifice, nor does he mentioned its being commanded by the Lord. The Lord accepted Abel’s sacrifice of the first born of his flock and rejected Cain’s offering. Some have suggested that Abel’s sacrifice was accepted because it was a blood sacrifice or that he brought the first of his flock and Cain did not. Again, the text gives no explicit answer on this point and we are only left to conjecture, though the next section may give a clue.God’s rejection of his sacrifice angered Cain, and it showed. The writer reported that Cain’s “face fell.” God asked Cain why he was angry and warned him that sin was crouching at his door. This statement from the Lord helps us understand the motivation behind our sin. Sin does not appear in our lives out of nothing. Sin comes from the desires of our hearts, which is why Solomon tells us to guard our hearts with all diligence. Sin wants to rule over Cain, but he must stamp it out. This reminds us that our desires must be changed and the desire for sin must be put to death.

Cain did not ruler over the sinful desires in his heart. He took his brother out to a field and murdered him. The Lord, in a moment reminiscent of Cain’s parents’ sin, asked him where his brother was. Cain answered with a rhetorical question that did not mask what he had done. God told Cain what he has done and sentenced him to be a wanderer on the earth. Cain’s protest opened the door for God to demonstrate His grace. He placed a mark on Cain’s forehead so that any who saw him would know not to attack him. Like other details in this passage we do not know what the mark was or what it looked like, but it did alert any who saw Cain that they were not to shed his blood.

Cain settled in the land of Nod and became a city builder. He knew his wife and had a children who had children. In spite of his sin, he fulfilled the creation mandate to be fruitful and fill the earth. One of his offspring Lamech followed in his murderous footsteps. He took two wives, killed a man, and said that he would be avenged even greater than Cain would be if someone struck him.

Genesis 4 illuminates the dark reality of life in a fallen world, but there is a glimpse of hope at the end. Eve gave birth to another son and names him Seth. She understood this to be God giving her a son in place of the one that she lost. God promised one who would crush the head of the serpent. As this son was born, Adam and Eve must have wondered “is this him?”

Related Posts:

“Genesis 2“

“Genesis 3“

Bible

Pressgram

Previous Post

February 5, 2014

Genesis 3

Next Post

February 18, 2014 Genesis 5

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Bible Books Church Life Marriage Parenting Photos The Ministry Uncategorized

Select a Month August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 February 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 March 2020 July 2019 April 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz