The first birth and the first murder 27/01/2024

Read Genesis Chapter 4.

What went wrong? The first two chapters of the book of Genesis are so filled with optimism and hope but chapter 4 is a very sad chapter. We have the first recorded births - Eve delivers two boys - one called Cain and the other called Abel. But before the chapter ends we have the first ever murder - and it is an act of fratricide - Cain kills his own brother Abel.

What had happened to God's creation which God repeatedly described as good (Genesis 1:10c; 1:12c; 1:18c; 1:21c; 1:25d; 1:31)? What brought an end to the harmony and bliss which had existed in the Garden of Eden? In the previous chapter, we have the first sin when Adam and Eve disobeyed God and they were expelled from the Garden of Eden. So that one sin has developed into murder. Within a space of perhaps around twenty years, this sin of disobedience has degenerated into a deliberate act of spite and revenge and we have a corpse lying in a field. The history of the human race is littered with similar hateful acts even within families.

What made Cain so angry that he was prepared to kill his own young brother? In the text of Genesis chapter 4, there are two brothers both bringing offerings to the Lord. That seems good and commendable and yet it leads to murder. A friend of mine who is an atheist often says that religion leads to violence. This chapter would seem to add weight to his argument. But when you look more closely at the details in the chapter, it is plain that it was not 'religion' (whatever that means) but sin which was to blame. God warned Cain about his anger and the dire consequences of allowing sin to have mastery over him (Genesis 4:6-7). But Cain choose to ignore God. And so the jealousy and anger which had started when he saw that God rejected his offering but had approved his brother's offering, soon burst into a fit of bitter revenge when he took a stone and struck this wee brother. Was this premeditated or a spontaneous act of anger? Some texts suggest that Cain had invited Abel to go out to the field, [See Genesis 4: 8 ESV note 4] and this would suggest an element of premeditation and planning.

This leads us to the key question, why did God approve Abel's offering but not his older brother's? There are times when we find that the Bible provides an interpretation of a controversial passage and it would make sense to start with the commentary on this story which we find in the New Testament.

Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks [Hebrews 11:4 ESV]

This New Testament commentary provides a clear explanation as to why Abel's sacrifice was accepted. It is important that we make this the basis for our interpretation. It was because Abel exercised faith in God that he was accepted. His faith resulted in him being declared righteous. His offering was accepted on the basis of faith. This was the essential element in Abel's offering which was totally lacking in Cain's offering.

It was because he had faith in God that he chose the firstborn of his flock and chose the best of the animal to sacrifice to God. His faith gave him insight into God's mind and will. He understood the need for an animal to die. Because of his faith in God, he gave Him the best of his flock. Of course, God was able to accept his offering on the basis of a future sacrifice when His Son would give Himself on the cross.

“but with Cain and his offering he was not pleased. So Cain became very angry, and his expression was downcast.”

[Genesis 4:5 NET]

Notice that God was not pleased with Cain first of all and secondly he was not pleased with his offering. It was not the type of the offering that was wrong. It was the heart of the offerer. See Proverbs 21:27.

The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination; how much more when he brings it with evil intent. [Proverbs 21:27 ESV]

See also 1 John 3:12 which explains Cain's motive for murdering his brother - his deeds were evil in contrast to his brother who had brought his offering in faith. The New Testament commentary on Cain is that he was of the evil one.

Notice Cain's attitude to God. He shows no reverence for God. In verse 9 of chapter 4, he becomes angry with God. His reply to God's question is contemptuous - "Am I my brother's keeper?" He shows no remorse for murdering his own brother but he complains to God about his punishment.

The two brothers had totally different attitudes to God. Abel had faith in God. He had the right attitude towards God. He trusted in God completely and did not challenge God. His brother Cain was resentful towards God and he never found favour with God.

At the designated time Cain brought some of the fruit of the ground for an offering to the LORD.

Genesis 4:3 NET

Cain's offering was similar to the meal offering which was one of the five prescribed offerings in the book of Leviticus. He was giving back to God some of the harvest which God had given. We are not told that it was the firstfruits of the harvest nor are we told why Cain made this offering.

So this first Harvest Thanksgiving went badly wrong. We are short in the details. We do know that two brothers both brought their farm produce to God. Had they been instructed to do this? We are not told. Had they been told what to offer? Again, there is no mention.

Many Gospel preachers have denounced Cain for being "a worker of the ground" (Genesis 4:2). They have justified their criticism by arguing that Cain was making his livelihood from the ground that God had cursed (Genesis 3:17-18). However, God's curse did not prohibit arable farming but assumed that man would continue to eat the fruit of the earth. God's punishment was to make this way of life more arduous because of the prevalence of thorns and thistles. It is also interesting that the same Gospel preachers also commended Abel for bringing an animal even though that animal would have depended on the grass and other vegetation from the same cursed ground.

However, God is holy and mankind was now sinful as can be seen in Cain's behaviour. How can a sinful human being approach God and win His favour. Thousands of years later, there would be an historic event of great spiritual significance when Jesus, the Lamb of God would die on the cross and shed His blood for our sins. Abel's offering was acceptable to God because of the death of the Lamb of God. And Cain failed to grasp this truth.

However, if Cain had come with a lamb but not with faith in God this would not have been acceptable to God. Some of the readers of this blog might disagree with this statement. If we are simply thinking that we can pay lip-service to the work of Christ on the cross, then this is blasphemous. Sadly, there are those who claim to be Christians because they can remember a time when 'they trusted in Jesus' but they did not come in repentance acknowledging their sin and appreciating their need of God's salvation. They were simply using the cross as a good luck charm a talisman or an amulet.

In Jeremiah 7, God's chosen people were regarding the temple as little more than a talisman - it would bring them good luck or maybe more of an amulet - it would keep bad luck away from them. The prophet Jeremiah says that they were chanting 'the temple of the Lord'; 'the temple of the Lord'; 'the temple of the Lord.' Sadly, they did not appreciate the holiness of God and the real significance of God's presence with them in the temple.

There is a danger that we regard our church like that. Deep down in our sub-conscious we go to the family service simply to make sure we have a good week. The people of Israel were really thinking that their temple would keep them safe. God had given them the temple and He would never destroy it. They felt superior to other nations round about them. They didn't have a temple. God is on our side. The next step in their mind is to think that God would not mind how they behaved. Forget all about that sour-faced prophet. He's a right kill-joy. God is on our side. So we are on to a good thing. What they did not realise was that God was angry with them. This was seriously offensive to him for them to treat His temple as a talisman - something that would give them more power or an amulet - an object to keep away bad things. God wants to be near to us. He wants us to enjoy His presence. He wants communion with us. But we need to come in God's appointed way and our hearts must be repentant - genuinely sorry for our sin and trusting in Him completely for salvation.

Cain failed to grasp God's message and could not understand why it was that God accepted the lamb which his brother brought but would not accept his offering. If you are seeking to water down the Gospel message to make it more palatable, you are following Cain. If you are approaching a holy God recognising that you are a sinner who deserves nothing from Him but judgement and depending by faith entirely on the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, then you are following Abel.

As a footnote, someone might well point out that this is not much of an incentive to be like Abel as he came to such a tragic end. Many a follower of Jesus has ended his life as a martyr, but they have a future beyond death which is only for those who are followers of the Lamb. This is one of the many interesting threads which runs through the last book in the Bible. But more of that in a future blog.