IN THE BEGINNING Genesis from the Creation to Abraham

GENESIS CHAPTER FOUR v.1-7 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. (cont,)

GENESIS CHAPTER FOUR v.1-7 (cont.) …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. 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."

GENESIS CHAPTER FOUR Eve said that she had gotten a man-child with the help of the Lord –Perhaps she expected this child, Cain, to completely fulfill the promise of God of redemption for her, Adam, Cain and the land Eve gave birth a second time to Abel –Abel tends animals –Cain is a crop farmer

GENESIS CHAPTER FOUR Both men brought offerings to the Lord: –Abel brought an animal –Cain brought a grain or other crop Abel’s offering was accepted, but Cain’s was rejected by the Lord –Very likely God had told them what kind of sacrifice is was to be

GENESIS CHAPTER FOUR Heb 11:4 By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts Abel had faith because of God’s words, what he had heard God tell him, and he obeyed Rom 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

GENESIS CHAPTER FOUR Abel’s gift was an animal offering, a type of later sacrifices that pointed to Christ Heb 9:22 And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.

GENESIS CHAPTER FOUR God did not reject Cain’s offering just because it was grain –Grains were also used in the sacrifices established later by the Lord Cain must have brought an offering different than what God had requested –Being a crop-farmer, it would have been easier to bring produce than to arrange an animal sacrifice (but not impossible) –He would have had to ask for help from his brother

GENESIS CHAPTER FOUR God had regard of Abel and his offering, but not for Cain and his offering Cain became angry The Lord asked Cain “why,” and gave Cain another chance to “do well” – perhaps bring another, correct offering

GENESIS CHAPTER FOUR God perceived Cain’s anger and hurt, so He warns Cain that if he continues in the anger and self-pity, there will be problems: Gen 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."

GENESIS CHAPTER FOUR “Sin lies at the door.” –Perhaps a metaphor –Perhaps sin personified – a demon or Satan The Lord warns Cain “its desire is for you, but you should rule over it."

GENESIS CHAPTER FOUR “Sin lies at the door” for all of us Spiritual warfare (Eph. 6): –Defensive truth righteousness peace faith assurance of salvation –Offensive the Word proclaimed prayer, ministry, service

GENESIS CHAPTER FOUR Eph. 6:13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feel with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit…

GENESIS CHAPTER FOUR Note: three of the parts of the armor the soldier has on all the time, in camp (having put on…) –The belt, the breastplate, shoes (truth, righteousness, peace) The other three the soldier must pick up and put on during battle (taking…) –Shield, helmet, sword (faith, assurance of salvation, the Word) The only really offensive weapon is the Word –For exposure of Satan, for declaring the Blood and the Cross: human, physical actions will fail

GENESIS CHAPTER FOUR The battle is for our minds (souls, spirits), with Satan trying to create in us –Fear –Obsession –Accusations –Deception / delusion –Torment –Temptation –Depression –Distraction

GENESIS CHAPTER FOUR How we are attacked (and put on the defensive and must defend against) –Blinded –Deafened –Afflicted –Deceived –Tempted –Resisted –Hindered

GENESIS CHAPTER FOUR How we war offensively –Prayer –Ministry –Exposure of demonic activity –The cross and the blood –Follow and then obey the Spirit’s lead Who do we war for: –Self, family, friends, bosses, leaders, church, nation

GENESIS CHAPTER FOUR v 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. 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. 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…” (cont.)

GENESIS CHAPTER FOUR v (cont.) …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." 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. Then Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden.

GENESIS CHAPTER FOUR Cain killed Abel God asks Cain, “Where is your brother?” –Cain’s response, “Am I my brothers’ keeper.” –The correct answer to this question, for Cain and us, is “Yes, not no.” Cain is given the opportunity to confess this sin—the murder of his brother –He evades God’s question and lies

GENESIS CHAPTER FOUR God knew about the murder because “the blood of his brother cried out from the ground.” God has relationship with all of His creation, including “the land,” not just us humans Jer. 2:7 I brought you into a bountiful country, to eat its fruit and its goodness. But when you entered, you defiled My land and made My heritage an abomination.

GENESIS CHAPTER FOUR II Chron 36:20-21 And those who escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon, where they became servants to him and his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia, to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths. As long as she lay desolate she kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.

GENESIS CHAPTER FOUR The blood of Abel cried out for justice The New Testament teaches that the blood of Christ also cries out to God: for justice and for mercy and the hope of a resurrection: Heb. 12:24..(you have come) to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. See that you do not refuse Him who speaks.

GENESIS CHAPTER FOUR Cain is a type of a carnal man of the earth--not a spiritual man Cain’s offering was from the sweat of his brow: his works; an attempt at “works righteousness” –His grain sacrifice did not acknowledge the presence of sin and the need for atonement

GENESIS CHAPTER FOUR Cain was the first religious man –He chose to come to God on his own terms Cain is the father of all religion in the world other than that which looks to Christ and his grace –Cain become the first persecutor and murderer of those who trust in blood atonement

GENESIS CHAPTER FOUR Abel’s offering was acceptable worship (based in symbol on Christ’s sacrifice and our faith in it) John 4:23-24 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

GENESIS CHAPTER FOUR In all the world’s religion, man reaches up to God, to try to find Him, to try to please Him In Christianity, God reaches down to us, and we respond to His offer, His plan and will for us True religion comes from the one true God and is according to His pattern, His grace

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GENESIS CHAPTER FOUR Moses was instructed to build the tabernacle exactly as the Lord directed Ex. 25:40 And see to it that you make them according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.

GENESIS CHAPTER FOUR The Lord speaks another curse: this one on Cain: –The ground would not yield produce for Cain –Cain would be hidden from God’s face –Cain would be a wanderer, a vagrant, a fugitive on the earth

GENESIS CHAPTER FOUR Cain argues that this is too great to bear God counters that Cain would be given a mark, that if killed, there would be justice –A small consolation Cain’s response—to flee and build the first city to protect himself –Now, just a short time after the Garden, man needs clothing and a city, whereas before he only needed God

GENESIS CHAPTER FOUR Verse on poor Cain: I John 3:10-12 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother's righteous.

GENESIS CHAPTER FOUR Cain killed Abel because Abel was righteous The murder of Abel was the first of centuries of persecution and murder of those who seek righteousness by faith, not works, and who love peace

GENESIS CHAPTER FOUR Cain experienced the pain of separation from God and other humans –From birth, because we are sinners, we all carry the feeling of being alienated from God, like Cain It is only through a relationship with Jesus that we can be freed from this sense of rejection and separateness from God

GENESIS CHAPTER FOUR St. Augustine wrote in his Confessions: “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” “I once was lost, but now am found. Was blind, but now I see.” John Newton

GENESIS CHAPTER FOUR Cain’s murder of Abel was no small matter Even though Adam and Eve introduced sin to the world through disobedience, the murder of another man--a man made in the image of God--ratcheted up the sin experience –There are more consequences to sins against others, than “victimless” sins

GENESIS CHAPTER FOUR v 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. 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… (cont.)

GENESIS CHAPTER FOUR v (cont.) …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."

GENESIS CHAPTER FOUR Cain settled in the land of Nod (means “wandering”), east of Eden, built a city, named it after his son, Enoch –Cain took a wife (probably one of Eve’s daughters) Cain’s descendants became the fathers of livestock raising, musical instrument making, workers of bronze and iron –The Masons venerate Jubal and Tubal- Cain as their models or ancestors

GENESIS CHAPTER FOUR Lamech, five generations after Cain is highlighted: –He had two wives (the first recorded polygamist) –He killed a man (the second recorded murder) –He brags about it The sins of Cain are passed down to his children and their children

GENESIS CHAPTER FOUR v And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, "For God has appointed another seed for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed." And as for Seth, to him also a son was born; and he named him Enosh. Then men began to call on the name of the Lord.

GENESIS CHAPTER FOUR The value of calling on the name of the Lord: Ps 145:18-19 The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them. Ps 50:15 “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.” Ro 10:13 For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”