*Below is Pastor Andrew’s teaching outline from Sunday’s sermon, not a word for word manuscript. This is meant as aid in seeing the thought and direction of the sermon.
I. The First Family (1-16)
A. The Hope of Eve
Genesis 4:1–2 ESV
Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.” And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground.
Hebrew can be translated she bore Cain (The Lord) signifying that Eve believed the promise of God and believed it was being fulfilled.
God promised a seed who would destroy the serpent……Had it come, was it here. So soon:
God provided a Son one who took after his father and tended to the fields. The Lord provided a second son who then renewed to the flocks.
• Both professions are common in Israel, though just as is seen here, the Younger tends to be given to watching the sheep.
• Both boys work
• The name Cain meaning acquired and Abel meaning ”breath”
B. God is worshiped
Genesis 4:3–5 (ESV)
In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell
even after the Garden the worship of God continued. The first family did not turn their backs on God but continued to worship Him. Here the boys come before the Lord bringing an offering:
The Hebrew term used here of Offering is seen though out the OT as a general offering not a sin offering. The Israelites were very familiar with the many different offerings that can be given.
In the text we see here that God has regard for Abel and Not Cain’s gift.
A lot has been made about this and much speculation
-some will say Cain didn’t bring a blood offering ( though this is not a requirement and produce offerings are common, especially for those no produce fruit)
-The most likely corresponds to the fact that Cain is said to have simply brought some fruit and not the first fruit which is the common expectation.
Hebrews will highlight that Faith is the issue:
Hebrews 11:4 ESV
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.
In either case God is the judge of right worship and in this he has found Cain wanting, and in this rejection Cain takes great offense:
-No one likes being rejected or told you messed up. Cain’s immediate reaction of Anger and sadness is one we can all easily identify with.
whats Interesting is while while Cain’s offering is not accepted God doesn’t condemn him for it, he hasn’t blasphemed God but he has not been accepted either.
He is in a strange place and in this moment he is not approached by the serpent but rather God .
C. Cain is devoured by Sin
Genesis 4:6–9 ESV
The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”
Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel 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?”
Here into the rejection God gives Cain an encouragement and a warning .
1. God begins with another rhetorical question seeking to get thorough to Cain. He is not too far from God that he cannot return. He is encouraged to turn from the course he is headed and reminded by God himself of the way he should Go.
a. Example: coaching- God wants Cain to see the mistake he is making, he wants him to see the error in his offering. He is offering him a better way
b. Its easy to look and Cain and see the folly isn’t it. Believe we could never do the things he did. I mean if God spoke to me and gave me such a direct encouragement in my failure, I would shape right up and make the right choice, yet we have God word to us and it is often ignored or pushed aside when we are in similar situations.
2. He is warned that he is on the edge of sin and should take head. His current state is not one of clear judgement and sound thought, he is allowing is emotions to get to him. God warns him that this way will lead to sin and his destruction.
Cain doesn’t head the encouragement or warning of God but rather sets out on His own to deal with his problem, and since he can’t remove God from the equation He removes the one God favors.
Cains act of murdering his brother reverberates throughout history and yet int the scope of the text it is short and too the point.
Cain speaks to his brother lures to the open field (where assumedly he would not be seen ) and kills him.
God again comes to cain much as he did with his parents, but now there is no hiding, Cain seems to believe he has gotten away with it as if God himself is unknowing of what has happened.
He asks a simple rhetorical questions again, but now cain answers in a rather smug reply:
-Am I my brothers keeper.
-Do I look responsible for him
But God is not mocked
D. God Curses Cain
Genesis 4:10–14 ESV
And the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground. And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.” Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”
God now turns and openly strikes and what Cain has done. God is not mocked, he knows what has transpired and he turns on Cain now in judgment.
The blood of the righteous one cries out to God. (this theme is used throughout the OT of the oppressed and persecuted seeking God for deliverance and in many cases vengeance)
His curse is directed at him
-He has polluted the ground and is cursed from it, it will not give him food. His labor will be in vain, He is left to wander because of His sin.
A punishment the Israelites would have been familiar with
-Cain is grieved at the severity of the judgment. He has lost everything.
His livelihood and his God.
Key here is that there still seems to be no repentance for the actions he has taken, he is only broken over the judgment against him. He fears the consequences of his sin, not the sin itself.
This is the depth and reality of true repentance, it doesn’t break over the consequences it breaks over the action itself. It accepts the consequences know the root they come from is sinful.
-A repentant heart understands sin has consequences and accepts them (Not enjoys them)
-A sinful heart is broken over the consequences of their sins. And is only broken when faced with consequences.
-Not to say consequences can’t lead to repentance,
Cain fears now his own death, and God grants him mercy.
E. God has mercy on Cain
Genesis 4:15–16 ESV
Then the Lord said to him, “Not so! If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the Lord put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him. Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
-God doesn’t kill Cain.
-Not only does he not kill him, he sets a seal of protection on him.
-God promises him his life, but it will be lived apart from Him
-God will live away from God in a state of wandering east of Eden, for some may say this is itself worse than death.
Ill: How do we feel about the mercy of God here?
Yet from the mercy of God will come the world. God’s mercy to Cain will allow him to fullfil the commission to his parents to be fruitful and multiple. Cain will begin the first civilization record in scripture one unfortunately built apart from God.
II. The First Civilization (17-24)
Genesis 4:17–24 ESV
Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. When he built a city, he called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch. To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad fathered Mehujael, and Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushael fathered Lamech. And Lamech took two wives. The name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. 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 lyre and pipe. Zillah also bore Tubal-cain; he was the forger of all instruments of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.
Lamech said to his wives:
“Adah and Zillah, hear my voice;
you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say:
I have killed a man for wounding me,
a young man for striking me.
If Cain’s revenge is sevenfold,
then Lamech’s is seventy-sevenfold.”
A. Cain gets married and settles down in his wandering away from the face of God
(NO ages are given for the line of Cain, this is a stark contrast to what we will see next week)
The text lays out before us now what will become a new civilization who will build cities, get married have children. They advance in the arts and technology.
The text before us show the great mercy and common grace upon the world.
2 names that are important: Enoch & Lemech
Enoch the first son of Cain and the one who will dwell and build a city with his father (compared to the one who will walk with God)
Lamech will be the father of Noah in Chapter 5, but here Cains Lamech will be a man of prideful arrogance and wrathful vengeance.
Lamech:
the line of Cain culminates with an heir who no longer sees the sins of his father as an evil but as a badge if honor. He will be greater than Cain.
The poem of Lamech is said to be a beautifully structured Hebrew poem, written with a master of language, yet filled with vile hatred. It is not a boast in the Lord but rather a boast in self. While this new civilization has advanced in many ways that seem beneficial underlining it all is a heart that worship only self. There is no fear of God before their eyes. that even the music is turned to self.
Lamech does not sing to God but to his wives, he doesn’t sing of God’s grace or mercy but of his own sinful heart.
-Even in his song he losses sight that the vengeance against killing cain was to come from God. Here we see that Lamech sees himself as God. He is the sol ruler of his own destiny.
-often pointed out here that Lamech call for vengeance is 77 fold, while in the gospels Christ will cal for forgiveness 77 fold.
Matthew 18:22 ESV
Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.
What we see here is that Rather than being the chosen seed Cain and his descendants are the offspring of the serpent, those who would follow their own ambitions to great a world without God.
yet as the text concludes we see this first human civilization will not be the only, the Lord’s plans are not thwarted, but rather as we will see often in Scripture it is through a younger brother the faith will be preserved.
III. A New Hope (25-26)
Genesis 4:25–26 ESV
And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, “God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.” To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to call upon the name of the Lord.
And so the poetical sinful proclamations of the line of Cain we are reintroduced back into Eden and to Adam and Eve.
-And to them is given a third son: Seth.
-God is still faithful to his promises and in that Seth i born and Seth continues of the line of Adam. and to Seth is born Enosh and in that Day they called on YHWY.
-Here we are presented again with the faithfulness of God.
-The text isn’t rich in many details, but that is not the point. The texts is revealing to us a new civilization that is being build again before God. One that knows and worships HIM. And through this line we will see the messiah come.
The righteous seed that will bring deliverance to Gods people and free them from sin and death.
Hope is not lost, but rather it is renewed. Eve’s faith remains. Though not seeing Seth as the promised savior but in this moment seeing God as being faithful to bring about a future.
And so for us our text began with the worship of two individuals (One righteous and the other not) and concludes with the worship of a people calling on the name of the Lord. God is at work in the calling a people to himself
A new family
A new civilization
