Genesis 4—Cain and Abel

I. How does Genesis three compare to

Genesis four?
The following chart will help us to see
the contrast:
Genesis 3 Genesis 4
The Beginning of Sin The Progress and Fruit of Sin
Sin in the First Family Sin Spreads to the Family of
Man
Sin Against God Sin Against Fellowman
Enmity Prophesied Enmity Evidenced
II. What is the general outline of chapter
four?
A. The Birth of Cain and Abel (4:1-2)
B. The Two Offerings (4:3-5)
C. The Response of Cain (4:6-7)
D. The Murder of Abel (4:8-10)
E. The Curse on and Punishment of Cain
(4:11-16)
F. The Progeny of Cain (4:17-24)
G. The Birth of Seth (4:25-26)
III. How does the conflict between the
seed of the serpent and the Seed of the
Woman begin in Genesis chapter four?

A. The Two Sons

1. The Birth of Cain (Gen. 4:1)
a. The name “Cain” means “acquired”
or “possessed.”
Various translations of verse 1:
I have gotten a man for the Lord. –
Lamsa
With the help of the LORD I have
brought forth a man. –NIV
I have gotten a manchild with the
help of the Lord. –NAS
I have gotten a man—the Lord. –Beck
b. Cain was a tiller of the soil (Gen.
4:2).
c. Cain would end up being a huge
disappointment.
2. The Birth of Abel (Gen. 4:2)
a. The name “Abel” means “breath”
or “vapor” (Jam. 4:14b).
b. Abel was the first shepherd. The
word “keeper” literally means
“feeder.”
c. Abel’s eventual death would mean
another huge disappointment for
Adam and Eve.
B. The Conflict of the Two Seeds
1. Satan obviously interpreted the birth of
Cain in a similar way to that of Eve. He
saw this new child as a threat to him.
2. With the birth of Abel, Satan began to
worry even more and developed a plan.
He would fill the heart of Cain with pride
and use him to kill His brother Abel.
Eve bore another son, Seth, who became
the head of the new godly line from which
Messiah would come (Gen. 4:25-26). The
name “Seth” means “appointed.”
IV. What does Genesis four reveal to us about
worship?
A. Three foundations for worship
Genesis four gives the foundation or basis
for all future worship in both the Old and
the New Testaments. It teaches us three
things:
1. God is to be worshipped.
2. God is to be worshipped on the basis
of sacrifice and the shedding of blood.
3. God is to be worshipped by faith, that
is, according to His prescribed order.
B. Three aspects of worship
1. A place for worship
a. God had established the Gate of
Eden (Gen. 3:24).
• This was a place designed to keep
the way to the Tree of Life.
• This was the place that had the
cherubim and the flaming sword.
 • This was a place where they could
commune with God (Num. 7:89; I
Sam. 4:4; II Sam. 6:2; II Kgs. 19:15; I
Chr. 13:6; Ps. 80:1; 99:1; Is. 37:16).
• This was most likely the place where
they set up family altars to offer
sacrifice to the Lord.

b. Cain and Abel brought their

sacrifices (Gen. 4:3-4a). There was a
place to bring them.
 2. A time for worship (Gen. 4:3)

Barnes states,
“This may denote the end of the week,
of the year, or of some longer
period. The season of the year was
probably the ingathering, when the
fruits of the earth and the firstlings
of the flock would come in, and
when it was not unnatural for the
first family to celebrate with a
subdued thankfulness the
anniversary of their creation.”
Clark’s Commentary states,
“…it is more probable that it means the
Sabbath, on which Adam and his
family undoubtedly offered oblations
to God, as the Divine worship was
certainly instituted, and no doubt
the Sabbath properly observed in
that family.”
 3. A way of worship

God’s way of worship was simple. Man

could only present Himself before
God on the basis of blood sacrifice.
That is, man could only come by
faith in the shed, innocent blood of
another.
C. The two offerings of worship
1. The offering of Abel was acceptable.
It was acceptable because:
a. He came God’s prescribed way.
b. He came through the shed blood of
the Lamb.
c. He came with the right spirit and
attitude.
2. The offering of Cain was unacceptable.
a. He came with the works of his own
hands (Is. 64:6).
b. He came with the product of the
cursed earth (Gen. 3:17, 4:2).
c. He offered a bloodless offering to the
Lord (Ex. 12:13, 23; Heb. 9:22).
d. He came with a certain pride in his
heart.
Question: How did God show his
acceptance or approval on Abel’s offering?
V. What were the sins of Cain that led to
the curse on him?
The Bible warns those who follow after
the way of Cain (Jude 11). What is the
way of Cain?
Woe to them! They have taken the way
of Cain…
A. Cain’s first sin was to come to God on
his own terms.
B. Cain’s second sin was a stubborn
refusal to repent when confronted by
God with the truth (Gen. 4:6-7).
 1. When God confronted Cain He gave him
an opportunity to recover.

2. When God confronted Cain He was at a

vulnerable moment.

C. Cain’s third sin was to kill his brother

Abel rather than repent and change
(Gen. 4:8).

D. Cain’s fourth sin was to lie to God

about what he had done (Gen. 4:9).
VI. What became of Cain?
A. Cain and his works were cursed by God
(Gen. 4:10-14).
B. Cain would end up as a fugitive on the
earth (Gen. 4:12, 14). The land of Nod
literally means “wandering” (Gen.
4:16).
C. Cain received a mark (Gen. 4:15).
D. Cain went out from the presence of
the Lord (Gen. 4:14, 16).
E. Cain became the father of the ungodly
seed line (Gen. 4:17-24).

Question: Where did Cain get his wife?