Studies in Genesis – The Sins of Cain

1. Cain was born into a world that had already been tainted by sin.

2. Adam and Eve both ate of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

3. At that point the world changed.

4. Man was no longer innocent, but had his ?eyes opened.?

5. Make no mistake about it, Adam and Eve sinned because they disobeyed God.

6. However, Cain and Abel were born into a world that had knowledge of sin.

7. Hence, they knew sin.

8. This is not to say, however, that they knew sin when they were born.

9. Cain and Abel were not sinful at birth as many religions declare today.

10. Ezekiel 18:20 is a principle: ?The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.?

11. Deuteronomy 24:16 also reflects this sentiment: ?The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin.?

12. Cain was not born into a situation where he simply couldn’t help himself.

13. He was responsible and accountable before God for his actions as are all.

1. The record says that Cain and Abel both were offering worship to God.

2. We know from Hebrews 11:4 that God had told them what to offer because Abel offered by faith and faith comes by hearing God’s word (Romans 10:17).

3. However, while Abel offered of the young sheep of his flock, Cain brought of the fruits of the ground.

4. The result was that God respected or honored Abel’s sacrifice, but not Cains.

5. Cain’s worship was vain or empty because he did not offer it according to faith.

6. Today there are many who do not offer their worship to God according to faith.

7. We must worship in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).

8. Our worship must be sincere and with the right attitude, no doubt.

9. Was Cain’s offering sincere? Considering the fact that he was upset when God didn’t receive it, I believe it was.

10. But our worship must also be according to truth, according to the word of God (John 17:17).

11. This indicates that Cain’s offering wasn’t done in truth, but out of his own desires for what he thought ought to be offered.

12. Cain had committed the same sin of which the Pharisees were guilty: ?But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.? (Matthew 15:9).

1. The text doesn’t specifically say that Cain was envious, but given that Cain and Abel were brothers and that Abel was accepted and Cain was not, I believe it is a foregone conclusion that Cain was envious of the fact that God accepted Abel’s sacrifice, but not his.

2. 1 John 3:12 says, ?Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother?s righteous.?

3. It is common for those who do evil to be jealous of those who do good.

4. In the New Testament this is referred to as the sin of envy.

5. Romans 1:29 lists it as one of the sins of the Gentiles ?Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers…?

6. Titus 3:3 lists it right alongside of hatred, ?For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.?

7. Proverbs 14:30 states, ?A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.?

8. Envy is a close cousin to covetousness. The two go hand in hand.

9. Perhaps if Cain had repented of his own sin and not been envious of Abel being accepted by God, things would have been different.

10. Envy is often the beginning of many other sins committed.

1. Cain’s envy soon turned into anger.

2. The text says, ?And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.?

3. Anger is a powerful emotion and can overwhelm us if left uncontrolled.

4. Ephesians 4:31 states, ?Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:?

5. Colossians 3:8 says, ?But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.?

6. Ephesians 4:26 ?Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:?

7. Patience and longsuffering are good tools to deal with the problem of anger.

8. Cain was not patient or longsuffering and hence he gave in to his anger.

9. We must not follow his example.

1. We know that Cain hated his brother from what John tells us in 1 John 3:11-12 ?For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother.?

2. John also says in the same chapter, ?Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.? (1 John 3:15).

3. 1 John 2:11 says, ?But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.?

4. Titus 3:3 says regarding the past sins of Christians that they were ?hateful and hating one another.?

5. We must not hate anyone, but always exhibit within our lives the love of God and Christ.

6. Even toward those who are our enemies, Jesus said, ?But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;? (Matthew 5:44).

1. God’s word contains everything we need to be complete and thoroughly furnished to every good work according to 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

2. The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 119:11 ?Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.?

3. Why is it then, that we often commit sin?

4. Perhaps it is due to the same reason as Cain.

5. God told Cain, ?And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.? (Genesis 4:6-7).

6. If Cain had listened to the voice of God, then he would not have murdered his brother.

7. God told Cain to ?do well? and ?be accepted? and ?rule over? his sin.

8. Cain, however, did not do this.

9. How often could we overcome sin if we would simply listen to the voice of God and not do the sin that so tempts us?

1. ?Thou shalt not commit murder? is the sixth commandment in Exodus 20:13.

2. After the flood, God made it clear, ?Whoso sheddeth man?s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.? (Genesis 9:6).

3. Cain offered vain worship and sinned against God.

4. He was then jealous or envious of Abel’s worship.

5. This lead to anger.

6. His anger then grew into hatred.

7. His hatred grew so that he would not listen to God.

8. And this resulted in Cain’s committing the act of murder.

9. Each time Cain sinned, his became more and more ensnared by it.

10. Jesus said, ?Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.? (John 8:34).

11. Sin of attitude gone unchecked will ultimately lead us to act out in sin against others.

12. Cain’s sins of attitude lead to the murder and death of his brother.

13. We ought to learn not to allow our sins of attitude to develop so far.

1. When God approached Cain regarding his sin, he remained rebellious.

2. God asked Cain where his brother was and Cain arrogantly answered, ?Am I my brother’s keeper??

3. God already knew what had happened.

4. God was testing Cain’s attitude to see if he was penitent or not.

5. Sadly, we never get any indication that Cain was ever sorry for his brother’s death.

6. He was sorry he was punished, for sure, as the text tells us.

7. But Cain never seems to show remorse for his dead brother.

8. We must not be deceived into thinking that we can get away with any sin or that God won’t know about our sin.

9. Proverbs 15:3 states, ?The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.?

10. Consider also Hebrews 4:13 ?Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.?

11. It is arrogance and pride that leads us to the conclusion that God does not know what we have done.

12. Instead of displaying Cain’s attitude when we are confronted with our sin, we ought to repent and do what is right.

13. God desires us to have a contrite heart before Him. ?The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.? (Psalm 51:17).