Cain and Abel  (Genesis chp 4)


Adam and Eve had two sons - Cain (a farmer) and Abel (a shepherd). In due course, they brought offerings to God. Cain brought an offering from the crops which he had grown, and Abel brought the best parts of a first-born lamb from his flock. And, while God accepted Abel's sacrifice, he rejected Cain's, and Cain was very angry. However, God warned him that he must react in the right way and accept what had happened, not give in to his anger.

God was testing Cain, to see how he would react.

Cain suggested to his brother that they should go out into a field together, and there he murdered Abel. The Lord then asked Cain where his brother was, to which Cain replied "Am I supposed to take care of my brother?" But God knew what Cain had done, and said that his brother's blood was crying out from the ground. God punished him.

Punishments:

• Ground would no longer be fertile
• Cain would become a wanderer on earth

However, a mark was put on Cain, so nobody could kill him. If they did, seven lives would be taken in revenge
Cain became a nomad, and lived in the land of 'Wandering', east of Eden.



Themes

• Jealousy - Cain was jealous of his brother Abel.
• Sin - Cain was taken over by anger and sin, despite being warned of this danger by God.
• Test - Cain was being tested to see how he would react. He was even warned of this, but still he got it wrong!
• Murder - the first murder in the Bible was committed, as a result of religion!
• Lying - Cain lied to God, and denied responsibility for his own brother.
• Consequence - Punishment - Cain was then punished for what he had done.
  

Contemporary Issues

• Murder. Is killing ever justifiable? Punishment for murderers?
• Punishment.
• Family relationships between brothers.
• Jealousy.

Revision