Sunday
Morning Bible Study
November 26, 2006
Introduction
It isn’t easy raising a family. Many of us have made plenty of mistakes as
we’ve raised our kids. Even when parents do things right, kids go astray.
Illustration
God's Kids
Whenever your kids are out of control, you can take comfort from the
thought that even God’s omnipotence did not extend to God’s kids. After
creating heaven and earth, God created Adam and Eve. And the first thing He
said to them was: “Don’t.” “Don’t what?” Adam replied. “Don’t eat the forbidden
fruit.” God said. “Forbidden fruit? We got forbidden fruit? Hey, Eve... we got
Forbidden Fruit!” “No way!” “Yes, WAY!” “Don’t eat that fruit!” said God.
“Why?” “Because I’m your Father and I said so!” said God, wondering why he
hadn’t stopped after making the elephants. A few minutes later God saw the kids
having an apple break. “Didn’t I tell you not to eat that fruit?” the First
Parent asked. “Uh huh,” Adam replied. “Then why did you?” “I dunno,” Eve answered.
“She started it!” Adam said. “Did Not!” “DID so!” “DID NOT!” Having had it with
the two of them, God’s punishment was that Adam and Eve should have children of
their own. Thus the pattern was set and it has never changed. But there is a
reassurance in this story. If you have persistently and lovingly tried to give
them wisdom and they haven’t taken it, don’t be hard on yourself. If God had
trouble handling children, what makes you think it would be a piece of cake for
you?
:1-15 Cain and Abel
:1 Now Adam knew Eve his wife,
knew – yada‘– to know,
learn to know; to know by experience; to recognize, admit, acknowledge,
confess; to consider; to know, be acquainted with; to know (a person carnally);
to know how, be skilful in; to have knowledge, be wise
We sometimes think of this as some sort of “codeword” for sex. But I don’t think Moses used this word just
so the children would be able to stay up and listen to the story.
God wants a man to know all about his wife.
Marital intimacy is much greater than just having sex. Peter wrote,
(1 Pet 3:7 NKJV) Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the
wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of
life, that your prayers may not be hindered.
The word Peter used for “understanding” is related to the word “know”.
Grow to understand your wife. Pay
attention to her. Study her.
:1 and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, "I have acquired a man
from the LORD."
Cain – Qayin –
“possession” or “acquired”
It is thought that Eve looked at the birth of Cain as the fulfillment of
God’s promise of a deliverer:
(Gen 3:15
NKJV) And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed
and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel."
Cain is the first child born in the world. Why not think that he might be
the one promised to bruise the serpent?
Yet John tells us (1Jo. 3:12)
that Cain was “of the wicked one”. What a shock it would be to Adam and Eve to
find that the one they had expected to be their deliverer was no deliverer at
all. He would in fact become the world’s first murderer.
Talk about being disappointed in your kids!
:2 Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper
of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
Abel – Hebel – “breath”;
“vanity”, or “vapor”. One suggestion is that Eve might have been disappointed
in knowing that Cain wasn’t the promised son of Gen. 3:15. How would she know
that Cain wasn’t the deliverer? Because she was still having pain in
childbirth.
:3 And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering
of the fruit of the ground to the LORD.
in the process of time – the child born to Adam and Eve after the
death of Abel would come when Adam was 130 years old (Gen. 5:3). It has been suggested that if Cain was born
the first year after Adam’s creation, that Cain and Abel might be over 100
years old at this time.
:4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And
the LORD respected Abel and his offering,
:5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering.
There are things that are pleasing to God and things that aren’t.
Both men brought gifts to the Lord. Both offered a form of worship to God.
One man’s gift was acceptable, the other man’s was not.
This morning in church, we come to worship God. Some have worshipped God through music. Others have worshipped through giving
financially. Others have worshipped
through serving as a Sunday School teacher or usher or sound technician.
Some worship is acceptable, some is not.
Lesson
Acceptable worship
Why did God accept Abel’s offering but not Cain’s?
The Bible gives us a clue:
(Heb 11:4 NKJV) 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; and through it he being dead still
speaks.
How was Abel’s offering done in faith?
Perhaps it was with the type of offering.
In the last chapter we saw the first hint at sacrifices.
(Gen 3:21 NKJV) Also for Adam and his wife the LORD
God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.
The implication is that God performed a sacrifice in order
to provide the tunics of skin for Adam and Eve.
Perhaps Abel saw in this that a sacrifice with blood was
pleasing to the Lord.
The writer of Hebrews calls Abel “righteous”. Abel might
have been righteous because of his faith, but we know that cleansing from sin
is also connected with the shedding of blood.
(Heb 9:22 NKJV) And according to the law almost all
things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no
remission.
For us it is no different.
For us to be “righteous” before God, we need to be cleansed through the
shedding of blood.
Jesus shed His blood for us, and when we trust in Jesus,
God makes us righteous.
Faith is what pleases God.
(Heb 11:6 NKJV)
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must
believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Cain’s lack of faith will be seen in his anger.
If he was really concerned about doing something that
pleased God, he would have been sad, not angry. He would have tried to change
the offering rather than plotting to kill his brother.
What kind of worship have you brought to God today? Has it been pleasing to God? Or is it unacceptable?
The bottom line is this – am I growing to trust God more
and more? Am I trusting Him with my
life? Can God see I trust Him because I
do things His way?
:5 And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.
angry – charah – to be
hot, furious, burn
countenance – paniym –
face – You could see Cain’s anger in his face.
:6 So the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your
countenance fallen?
Lesson
Anger
It’s a strange thing to think that Cain’s anger is over an act of worship. His anger is going to lead him into a bad
place.
(1 John 3:10-16 NKJV) 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. {11} For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that
we should love one another, {12} 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. {13} Do
not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you.
Christians, you will have people who don’t like you because you’re a good
person. Just like Abel.
{14} We know that we have passed from death to life, because we
love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.
We know when we’ve moved from the world of Cain to the world of Abel
because we love people like Jesus taught.
{15} Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no
murderer has eternal life abiding in him. {16} By this we know love, because He
laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the
brethren.
Be careful about anger beloved. Be careful about where your anger is
leading you.
Illustration
During the final days at Denver’s
old Stapleton airport, a crowded United flight was cancelled. A single agent
was rebooking a long line of inconvenienced travelers. Suddenly an angry
passenger pushed his way to the desk. He slapped his ticket down on the counter
and said, “I HAVE to be on this flight and it has to be first class.” The agent
replied, “I’m sorry, sir. I’ll be happy to try to help you, but I’ve got to
help these folks first, and I’m sure we’ll be able to work something out.” The
passenger was unimpressed. He asked loudly, so that the passengers behind him
could hear, “Do you have any idea who I am?” Without hesitating, the gate agent
smiled and grabbed her public address microphone. “May I have your attention
please?” she began, her voice bellowing throughout the terminal. “We have a
passenger here at the gate WHO DOES NOT KNOW WHO HE IS. If anyone can help him
find his identity, please come to the gate.” With the folks behind him in line
laughing hysterically, the man glared at the United agent, gritted his teeth
and retreated as the people in the terminal applauded loudly. Although the
flight was cancelled and people were late, they were no longer angry at United
Airlines.
Most of the time, anger just makes us out to be the fool. Be careful where anger leads you.
:7 "If you do well, will you not be accepted?
If you do well – If Cain will change the way he worships, He will be
accepted by God. All he has to do is
change.
God is telling Cain to “repent”, to turn around.
:7 And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door.
lies – rabats – to stretch
oneself out, like an animal crouching, ready to pounce.
(NLT) Ge 4:7 …Sin is waiting to attack and destroy you, and you
must subdue it."
:7 And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it."
rule over – mashal – to
rule, have dominion, reign
Lesson
Choosing your master
Temptation is all about choice.
What will you do with your anger, your disappointment?
(Eph 4:26-27 NKJV) "Be angry, and do not
sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath, {27} nor give place to the
devil.
Those are choices you make with anger.
There is a point in temptation where you have to make a choice, you have to
say “no”. Paul wrote,
(1 Cor 9:24-27 NKJV) Do you not know that those who
run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you
may obtain it. {25} And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all
things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable
crown. {26} Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as
one who beats the air. {27} But I discipline my body and bring it into
subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become
disqualified.
Sometimes it comes down to an issue of your will. Who will you choose to obey? Will you make the choice of obeying God or
obeying the temptation?
Paul wrote,
(Rom 6:16 NLT)
Don't you realize that whatever you choose to obey becomes your master?
You can choose sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God and
receive his approval.
Choose God. Again
and again.
:8 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.
:9 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" He
said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?"
God isn’t asking Cain because God doesn’t know. God is giving Cain a chance
to confess his sin.
Are we our brother’s keeper?
Yes we are. That’s what loving your
neighbor as yourself is all about.
:10 And He said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's
blood cries out to Me from the ground.
God said that Abel’s blood was crying out to Him.
You can’t hide from God. Your sin will find you out (Num. 32:23)
:11 "So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth
to receive your brother's blood from your hand.
:12 "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."
Cain was the farmer. Now that he’s
spilled his brother’s blood on the earth, the earth will respond by not
allowing Cain to grow crops.
:13 And Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is greater than I can
bear!
:14 "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."
:15 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.
Some think Cain had some sort of mark, like a tattoo, put on him as a
warning for others not to touch him. It might be that God gave Cain some sort
of sign that God would not allow others to hurt him.
Why would God offer to protect Cain? Grace.
:16-26 The line of Cain
:16 Then Cain went out from the presence of the LORD and dwelt in the land
of Nod on the east of Eden.
Nod – Nowd – “wandering”. No,
it is not the place where you sleep in church…
:17 And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch.
Where did Cain get his wife?
Cain married his sister. We’ll only learn the names of three sons, but it
appears that Adam and Eve had other sons as well as daughters (Gen. 5:3-4).
:17 And he built a city, and called the name of the city after the name of
his son; Enoch.
:18 To Enoch was born Irad; and Irad begot Mehujael, and Mehujael begot
Methushael, and Methushael begot Lamech.
:19 Then Lamech took for himself two wives: the name of one was Adah, and
the name of the second was Zillah.
:20 And Adah bore Jabal. He was the father of those who dwell in tents and
have livestock.
Jabal – first guy to live the life of a wandering nomad with his
flocks.
:21 His brother's name was Jubal. He was the father of all those who play
the harp and flute.
Jubal – the first musician.
:22 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.
Tubal-Cain – the first to make things out of metal, the first to
make bronze.
:23 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.
Lamech is not only a killer, but he has multiple wives.
:24 If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, Then Lamech
seventy-sevenfold."
God promised that if anyone hurt Cain, that God would respond with seven
times the hurt on that person. It sounds like Lamech is throwing his wickedness
in God’s face. If God was merciful to Cain, then he deserved eleven times more
mercy than Cain.
:25-26 Seth is born
:25 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."
Seth – Sheth –
“compensation”, “appointed”, or “substitute”
:26 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.
Calling on the name of the Lord – this is a phrase found throughout the
Bible to speak of prayer and communion with God.
Lesson
Hope
Things haven’t exactly started out on the right foot. Adam and Eve blew it. They were kicked out of Eden. Their first son kills their second son. Cain is banished to wander the earth. Not exactly off to a great start, huh?
Yet Seth apparently begins a line of people who will follow God. After all
the heartache that has happened, there is hope for the family of Adam and Eve.
It starts with a son who is a “substitute” (kind of like Jesus). It starts with men learning to call on God’s
name.
(Rom 10:13
NKJV) For "whoever calls on the
name of the LORD shall be saved."
(Jer 29:11 NKJV) For I know
the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not
of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
(Phil 1:6 NKJV) being
confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will
complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;