CAIN AND ABEL - 9/50

      CAIN AND ABEL                                             9/50

                                                                                   Cambodia Basic English Series

                                                                                                                                                                        Ref: NI^RV.  Slideshow available

                                                                                                                                                   

1.                 Adam and Eve had Two Sons. 

In Genesis 4 we can read that Eve gave birth to two sons. Cain was born first, became a farmer and Abel was a shepherd. Adam’s children also had to make their own decisions and choices.

Genesis 4:3-4. After some time, Cain gathered some of the things he had grown. He brought them as an offering to the Lord. ⁴ But Abel brought the fattest parts of some of the lambs from his flock. They were the male animals that were born first to their mothers.

Cain brought fruit or vegetables that he had grown. Abel brought the fattest parts of some of the lambs of his flock. The Lord was pleased with Abel. God refused to accept Cain’s offering because of the way he was thinking.

Hebrews 11:4. Abel had faith. So he offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain did. Because of his faith Abel was praised as a godly man. God said good things about his offerings. Because of his faith Abel still speaks. He speaks even though he is dead.

Abel understood what God wanted.

1.   He gave a sacrifice that involved the pouring out of blood and death. His sacrifice showed that he wanted to give his best to God.

2.  God accepted Abel’s thinking and said His sacrifice was a good action. He was pleased with him.

3.    Abel believed that God had provided him with a way to be forgiven for his sins.

2.      We Have to Listen to God.

Today God does not ask us to bring animals and kill them as a sacrifice. We must believe in the sacrifice that God has given, the Lord Jesus Christ. We cannot come to God in any way that we choose. Just like Abel we have to come the way that God tells us.

Genesis 4:6-9. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why are you looking so sad? ⁷ Do what is right. Then you will be accepted. If you don’t do what is right, sin is waiting at your door to grab you.  It longs to have you. But you must rule over it.”  ⁸ Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” So they went out. There Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. ⁹ Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I supposed to look after my brother?”

Cain became angry when God refused his offering. The Bible tells us that faith comes from listening to God’s words.  

Romans 10:17. So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Cain was a stubborn man. His anger stopped him from listening to God or his brother. He preferred to do things his own way. Sin became his master and he murdered his brother Abel. 

3.        God Punished Cain.

God then spoke to Cain and told him his punishment.

Genesis 4:10-14. The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground. ¹¹ “So I am putting a curse on you. I am driving you away from the ground. It has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. ¹² When you work the ground, it will not produce its crops for you anymore. You will be a restless person who wanders around on the earth.” ¹³ Cain said to the Lord, “You are punishing me more than I can take. ¹⁴ Today you are driving me away from the land. I will be hidden from you. I’ll be a restless person who wanders around on the earth. Anyone who finds me will kill me.”

So God said, from now on you will fail as a farmer; the ground will not freely produce food for you (v12). He wanted to be accepted by God in a way that he chose and would not listen to God – so God sent him away to be a wanderer on the earth.

This was almost too much for Cain. (v13).  Cain said to the Lord, “You are punishing me more than I can take”.

So Cain went further away from the Garden of Eden and the influence of God in his life.

Genesis 4:16 So Cain went away from the Lord. He lived in the land of Nod. It was east of Eden. 

We recommend that candidates study Learn to Read the Bible Effectively and God’s Plan With Man (Cambodia friendly versions) before preparing for baptism. Slideshows and translated versions of these are also available. See Lessons 13 and 14: Maps.