Genesis 4: Cain and Abel/ Descendants of Cain/ Birth of Seth (NLT)
Genesis 4 tells us the story of Adam and Eve's two sons Cain and Abel. Cain is a farmer and Abel is a shepherd. Cain is the older brother between him and Abel. Well anyways, the harvest came and Cain presented some of his crops to the Lord as gifts, and Abel did the same thing with the best firstborn lambs from his flock. What's interesting is that God accepted Abel's lamb over Cain's crop. Which shocks me, cause I would have accepted both their gifts if I were God. Though God had a purpose to this story and he wants the reader to understand the purpose of this story.
Cain gets angry and God asks why he's angry. Then God adds even more to why Cain is angry.
Genesis 4:7 "You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.”
So basically Cain did something not right in the eyes of God. Ok, what did Cain do that wasn't right? Let's continue.
Genesis 4:8 One day Cain suggested to his brother, "Let's go out into the fields." And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother, Abel, and killed him.
Cain murdered his brother. For what? To get attention, to be accepted. What urged Cain to kill his only brother? I think it was because he wanted to be loved.
So God asks Cain where his brother Abel is. Have any of the parents ask the oldest sibling where their little brother is and they say, "I don't know. Am I my brother's guardian?" It's a lie, straight out lie. They are hiding something and parents know.
God knew what Cain did to Abel. He just wanted Cain to confess his sin, but Cain didn't.
Genesis 4:10-12 But the Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground! 11 Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has swallowed your brother’s blood. 12 No longer will the ground yield good crops for you, no matter how hard you work! From now on you will be a homeless wanderer on the earth.”
That's a punishment you'll never want to be in. Cain is now furious. He's been banned of the land God is in, a homeless wanderer, and anyone who finds him will kill him. The Lord put a mark on Cain to warn anyone who tries to kill him. Cain leaves God, and moves to land of Nod, east of Eden.
In Genesis 4:17-24 talks about Cain's descendants. His wife gives birth to a son named Enoch. Cain founded a city and named it Enoch after his son. Enoch had a son named Irad. Irad became the father of Mehujael. Mehujael became the father of Methushael. Methushael became the father of Lamech.
Lamech married two women. The first was named Adah, and the second was Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to Jabal, who was the first of those who raise livestock and live in tents. 21 His brother’s name was Jubal, the first of all who play the harp and flute. 22 Lamech’s other wife, Zillah, gave birth to a son named Tubal-cain. He became an expert in forging tools of bronze and iron. Tubal-cain had a sister named Naamah. 23 One day Lamech said to his wives, “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; listen to me, you wives of Lamech.
I have killed a man who attacked me, a young man who wounded me. 24 If someone who kills Cain is punished seven times, then the one who kills me will be punished seventy-seven times!”
Genesis 4:25 Adam had sexual relations with his wife again, and she gave birth to another son. She named him Seth, for she said, “God has granted me another son in place of Abel, whom Cain killed.” 26 When Seth grew up, he had a son and named him Enosh. At that time people first began to worship the Lord by name.
Cain gets angry and God asks why he's angry. Then God adds even more to why Cain is angry.
Genesis 4:7 "You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.”
So basically Cain did something not right in the eyes of God. Ok, what did Cain do that wasn't right? Let's continue.
Genesis 4:8 One day Cain suggested to his brother, "Let's go out into the fields." And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother, Abel, and killed him.
Cain murdered his brother. For what? To get attention, to be accepted. What urged Cain to kill his only brother? I think it was because he wanted to be loved.
So God asks Cain where his brother Abel is. Have any of the parents ask the oldest sibling where their little brother is and they say, "I don't know. Am I my brother's guardian?" It's a lie, straight out lie. They are hiding something and parents know.
God knew what Cain did to Abel. He just wanted Cain to confess his sin, but Cain didn't.
Genesis 4:10-12 But the Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground! 11 Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has swallowed your brother’s blood. 12 No longer will the ground yield good crops for you, no matter how hard you work! From now on you will be a homeless wanderer on the earth.”
That's a punishment you'll never want to be in. Cain is now furious. He's been banned of the land God is in, a homeless wanderer, and anyone who finds him will kill him. The Lord put a mark on Cain to warn anyone who tries to kill him. Cain leaves God, and moves to land of Nod, east of Eden.
In Genesis 4:17-24 talks about Cain's descendants. His wife gives birth to a son named Enoch. Cain founded a city and named it Enoch after his son. Enoch had a son named Irad. Irad became the father of Mehujael. Mehujael became the father of Methushael. Methushael became the father of Lamech.
Lamech married two women. The first was named Adah, and the second was Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to Jabal, who was the first of those who raise livestock and live in tents. 21 His brother’s name was Jubal, the first of all who play the harp and flute. 22 Lamech’s other wife, Zillah, gave birth to a son named Tubal-cain. He became an expert in forging tools of bronze and iron. Tubal-cain had a sister named Naamah. 23 One day Lamech said to his wives, “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; listen to me, you wives of Lamech.
I have killed a man who attacked me, a young man who wounded me. 24 If someone who kills Cain is punished seven times, then the one who kills me will be punished seventy-seven times!”
Genesis 4:25 Adam had sexual relations with his wife again, and she gave birth to another son. She named him Seth, for she said, “God has granted me another son in place of Abel, whom Cain killed.” 26 When Seth grew up, he had a son and named him Enosh. At that time people first began to worship the Lord by name.
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