Bible Study Week 2
Part 1
From the Fall to the Flood
Adam and Eve outside the Garden
In their new state of consciousness of good and evil, Adam and Eve began their life outside the Garden of Eden. Existence as quite different from before. Previously, in the peace of the Garden, the first man and woman had been charged with dressing and keeping a true paradise. Now Adam was hewing out a living by the sweat of his brow, battling unendingly against weeds and briars.
Eve discovered the truth of God's Word. He had said, "I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children" (Genesis 3:16) The first child that Eve brought into the world was a son named Cain. She said, "I have gotten a man from the Lord" (Genesis 4:1). Then eve gave birth to another son, Abel.
The Difference between Two Brothers
As often happens with brothers in the same family, these two were quite different. Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. According to Genesis 4:3-7, there were also differences between the two men.
Worship Taught
Adam and Eve had obviously their sons about God's existence and about the need to worship Him and to offer sacrifices to Him. As time passed by, Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. Abel also brought an offering of the firstborn of his flock.
Sacrifice Accepted and Rejected
The Lord accepted Abel's offering but not that of Cain. This disturbed Cain, and he became angry. The Lord said to him, "Why art thou wroth? and why is the 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." In his mercy and willingness to forgive Cain's error, the Lord appealed to him. He told Cain that his offering could be accepted as well as that of Abel if he, too, would do the right thing. The only thing that would prevent Cain from doing right would be sin.
Once a man was asked in a kind way, "What is your trouble?" He answered right away, "No trouble, sir, but myself."
The deepest and most dangerous troubles do not come from without but from within. The enemy had entered through a gate that had been opened from within.
Cain's problem was not Abel but himself.
>>> What can we learn about worship from the story of Cain and Abel?
Worship is the way we express our devotion to God. We can see from this portion of the Bible that there are certain ways we connect to God that please Him, and of course, that's our goal.
Blood Sacrifice, a Requirement
What was wrong with Cain's offering? One difference is that while Abel had brought a blood sacrifice, Cain had brought an offering of fruit of the ground. From the very first, Gods plan called for a blood sacrifice. In the Garden of Eden, God had slain animals in order to provide skins to cover the nakedness of Adam and Eve. (See Genesis 3:21) In other words, for sins to be covered, blood had to be shed.
Jesus Christ is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). The reason God chose a blood sacrifice is that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Without the shedding of blood, sins cannot be remitted (Hebrews 9:22). Adam must have related this knowledge to his sons, or Abel would not have know what to bring. We do know that Cain brought an improper sacrifice.
Early in Scripture we see that sincerity alone does not put a person in right standing with God The one thing God will honor is obedient faith. It is not enough to do what we think is right or the best we know how. We must do what God commands.
Abel obeyed God out of faith. Hebrews 11:4 says, "By faith Abel offered God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous. God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh."
The Punishment of Disobedience
Sadly, Cain did not accept God's offer to try again but instead murdered his brother, Abel. The Lord, who sees and knows all things, asked, "Where is Abel thy brother?" Cain lied, "I know not; am I my brothers keeper?"
Then God pronounced the penalty for Cain's sin: "What hast thou done? the voice of thy brothers blood crieth unto me from the ground. And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brothers blood from thy hand; when thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt be in the earth."
Cain replied, "My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall i be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every on that findeth me shall slay me" (Genesis 4:13-14)
The Lord answered, "Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken upon him seven fold" (Genesis 4:15) Then the Lord set a mark on Cain to prevent anyone who found him from killing him.
As a result of his sins of murder and refusal to obey God, Cain left the Lords presence and went to live in the lonely land of Nod on the East of Eden.
>>> Even though Cain murdered Abel, how did God show compassion on him?
Since Cain had committed murder, that decision could have been fatal. Yet God allowed Cain to live and, responding mercifully to Cain's plea, marked him for protection so no one could take vengeance. Even in this extreme situation, we still see God's heart of compassion.
Men Who Walked with God
Seth - Adam and Eve had more children, but it was not until she gave birth to a son whom the named Seth that Eve said, " For God... hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew" (Genesis 4:25). It was in the days of Seth, who was evidently a godly man with a desire to serve God as Abel had, that people began to call upon the name of the Lord (Genesis 4:26)
Enoch - One of the most interesting men who lived in the time period covered in the Book of Genesis was Enoch. He loved God and was obedient to Him. The Bible says, "And Enoch walked with God; and he was not; for God took him" (Genesis 5:24). Hebrews 11:5 offers further information on this unusual event: "By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found because God had translated him: for before his translation he had his testimony, that he pleased God."
Early in the dawn of history, there were people who pleased God by their obedience to Him and their faith in Him. Everyone did not share that faith and obedience, however.
Noah - In the days of Enoch's great-grandson, Noah, God saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually. They were so wicked and lawless that God was grieved for makin them. He said, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them" (Genesis 6:7)
There was one man, however, who found grace in the eyes of the Lord: Noah. While others thought continually about evil things and practiced all kinds of wickedness, Noah believed in God and obeyed Him. Hebrew 11:7 puts it this way: "By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear; prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir to the righteousness which is by faith."
What did Abel, Seth, Enoch, and Noah have in common? Obedient faith. They believed God and obeyed Him. From the beginning, faith has been God's requirement. As Hebrews 11:6 points out, "Without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."