Genesis 4 – Study

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: Genesis 4:2b-7

2b Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. 4 But Abel also brought an offering – fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

6 Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.’

A. Find Out:

1. What did Cain bring to the Lord? v.3
2. What did Abel bring? v.4a
3. How did the Lord respond to them both? v.4b,5
4. How did Cain react? v.5b
5. When did the Lord say He would accept Cain’s offering? v.7a
6. What did the Lord say about sin? v.7b

B. Think:

1. What does the fact that the two men brought offerings say about them?
2. What do you think was different about the offerings to get different responses from the Lord?
3. How did Cain’s response reveal his heart?

C. Comment:

We are not told that Eve’s two sons were instructed either by her or by God to bring offerings but that may be assumed. When they bring their offerings, Cain just brings “some of the fruit of the soil” (v.3) which sounds a bit casual. Abel brings specific portions of the first born of his flock (v.4), the most important animals always in the flock, indicating the degree of importance he gives to giving to God.

God, who knows all men’s hearts, received Abel’s love offering but rejected Cain’s offering that had been given perhaps, simply because he had been told to give. There is a great deal of difference in giving to God out of love and giving “because we ought to”

Cain’s heart is truly revealed in the way he responds to God – with anger, not with humility (v.5). He could have asked the Lord meekly what he should do, but he didn’t because he knew he had been casual, and he was angry he had been reprimanded. His heart was not contrite and teachable. In these verses we thus see two different approaches to worship: an overflowing heart or “we ought to”!

D. Application?

1. Do we give our lives, our money, our worship to God out of our love for Him, or out of duty?
2. Is my heart willing to be reprimanded and taught by God?

Passage: Genesis 4:8-26

8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, ‘Let’s go out to the field.’ While they were in the field, 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 my brother’s keeper?’

10 The Lord said, ‘What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. 11 Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.’

13 Cain said to the Lord, ‘My punishment is more than I can bear. 14 Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.’

15 But the Lord said to him, ‘Not so; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.’ Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. 16 So Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

17 Cain made love to his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch. 18 To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech.

19 Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock. 21 His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play stringed instruments and pipes. 22 Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron. Tubal-Cain’s sister was Naamah.

23 Lamech said to his wives,

‘Adah and Zillah, listen to me;
    wives of Lamech, hear my words.
I have killed a man for wounding me,
    a young man for injuring me.
24 If Cain is avenged seven times,
    then Lamech seventy-seven times.’

25 Adam made love to his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, saying, ‘God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.’ 26 Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh.

At that time people began to call on the name of the Lord.

A. Find Out:

1. What sort of curse did God put on Cain? v.12
2. What did Cain fear? v.14
3. How did the Lord counter that? v.15
4. What did Cain start building? v.17
5. What things did men start doing? v.20-22
6. Who was Seth? v.25

B. Think:

1. How is God’s grace and mercy shown even with Cain?
2. How was creativity expressed by the men of the earth?
3. How was violence stopped?

C. Comment:

Cain kills Abel (v.8) but God doesn’t take his life! Instead, He protects him on one hand (v.15) and places him under a curse on the other (v.11). God’s aim seems to be to stop ongoing violence (e.g., vengeance), and this is reiterated when Lamech appears to have killed someone in self-defense (v.23). Again, the threat of multiple action seems to be brought as a deterrent to further violence. We also see in this chapter, as families grow, one expression of men being made in the image of God i.e. creativity. Cain builds (v.17), Jabal farms (v.20), Jubal creates music (v.21), and Tubal-Cain works in metal (v.22).

The fact that Adam & Eve having Seth is placed at the end of the chapter (v.25) is merely a reverting back to their story and not an indication of chronological order. It is likely that Adam and Eve would have had other children and they in turn would have had children and so on. Within a few hundred years the population of the earth would have increased greatly but it tends to be only the first children who are mentioned. For Cain to have built a city indicates a growing population, just as God had commanded (Genesis 1:28). It also indicates the beginning of men starting to group together and create their own environment.

D. Application?

1. Thank the Lord for the creative abilities He has given you.
2. Ask for His grace to enable you not to retaliate when wronged.