Gen 4:1 | KingComments | STEP | In Genesis 3 sin causes the separation between God and man ( ). Genesis 4 shows that the separation with God through sin also has consequences for the relationship between people. Sinful people get sinful children ( ; ; ). The Lord Jesus is the only exception. He is born of Mary, a sinful woman, but not conceived by a sinful man. He was begotten by God the Holy Spirit ( ). Therefore it says of Him that He “knew no sin” ( ) and that He “committed no sin” ( ). He is the Son of God Who has not a sinful nature: “In Him there is no sin” ( ). Eve gives her firstborn son the name “Cain”. That name means ‘obtained’ or ‘gain’. She may call him so because she believes he is the promised Seed ( ). Soon she will learn that he is not. In the same way Samuel later also makes a mistake when he thinks that Eliab, David’s eldest brother, is God’s chosen king because this man is so tall ( ). Cain also gets a brother: Abel. Both boys develop differently. There is nothing wrong with that. However, we do see in the difference in their activities an indication of the orientation of their hearts. Abel becomes a keeper of flocks. That seems an easy work, while Cain seems to be a hard-working man. The fact that Abel becomes a keeper of flocks makes it clear that his heart goes out to God. He doesn’t have the flocks to eat from them himself. This is not yet the case, for it is only in Genesis 9 that God gives the flesh to man for food ( ). Abel keeps flocks to sacrifice them to God, as we read in . He is deeply aware of the fact that a man can only exist before God on the basis of an offering.

‏ Genesis 4:1

Introduction

In Genesis 3 sin causes the separation between God and man (Isa 59:2a). Genesis 4 shows that the separation with God through sin also has consequences for the relationship between people.

Cain and Abel

Sinful people get sinful children (Jn 3:6a; Psa 51:5b; Job 14:4). The Lord Jesus is the only exception. He is born of Mary, a sinful woman, but not conceived by a sinful man. He was begotten by God the Holy Spirit (Lk 1:35). Therefore it says of Him that He “knew no sin” (2Cor 5:21) and that He “committed no sin” (1Pet 2:22). He is the Son of God Who has not a sinful nature: “In Him there is no sin” (1Jn 3:5).

Eve gives her firstborn son the name “Cain”. That name means ‘obtained’ or ‘gain’. She may call him so because she believes he is the promised Seed (Gen 3:15). Soon she will learn that he is not. In the same way Samuel later also makes a mistake when he thinks that Eliab, David’s eldest brother, is God’s chosen king because this man is so tall (1Sam 16:6-7). Cain also gets a brother: Abel.

Both boys develop differently. There is nothing wrong with that. However, we do see in the difference in their activities an indication of the orientation of their hearts. Abel becomes a keeper of flocks. That seems an easy work, while Cain seems to be a hard-working man.

The fact that Abel becomes a keeper of flocks makes it clear that his heart goes out to God. He doesn’t have the flocks to eat from them himself. This is not yet the case, for it is only in Genesis 9 that God gives the flesh to man for food (Gen 9:3). Abel keeps flocks to sacrifice them to God, as we read in Gen 4:4. He is deeply aware of the fact that a man can only exist before God on the basis of an offering.