In verses 1-8 of Genesis 4, one of the most poignant stories is that of Cain murdering his own brother Abel. This act was sparked by Cain’s refusal to accept God’s instruction and discipline. In this study, we will explore what happened after the murder and how contempt for discipline can lead to a descent into darkness.
Genesis 4:8-15
8 Cain spoke to Abel his brother.[d] And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. 9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” 10 And the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground. 11 And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.” 13 Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear.[e] 14 Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” 15 Then the Lord said to him, “Not so! If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the Lord put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him. 16 Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod,[f] east of Eden.
The Murder ( verse 8)
Although we discussed verse 8 last week, I want to go into greater detail. The French translation’s use of the word “addressed” in place of “spoke” suggests that Cain was not speaking to his brother, which led me to believe that Cain and Abel were not on speaking terms. However, I’ve read a commentary that suggests that the phrase “Cain spoke to Abel his brother” is actually there to show us that his murderous act was premeditated. And this is consistent with God’s earlier warning to him that “Sin” was lurking at his door. He had planned the murderous deed, not carried it out on the spur of the moment.
Cain’s Irreverence & Arrogance ( verse 8-9)
Between verses 8 and 9, the phrase “Abel your/his Brother” comes three times, and this is not a coincidence. I think the Bible is trying to make clear just how horrible this atrocity was. The reader is reminded that Abel wasn’t just any person; he was Cain’s brother.
The only explanation I can come up with for why he waited till he was in the field to kill Abel is that the field stood for a place outside of the Lord’s presence. It was also Cain’s territory, a place he was familiar with ( he was working with the plants of the field). In contrast to Adam and Eve, who both admitted to their crimes, he told a lie when God asked him where his sibling was. He didn’t come clean. On the contrary his response to God was utterly irreverent -“ am I my brother’s keeper”. I want you to see the arrogance in his response, he answers GOD with a question. And if you have been paying attention since the beginning of the book of Genesis, the asking of questions is a formula only used by God, it was the Socratic method before Socrates made it popular. Cain then used the Socratic technique to elevate himself to the position of God. And his response overall showed how much he despised his brother. Listen to what Charles Spurgeon had to say about Cain’s response to God.
The cool impudence of Cain is an indication of the state of heart which led up to his murdering of his brother, and it was also a part of the result of his having committed that terrible crime. He would not have proceeded to the cruel deed of bloodshed if he had not first cast off the fear of God an been ready to defy his Maker.
Did you catch what Spurgeon said, Cain had no fear of God, this is why he had no problem addressing God the way he did. As a matter of fact he hated God ever since or maybe even before he made his offerings to God.
The Crime Is Exposed ( Verse 10)
If we fail to confess our sin before God, HE will eventually expose our sinful acts. Even if we hide before men, we will be exposed before a holy God. I think the sinful hearts of mankind lead many to forget that God is omnipresent and omniscient. Not only does He know our thoughts, HE sees everything so no one can hide from HIM. It was absolutely ridiculous of Cain to think that he could hide his murder from GOD. That just shows you how sin blinds our ability to be sound in our judgement.
The Judgement ( Verses 11-12)
In chapter 3, God had cursed the ground because of Adam ‘s failure to keep the command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. We discussed the meaning of the word “curse.” It indicated that God’s blessing and favor had left the ground. Therefore, it would only bear fruit once mankind had put a lot of effort into it. But now that Cain had killed Abel, the ground was no longer going to be in his advantage because he would be unable to even survive on agricultural work. This is why the Bible says that he would be a wanderer from the earth. Because he would now have to find his food supply elsewhere, no longer from agriculture.
Cain’s Unrepentant Heart ( Verses 13-14)
Verse 13 shows us that Cain was not repentant or remorseful for what he had done. He was so enveloped by sin that he still was only thinking about himself and was feeling sorry for himself for being a murderer. At no point did he say to God that he had sinned against God and man. David was truly repentant when confronted by the prophet Nathan.
Cain on the contrary was complaining about the nature of the judgement he received claiming that it was too heavy on him. We are reminded of this kind of attitude in Hebrews 12:16-17,
16 that there be no sexually immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. 17 For you know that even afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.
Esau is referred to as being Godless and this same qualifier can be applied to Cain because he found no room for repentance. On the contrary, just like Esau, he sought God because he didn’t like the judgement he received. He was only concerned again with himself. David repented when confronted about his sin , we read about the proper heart posture we must have when God disciplines us, See psalm 51.
The Kindness Of God ( Verse 15)
I trust it is clear to you that the main theme of chapter 4 is God’s patience with humanity. Cain should have been put to death right then and then by God. However, verse 15 demonstrates that God extends him mercy in the hopes that Cain will finally comprehend God’s grace, come to terms with his sinful nature, confess his transgression, and turn to God for mercy. This is consistent with Ezekiel 33:11,
11 Say to them, ‘As I live!’ declares the Lord [a]God, ‘I take no pleasure at all in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then should you die, house of Israel?’
Nobody is aware of the mark that God placed on Cain, but one thing is for certain: God abhors vengeful vendettas, and in order to stop a cycle of murders, HE marked Cain to prevent him and others from carrying on a homicidal spree.
We see this with the Blood and Crips in South central LA where one murder serves as the starting point for an infinite string of other killings. God therefore put a mark on Cain to shield him from the consequences of the new environment he was going in. The kindness of God really fills this chapter.
Basically the repercussions for killing Cain would be seven times as much on the one who does it. God is the ultimate judge and anyone willing to kill Cain is directly defying God and the judgement pronounced on that person would also be at the hands of God . We are told of a similar situation in the book of Samuel where the sons of Eli sin directly against God. So anyone killing Cain would be directly sinning against God Himself. All sin is ultimately against God but there are levels to it and anyone bold enough to kill Cain will be ultimately sinning with a high hand, see Numbers 15:29-31
Descent Into Darkness ( Verse 16)
Cain left the Lord’s presence and was glad to do so. He was no longer under the favor of God. While they were no longer in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were only a distance away from the the Lord’s presence. Away from the Lord’s presence, Cain was now in the same situation the serpent was in ( cursed). Not just Cain, but all the future generations that will descend from him will be under this predicament as well. Because of him, his children would be absent from the Lord’s presence. The terrible aspect is that he was happy to do so and went and made himself at home in Nod. ( nod gives the idea of restlessness and means to wander).
What Can We Learn From These Verses?
1.Sin if left unchecked leads to far worse consequences. When the Spirit of God convicts us of sin, our first reaction should not be to deny or justify what we have done, but to quickly confess it. This is scriptural because failing to acknowledge our transgressions pushes us further from the Lord’s presence. The more we wait to confess our sins, the more we offend the Holy Spirit, lose our ability to hear His voice, and fall further into darkness.
2.God is slow to anger and abounding in love. Even after Cain’s arrogance, irreverence , God was still willing to listen to Him in hopes that he would recognize the gracious offer of repentance and turn away from his sin but he didn’t. What about you and I? What do you do with the patience of God? Do you treat Him with contempt because HE is slow to anger or does that lead you to get on your knees? Some people think that God is like a cosmic Santa Claus , we have no clue that our sins are infinitely offensive to Him. We forget what 2 Peter 3:9, says,
The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
His patience is not so that we abuse it but it is so that we recognize its purpose- to lead us to repentance.
3. Going east of Eden is the same as leaving the Lord’s presence and drifting through life. Like Cain, we might even create a great family life that doesn’t seem like drifting, but we are left to our own devices in the dark, under a curse, and outside of God’s favor. The rest of chapter 4 will show how catastrophic the effects are.. And our sins not only are going to affect us but also the generations to come.
In conclusion, we see how disobedience against God’s commands can lead to tragic consequences, such as those experienced by Cain after murdering his brother Abel as a result of disregarding discipline from the Lord himself. We must remember this account and strive to never allow ourselves or our hearts to follow the path laid out in its wake – one with no hope or redemption that leads to nothing but further darkness and sinfulness all around us.
PS: I started Tayibs.com for the sole purpose of exploring difficult questions about the Christian faith that most of us shy away from. All the content generated on this website is thoroughly analyzed prior to being shared. And the site is run solely by myself, your generous support is very much appreciated
My name is Tayib Salami and I started Tayibs.com for the sole purpose of exploring difficult questions about the Christian faith that most of us shy away from. In 2017, I entered a very dark time in my life and it’s only by the grace of the Living God that I’m still alive today. It led me to really go deeper in my faith and consider a myriad of questions that I never thought about asking myself or others before. Welcome and enjoy the ride with me.