The Better Word (Gen 4:1–16)
Jesus’s Blood Speaks A Better Word
Genesis 4:1-16
MPS: Jesus’s shed blood testifies that we have all sinned like Cain, but that our debt has been paid in full.
Introduction
Most days I check my mail or see the news in this election season, I’m confronted with solutions to our world’s violence and brokenness? The promises are big. Though these messages would disagree with me, the solution we need is not a politician or a political philosophy; it’s not education or equal rights. Though each of these things may benefit society in various ways, today’s text shows us that each and every human was born into a spiritual war against sin. The war is made up of many thousands of daily battles throughout your life, and listen to this, the outcome of each of those battles has the potential to wreak havoc not only on yourself, but also the world. You can’t address a spiritual war with only natural solutions. I want to show you today that there is only one answer for true victory over sin, that is, the shed blood of Jesus.
Context
We left off last week with Adam and Eve exiled from God’s presence, looking westward at the garden of Eden and the tree of life within the garden, now guarded by a great angel of God. Their relational dynamic with God had changed in a very real sense. Yet their task remained the same. Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth. So now, under the mercy of God, clothed by God with fresh animal skins, Adam and Eve took on the world East of Eden. Let’s look at verse 1:
Reconciliation
Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.” 2 And again, she bore his brother Abel.
Adam knew Eve. This is the first mention of Adam and Eve’s sexual intimacy. I don’t think it’s because they hadn’t been sexually active up to this point, but only to emphasize the coming narrative about their offspring.
I appreciate this word choice, “knew”, which the Bible often uses to for sexual intercourse. The word denotes intimacy, closeness. This is important to me, especially after learning about the strained dynamic that the marriage would have. It’s good to be reminded that God’s design for marriage and sex within marriage is good and intended for intimacy, not for domination or self-service, but for intimate relationship.
It’s also encouraging to see this sexual union after such a tragic ordeal surrounding their sin, their blaming of one another and the consequences that followed. We don’t get a picture of a couple out in the desert slinging more accusations against each other – “Now look what you’ve got us into, Eve”, but a moment of reconciliation. Further, this act may be an act of faith for them, believing that God will use their children/offspring to crush the Serpent as promised in 3:15.
Take note, when you are surrounded by brokenness because of your sin, the answer is never to dive deeper into sin, but to turn towards God, cling to his promises, and press on. When we do, we find God’s grace falling on us like a blanket allowing life to spring up even from death, which is exactly what we see here in the text.
To God Be the Glory
We’re told that Eve conceived and gave birth to a son, Cain, and again to Able, a second son. If you are not amazed at the grace of God today, who covers our sin and allows us to live to see good things that we do not deserve, take note from Eve’s words: “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord (Yahweh).”
Anyone who has had a child here can relate to these words and the relief and deep sense that God helped you do the impossible. But I believe there is more meaning in Eve’s words. Eve, in her fallen state, could not help but give God praise for giving her offspring. She endured the intense pain God promised would come as a result of her sin and came through alive along with a healthy child, given to her by God. Mothers, it is right for you to praise God for his mercy when you come through a childbirth.
But this is not just for mothers. Anything we do with success on this side of the fall should produce praise. Yes, God deserves glory for all things simply because he is our Creator, but he deserves glory doubly because he gives good things to sinners.
Transition: Now the scene is going to shift quickly to the grown brothers and give you a picture of their lives East of Eden. Verse 2b:
Sacrifices
Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground.
We see both Cain and Abel working to provide for themselves and for the family in different roles, Abel as a shepherd, and Cain as a farmer. And were told that: 3In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, 4 and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions.
Both brothers brought offerings to Yahweh. And why were they bringing offerings to God? Moses’s audience, Israel, understood this well. But you have to remember that this moment was long before God gave the Law spelling out the demands for offerings and sacrifices. We can only conclude, then, that they followed the patterns of worship they learned from their parents. And where did Adam and Eve learn this? Well, it was God who sacrificed the first animal for their sin covering. So Cain and Abel, along with their parents, were taught by God and seem to have a sense that God is both worthy of sacrificial worship and owed a debt for their sin.
Let me ask you, do you live with this same sense of God’s worthiness and of your debt to God? One clear implication of this text is that this is the right heart posture for a human in relationship with God. We ought to fear him and worship him sacrificially.
When we fail to do so, there is a real effect on our relationship with God.
Verses 4-5 are an example of this.
Right Sacrifices
And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard.
This text has been somewhat offensive to me over the years. Didn’t Cain bring an offering? Shouldn’t that be enough, God? I’ve thought to myself, didn’t I go to church? Or give an offering? Or say no to these other sins? Shouldn’t that be enough? But Genesis rebukes this thinking. If God has the authority to create reality, to define good and evil, and to establish a covenant relationship with us on his terms, doesn’t he also have authority to judge between righteous and unrighteous actions.
We aren’t given many specifics here as to why God rejected Cain’s offering but we do have a few. Let’s compare the two offerings. Cain’s offering is described as “an offering of the fruit of the ground.” That sounds pretty good! Seems like a fitting offering for a farmer. But in verse 4, we’re told that Abel…brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. While Cain’s offering is described in generic terms, “fruit of the ground”, Abel’s offering is described with these important details, “firstborn [or best] of his flock”, and from the best parts of the animal, “the fat portions”.
While it’s possible that God rejected Cain simply because he didn’t offer an animal, which is the prescribed covering for sin in God’s Law, I think it is more likely that he was not accepted because he had not given of his best like Abel. We know from the Law of Moses that God received offerings of food and drink from his people as an acceptable and pleasing act of worship. But we also know that the acceptable offering was not just any offering, it was to be the first fruits of the crop, the best of the best (Leviticus 23:9-14).
This implies that Cain’s offering came from the wrong heart posture. Perhaps he gave out of duty or obligation instead of pure worship. In keeping back the best for himself, Cain is saying something about how he views God and himself. He is weighing himself as greater than God.
Church, it’s not just what you offer to God in worship, but how you offer worship to him. Does your gift to God with money, or work, or service reflect a belief that he is supreme and deserving of our very best, or does it reflect a heart that says “What’s the least I can do for God to be saved?….” Do you see the difference?
Human Sin Nature and the War
Cain’s response to God’s rejection exposes his evil heart even more.
So Cain was very angry, and his face fell.
We are so often like Cain aren’t we, thinking we are a better judge than God? Not only do we fail to give God what is appropriate, we then rage at him when he points it out.
Listen to the Lord’s response in verse 6:
6 The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you [or to rule over you], but you must rule over it.”
The Lord spoke to Cain. It’s encouraging to me, that though mankind has been removed from the Garden, God still has a relationship with humans. God mercifully pursues Cain here and speaks directly with him like a Father would speak to a child. With his questions, he works to draw Cain towards repentance like he did with Adam and Eve.
First, he simply challenges Cain, “Why are you angry when you know you’ve done wrong?” Does not our conscience agree with God when we do wrong?
Next, God teaches Cain about the intimate relationship and conflict humans now have with sin. This is where I want to focus for a while. Mankind’s relationship with sin began when our first parents chose to be judge for themselves, to redefine what was right and wrong.
While Adam and Eve had temptation to sin like Cain, they did not have an intimate struggle with sin like God describes here. Do you see how God personifies sin, as if sin is an enemy or wild animal crouching at the door of our hearts ready to pounce on us. God says that sin’s desire is to rule the human, to enslave them. God describes to Cain this relationship in terms of warfare. Sin wants to control us but we must rule over it and kill it. God describes a new active warfare that humans, that is you and me, are born into after the fall,
No one chooses to be born with a human nature disposed towards sin and at war, but we are. All of us.
Now, in warfare, there isn’t an option. If you don’t kill the enemy, they kill you. God is telling Cain, “take up arms, son. You can’t be passive in this fight.” Likewise, the famous puritan preacher John Owen famously said, “Be killing sin, or sin will be killing you.”
You need to understand that sin is never satisfied. We often think that little compromises aren’t that serious. But that’s like saying that starting a little brush fire in the hills of California isn’t that serious. Sin is like a flame that is never satisfied and human souls are like endless kindling, that is, unless we put the fire out – unless we rule over it.
God is teaching us in this story that when we take a wrong course of action it is not easily reversible, we are only giving sin an opportunity to destroy us! The human life is not a half in half out experience, though we’d like to believe it is. There are really only two paths, two sides in the war. Which side are you on?
Instead of killing his sin, instead of leaning into the mercy of God and repenting, Cain gives way to sin. Verse 8:
8 Cain spoke to Abel his brother. Presumably he has plotted his murder and allures him into the field with him.
And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.
Pause. I was struck again this morning by the utter disregard for God’s warning. How many times has God come to us with a prick of the conscience or words of warning from friends or otherwise, and we ignore him.
This is a tragic moment in the story. Friends, this is the first recorded death of a human in Scripture and it was a result of sin. Cain allowed his sinful anger and jealousy to overtake him. Sin has clearly become Cain’s master.
Church, when we are not submitted to God as master in everything, sin is ready to take control, and like a lion to come and devour not only you but also those around you. Just as Adam’s decision to submit to the Serpent and to sin led to an undoing of life and relationship, Cain’s sin is going to begin a similar cycle of death and brokenness for him and others. The same is true today. Why is there division, war, racism, and murder in the news every day? Because humans give way to their sin!
In verse 9, the Lord again pursues Cain with a question:
9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” [Cain] said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?”
Similar to his question to Adam, God again gives Cain an opportunity to repent, but Cain adds sin on top of sin, showing his slavery to sin, and lies directly to the face of God – “I don’t know; am I my brother’s keeper?”
Cain’s sad excuse is telling of human nature. We are so quick to ignore the suffering of others generally but even more to deflect the suffering our sin causes others.
But friends, Cain’s rhetorical question is a lie. We are our brother’s keeper. The charge God gave to mankind to guard the garden from evil is broad and I believe it includes looking after our neighbors in the garden. We see this in the beautiful summation of the Law: love your neighbor as yourself. We are our brother’s keeper. Verse 10:
10 And the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground.
Cain thinks he can hide but there is no hiding with God. Listen to the shocking words of God, “The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground.” When we think we’re crafty and sly, even inanimate unexpected things expose our sins to God. Nothing gets by the Judge of all. Nothing is hidden and every dark action will be revealed in time.
Hear this, not one sin is hidden to God. You are only kidding yourself if you hide.
God is calling Cain out directly. You murdered your brother. Let’s see how God responds. Verse 11:
Cain Is Cursed
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.”
Breaking the relationship with God always has consequences. God deals out two curses on Cain. We see 1) he is “cursed from the ground”, that is the ground which has already been cursed is only going to become more difficult for him. 2) God says that he will live as a fugitive and a wanderer on earth. Not only will he struggle to survive because the earth will not yield fruit to him, he will forever be a stranger and will constantly run from others.
Hear this: though God does not always bring devastating judgment on us for our sins, sometimes he increases our struggle in this life. Do you know that about God, that as a merciful reminder that sin leads to death, he sometimes gives us consequences and hardship in this life. I’m not saying that hardship in life is always the result of sin, but that if you are in sin and you find life to be a constant burden, consider that you may be bringing it on yourself by choosing to walk in sin. And don’t be deceived and think that if your life is free of hardship that God accepts you. You can eat and drink and be merry all the days of your life and find only severe judgment awaiting you for your sin. The point is this: your prosperity in this life is not the judge of your life, but God alone.
Accusing God of Injustice
13 Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. 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.”
I cannot spend much time here, but man, I sure hear my own voice in Cain’s words. How about you? Rather than responding with humility and fear, Cain, like us, accuses God of injustice.
One thing he gets right is that to be hidden from the face of God is truly devastating. But even his sadness about this seems to be more a concern for his own prosperity than a concern for his relationship with God.
Is this what your response to sin looks like?
Look at verse 15:
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, east of Eden.
Do you see the merciful character of God here?
Instead of destroying Cain or honoring the man who might kill Cain, God promises sevenfold retribution on the one who might do so. God is saying, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay.” He even put a special mark on Cain so that he might not be attacked. He provides merciful provision even for this wayward sinner!
Though God protects Cain, he is still driven even further into exile away from the presence of God, east of Eden. Sam said last week that the worst consequence of sin is our separation from God’s presence. And here again, the Bible emphasizes this truth. Separation from God is to have your life undone.
An important theme is emerging from the story. The offspring that is supposed to be victorious over the Serpent often aligns themselves with him, plunging themselves deeper and deeper into sin. The further from God, the greater the sin and the destruction on earth.
The Coming Offspring
Adam and Eve’s sin eventually led to the loss of both of their sons, one to murder, and another to sin’s destructive path, and it just gets worse.
We’ll learn next week that a group of people emerges who call on the Lord in the fight against sin. But even the people of God are overcome by their sin as the story unfolds. Even the famous heroes of the Bible fall short.
And the same is true of all of us. All of us have been overtaken by sin at times in our life, hurting ourselves and others. What’s the problem with the world? “I am”, said G.K. Chesterton in a famous interview.
Therefore, we are all justly under condemnation and face death and eternal separation from God as our ultimate penalty. Every human on the planet desperately needs a Savior.
But the Good News we have been proclaiming each week and to which we cling, is that the Lord Jesus Christ is the true promised offspring of God born into this world, the second Adam who was tempted in every way that we are and yet was without sin. He alone lived a completely righteous life and won the war against sin.
Yet he too died as if he was condemned. He too was cast away from the presence of God. Why? Jesus was murdered on the cross not because he deserved it. But because he loved us.
The Better Word
Did you know that Able’s shed blood has something in common with Christ’s? Able’s blood testified to God against Cain. Likewise, Jesus’s sprinkled blood testifies to God on our behalf. How so? For all who reject Jesus, his blood is testifying to God the grievous sins we’ve committed - that sin did in fact overcome us. But where Able’s blood only had power to testify against Cain, Jesus’s blood has the power to testify for us, that for all who come to Jesus in faith, it speaks a better word, a saving word, testifying that our penalty has been paid in full!
Listen to Hebrews 12:23-24: “You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.”
Jesus, the Lamb of God, was sacrificed and his blood was sprinkled on his church, so that we don’t have to hide from God or try to cover ourselves anymore! Jesus’s blood should condemn us, but instead, it rewrites our history and speaks of our future destiny in his Kingdom.
So how should we live in light of this truth? I want to call everyone here to take up arms and re engage in the war against your sin.
How? You need to know, first, that you cannot do it alone! This was an error I made for many years and still often make. Instead of clinging to Jesus and the Gospel, I try to fight my sin in my own strength. Church, the Gospel is central to overcoming our sin. There are natural things we can do to help us cut off sin in our lives, but as one friend said to me years ago, you can’t kill vanity by just smashing all the mirrors you see.
Instead, the Bible ties our victory over sin tightly to our faith in Jesus and this Gospel. If you are in Christ, you are no longer a slave to sin. Perhaps you can’t overcome sin because you keep looking at yourself instead of Christ. Instead of focusing on self, focus on your baptism, and on Christ’s testimony that you died to sin in his death and rose to new life in his resurrection and were filled with the Holy Spirit. In Christ, you are no longer a slave to sin. God not only calls us to rule over our sin, but has also provided for us everything we need to do it. How then shall we overcome? By the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony?
Do you see how God keeps coming after us over and over even when we reject him? But there is a day when his mercy will cease. Today is the day of salvation, and our God is inviting you to be set free from your slavery to sin and worship him with clean hands through Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit. This is the only way to fix this world’s violence and brokenness. So let’s call Jesus, who overcame, be thankful for what he has done, and worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.