1) The Birth of Cain and Abel (4:1-2)
2) The Sacrifices of Cain and Abel (4:3-7)
• Abel: Firstlings of the flock accepted by God
• Cain: Produce of the ground rejected by God
▪ Because it was not an animal sacrifice
▪ Because it was the work of Cain's hands
▪ Because it was not the best Cain had to offer
3) Cain Murders of Abel (4:8)
• Motivated by jealousy
4) Cain's Punishment (4:9-16)
• Cain the cultivator would be cursed from the ground
• Cain would be a vagrant in the earth
• Because of his grace, God placed a mark upon him so that
no one would kill him.
• Cain dwelled in Nod ("wandering").
5) Cain's Descendants (4:17-24)
• Enoch: Built city of Enoch, perhaps to neutralize God’s curse
• Lamech: Inauguration of polygamy
▪ The Song of the Lamech/The Song of the Sword: Lamech’s
taunt-song reveals the swift progress of sin. Where Cain had
succumbed to it, Lamech exults in it
• Tubal-cain: Industry of forging metal objects implies weaponry
• Summary: One must be careful what he or she does, because a
person's descendants will follow his or her path!
6) Seth and Enosh (4:25-26)
• Seth born to Eve after Abel's death. The righteous lineage of the
Messiah passed through him.
• Enosh, Seth's son, possesses a name that means "mortal."
Mankind's mortality was the reason why people began to call on
God. By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain
. . . (Heb. 11:4a).
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