Start of Urbanization
The name Cain (from the Hebrew qanah, “to acquire” or “to possess”) suggests Eve saw his birth as
a gift, maybe a source of God’s promised deliverance [Genesis 3:15]. Instead,
Cain became the first murderer, killing out of jealousy [Genesis 4:8].
And
in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the
fruit of the ground to the Lord. 4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his
flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He
did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his
countenance fell (Genesis 4:3-5).
Cain and Abel took the offering to the guarded meeting place
with God, where the Tree of Life was. God accepted Abel's sacrifice, which may have
been by consuming the sacrifice with fire. However, Cain's sacrifice was not
accepted. Cain and Abel were not offering a sin offering. Therefore, the
assumption that Cain's sacrifice was not accepted because it had no blood might
be wrong.
God does not desire ritualistic sacrifices out of outward
form. He desires faith, obedience, and genuine worship from the heart [Hebrews
11:4]. Those who worship Him, must do so in spirit and truth, with sincerity
and righteousness [Isaiah 1:11–13; John 4:23–24].
By
faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which
he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and
through it he being dead still speaks (Hebrews 11:4).
A sacrifice offered without faith and a heart aligned with
God’s truth, it becomes the effort of dead religion. True sacrifice flows from
love for God, trust in His word, and a desire to honor Him.
Sacrifices offered to God should be by faith, with a desire
to worship Him in spirit and in truth. Cain approached God with a transactional
mindset, giving to receive, instead of trusting and obeying God’s revealed way.
He sought divine favor on his own terms, disregarding God’s warnings [Genesis
4:6–7], he valued personal advantage over reverence. In contrast, Abel's
sacrifice was through faith and humility. True worship flows not from ritual,
but from love, trust, and a heart aligned with God’s truth.
Woe
to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error
of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah (Jude 11).
This was the downfall of Gehazi;
he pursued material blessings at the expense of having the favor of God.
God’s warning to Cain
God warned Cain about the destructive power of sin. Cain had
a choice: resist sin, overcome its drive, allow God to master him, and find
blessing, or give in to sin, become a slave of sin, and be devoured.
If
you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at
the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it (Genesis
4:7).
Regrettably, Cain allowed sin to master him. He lured his
brother into the field, murdered him, and tried to escape responsibility. He
showed contempt for God’s counsel.
Acting on the selfish impulses of nature to have a material
gain, in contempt of the warnings of God. Adam’s curse (Genesis 3:17 - 19) was
labor under sweat, the land would yield thorns and thistles, but still produce
food.
Woe
to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error
of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah (Jude 11).
Cain’s false worship, jealousy toward Abel, refusal to
repent, and self-pity over judgment led to a curse of laboring in futility.
Jude 11 warns that the way of Cain that is self-willed religion, like Balaam’s
greed and Korah’s rebellion, places self above God’s will.
Adam's curse was to till the land, but Cain's curse was that
even if he tilled the land, it would not give fruit.
When
you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive
and a vagabond you shall be on the earth.” (Genesis 4:12).
Godly sorrow leads to repentance, but worldly sorrow leads
to lamenting the loss or punishment. Cain saw himself as a victim of an unfair
fate rather than the perpetrator of a grievous wrong. Cain was not remorseful
for his sin, but he felt the punishment was beyond what he could bear. Humans
desire to sin, hate judgment. Sin makes the sinners pity themselves instead of
causing them to turn to God.
Start of urbanization
Cain’s inability to rely on farming forced him to turn to
urban development as a survival strategy. He built and named the first recorded
city after his son Enoch. This was a man-centered legacy, instead of
God-centered worship. Cain's curse also led to the rise of specialized
professions. His descendants pioneered early civilization:
Jabal – Father of pastoralists, Jubal – Father of musicians,
inventing the lyre and pipe, Tubal- Master of bronze and ironwork, forging
tools and weapons.
And
Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. And he built a city, and
called the name of the city after the name of his son—Enoch (Genesis 4:17).
In each of the developments, it
enhanced culture and comfort, but did not mention seeking God. Human skills
flourished, but spiritual decline deepened.
Lamech’s arrogant boast
Even after acknowledging of Adam and Eve’s sin and judgment,
Lamech followed the path of violence after Cain. He murdered and boasted
openly. He pursued violence and polygamy.
If
Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy-sevenfold (Genesis
4:24).
However, beyond his boasting, neither he nor his descendants
are ever heard of again in the Bible. He came to nothing.
First revival
After Abel’s death and Cain’s curse, God blessed Adam and
Eve with Seth. Seth fathered Enosh, and men began to call on the name of the
Lord. Through Enosh, true worship was restored, hearts turned back to God.
And
as for Seth, to him also a son was born; and he named him Enosh. Then men began
to call on the name of the Lord (Genesis 4:26).
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