Sabbath School Lesson for April 9-15, 2022
Overview of Lesson 3
We see the progression of sin and righteousness as it affects the lives of our first parents by examining the lives of their sons, Cain and Abel.
- What can we learn from the births of the two brothers? (Sunday)
- What kind of offerings does God accept? (Monday)
- What was Cain’s crime? (Tuesday)
- What was his punishment? (Wednesday)
- What legacy did Cain leave for his descendants? (Thursday)
Certain themes, based on the consequences of sin, continue in Genesis: such as curses from the ground and their expulsion from God’s presence. The ground was cursed, making it harder to provide for their families; and then, the very ground Adam was made from would also receive his body in death, as it did Abel’s. The planet home God had created for His beloved pair was altered by the separation from God their sin had caused. After their sin, Adam and Eve had to leave the Garden, and later Cain had to leave his family
Memory Text: ” ‘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 NKJV
God made every effort to counsel Cain when he became angry with his brother. Cain must have had a problem with doing the right thing all along. But this time, his choice to kill his brother would have long-lasting results, not just for him, but for his entire family. His present and future would be jeopardized, if he did not repent and change his ways.
Sunday: Cain and Abel
Firstborn children often have a special place in the hearts of parents, as they witness the miracle of birth for the first time. Cain, the firstborn son born to Adam and Eve, certainly gave them joy beyond measure. They recalled God’s promise that someone born to them would be their Deliverer. Surely, it was possible that this son would be the One they longed for.
Genesis 4:1 indicates this to be true when Eve proclaimed upon Cain’s birth that he had come from God. A literal translation leads us to believe she thought him to be the Lord Himself. As the International Standard Version reads, ” ‘I have given birth to a male child–the LORD.’ ” The name Cain comes from the Hebrew verb qanah, which means “to acquire”. This gift, acquired from God, was very precious, causing Adam and Eve to almost worship their firstborn son.
Abel, on the other hand, mentioned briefly in Genesis 4:2, is barely given attention at all in the story. It sayst she bore another son, whose name meant “vapor”. The word for Abel, hebel, is the same word for “vanity”, used several times in Ecclesiastes. It seems that the hope of the first parents rested almost exclusively with Cain, their firstborn.
Discussion Questions:
Genesis 4:1, 2
- What were the differences between these brothers in the eyes of their parents?
- How do their occupations reveal their different personalities?
- How and why were they probably treated differently by their parents?
- Why is it difficult to treat children the same, and yet honor their differences? Why is it important to do this?
Monday: The Two Offerings
We are told that Abel was a shepherd, and Cain was a farmer. Both of these were needed and honorable occupations, as food and clothing are recognized as two things needed for survival.
The keeper of sheep must be patient and compassionate in his dealings with the flock. Abel, no doubt, had these qualities. And the gardener must also show patience and work hard to make the land produce sustenance. Cain must have been more suited to this line of work.
At first, we might tend to see the brothers’ offerings as merely a reflection of their chosen lifework. Cain offered the best of his produce and Abel brought the firstborn of his flock. God had prescribed the lamb offering to represent our forgiveness of sin, but there was also a place for giving the firstfruits of the earth to express thankfulness for the bountiful blessings of God.
The reason God accepted Abel’s offering has been revealed as an indication that Abel was more righteous than Cain (Hebrews 11:4). There must have been some troubling, unforgiven sin in Cain’s life that caused his offering to be rejected. The angry reaction of Cain certainly verifies this assumption.
Discussion Questions:
Genesis 4:3-5 and Hebrews 11:4
- What does Cain’s reaction tell us about why his offering was not accepted?
- Why was Abel’s sacrifice accepted?
Isaiah 1:11 and Micah 6:7
- What is more important to God than our sacrifices, offering, and service?
Tuesday: The Crime
Sin did not just instantly appear and cause Cain to murder his brother that fateful day. There had been angry feelings and jealousy in his thoughts and actions for some time. That was the reason his offering was not accepted. But Cain couldn’t see that reality and his anger was not just at his brother. He seemed to be angry with God as well for not accepting his offering of fruit.
God attempted to deescalate the situation by asking Cain some probing questions. He asked him why he was angry, and even told him why his offering was not accepted. It was because he hadn’t made good choices with his life. God warned Cain that he should not allow this sin in his heart to rule his actions.
Evidently Cain did not accept God’s counsel, and ended up killing Abel, the innocent brother, when he went to talk with him in the field. Abel, throughout the Genesis account, does not speak. We have only the words of God and Cain to inform us of the inward struggle that went on between the brothers.
But, Abel continues to speak to us through this story. As we learn in the faith chapter, Hebrews 11, through his sacrifice “he being dead still speaks.” He was the first martyr and will be forever remembered as the one who gave up his life for God, just as God’s Son gave up His life for us.
Discussion Questions:
Genesis 4:5-8 and 1 John 3:12
- What kind of unrighteousness did Cain have to overcome?
Matthew 5:21-24 and Ephesians 4:26
- How do we not let anger control us and become a sin?
- Is it normal to feel anger, and why?
Wednesday: The Punishment of Cain
As in the Garden after sin, God came looking for His lost children. In this case, God asked Cain where his brother was. The opportunity to confess and repent was graciously offered. But once again, Cain ignored God’s intervention and refused to take responsibility for what he had done. He flippantly replied, “Am I my brother’s keeper?”
God had no choice but to discipline Cain. His punishment was that he would have to leave his family and be a fugitive for the rest of his life. Cain realized that, in his vagabond life, he would be hidden from God’s face (Genesis 4:14). It was only then that Cain saw the dismal possibilities before him and requested God’s protection.
God did all He could to help Cain bear his punishment. But there was nothing else to be done to reverse Abel’s murder. In reply to Cain’s request, God would make it known that a sevenfold punishment would await anyone who tried to harm the firstborn son of Adam and Eve. At least he wouldn’t die the same violent death as his brother Abel.
Discussion Questions:
Genesis 4:9 and Galatians 6:1, 2
- Are we our brother’s keeper? In what way?
Genesis 4:10 and Hebrews 12:24
- What does blood represent?
- Why is blood such an important symbol throughout the Bible?
Genesis 4:11-16
- What was the purpose of Cain’s punishment? What would it accomplish?
Thursday: The Wickedness of Man
The rest of chapter 4 does not paint a pretty picture of what happened to Cain after he left to dwell in the land of Nod. Verse 16 informs us that he actually left the presence of God, an understandable result for the world’s first murderer.
Cain’s son built a city, which was named after him. But his great, great, great grandson Lamech was responsible for the first recorded multiple marriage (Genesis 4:19).
Cain’s descendants fell into various lines of work, but most alarming was Lamech’s poem, bragging about his own experience as a murderer (Genesis 4:23, 24). He told about how Cain would be avenged sevenfold, but his avenger’s curse would be seventy-sevenfold. A dubious point of exaltation, but representative of the wickedness that had multiplied in just a few generations.
God blessed Adam and Eve, however, with another son named Seth to replace the two sons they had lost. The last verse of chapter 4 begins to tell us of Seth’s line of righteous men and women that continued in chapter 5. God would not stop working with those who called on Him and repented of any wrongdoing.
Discussion Questions:
Genesis 4:16-18 and Jonah 1:3
- What does it mean to go away from the presence of God?
Genesis 4:19-22
- How would having two wives affect Lamech’s family?
Genesis 4:23, 24
- What made Lamech’s murder so contemptible?
Genesis 4:25
- Why was the birth of Seth necessary for God’s plan of salvation?
Friday: Conclusion
We see hope in the Messianic promise at the beginning of Genesis 4, and also at the end. The hope in Cain’s birth was short-lived and driven by human desire. But the hope found in Seth was more solid and God-given. In between was the testing time, when Cain should have learned to rule over his sinful tendencies, but didn’t.
Life will always be a struggle to stay on the right side of God and not cause our expulsion from His presence. The unhappy results of the first murder touched the entire family of Adam and Eve, causing great emotional harm to the first parents.
But God had a way of breaking through the gloom and provided them with yet another chance to experience hope in their coming Deliverer. Seth’s descendants would ensure the fulfillment of God’s ultimate plan to save the world from Satan’s rule. This would come about because there would be those who prayed this prayer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRhQU3qsskI
Next Week: The Flood
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