Genesis 4: Cain and Abel ...

Monday, Aug 26, 2013. We are now leaving the creation story and moving into the history of mankind. In the transition part, we find the story about Cain and Abel, the first sons of Eve. The story is highly interesting, let us have a look:

Missing Trust …

1 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. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground.

3 In 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. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. 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 for you, but you must rule over it.” 8 Cain spoke to Abel his brother. 4 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. 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,6 east of Eden. 17 Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. (Gen 4, 1-17) Let us first discuss the framework of this story. We hear about the sons of Adam and Eve, the first men. That puts it right after the creation of mankind. But we need to note that the framework is not as simple as it seems first, since Cain fears to be murdered by others, i.e. this puts it into a time where mankind has already distributed itself. Also, Cain found his wife in the land of Nod, east of Eden. Somehow the story carries out a jump into a time, where mankind has spread into the earth already. Another viewpoint is that Cain married one of his sisters. Personal Knowledge and Separation …**

The main focus of the story is again faith and the relationship to God, which is in its focus. The key point here is about some type of alienation, which takes place between Cain and the Lord. It is taking place in a framework where God and mankind have a working relationship. Cain and Abel are offering. They seem to believe in the Lord. They are giving him the first fruits of their fields and their lifestock. But it seems that Abel is trusting in the Lord, but Cain is not.

The story is interesting, since it reflects processes which take place in our churches until today. People come to church, they have this working relationship to the Lord. But then there is the danger to be separated from him. There is the danger that there is mistrust coming into our heart. We still continue as if nothing had happened, but we do not trust any more. And then everything is possible. When people observe, that Christians do not behave as they should, … in this story we have the template for such behaviour: missing trust and the severe consequences which can or will follow.

In this story, humans are known to the Lord. It will be a general principle in the whole bible. It always talks in a personal and very intimate way about humans. The Lord always calls them by name. He knows everyone. And there is an important final point: The story wants to ask us about our own relationship to the Lord. Are we more like Abel, or more like Cain. Where is our trust? Do we trust him the way Abel did? Or is the separation, which is called “sin” (=gap, rift) already between us and the Lord? It leads us back to the New Testament, to the reconciliation which Jesus brings … (Roland Potthast) ... more texts