14.

GENESIS SERIES:
Cain: The First Murder – Genesis 4:8-16
‘And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up
against Abel his brother, and slew him. And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he
said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper? And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's
blood crieth unto me from the ground. And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her
mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand; When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth
yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth. And Cain said unto the
LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face
of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it
shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me. And the LORD said unto him, Therefore
whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain,
lest any finding him should kill him. And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the
land of Nod, on the east of Eden. (Genesis 4:8-16).’

Having already seen the circumstances leading up to the murder of Abel, in this study
we turn to consider the actual murder itself. Abel’s worship had been found acceptable
to God while Cain’s had not. Cain’s display of self-righteous merit-based religion soon
gave way to an attitude of arrogant pride and fury against both Abel and God. God then
warned Cain of the dangerous state he was now in with sin ready to seize him and
enslave him. What would be the result of this crisis?

Verse 8: The sad result of Cain’s unmortified sin was the tragic death of his brother Abel
at his own hands. We don’t know what Cain said to his brother that fateful day, but in
some manner he lured his brother into the field. Once in the field Cain killed his brother.
Here then was the first case of pre-meditated murder.

NOTE: INDIVIDUAL DISCOVERY QUESTION HERE: What does Cain’s answer to God in verse 9
reveal about Cain’s understanding of the nature of God?

Verse 9: In this verse we see what is now a familiar pattern in the lives of men - lies! In
an all too familiar manner God questions Cain in order to gain a confession of Cain’s sin,
yet all Cain does is continue to try and hide the evidence of his crime. He has fled the
scene of the crime and now denies any knowledge of it. Cain lies to God and thinks he
will get away with it - how far sin has depraved man!

Genesis Bible Study Series: 14. Cain: The First Murder - Genesis 4:8-16 1
Cain in his answer reveals his selfishness, for he shows no concern for his brother’s well
being, let alone remorse for his actions. ‘I am not responsible for my brother - that’s not
my job!’ Cain was concerned for self before all others.

QUESTION: What does Cain’s response to the death of Abel tell us about the character of
Cain and his understanding of God?

Are there any similarities between Cain’s reaction to his sin and that of sinners today?
Explain.

Verse 10: Cain’s sin has not gone by unnoticed - it was fully known by God. Upon Cain’s
denial of involvement in the death of Abel, God presented the evidence arrayed against
Cain and pronounced judgment upon him. There could be no escape, for the crime was
fully known to God and now the judgment would be given. There can be no escape from
the justice of God!

Verses 11 and 12: Having been found and pronounced guilty by God, Cain must now
hear God’s judgment upon him. God’s judgment upon Cain strikes at the very root of
Cain’s sin - his self-righteous pride and merit based religion. That in which Cain’s
self-righteousness prospered - his very success with cultivating the ground - is the area
in which God inflicted his punishment.

As a further consequence of his sin Cain was destined to be a vagabond or an outcast

who wandered the earth. Never would he feel secure. His conscience would always be
accusing and his mind would always be fleeing from the shadows of his pursuers (as he
would always be looking over his shoulders for fear of an avenger). His would be an
unhappy lot for life.

Verses 13 and 14: In an answer that reflects society today, Cain reacted against his just
punishment with a ‘that’s not fair’ attitude. Cain felt as though he had been harshly
dealt with and if there had been an appeals court he would have appealed the sentence.
Yet in reality this was a sentence full of grace, for God could have righteously struck Cain
down there and then. Yet in all this Cain was unrepentant.

Cain recognized that he would now be considered an outcast and that also he would be
regarded with disfavor by God Himself - in his view it was ‘over the top (overly harsh)’
punishment. With all this in mind Cain believed that he would now be a target for
vengeful men and that he had no future.

Verse 15: In this verse God declares that he has no time for vigilante-like justice in the
case of Cain. If Cain is killed by anyone who finds him then that person will be held even
more to account than Cain has been for his sin. In fact, God will hold such a person

Genesis Bible Study Series: 14. Cain: The First Murder - Genesis 4:8-16 2
accountable seven times more than he held Cain.

To protect Cain, God would place some sort of mark upon him. Just what the mark was
that God put upon Cain is unknown. Every suggestion put forward is mere speculation.
But it’s purpose was to protect Cain against any who would take revenge upon him (and
mark him out as the man who murdered Abel), indicating that Cain was under God’s
protection - yet more evidence of God’s gracious dealing with Cain.

Verse 16: Instead of confession and repentance on the part of Cain, there is a
continuation of that now tried and accepted practice - a fleeing from the consequences
of sin and responsibility for his own actions. He flees further east from Eden to the land
of Nod. Here is a further attempt to be free from the sight of God and the feelings of
guilt associated with the place of his former dwelling.

INDIVIDUAL DISCOVERY

What does Lamech’s declaration relating to his murder of a man reveal about his
character and position before God?

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Genesis Bible Study Series: 14. Cain: The First Murder - Genesis 4:8-16 3