Sin Now, Pay Later

His life was cut off short, though there is a second part to his story. In Verse 25 we read that Adam and Eve have another son, Seth, who is to take Abel’s place.

Seth becomes the ancestor of the godly line and the ancestor of the Messiah.

But we need to realize that Cain’s sin devastated his life too. After he kills his brother, the crime is quickly discovered. 4:9a Then the Lord said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" But Cain refused to admit his guilt. 4:9b "I don’t know," he replied.

"Am I my brother’s keeper?" God cannot be fooled, however, 4:10 The Lord said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground." The Lord then tells Cain the punishment for his crime. 4:11,12

"Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth." Cain’s response to this punishment has been the subject of some discussion. 4:13 Cain said to the Lord, "My punishment is more than I can bear."

Some believe at this point Cain repented, while others see it as simply an expression of despair. Whatever the case, God chooses to show mercy to Cain. He promises to protect him and not allow anyone to kill Cain. 4:15b

Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him.

Then Cain, a man who is guilty of first degree murder, is allowed to go to the land of Nod and build a city where he and his family dwell. Where did Cain’s family come from? It seems clear that Cain’s wife was one of the many daughters of Adam and Eve mentioned in Genesis 5:4. Though being married to one’s sister is certainly a sinful relationship today, incest, God permitted it at that time because there was no one else around. But, Cain and his family don’t live happily ever after in the city of Nod. Violence apparently becomes a tradition within his family. In Verse 23 we see Lamech, who is Cain’s great-great-great-grandson, bragging because he has killed a man. Cain’s descendants grow up never experiencing God’s blessing because, as

Verse 16 said, when Cain left for Nod, he "went out from the Lord’s presence."

VI. Sow hardness, Reap Heartache (Pharaoh – Exodus 1 –14)

Story of Pharaoh and Moses

CLOSING