Cain and Abel
| Cain and Abel | |
|---|---|
| Period | Time of Adam and Eve |
| Relationship | Older brother (Cain) and younger brother (Abel) |
| Family | Father: Adam, Mother: Eve |
| Occupation(Features) | Cain: Farmer, Abel: Shepherd |
| Activity area | Cain: Land of Nod, east of Eden |
Cain and Abel were the sons of Adam and Eve, the first man and woman created by God. Cain (Hebrew: קַיִן)[1] was their first son, and Abel (Hebrew: הֶבֶל)[2] was their second. The name Cain means “spearer” or “acquired.”[3][4][5] Abel’s name means “breath” or “vapor.”[5][6] Cain became the first murderer in the history of mankind by killing his younger brother Abel.
Historical Background
Cain and Abel appear in the book of Genesis in the Old Testament. Adam and Eve, the progenitors of the human race, were their parents. Adam and Eve gave birth to Cain and Abel after they were expelled from the Garden of Eden for violating God’s command, “You shall not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Ge 2:16–17). Since Adam and Eve lived long before the time of Noah, there is a lack of archaeological records of that time. The Bible, however, gives a glimpse of how they lived during that time. The Bible records that Cain worked the soil and built a city east of Eden.[7] Based on this, it is presumed that they lived in the early days of human civilization.
Cain and Abel’s Sacrifices
The First Sacrifices
When Cain and Abel grew up, they each presented offerings to God. Since Cain worked the soil, he brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering. Abel, however, brought fat portions from some of the firstborns of his flock. God looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but not on Cain’s. Because of this, Cain was very angry and his face was downcast.[8]
The First Murder
When Cain became angry, God rebuked him and said, “If you did what is right, why is your face downcast?” (Ge 4:6–7) and told him to control his anger; however, Cain ignored God’s word and killed Abel while they were in the field. Cain then became the first murderer in the history of mankind.[9] Even after he committed murder, he did not regret it; rather, he tried to hide his sin. God punished Cain by making the ground no longer yield crops for him and he became a restless wanderer. Cain left God’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden. Cain started a family there and gave birth to a son, Enoch. This Enoch is not the Enoch who was a descendant of Seth and ascended to heaven alive. After his son’s birth, Cain built a city and named it after him. After Cain sinned, Adam and Eve gave birth to their third son, Seth.[10]
Lesson
The Forgiveness of Sins and the Shedding of Blood
The Bible highlights Cain as the one who belonged to the evil one and Abel as righteous.[11]
Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous.
Apostle Paul testified that the reason Abel was approved by God as a “righteous man” was because by faith he offered a better sacrifice than Cain’s.[12] God accepted the sacrifice of Abel because it was a sacrifice offered with the shedding of blood. The main purpose of sacrifice is for the forgiveness of sins. The Bible teaches that there must be bloodshed for the forgiveness of sins.
In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
As Adam violated God’s command and ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, all mankind, the descendants of Adam, became sinners.[13]
Humans, who are slaves to sin, must offer sacrifices with the shedding of blood to receive the forgiveness of sins. When God revealed the truth, Abel obediently sacrificed a lamb while Cain disobeyed and offered some of the fruits of the soil as he pleased. God’s approval of their offerings was dependent on their obedience to God’s command.
The sacrificial system of the shedding of blood was handed down to the forefathers of faith such as Noah and Abraham.[14][15][16] It was codified during the time of Moses and the Sabbath and the seven feasts in three times were enacted. The animal sacrifices represent the sacrifice of Christ who would be hung on the cross for the sins of all mankind in the future.[17][18][19] The New Testament testifies that Christ’s sacrifice on the cross is a better sacrifice than Abel’s.[20][21] The representative ordinance established through the sacrifice of Christ is the Passover of the new covenant.[22][23][24] To establish this truth, beginning with Abel, He taught us about the sacrifice of the shedding of blood.[25]
Love Is the Fulfillment of the Law
The feeling of hate Cain had for his brother led to murder. In the Old and New Testaments, the act of hating one’s brothers is regarded as a sin.[26] Jesus also gave a warning against treating brothers in faith carelessly.[27] In addition, Apostle John regarded hating brothers as equal to murder and said, “Do not be like Cain.”[28]
Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother . . . Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.
Those who practice brotherly love can be born again with the divine nature.[29] God wants His people to love one another, rejoice always, pray continuously, and give thanks in all circumstances.[30][31] This way of life leads to the fulfillment of the law.[32]
See also
Related videos
- Sermon: Worship Service & the Forgiveness of Sins
References
- ↑ 7014. Qayin, Bible Hub
- ↑ 59. Abel, Bible Hub
- ↑ "Genesis 4:1".
- ↑ Milton's Legacy, Kristin A. Pruitt, Susquehanna University Press, pg. 72, 2005
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Cain & Abel, Jeff A. Benner, Ancient Hebrew Research Center
- ↑ Abel, Patrick Hanks, Dictionary of American Family Names, 3-Volume Set, 2003, pg. 3
- ↑ "Genesis 4:16–17".
- ↑ "Genesis 4:1–5".
- ↑ Cain & Abel, World History Encyclopedia, September 13, 2021
- ↑ "Genesis 4:6–17, 25".
- ↑ "Matthew 23:35".
- ↑ "Hebrews 11:4".
- ↑ "Romans 5:12".
- ↑ "Genesis 8:20–21".
- ↑ "Genesis 15:9–10, 17".
- ↑ "Genesis 22:13".
- ↑ "John 1:29".
- ↑ "Mark 10:45".
- ↑ "Hebrews 13:12".
- ↑ "Hebrews 12:24".
- ↑ "Hebrews 9:12–15".
- ↑ "Matthew 26:19, 27-28".
- ↑ "Luke 22:15–20".
- ↑ "John 6:53–54".
- ↑ "Ephesians 1:4–7".
- ↑ "Amos 1:11".
- ↑ "Matthew 5:21–22".
- ↑ "Jude 1:11–16".
- ↑ "2 Peter 1:4–11".
- ↑ "1 Thessalonians 5:16–18".
- ↑ "John 13:34".
- ↑ "Romans 13:10".