Mad At the Righteous

Sermon Introduction

SLIDE: 🖥️ GENESIS 4:3-16

The Questions of the Narrative

When we look at the book of Genesis, especially the first several chapters, we are met with a very simple form or narration.

No detailed physical description of Adam, Eve, or their sons. No descriptions of the plants, animals, or the landscape.

No long conversations between God and this first family.

Just a very simple retelling of a few, but pivotal scenes in the beginning of mankind.

The Wife Of Cain

We didn’t read Genesis 4:17, but it begins with Cain and his wife bearing their son named Enoch.

Where did she come from? Was she his sister? Did God created a wife from his rib?

Do you see there are many details we aren’t given?

We have our theories about these things, but the text simply does not give us this information.

Reading Modern Literature

We are used to our modern literature, which does the opposite. I feel like when I read many novels I’m given far too much description of what’s going on.

Just listen to the first couple of lines from Tolkien’s The Hobbit. Listen for the descriptive language of the writing.

In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.

It had a perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green, with a shiny yellow brass knob in the exact middle. The door opened on to a tube-shaped hall like a tunnel: a very comfortable tunnel without smoke, with panelled walls, and floors tiled and carpeted, provided with polished chairs, and lots and lots of pegs for hats and coats—the hobbit was fond of visitors…

This is how the hobbit opens up—much information, probably too much information about this hobbit hole we have no idea what it’s there or why we are given so much detail about it.

Tolkien is an extreme example, but I use him an example of the way stories are told today.

Reading The Bible, We Must Pay Attention To Everything

The ancient writers had less material to write on. It is possible that this account was originally written on clay tablets.

I say all of this to say: It is important for us to realize that the authors of the bible are very selective on what they tell us.

So what they do tell us is important—more important than what is not said.

Why Tell Us The Story Of Cain And Abel?

So of all the stories we’re told during the life of Cain and Abel, why is this one told? Why is this the only story we’re told about Cain and Abel?

Well, let’s find out.

Why Was Cain Sacrifice Not Accepted?

in verses one and two Genesis chapter 4, Eve gives birth to the two sons. One is named Cain and the other able.

In verse two we find that Abel was a keeper of sheep and Cain was a worker of the ground.

Shepherds Of The Bible

If you’re familiar with Old Testament literature you know that shepherds are the good guys. Abel here is a shepherd. Jacob is a shepherd. Moses us is a shepherd. David is a shepherd. Most of the good guys are shepherds.

Jesus calls himself the Good Shepherd.

This is not to say those who are farmers are bad people. But, as you read through the Bible, you’ll notice the theme that shepherds tend to be the good guys.

Worship Of God

The narrative begins in verse 3 and 4 with a worship to God.

Each of the sons brings a sacrifice for worship.

Let me just say again, there are many questions we have the text doesn’t answer for us.

How did they know to sacrifice? What was the correct way to sacrifice? Did Adam or Eve sacrifice with them?

What we know is that these men brought their sacrifices to God.

The Difference Of The Sacrifices

The end of verse 4 and 5 tell us God reacted differently to the sacrifices.

Why?

Cain brought what he worked for, and Abel brought what he worked for.

God liked Abel’s but not Cain’s sacrifice.

Animals Vs. Plants

I used to think that it was because Abel choose the better profession and God liked animal sacrifice over a plant sacrifice.

Do you think that was it? God wanted animals over plants?

No, Leviticus 2 gives a description of different grain offerings before God. An Israelite would take oil, flour, and frankincense and offer that before God.

So I don’t think it was because Cain offered a sacrifice from the fruit of the ground.

That would’ve been a little unfair for Cain—Sorry Cain, because of this profession all your sacrifices you offer before God will never be good enough because God likes animal sacrifices over plants.

Possible Reason

We are not directly told why God didn’t regard Cain’s sacrifice, but I believe there’s a clue.

Notice the quality of the animals that Abel brought in Genesis 4:4.

SLIDE Genesis 4:4

Abel brought the firstborn of and of the fat portions.

This could also be read he brought the fattest of the first born.

In other words, Abel brought the best of the best before God.

So what did Cain bring?

Verse 3 says

SLIDE Genesis 4:3

He brought an offering. Text doesn’t say if the offering was good or bad. He just brought an offering.

What gave was just the minimum. The left overs. Nothing special.

Our Giving

I want to suggest to you that this text shows a connection between our worship and the opportunities we have to sin.

I believe it is God who’s making this point in verse 7.

Cain is angry and he’s down in the dumps. He’s probably brooding over what happened during the sacrifice. Look what God tells Cain: Verse 7

SLIDE GENESIS 4:7

Because Cain did not do well, that is offer an acceptable sacrifice, what happens?

Sin is crouching at the door.

We will talk about God’s description of the nature of Sin in just a moment, but look at the connection.

It’s a condition, “If—then,” phrase.

If you do well—there is acceptance. But if you don’t do well—sin wantss to dominate you.

App: Worship/Sacrifice Put God Back At The Center

So what do we learn from this?

We learn an effective way not to sin, or to even give sin an opportunity to take ahold of us.

Worship

SLIDE: True Worship Leaves No Opportunity For Sin

What about less than the best worship? Is that helpful?

No, in fact that might do a person a lot of harm. If we are going to worship the Lord, we must do it the best way possible.

True Worship’s Posture

Think about this for a second: can prideful people worship something other than themselves?

No, not really—but at least they can make it look like they are truly worshipping.

Only humble people can worship. Only people who—to use the phrase from bible class—only people who are at the end of me can truly worship.

God is the holiest. And when we give him less than the firstborn of the fattest, we may walk away from worshipping believing we have worshipped fully when we haven’t

And that may leave a bad taste in our mouths about worship.

ILL:

Have you every tried to do something difficult but rewarding and you didn’t try hard enough so instead of blaming your efforts you blamed the thing you were trying.

I have.

This happens when I build Ikea furniture. Most Ikea furniture unassembled in a box. Ikea include a little booklet with all the instructions. The instructions are just pictures and most of the time that’s all you need. But when assembling something with multiple sections with many steps, it’s easy to mess up if you are not fully paying attention.

About everytime I put together a large piece of furniture, I will create something that doesn’t look like the pictures.

At this point I can blame one of two things: I can blame myself, maybe I didn’t do it write, maybe I missed something. Or, I can blame Ikea. They missed something, they didn’t create the directions right.

If we show up here late to worship, if we are playing on our phones during bible class, if we rolled out of bed and came to worship half awake… are we giving God our best?

Isn’t it funny how the people who do the least can often complain the most?

Leave no opportunity for sin. Give the Lord your best.

Why did God Talk With Cain The First Time

We now come to the God speaking with Cain. Notice that it is God who initiates the conversation between him and Cain.

God here gives us his description of what Sin’s nature is like.

God’s Patience With Cain (God Comes To Cain)

In verses 6 and 7, God displays that he’s not only willing to speak with Cain, even though he didn’t worship him correctly, but he wants him to succeed.

This scene is like God dusting Cain’s knees off, hoping he will try again.

He approaches Cain this is what God says.

 Genesis 4:6-7
6 “Why are you angry,” said the Lord to Cain, “and why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you refuse to do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires you, but you must master it.”

The Nature Of Sin

God describes sin. But notice how God communicates what sin is.

He doesn’t recite an abstract definition, like you’d find in the dictionary.

He doesn’t give an example of sin, like you’d find a parent telling a young child.

He goes somewhere in between.

God uses a metaphor to describe sin.

He gives us 3 different things about sin. It is alive, predatory, and resistable.

SLIDE It Is Alive

He says it is crouching at the door. God describes sin as an animal. A living thing. God wants Cain to know this is something that is active.

I don’t tend to think about Sin being active like an animal. Something that is crouching at the door. I may think of Satan like this, but not Sin itself. This is much different than simply saying Sin is disobeying my commands.

Sin is alive. It is a wild animal that is untamable.

SLIDE It Is Prederatory

But he doesn’t stop there. He say it’s desire is for you. It predatory. It’s not like a bear that as long as you leave it along and don’t mess with the cubs you’ll be find. It’s not like deer, or a horse.

It’s crouched, ready to pouch. I image Peter drew from this passage when he was speaking of the Devil acting as a roaring lion seek someone to devour.

This beast called sin tracks, hunts, waits patiently for you to become vulnerable, and pouches.

SLIDE It Is Resistable

The last think God tells Cain about sin is the fact that he can conquer it. It is beatable. We know from the rest of the story that Cain did not beat it, but rather it beat him.

But, we also are able to rule over sin. It is beatable. But it’s all about how we think about sin.

–See the thing is, many of us know that if we saw a lion, a tiger, or a bear. It is hard-wired into that we need to get out of there.

If we get to close, if the animal can sense us. We’re in deep trouble.

But that’s not how we deal with sin.

It is so easy for sin to look something like a pet.

We think we can tame sin.

We think we can minimize the damage.

We dress the Big Cat up is bows and socks so it doesn’t look at intimidating.

Sin is not your friend or you pet.

It is so easy to have a fatal attraction to Sin.

ILL

[/Every watched that show on Animal planet? These people have dangerous animals as pets./

Theses people act like everyone else owns apex predators. Like its fine. Like its normal.

Hey welcome to my home, Kaa is over on the couch, he’s our good ol’ boa. Don’t mind him. He’s just the sweetest constrictor you’ve ever met. He loves giving hugs and cuddling with me every night when I go to sleep.

Most of us watch the show rooting for the animal.

How could people be so stupid to let something that dangerous into their home?]

But we may allow toxic attitudes, festering grudges, and media that praises self-glorification and we wonder why families and relationships are ripped apart.

App: Remember What Sin Is.

Sin is unmerciful. It doesn’t care if you’ve pulled a double shift. Or if you’ve stay up all night with a child. It’s waiting for you and I to mess up and go for the kill.

Why Did God Talk With Cain The Second Time

And it found Cain.

Cain asks his brother to go out into the field. And Cain kills Abel.

Sin Distrorts Us.

Sin found and opening and it drove Cain to murder his own brother.

I’ve been made at my own brothers. I’ve been angry, even furious with people that are close to me.

I never had the thought to seriously consider murdering someone. That doesn’t mean I’m better than Cain.

I doubt he grew up knowing he was going to kill his younger brother. They probably fought. They probably argued, but those didn’t linger.

I remember when I was growing up in one neighborhood, me and my younger brother would get into fist fights with the kids on the block a couple of times a week.

But every day when our friends got off the bus, we’d do it all over again as if we were never mad at each other.

But Cain was push beyond his limit and felt the need to murder his own brother, as if that was going to solve his problems.

It didn’t it sure made it worse for him.

God Comes To Cain Again

God Again comes to talk to Cain. There’s much to say about this interaction but look at this—God comes to Cain in his sin, and how does he open up the conversation in verse 9 [pp]

SLIDE: Genesis 4:9

Where is your brother?

God Seeks Repentence

Why not strike him down? Why doesn’t God allow Cain to live? Why didn’t God stop Cain before he committed this sin?

I don’t know why God didn’t stop it, maybe it would’ve matter if God tried to stop it, but I think I know why God allows Cain to live.

God gives room for repentance.

God comes to Cain and he leave enough room for Cain to explain himself. He just asks a question—where is you brother?

Cain doesn’t seem to care about God’s line of questioning. I would imagine Cain knows that God knows what he’s done to his brother, but he still replied like his parents—am I my brother’s keeper?

He’s not my problem.

Cain Was Worth Seeking

Of all the things to say to the Lord almighty in this situation.

This response shows sheer arrogance or ignorance.

A man murders his own brother over a petty thing and has the gall to tell the Lord something along the lines of, it’s not my problem, mind your own business, God.

The funny thing is, is that God is willing to extend an olive branch to Cain.

He’s giving him room to repent. To come clean. If you’re not careful reading this passage, you miss God’s forbearance with Cain.

App: You Can Repent Too

God is always willing and ready for anyone to repent. You might not killed your own brother, but we’ve all sinned against the Lord.

You will either pay for your sins, or find someone who will.

The Lord is not slow—but he is patience. He wants you to repent.

The Grace Of God

Finally, we arrive at the Grace of God. It is a good practice as a bible student to scan the pages of for the Grace of God. It runs all over the Old Testament.

God’s people are constantly doing things that they should be punished for, but God removes the punishment.

God Removes The Punishment From Cain

In v14 Cain is decrying his situation. Look at v14 [PP]

SLIDE: Genesis 4:9

Cain’s curse is he will be a wander, he will be away from God, and who ever find him will kill him.

This punishment fits the crime. He took the life from this own brother. It is only Just that his life is given in payment for his sin.

God Stops The Cycle

We all share this with Cain, we are all guilty before the Lord.

There are many camps in the world today that spend their time showing the guilt of another camp. And other camps that show the guilt of others.

And if we added up all of the guilt of all the people’s of the world—even by our own twisted standards—there wouldn’t be a single one of us left that is innocent.

Cain is guilty, just like us.

But our merciful Father stop the cycle of sin.

He gives Cain a mark in v15. We don’t know what the mark looked like.

Genesis 4:15

 Genesis 4:15
And the LORD said to him, “Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the LORD set a mark on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him.

I doubt this is true but God said stop.

Christ, the Anti-Cain

Was his brother’s Keeper
Offered God the best Sacrifice
Did not Tolerate Sin but Destroyed it.
Took the Mark of Sin From his brothers

Cain was afraid of what?

Being away from the presense of God
Being found and killed
Being a wanderer

We know that Cain travel east and builds a settlement, he doesn’t wander.

But who does?

Jesus.

The foxes had hole, the bird had nests, but the Son of Man had no where to lay his head.

Who was found and killed?

Jesus was found in the garden and killed

Who was away from the presence of God?

He emptied himself and left heaven to be from God.

He took the sin from Cain and he takes the sin from you.

In the end, we still need the grace of God.

We may be able to resist sin sometimes, we may be able to worship the Lord with our best sometimes.

But it is only because we fully rely on the Grace of God.