Echoes of Eden: The Cain and Abel Exhibit
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| "The first leaf of the Mosaic record has more weight than all the folios of men of science and philosophers." -Jean Paul. |
In the Beginning ...
The Backdrop
You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? ...— 1 Corinthians 10:21
They ultimately broke their covenant with the One who created them and who walked and talked with them in an expressly fashioned and designated sacred space. The garden was a venue for fellowship and satisfaction, with unlimited provisions. They lacked nothing.
And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat ...
— Genesis 2:16
Instead, they chose to lend their ear and allegiance to a foreign character clothed in the garments of a sneaky, snaky "beast of the field" and thereby shook hands with the darkness.
... she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband, who was with her, and he ate.
— Genesis 3:6
With fair warning, they got what they desired, but it wasn't without cost. Adam and Eve paid for their experience with their lives. Consequently, the covenant meal of fruit from the forbidden tree sealed a deal with death and eternal separation from God (Romans 1:18-25).
... but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.
— Genesis 2:17
Adam and Eve were stripped of their royal priestly robe of God's glory and Spirit.
Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin.
— Isaiah 30:1
Next, they were exiled to the east of Eden, outside the sacred garden space. In keeping with the Biblical pattern, moving east is the direction of all subsequent exiles. This direction most obviously moves away from God's presence.
... the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken ... He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden. And a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.
— Genesis 1:23
The soil from which they were derived would now stake its claim to them.
In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread
Till you return to the ground,
For out of it you were taken;
For dust you are,
And to dust you shall return.
— Genesis 3:19
However, the show is not over. According to the prophet Isaiah, God's merciful Old Testament plan for a coming Messiah promises to break humanity's covenant with death.
Therefore thus says the Lord God:"Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation,A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation ...Your covenant with death will be annulled,And your agreement with Sheol will not stand ...
— Isaiah 28:16-18
The first prophetic mention of the Messiah appears in Genesis chapter three. At the end of each guilty party's confrontation, God promised a Savior/Messiah to rescue humankind from their self-created disaster. He addresses the Messianic prophecy directly to the serpent.
I will put hostility between you and the woman,
And between your offspring/seed and her offspring/seed.
He will strike your head,
And you will strike his heel.
— Genesis 3:15
The language used in the above prophecy is poetic and purposely cryptic.
... we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
— 1 Corinthians 2:6-8
God has a plan to bring a serpent-crushing deliverer to humanity's rescue. It was an undercover assignment that required human cooperation through faith. God's Messianic project is confronted with hostility and resistance in each developing scene. As we shall discover in the upcoming narratives, humankind will continue to stumble over itself while evil continues its attempted hijacking of God's mission.
The following narrative will demonstrate humanity's decline and the progression of God's plan of salvation despite humanity's resistance.
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| Cain killed his brother Abel. Metropolitan Museum of Art |
Cain and Abel: Messiah/Anti-Messiah
Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the Lord.” (Literally, I have acquired a man, the LORD/Yahweh). Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel.— Genesis 4:1-2
Eve's hope, however, was premature, and humanity would need to continue its course of development before it was ripe for a savior.
The text continues by noting the occupations of Adam and Eve's two offspring. Significantly, the text mentions the younger of the two and his occupation first.
... Now Abel was a keeper (guardian) of sheep, but Cain was a tiller (servant) of the ground.
— Genesis 4:2
The terms "keep" and "serve" carry over from the garden event. Adam and Eve were supposed to protect (keep) and serve the sacred space. Now, their sons are depicted as keeping sheep and serving the ground. Both could be seen as priestly duties that valued a relational investment with God.
Also, the Biblical pattern of the youngest brother as the progenitor of the messianic lineage (spirit), rather than the oldest, who presents as a type of anti-messiah (flesh), recurs throughout the Old Testament. We see this pattern in Isaac (youngest/spirit) and Ishmael (oldest/flesh), Jacob (youngest/spirit) and Esau (oldest/flesh), and Ephraim (youngest/spirit) and Manasseh (oldest/flesh). This fits messianically with the New Testament Christ, called the last Adam (Spirit), who superseded the first Adam (flesh).
And so it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
— 1 Corinthians 15:45
The brothers' careers also establish the Messiah/anti-Messiah motif, with shepherd depictions of Messiah types contrasted against hunter-gatherer depictions of anti-Messiah types. Shepherd/Savior types include, but are not limited to, Jacob, Moses, and David. Hunter-gatherer/anti-Messiah types include Cain, Esau, and Nimrod.
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| Cain and Abel presenting their offerings. Lorenzo Maitani, Orvieto Cathedral, Umbria, Italy |
Good and Evil Revisited
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,
And prudent (intelligent) in their own sight! ...— Isaiah 5:20-21
Isaiah exposes the rebellion in Adam and Eve's decision by including, in his discourse, their desire to be wise and intelligent in their own eyes rather than trusting in God's Word and wisdom.
... when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate.
— Genesis 3:6
Isaiah continues with the intoxicating aspect involved in their partaking.
...Woe to men mighty at drinking wine,
Woe to men valiant for mixing intoxicating drink ...
— Isaiah 5:22
In both presentations, the result is death, defined as deconstruction, decomposition, and disorder—the opposite of life, development, and functional organization.
... as the fire devours the stubble,
And the flame consumes the chaff,
So their root will be as rottenness,
And their blossom will ascend like dust;
Because they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts,
And despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
— Isaiah 5:24
These now-subjectified views of "good and evil" carry over from the garden scene to the Cain and Abel event. The fall of Adam and Eve was the root. The Cain and Abel scene was the fruit.
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| Cain brought the produce of the ground. Abel brought the best of his flock, including the fat. Julius Schnoor von Carolsfeld |
The Acceptable and the Unacceptable
And from the end of days it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord looked upon Abel and his offering (good), but He did not look upon Cain and his offering (evil). And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.
— Genesis 4:3-5
Although this account does not explicitly explain why God "looked upon" Abel's offering rather than Cain's, notable differences between the two suggest possible reasons.
The text makes it clear that Abel's offering was the firstborn of his flock, including the fat. The firstborn and fat were later emphasized in the Levitical instructions for sacrifices, all pointing to the coming Messiah/Savior. Cain's offering lacks any notable qualities. It simply states that he brought some "fruit of the ground."
Of all your gifts you shall offer up every heave offering due to the Lord, from all the best of them, the consecrated part of them ...
— Numbers 18:29
According to the verse above, Cain seems to have greedily withheld the best for himself, unlike Abel, who offered his first and fattest.
Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.
— Jude 1:11
The Biblical text hints at Cain's rebellion, as his name is mentioned thirteen times before and including his exile.
Cain and Abel most likely heard and understood the protocols for a Messiah-based, faith-filled approach to God after the Garden.
By faith, Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice ...
— Hebrews 11:4
In his letter to the Romans, Paul says faith comes from hearing God's Word.
... faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
— Romans 10:17
The Pulpit Commentary agrees.
Abel's offering was presented in obedience to divine prescription. The universal prevalence of sacrifice points to divine prescription rather than to man's invention as its proper source.
The required approach was always to keep its fulfillment in Christ in view, as with all the sacrificial elements in the Old Testament. Humility regarding what the offering meant was the most essential part of offering it. A Psalm of David records this proper motivation and presents an offering that resembles Abel's.
For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise.
— Psalm 51:16-17
God presents a contrasting case through the prophet Isaiah that more closely resembles Cain's flippant offering and explains why it was so unacceptable.
"To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?" Says the Lord.
"I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
And the fat of fed cattle.
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
Or of lambs or goats.
"When you come to appear before Me,
Who has required this from your hand,
To trample My courts?
Bring no more futile sacrifices;
Incense is an abomination to Me.
The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies—
I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting.
Your New Moons and your appointed feasts
My soul hates;
They are a trouble to Me;
I am weary of bearing them.
When you spread out your hands,
I will hide My eyes from you;
Even though you make many prayers,
I will not hear.
Your hands are full of blood.
"Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean;
Put away the evil of your doings from before
My eyes. Cease to do evil,
Learn to do good;
Seek justice,
Rebuke the oppressor;
Defend the fatherless,
Plead for the widow.
— Isaiah 1:11-17
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| James Tissot's depiction of Malachi |
Malachi's Rendition of Cain's Sacrifice
"A son honors his father,And a servant his master.If then I am the Father,Where is My honor?And if I am a Master,Where is My reverence?Says the Lord of hostsTo you priests who despise My name.Yet you say, 'In what way have we despised Your name?’"You offer defiled food on My altar,But say,'In what way have we defiled You?’By saying,'The table of the Lord is contemptible.'And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice,Is it not evil?And when you offer the lame and sick,Is it not evil?Offer it then to your governor!Would he be pleased with you?Would he accept you favorably?"Says the Lord of hosts."But now entreat God's favor,That He may be gracious to us.While this is being done by your hands,Will He accept you favorably?"
Says the Lord of hosts."Who is there even among you who would shut the doors,So that you would not kindle fire on My altar in vain?I have no pleasure in you,"Says the Lord of hosts,"Nor will I accept an offering from your hands.For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down,My name shall be great among the Gentiles;In every place incense shall be offered to My name,And a pure offering;For My name shall be great among the nations,"Says the Lord of hosts."But you profane it,In that you say,'The table of the Lord is defiled;And its fruit, its food, is contemptible.'You also say,'Oh, what a weariness!'And you sneer at it,"Says the Lord of hosts."And you bring the stolen, the lame, and the sick;Thus you bring an offering!Should I accept this from your hand?"Says the Lord."But cursed be the deceiverWho has in his flock a male,And takes a vow,But sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished—For I am a great King,"Says the Lord of hosts,"And My name is to be feared among the nations.— Malachi 1
The next portion of the poem reveals a necessary cleansing and purging required to secure an acceptable/righteous offering.
"But who can endure the day of His coming?
And who can stand when He appears?
For He is like a refiner's fire
And like launderers' soap.
He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver;
He will purify the sons of Levi,
And purge them as gold and silver,
That they may offer to the Lord
An offering in righteousness.
"Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem
Will be pleasant to the Lord,
As in the days of old,
As in former years.
— Malachi 3:2-4
Could Cain be unwilling to humble himself to participate in this process?
... if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
— 1 John 1:7-10
It is clear that merely going through faithless religious rituals while practicing self-centered evil will inevitably end in judgment. Only sincere, wholehearted worship is acceptable.
And I will come near you for judgment;
I will be a swift witness
Against sorcerers,
Against adulterers,
Against perjurers,
Against those who exploit wage earners and widows and orphans,
And against those who turn away an alien—
Because they do not fear Me,"
Says the Lord of hosts.
— Malachi 3:5
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| Josefa de Ayala |
The Lamb of God Who Takes Away Sin
... from the end of days, it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit(s) of the ground to the Lord. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord looked upon (ישע- same as the word for salvation) Abel and his offering, but He did not look upon (שעה-contains the root of the word for salvation) Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.— Genesis 4:3-5
The Hebrew words translated as "look" and "looked upon," yashah (ישע) and sha'ah (שעה), belong to a word family related to the idea of salvation. Taken together, these definitions suggest that God also had an eye toward the offering, which expressed humble faith in the only prescribed plan of salvation through a future "Lamb of God" who would take away the world's sin. Abel's offering appears to fit the typology throughout the rest of Scripture.
“Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
— John 1:29
According to this view, one brother humbly brings an offering that acknowledges, values, and looks forward in faith to a coming savior. His offering demonstrates reciprocal gratitude and an understanding that God would give us His very best, His First/One and Only Son/Seed, as a sacrifice for sin.
By faith, Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice...
— Hebrews 11:4
The other brother is unmindful of such a necessity and will pridefully offer his accomplishments with an implied sense of entitlement and expectation of acceptance. God seemed to be a footnote or an afterthought. Cain's offering was a statement of faith in himself, based on his own desire rather than in a future savior.
For the wicked boasts of his heart’s desire,
And the greedy man curses and spurns the Lord.
— Psalm 10:3
The Pulpit Commentary concludes the following.
Cain...in presenting them (fruits of the ground) virtually proclaimed his disbelief in God's promise and repudiation of God's way of salvation.
Scofield's notes in this chapter capture the essence of this scene.
His (Cain's) religion was destitute of any adequate sense of sin or need of atonement. This religious type is described in 2 Peter chapter 2. Seven things are said of him.
- worships in self-will
- is angry with God
- refuses to bring a sin offering
- murders his brother
- lies to God
- becomes a wanderer
- and is nevertheless the object of the divine solicitude
... a lamb fitly symbolizes the unresisting innocency and harmlessness of the Lord Jesus. This type is brought into prominence by contrast with Cain's bloodless offering of the fruit of the ground and proclaims in the very infancy of the race, the primal truth that without shedding of blood is no remission. Cain acknowledged God as source of all-natural good but rejected His revealed way of worship. Abel in conformity with that revelation, brought a blood sacrifice thus confessing himself a sinner. In Cain began all false religion, the essence of which is man's coming to God in his own way.
The plant offering of Cain versus the animal sacrifice of Abel is another revisit of Genesis chapter three. In both cases, the animal was a sufficient, adequate covering, whereas the man-made plant-based offering was not.
... they knew that they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves (plant) together and made themselves coverings ... for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin (animal sacrifice), and clothed them.
— Genesis 3:6, 21
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| The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector |
The Hypocrisy of It All
Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."— Luke 18:10-14
Cain conducted himself as hypocrites are accustomed to do, namely, that he wished to appease God as one discharging a debt, by external sacrifices without the least intention of dedicating himself to God.
J. Vernon McGee picks up on Cain's "going through the motions" heart attitude.
"Cain gave out of formalism (It was time and custom to give)"
Peter's first epistle makes a comparative speech about faith in redemption through the Lamb. The comparison contrasts Abel's offering of faith in priceless redemption with Cain's aimless, thoughtless pursuit of God's grace and blessing through a heartless ritual.
... knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers (Cain), but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you. (Abel)
— 1 Peter 1:18-20
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| Resurrection |
A Resurrection in the Story
... if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!— 1 Corinthians 15:17
Without our identification with God's Lamb in the form of death to self (self-denial), there will be no resurrection. This may explain God's question to Cain about being raised up. Paul expands on this concept in his letter to the Philippians.
I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.— Philippians 3:8-11
Cain's name means acquisition. Perhaps, much like his parents, he did not include God in his acquisition goals. He likely presumed that he could serve both his greed and God at the same time. His offering reflected Cain's second-generation expression of the desire to acquire favor, success, and promotion (lifting himself up) without a savior.
... Cain, who was of the wicked one, murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil.
— 1 John 3:11
Dual loyalties were unacceptable even in the New Testament. In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus confronts the Cain-like religious hypocrites. They seemed to want the appearance of holiness apart from a relationship with God through Christ. In His discussion with them, Jesus describes Abel as having been murdered because he was a righteous prophet. He indirectly likens the hypocrites to Cain, who is attempting to kill Him for the same reason.
Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.
— Matthew 23:34-35
In Acts, Stephen confronts the religious rulers of his time about their Cain-like mindsets and behaviors. Try reading the following through the lens of the Cain and Abel story.
"You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it.”
— Acts 7:51-53
Abel's righteousness, like Abraham's, wasn't his own. It was accounted to him by faith in a promised seed, not because he was better than Cain.
What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.
— Romans 4:1-4
Like Eden's depiction of tree choices, Cain is offered the opportunity to be/do "good" concerning his offering or not to be/do "good." Although "evil" is not explicitly mentioned, it is implied in the "not doing/being good" statement.
So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do (be) well (good), will you not be accepted (lifted or raised up)? And if you do not do (be) well (good), sin lies (crouches like a wild animal) at the door. And its desire is for you ... ”
— Genesis 4:6-7
The original language expresses a state of being rather than of doing. It's as if to say that our "being" connects with our doing. "Doing good" reveals a meaningful understanding of the act rather than merely fulfilling a requirement, as represented by Cain's unaccepted sacrifice.
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The Snake and the Crouching Animal
Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made.— Genesis 3:1
In Cain's case, sin is animated by a crouching wild animal lying secretly in wait for its coveted prey.
... sin lies at the door ...
— Genesis 4:7
Peake's Bible Commentary offers a unique insight and application into this scene. In the Garden, the serpent should have been mastered, but now the self must be mastered.
Sin crouches in the subconscious thickets of his (Cain's) thoughts, intent upon leaping into action the moment the door of opportunity is open ... if he does not master himself.
In the Genesis chapter three event, the serpent resided in the forbidden tree. In Cain's case, sin sits at the door of perhaps his heart and seeks to enter him.
To open the door and be intimate with sin, letting it in produces fruit "after its own kind."
... each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.
— James 1:14-15
This is the first time Scripture mentions sin. It shifts the crime scene from an external tree to an internal condition of the heart.
... out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.
— Matthew 15:19
The second time the word "sin" appears is in the Sodom and Gomorrah narrative, where we see sin's fruit develop and infiltrate an entire culture.
The intimate internal connection is made a chapter earlier with Eve in the following statement.
"I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception;
In pain you shall bring forth children;
Your desire shall be for your husband,
And he shall rule over you."
— Genesis 3:16
The language of desire and conception in terms of human reproduction, connected with Eve, now becomes linked with the concepts of desire and the conception of sin with Cain.
... its (sin) desire is for you ...
— Genesis 4:7
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| Cain is exiled Henri Vidal, the Tuileries Garden in Paris |
Intimacy and Exile
He drove out (Hebrew word for divorce: שׁרַגָּ gârash) the man, and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.
— Genesis 3:24
And so it is with Cain.
Surely You have driven me out (Hebrew word for divorce: גרש gârash) this day from the face of the ground ...
— Genesis 4:14
Both accounts communicate an intimate theme through exposure. In the first story, it is expressed by consequential nakedness and being driven outside the sacred space of the Garden, yet still in Eden's court.
... they knew that they were naked ... the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden
— Genesis 3:23
In the second, Cain is exposed to the wild world's outer elements beyond the entire structure and outside God's protection.
... A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth; I shall be hidden from Your face ... ”
— Genesis 4:12
At the end of the day, both Eve and Cain are confronted with the same question that exposes their deeds.
What have you done?
— Genesis 3:13, 4:10
The writer of the New Testament book of Hebrews links nakedness with revealing our hearts' hidden motives for good or bad.
... all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
— Hebrews 4:13
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| The story of the Good Samaritan speaks to the Cain story and answers his question. "Yes, you are your brother's keeper." |
A Global Disconnecא
Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend (serve) and keep (protect) it.— Genesis 2:15
This scene depicts cultivating and guarding a precious and protected relationship and the designated space for its development. Adam, instead, deserts his post and passively, in conjunction with his wife, allies with an infiltrating force that aborts the development of God's plan through him. This disconnect from God inevitably translates into a disconnect in human relationships, as seen in the story of Cain and Abel. God asked Adam, "Where are you?" God asked Cain, "Where is your brother?" The link occurs with the word "keep" in both events. When God asks Cain where his brother Abel is, Cain defensively deflects from any obligation to his relationship with his brother.
Am I my brother's keeper (guardian/protector)?
— Genesis 4:9
Just like Adam neglected his duty to protect the relational space with God, Cain neglected his obligation to protect his relationship with his brother. Twice in the text, Abel is intentionally identified as Cain's brother.
Cain was noted to be angry. John makes it clear that the murder of Abel began long before the actual event, as Cain allowed himself to be permeated by hatred for him first. He also reveals that death in eternal life, like with Adam and Eve, was a part of that package.
“He who does not love his brother abides in death. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
— 1 John 3:11-18
Jesus also addresses this topic and perhaps implies that Cain was angry with his brother for no great reason except envy before the offering took place.
"You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, 'You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First, be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
— Matthew 5:21-24
The Bible Knowledge Commentary connects this envy with Cain's lack of faith.
The way of Cain is a lack of faith which shows itself in Envy of God's dealings with the righteous, in murderous acts, in denial of responsibility, and in refusal to accept God's punishment.
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| Vision is based on chiasmatic processing, where information from both sides crosses over at the center of our brains and is reprocessed on the other side. |
A Grand Total Chiastic Interpretation
B) Man's responsibility to keep the sacred space and relationship (Genesis 2)
Bullseye - human's decision to choose another (Genesis 3)
B) Man's responsibility to his brother (Genesis 4)
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| The Four Rivers and the Door of Paradise from the Homilies of Jacob of Kokkinobaphos |
The Continuing Story
But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name’s sake ... you will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake.— Luke 21:12-17
God's instruction to Cain reveals what Adam should have done with the serpent.
... but you should rule over it.
— Genesis 4:7
Adam failed his mandate and mission to take dominion and rule over the beast of the field.
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
— Genesis 1:26
Where Adam failed, Cain also stumbled. Christ perfectly fulfilled this mission in His death and resurrection on our behalf, taking authority over the crouching beasts that laid claim to our souls through sin.
... in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power ... He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
— Colossians 2:9-15
His mission has not changed. Jesus commands His followers everywhere to continue the commission to expand His Kingdom in all places throughout the whole earth.
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
— Matthew 28:18-20
This is not without resistance, either. The Cain-Anti-Messiah battle still rages. The end of Cain's story depicts an unfinished city that he builds. It is followed by a description of the cultural developments of his time and people. The first recorded act of polygamy and justification for murder occurs here. Cain's world develops generationally into something God cannot save and is consequently destroyed by a flood.
This story points forward to another after-flood account, much like it. It is at the Tower of Babel where humans will again attempt to create their own Godless society. Today, the city of Cain and the Tower of Babel are at the height of their development. On all accounts, the plan gets interrupted. God's eternal plan prevails.
... knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.
— Romans 13:11-14
© 2021 Tamarajo
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