First Baptist Church, Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Devotional: Genesis 4:1-16

Today’s passage: Genesis 4:1-16

Helpful thoughts:

  • Cain and Abel brought different offerings to the Lord.  This passage never says there was a problem with the content of Cain’s offering.  There would later be specific offerings Israel was given from the fruit of the ground (Their harvest).
    • As far as we can tell, it looks like the problem with Cain’s offering was not the content, but the heart with which he gave it.  God knew his heart, something was wrong, and therefore the Lord did not regard the offering.
  • Cain’s countenance fell in his anger.  His face fell…you could see the disgust on his face.
    • From Cain’s perspective, God was the problem.  If God had accepted his offering, he would have been just fine.
    • From God’s perspective, Cain was the one who needed to change.  And if Cain would repent, his countenance would be lifted,
      • The Hebrew from verse 7 could be translated, “If you do well, will not your face be lifted?”
  • Cain chose not to repent.  He did not do well.  He did evil and his countenance was not lifted.
    • Even after murdering his own brother, Cain still thought of God as unjust.
      • Verse 13, “My punishment is greater than I can bear.”

Questions to consider:

  1. What evidence do we see today that the curse of sin has been passed on to the descendants of Adam and Eve?  Why is it significant to our understanding of the world (Mankind) to see a murder in the very first passage after the fall and the curse from Genesis 3?  What is the condition of man?
  2. Cain certainly felt sorrow after he murdered his brother.  But, what actually caused his sorrow?  Again, was this a worldly sorrow or a godly sorrow (2 Corinthians 7:8-13)?  What evidence do you see of worldly sorrow?  What do you think godly sorrow would have looked like for Cain?  What does godly sorrow look like in our own lives?
  3. When Cain followed the lead of his feelings, he did terrible things.  What order of events did God tell him to pursue?  Was Cain to follow his feelings, or was he to follow the truth, which would result in better feelings?  How can this apply to us today?