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Wednesday, July 24 2013

Genesis 4: Cain and Abel

"Am I my brother's keeper?"

The first human, a male, was created before the Garden of Eden was planted by the LORD (see The Kingdom Of The LORD God). "But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground. And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul" (see What Does The Bible Really Say About Your Soul?). Notice how humans and plants are "related" by their soil origin (see the Fact Finder question below).


2:8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. 2:9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil." (Genesis 2:5-9 KJV)

The second human, a female, was created from the male (see Brides From Their Sides). The first woman was the only human to begin life in Paradise, the Garden of Eden (The Only Child Of The Garden).



After their rebellion (see Genesis 3: The Sin Of The Garden), the first two humans were expelled, not from Eden, but from the Garden in Eden (see The Garden In Eden).


3:21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them. 3:22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: 3:23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. 3:24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life." (Genesis 3:20-24 KJV)

After "Adam" and Eve were out of the Garden, "Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived." They had two children, sons, who they named Cain and Abel. Some believe that the context and the literal meaning of the original Hebrew indicates that Cain and Abel were twins i.e. "she again bare his brother Abel" may mean not a later pregnancy, but a second-born twin.

Humans began as vegetarians (Genesis 1:29; see also Seed-Bearing Plants: For Food Or For Folly?) and remained so until after the Flood (Genesis 9:1-6; see also The LORD's Seed Covenants With The Two Men Of Iraq). Cain worked at producing food for the family, while less-practical Abel kept sheep. Despite the LORD's stated love and acceptance of him, Cain became increasingly resentful toward his bother Abel.


And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 4:3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. 4:4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: 4:5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

4:6 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? 4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him." (Genesis 4:1-7 KJV)

The Scriptures do not specifically say that the killing of Abel was premeditated murder, although Cain's anger and resentment toward Abel were surely already there. "Cain talked with Abel his brother" could mean an argument or outburst in which Cain's temper crossed the line, just as his parents' coveting had escalated into theft.

Cain and Abel


Cain's famous "Am I my brother's keeper?" was actually, according to the meaning of the original words, a sarcastic, or whining, "Am I my brother's shepherd" - keeping in mind that favored Abel was the shepherd.

"4:9 And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?" (Genesis 4:9 KJV)

When Adam and Eve became sinners, toxic and worthless weeds began to grow (see Seed-Bearing Plants: For Food Or For Folly?). When Cain, who was also a worker of the soil ("soul" and "soil" have a surprising connection; see What Does The Bible Really Say About Your Soul? and the Fact Finder question below), became a murderer, crop failures began i.e. "When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength."

"4:10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. 4:11 And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand; 4:12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth." (Genesis 4:10-12 KJV)

While Adam and Eve were driven out of the Garden, but still in Eden, Cain was then driven farther away, out of Eden i.e. "Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden."

"4:13 And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear. 4:14 Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.

4:15 And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him. 4:16 And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden." (Genesis 4:13-16 KJV)

Cain was not however unproductive in children and descendants (see Cain's Wife).

"4:17 And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch. 4:18 And unto Enoch was born Irad: and Irad begat Mehujael: and Mehujael begat Methusael: and Methusael begat Lamech.

4:19 And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. 4:20 And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle. 4:21 And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ. 4:22 And Zillah, she also bare Tubalcain, an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubalcain was Naamah.

4:23 And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt. 4:24 If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold." (Genesis 4:17-24 KJV)

With Cain at a safe distance away, Adam and Eve then had another son, "and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew."

"4:25 And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew. 4:26 And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD." (Genesis 4:25-26 KJV)

Fact Finder: When Cain murdered his brother Abel, how did he further compounded the curse on "aw-dawm-ah" - and the "aw-dawm" who were created from "aw-dawm-ah"?
See Adam and Adamah




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This Day In History, July 24

1132: The Battle of Nocera between Ranulf II of Alife and Roger II of Sicily began.

1148: During the Second Crusade (see Constantine's Crusades In History And Prophecy), Louis VII of France laid siege to Damascus (see also Damascus In History And Prophecy).

1411: The Battle of Harlaw; it was one of the bloodiest battles in Scotland.

1534: French explorer Jacques Cartier, while on the first of his three voyages to North America, erected a cross at Gaspe, claiming the land for Francis I of France.

1567: Mary Queen of Scots abdicated; James VI became King of Scotland at the age of 1.

1701: French explorer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac (the Cadillac automobile is named after him) founded a trading post at Fort Pontchartrain, which later became the city of Detroit.

New France
1704: Britain captured Gibraltar from Spain.

1759: The French garrison at Fort Niagara, under the command of Pierre Pouchot, fell to British and native forces under the command of Sir William Johnson.

1791: Robespierre expelled all Jacobins that were opposed to the principles of the French Revolution.

1799: Napoleon gained his last victory during his occupation of Egypt, defeating the Ottoman Turks (listen to our Sermon The Ottoman Empire) at the Battle of Aboukir.

1814: During the War of 1812 (1812-14; a war declared by U.S. President James Madison with the publicly-stated purpose of destroying Canada and subjecting its people to dictatorial rule from Washington), General Phineas Riall advanced toward the Niagara River to halt Jacob Brown's U.S. invasion forces. It was one of many such invasions that were stopped and driven back.

1823: Slavery was abolished in Chile.

1918: On Mount Scopus in Jerusalem, the cornerstone for Hebrew University was laid by Dr. Chaim Weizmann. Dr. Weizmann was later elected as the first President of the present-day state of Israel (see A History Of Jerusalem: Zionism).

1922: The British mandate over Palestine was approved by the League of Nations (see A History Of Jerusalem: The British Mandate and A History Of Jerusalem: War And Peace).

1943: During the Second World War (listen to our Sermon The European World Wars), Operation Gomorrah began. British and Canadian warplanes bombed Hamburg, Germany by night, while U.S. bombers did so by day. The bombings killed over 30,000 people and destroyed nearly 300,000 buildings.

1946: The U.S. conducted the first underwater test of an atomic bomb, off Bikini Atoll in the Pacific.

1963: The Bluenose II was launched at Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. The schooner is a major Canadian symbol (pictured on the Canadian dime coin).

1967: French President Charles de Gaulle, while visiting Montreal, Canada, made a speech that ended with "Vive le Quebec libre" ("Long live free Quebec" - an incitement for the province of Quebec to separate and destroy Canada) for which the pompous old "general" (who lost every battle that he ever commanded) was promptly rebuked by Canadian Prime Minister Lester Pearson and was sent back to France (a country that Canadians fought and died for during its, and de Gaulle's, liberation from Hitler).

1969: After completing the first manned moon landing, Apollo 11 returned to earth with a splash-down in the Pacific Ocean.

1977: The Libyan-Egyptian War ended after 4 days.

1990: Prior to their invasion, Iraqi military forces began massing on the Kuwait-Iraq border.

2001: Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, the former Tsar of Bulgaria, was sworn in as Prime Minister of Bulgaria. He thereby became the first king in history to regain political authority through democratic election to a different office.

2005: Cyclist Lance Armstrong "won" his seventh consecutive Tour de France. The U.S. "idol" and "hero" was later discovered to be a fake athlete, having been using illegal performance-enhancing drugs for many years. Armstrong was disqualified from his racing "victories" and was banned from professional cycling for life for his doping offenses (that he denied for many years, while destroying the reputations and careers of numerous legitimate racers who attempted to remove the aggressive fraud from the sport).






Copyright © Wayne Blank