[And He Walks With Me] Genesis 4

1        Following The Fall of Genesis 3, Adam and Eve must have wondered about their role in God’s plan. God had previously called out to the fallen humans (3:8-9) and provided clothing to cover their nakedness (3:21). They still expected to care for the living (3:20) and work the ground (3:23) in fulfillment of the latter part of God’s mandate (i.e., to subdue the earth and rule the fish of the sea, etc. (1:28-29)), but they were exiled from God’s immediate presence, prohibited from experiencing eternal life, and cursed. Yet, they must have wondered if they could now fulfill the first part of God’s mandate, to be fruitful, multiply, [and] fill the earth (1:28). This verse answers that lingering question. No, it would not be exactly as God designed, but they could still fulfill his complete purpose for them. They could still please the Lord.

It is important to recognize that, once again, Adam and Eve could realize God’s blessing and mandate for humanity if they worked together. The man was intimate with his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain. It required both genders working in co-equal partnership.

Eve immediately recognized that, although they were exiled from God’s immediate presence, he had not abandoned them. She was able to give birth to Cain only with the Lord’s help. They may not be able to walk with him in the garden, but somehow, God was still with them, working on their behalf and endeavoring to restore that relationship.

2        If Cain’s birth was not sufficient to prove humanity could still play its part in God’s plan, she also gave birth to his brother Abel. This served as confirmation.

Cain and Abel have distinct interests, but their distinction does not make one closer to God or more vital to his plan than the other. You may not be the same as other people in the world, but that does not mean God does not love you and/or cannot use you.

3-5        Cain and Abel each presented offerings, but the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but he did not have regard for Cain and his offering. The reasoning for this is not directly stated, but the text does provide some hints. Namely, Abel brought some of the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions. The firstborn, obviously, was taken off the top before Abel took any for himself, and fat portions represented the best, most desirable portions of those animals. This is the key. Abel brought the first and best while Cain merely brought some of the land’s produce. God will always regard an offering of the first and best that we have to offer. He will never regard an offering that is merely leftovers.

The fault was Cain’s. Yet, he was furious, and he looked despondent. That is, he blamed God for not accepting less than his best. How often do we do the same thing?

6-7        It is interesting that God knew what Cain was feeling even though Cain never vocalized it. God sees what is in our hearts.

God explains that Cain’s rejection is not permanent and offers a way to correct the situation. If Cain really wanted God’s regard, he could do what is right. That is, he could immediately offer the first and best of his harvest, and he could continue to offer his first and best in the future. This would ensure he would always have God’s regard.

God also warned Cain that, if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door. That is, if you are entertaining anger and resentment, and if you are offering God less than your best and doing things that you know are not quite right, sooner or later, sin will overcome you. Its desire is for you indicates its intent: it will destroy you. The only solution is to rule over it. That is, to completely reject it so that it has no foothold in your life.

8        Instead of heeding God’s warning, Cain continued to shift the blame. He cannot kill God, but he could remove the competition and God would have no alternative but to accept Cain and his behavior. This, of course, failed.

9        For the second time, God sought his people. Once again, he already knew the answer.

Am I my brother’s guardian? The question was intended to be rhetorical. Cain feigned ignorance of and indifference to his brother’s situation. It is tempting to use this to excuse our own lack of concern for our brothers, sisters, and neighbors, but we must remember that Cain was warped by his resentment toward God and his brother. His conscience was no longer reliable, and his assumption – that he was not his brother’s guardian – was faulty. In fact, humanity was intended to watch out for each other. That was the whole point of 2:18-25. Thus, while Cain assumed the answer to his question was “no,” it was, in fact, supposed to be “yes.”

10-12        The punishment for Cain’s sin was an escalation of his father’s curse in 2:17-19. He had taken interest in the land and its cultivation, but now, even his painful labor (3:17) would be frustrated. Instead of settling in one place and cultivating fields, he would be a restless wanderer on earth.

13-14        Again, Cain refused to take responsibility for his actions. He blamed God for being too harsh in his punishment and opening the door for whoever found him to kill him. Of course, God had not opened that door, and his punishment was not equal to what Cain had done to his brother. Yet, this is our tendency even today.

15-16        Cain committed the most egregious sin to date, but God still valued and protected his life. We should place a similar value, even on lives we may deem unworthy.

If the first sin separated humans from God, Cain’s continued sin exacerbated the situation by living in the land of Nod, east of Eden. Once again, eastward movement represented moving away from God. It is important to note that God did not drive Cain farther, but Cain chose to move farther from the presence of the Lord. Each time you sin, you are choosing to increase the distance between you and God.

17-24        Cain’s sin and subsequent departure from the presence of the Lord initiated a spiral that culminated in Lamech, the seventh generation of humanity. Lamech had zero remorse for killing a man for even a slight offense, and he defied God to protect him: If Cain is to be avenged seven times over, then for Lamech it will be seventy-seven times! His conscience was so twisted he expected God to protect him in exchange for doing evil. See 5:21-24 and related note.

Instead of tending the land as he did at first, Cain became the builder of a city. This city did several things. First, it was less about a large population than it was about fortification and protection. Cain did not trust God to protect him, so he took it upon himself to do so. Second, it further separated him from the land he initially loved. Instead of working in the fields, he was taking refuge inside the city walls. Third, it obscured God’s revelation. God constantly revealed himself through the creation, but the lights of the city made it harder to see the sun, moon, and stars, etc. We have similar tendencies, with similar effects.

The effects of Cain’s sin compounded over the generations, but that did not mean they were completely estranged from good things. Jabal became the first of the nomadic herdsmen, a lifestyle which would be shared by Abraham. Jubal invented the lyre and the flute, creating music for people to enjoy and express themselves. Tubal-cain invented tools so people could more effectively accomplish their God-given task of stewarding the earth.

25-26        If The Fall of chapter 3 caused Adam and Eve to question their ability to please the Lord, the incident between Cain and Abel must have been devastating. Abel was dead, and Cain was gone. Adam and Eve must have been devastated, and the hope that dawned in vss 1-2 was all but snuffed out. Yet, when they were intimate again, she gave birth to a son. Then a son was born to Seth also. And at that time, people began to call on the name of the Lord. Hope was reborn because, as dark as things were, God was not done yet!