1 John 3:12 “Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he slay him? Because his own deeds were evil, while those of his brother were righteous.”
In all Cain’s life, he never actually knew God. Oh, Cain knew that God was the One who had banished his family from the Garden of Eden. And we know that God spoke to Cain. But we will never know exactly what Adam and Eve had told Cain about that incident. As the first – born, Cain probably heard all of his parents’ complaints, and Cain would have heard more of this than Abel did. Adam probably down-played his sin and focused on how mean God had been! It’s entirely possible that Cain’s sins had their root in Adam and Eve’s rebellion. Can’t you just hear Adam and Eve recounting their side of the Eden story? “One lousy bite each! And the fruit didn’t even taste that good! If refusing to eat from that tree was such a big deal, why didn’t God spell things out more? It’s all God’s fault! If God had just given us a better explanation, we wouldn’t have made a mistake.” And then Adam and Eve would blame each other.
Adam: “It was all your mother’s fault! If she hadn’t encouraged me, I would never have eaten that fruit!”
Eve: “It was all the fault of that wicked snake! If he hadn’t enticed me, I would never have even THOUGHT of eating that fruit!”
Please remember that God had told them “You shall not eat from that tree” and “on the day you eat that fruit, you will die.”) Adam and Eve were truly typical humans; they proved the adage that most people would rather have the Ten Suggestions than the Ten Commandments!
Children generally absorb their views of God from their parents, and faith is not so much taught as it is caught. What did Cain catch from Adam and Eve?
Unfortunately, there is nothing on record demonstrating that Adam and Eve ever really loved God or acknowledged Him for the rest of their lives. It’s even possible that each time Eve was giving birth, she was actually cursing God because of the pain. And what about Adam? Things grew by themselves in Eden, but once Adam was outside, he had to do all his farming the hardest way possible. God told Adam that the ground would be cursed and that it would bring forth thorns and thistles and that he would have to work hard to grow things! Adam might have been the one to invent a short – handled hoe, the kind of implement still used by peasant farmers all over Africa today. Thinking about it logically, it is a miracle that Abel grew up to love God and to worship Him with acceptable offerings.
The tragedy that began in Eden never really ended. Cain murdered Abel and then complained to God about his punishment! The conversation between Cain and God gives an eerie foretaste of the arguments we hear today put forth by those who are looting and burning and claiming these acts are only legitimate social protests. Genesis 4:10 – 16 describes the last conversation Cain had with God: “What have you done?” replied the LORD. “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground. Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you till the ground, it will no longer yield its produce to you. You will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”
But Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. (What about Abel? At least Cain was still alive! Cain had a victim mentality.) Behold, this day You have driven me from the face of the earth, and from Your face I will be hidden; I will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”
“Not so! ” replied the LORD. “If anyone slays Cain, then Cain will be avenged seven fold.” And the LORD placed a mark on Cain, so that no one who found him would kill him. So Cain went out from the presence of the LORD and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.” Five generations later, one of Cain’s descendants defended murdering a young man for striking him by saying, “If Cain is avenged seven fold, Lamech will be revenged seventy – seven fold.” (Genesis 4:24)
A writer of Proverbs made a wise observation: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” We read the story of Adam and Eve and some of us might feel superior, but do we really do any better? Are we teaching our children to love or to hate? Children will copy their parents’ behavior. There is an adage that “Abused children abuse children.” Sadly, many child abusers have come from homes in which violence has been the response to any stress. It takes the grace of God to overcome such an upbringing.
John encouraged the early church with these words: “Beloved, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 John 4:7-8) We do not love naturally; we need God to help us if we are to love those around us, particularly those who are least lovable.
PRAYER: Father God, we confess that we are no better than Adam and Eve. Left to ourselves, we will be poor role models for our children. Lord, please come into our hearts, forgive our sins, and change us into people who will love as you love. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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