Genesis 4, The first episode of Law and Order

Have you ever watched Law and Order on TV? Of course you have. One of the reasons is that it's one of the longest running shows on television. Another reason is it's about good guys and bad guys, thrilling court drama, and good acting. There are also about 19 different versions of the show. There's Law and Order, Law and Order SVU, Law and Order Criminal Intent, Law and Order Miami, Law and Order Elementary School, Law and Order Care Bears, Law and Order Duck Dynasty Style, Law and Order Disneyland, and so forth. (I may have made some up there, but you get the point). Today we're going to get to see "Law and Order Genesis", because today we are going to see the first murder, investigation, and judicial punishment of a murderer.

Remember how we got here? God made the world, made everything good, made man, then made woman, (Hooray!), and left man and woman in the garden with only one command to obey. Man and woman failed, the world was cursed with the introduction of sin, and man and woman were kicked out of the garden with the knowledge that their sin = death. We're now into Genesis 4:1-16.

So Adam and Eve make some babies, sons to be exact. The firstborn is Cain and the second born is Abel. Abel was a shepherd and Cain tills the ground. The problem is that there are problems between Cain and Abel. Sin has infiltrated the hearts of Adam and Eve's children.

Personally I find it hard to believe that Cain and Abel didn't get along. My brother and I never fought, argued, or had ill feelings towards each other....

OW! OW!!! OW! OW! Okay, stop, stop, stop!

Sorry, I'm recovering from being struck by lightning because of my lies. Let's just say that you should never ever ask me about the time an unmentioned older brother broke a water pipe outside of the house because an unmentioned younger brother cheated to beat me, I mean, the older brother in basketball. A mother who will not be named was quite upset.

Cosby: comedian, actor, theologian

So sin is now in the world after Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the last chapter. The hearts of men and women are messed up. Envy, jealousy, selfishness, pride, and anger are now in the hearts of men and it's been passed on to their children. If you've ever raised children, you know they aren't sweet little angels. Children don't automatically share, wait patiently, or listen to their parents. Goodness and obedience have to be taught to them, whereas disobedience and disrespect come naturally. The great theologian Bill Cosby describes children as having "brain damage" and he's somewhat right. Children don't necessarily have brain damage, but all people, including children, have heart damage because of sin.

So (v3) Can and Abel bring an offering of God to worship him. Abel brought the firstborn of his flock and Cain brought the fruit of the ground. What happens next?

"And the Lord was pleased with Abel and his offering, but he was not pleased with Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. So the Lord said to Cain, 'Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it." 

Alright let's make some notes here:
1. God was pleased with Abel's offering, but not Cain's. Why? Commentators are not totally in agreement here, but I think that it had to do with the type of sacrifice given. Abel gave an animal of his flock. When he "offered" an animal, that doesn't mean that he gave it to God to keep as a pet, but that the animal was killed as an offering to God. Where have we seen that before? Just one chapter back when God clothes Adam and Eve, he does so with the skins of animals that had been killed. God taught Adam and Eve that death was required to deal with sin. This will be a running theme throughout the Bible. God will always require death in order to deal with sin.

Let's contrast this with Cain's offering. Cain offered the fruit of the ground. Now there's nothing wrong with fruit, vegetables, or grains. They're all part of the food pyramid that we learned about in kindergarten. However, fruit, grain, and vegetables don't bleed and die like animals. They can't offer a sacrifice of blood and death. I believe that Cain decided to come to God on Cain's terms and offer his offering, instead of what God required. I believe God had given specific instructions on what to offer him and what was required to come to him. Instead of coming to God HIS way, Cain went before God Cain's way. This will be a running theme throughout history. Men will try to come before God on their terms, not on God's terms. They will try to come to God on the basis of their good works, on their success, on their intellect, on their reasoning, on their sacrifice. They will not trust what God has said in the Bible or revealed through his prophets or his Son. The problem is God has only provided ONE way to come to him. Lesson: Man has to submit to God's way alone. Man has to trust God and submit to HIS ways. Do men like this? No.

2. Cain is very angry and jealous against his brother because his brother's offering was accepted by God but his was not.
Uh oh. In chapter 3 man and women experience unbelief, disobedience, blaming one another, and blaming God. Now sin continues in their children as Cain experiences anger and jealousy. Red flags to be sure. This seems to go against the whole idea that man is essentially a good person, huh? Man is a fallen and broken individual. Men and women's hearts are corrupted by sin. They don't naturally want to do good, do right, and love God. Look at verse 7, "And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you and you must master it." Sin is seen as an animal crouching around men waiting to devour them. Sin is a problem for men and will be for the rest of time. If only there was someone who could save men and change their hearts? If only there was someone who could restore men to fellowship with God? If only...
Lesson: Men need someone to save them, restore them to God and change their hearts.

3. God comes to Cain and tries to make things right. Remember that God did this in chapter 3 when Adam and Eve sinned? Again we see God initiating contact with sinners, not the other way again. God is seeking to restore men to righteousness and not the other way around. God tells Cain, if you "do well" will you not be accepted? This leads me to believe that God had told Cain what was "well" or "right" in regards to sacrifices, but Cain didn't listen.
Lesson: God had given and will give instructions on how to approach him and man has to listen and obey God's way in order to be accepted by him.

Alright, so we've set the stage for the drama. Tune in next blog for the murder, investigation, and judgment to follow. Part 2, coming soon.

P.S. If you don't come back, this guy will interrogate you.