Dial “M” for murder— ext. 408 if you plan to kill your brother

Cain and Abel

I am going to talk about a few elements of the story of Cain and Abel.  When reading Geneses 4 there are many things we just assume that are not in the text. Centuries of cultural interpretations, mutilations of the text in children’s stories, wonky church doctrines, movies, you name it, have impacted our understanding of this story.

So I am going to list somethings that we tend to assume but that are not actually in the text. And then show that they are either disproved by the text or not elaborated upon enough to assume one way or the other.

• Cain did not care as much about presenting a good offering to the Lord (he just gave him whatever).

Says who? The Bible doesnt speak clearly on this point, it simply states that Cain gave the “Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground” (Gen 4:3). It doesn’t say why God found favor in Abel’s offering just that he did.

• Abel was perfect

Was he? The Bible goes into very little detail about Abel, the only things we know about him are that he was a “keeper of sheep”, his offering was pleasing, and he talked to and was killed by Cain. For all we know Abel provoked Cain.
• God hated Cain
I do not see in evidence of God hating Cain. In fact God warns Cain in verse 7 stating that sin was "crouching" at his door and he must overcome it. God’s punishment could also be seen as merciful; he prevented Cain from being killed at the hands of men. Nothing is written stating that God hated Cain even though at other times it is written that God hates someone. It says Malachi 1: 2-3 that God loved Jacob but hated Esau. (These twin brothers are discussed in Geneses starting in chapter 25) However, nothing like this is stated about Cain.

• God was asking Cain a question because he did not know the answer
I don’t see why asking a question and not knowing the answer are mutually exclusive, like I said in class I ask questions of my children all the time that I know the answer to. “Did you hit your brother?” instead of “I saw you hit your brother”.

It is a judicial process (a really merciful one at that). God is giving Cain the opportunity to fess up without any prying.

But if he is omniscient wouldn’t he know Cain wasn’t going to fess up?

So What? One of the most annoying things is when someone tells you “I’m not even going to ask you this question because I already know you are going to lie to me.” Parents often use that line and boy is it frustrating, makes one want yell “So what, just let me speak for myself!!!”

God gives Cain the ability to speak for himself by asking this question, the fact that God knew he wasn’t going to fess up wouldn’t change the purpose of actually asking the question. Like I said it is a judicial process.

• Cain’s Anger was his undoing

Cain is never punished for his anger; instead he is given a warning not to sin. Anger in itself is not considered a sin in the Bible. There are many times when God is Angry and “Be angry and do not sin” is repeated twice in the Bible (Psalms 4:4 & Ephesians 4:26).

*One last thought*
Does anyone else find what God says to Cain filled with love?
A clear warning, then “What have you done?” instead of “You killed your brother!” I don’t think Cain is the massive villain he is painted to be, but instead a man who sins and finds his “guilt (punishment)* to great to bear”(Gen 4:3)
 *“punishment” and “guilt” are both given as possible words for the text.