WEEKLY BIBLE COMMENTARY by Wes Woodard 9-17

Adam and Eve had two sons: Cain and Abel. Cain became a farmer and Abel a herdsman.  A time came when they both brought an offering to the Lord.  Cain brought some of the produce from his farm.  Abel brought some of the “firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions.” (NASV)  The Lord accepted Abel’s offerings, but not Cain’s. Why? The Scripture does not say. Now at this point Cain should have said, “Lord why is my offering unacceptable?”

It is my feeling that God would have told him and Cain could have rectified this situation.  But, he does not do this. He gets very angry and kills Abel.  He is an example of what we all are: “sinners!”  We all have a bent toward evil or an “Old Sin Nature”. Paul, the Apostle, talks about this in Romans chapter seven. God puts a curse on Cain’s farm. It will no longer produce. Cain complains that everyone who hears about this will wish to kill him.  Therefore, God puts a mark on Cain and tells everyone “…whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.”  Then Cain left the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden. The first baby ever born became a murderer. Awful!  Eve then has another son and calls him Seth.  And, then she says that the Lord has replaced Abel with Seth.