This is practically an impudent answer. He frankly had little regard for either his brother or for his God. He is trying to cover his action, but the Scriptures say, “. . . there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known” (Matt. 10:26).
That is something to think over if you have any secret sins. You had better deal with them down here because they are all going to come out in God’s presence someday anyway.
He already knows about them—you might just as well tell Him about them.
This fellow Cain tries to say that he is not guilty. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”—what an impudent answer!
Genesis 4:8-15 KJV
[8] And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.
[9] And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?
[10] And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.
[11] And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand;
[12] When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.
[13] And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear.
[14] Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.
[15] And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.
Genesis 4:8
And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.
The first murder. Cain’s religion was too refined to kill a lamb, but not too cultured to murder his brother. God’s Way of Salvation fills the heart with love; man’s way of salvation inflames it with hatred.
“Religion” has ever been the greatest cause of bloodshed.
Genesis 4:9
And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?
Adam sins against God and Cain sins against man. In their united conduct, we have sin in all its forms, and that on the first page of human history.
He showed himself a “liar” in saying, “I know not”; “wicked and profane” in thinking he could hide his sin from God; “unjust” in denying himself to be his brother’s keeper; “obstinate and desperate” in not confessing his sin.
This is practically an impudent answer. He frankly had little regard for either his brother or for his God. He is trying to cover his action, but the Scriptures say, “. . . there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known” (Matt. 10:26).
That is something to think over if you have any secret sins. You had better deal with them down here because they are all going to come out in God’s presence someday anyway.
He already knows about them—you might just as well tell Him about them. This fellow Cain tries to say that he is not guilty. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”—what an impudent answer!
Genesis 4:10
And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.
(God said this)
This concerns man’s sins, the fruit of his sinful nature. There is some Scriptural evidence that Cain cut his brother’s throat.
Thus, with the first shedding of human blood, that ominous thought sprang up, divinely bestowed, that the Earth will grant no peace to the one who has wantonly stained her fair face with the life-stream of man.
The writer to the Hebrews uses this in Hebrews 12:24: “And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.”
Abel’s blood spoke of murder committed. The blood of Christ speaks of redemption; it speaks of salvation.
Genesis 4:11
And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand;
Certainly the blood of Abel cries out from the very earth itself—blood that was spilled in murder by a brother. Cain repudiated the Cross, murdered his brother, and is now cursed by God; this is the first curse leveled by God against a human being.
This was the beginning of what has proven to be a saturation; from then until now, the Earth has been soaked with the blood of innocent victims.
Genesis 4:12
When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.
This presents the fact that Cain had polluted man’s habitation, and now, when he tilled the soil, it would resist him as an enemy. This presents the search, not of a better lot, but under the compulsion of an evil conscience.
Yet in our day there is a curse upon the earth because of man’s sin which causes it to lose its fertility. In some of the most lush sections of our earth multitudes of folk are starving.
It takes great effort and ingenuity for man to make this earth produce in abundance.
Genesis 4:13
And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear.
Cain did not see the enormity of his sin, but the severity of his punishment; in other words, there was no repentance.
If Cain’s punishment was greater than he could bear, why didn’t he just turn to God and confess his sin and cast himself upon God’s mercy?
It was too great for him to bear, but God was providing a Savior for him if he would only turn to Him.
Genesis 4:14
Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.
Adam’s sin brought expulsion from the inner circle, Cain’s from the outer. To be hidden from the Face of God is to be not regarded by God, and not protected by His Guardian care. This means a wanderer. This means seek to.
The reference by Cain to other individuals proves that in the some 100 plus years since Adam and Eve were created, the first parents had other children.
By this time, there could very well have been several thousands of people on the Earth. Cain says now that he is to be hidden from the face of God, and of course, that is exactly what happened.
But notice now that God protects him. This is strange: God is actually harboring a murderer, a criminal.
Genesis 4:15
And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.
Cain was allowed to live in order that he might be a perpetual warning to others that the blood of their fellowman must not be spilled; however, very few heeded, as few presently heed.
I do not know what the mark was. There has been a lot of speculation, and I do not know why I should add my speculation to all of it. We aren’t told what the mark was, but evidently, all knew and God protects Cain.
There has been no law given at this time. Cain is a sinner, but he is not a transgressor because there has been no law given about murder.
His great sin is that he did not bring the offering that was acceptable to God. His deeds were evil in what he brought to God, and he manifested that evil nature in slaying his brother.
I hope that you have really enjoyed this post,