God’s Enduring Mercy and the Tragedy of Cain

(Genesis 4, Preaching: Pastor Nathan Snyder, July 13, 2014)

In the midst of God’s pronouncement of judgment upon sin in Genesis 3, he promised to bring redemption through Eve’s offspring.  Now at the beginning of Genesis 4, Eve bears a son with the help of the Lord.  His name is Cain.  Will redemption come through Cain?  Eve then bore another son, Abel.  His name in Hebrew means “vapor” or “breath.”  The word is used throughout the book of Ecclesiastes and is often translated “vanity.”  It proved to be an appropriate name, for Abel’s life was cut short.  Redemption had not come yet.  Only the growth of evil in the world.  God accepted Abel’s offering, but rejected Cain’s.  No clear explanation is given as to why, but we quickly see that Cain’s heart was not right before God.  Burning with jealousy, he murdered his own brother.  Since Genesis 3, the world has been a place in which we, the very image bearers of God, ignore his Word, envy one another, covet, and kill even our own family members.  This is a world in which life is a vapor, and those who desire to serve God are often oppressed by those who do not.

The real tragic figure in this account, however, is not Abel but Cain.  God repeatedly shows mercy to Cain.  He warns Cain and instructs him to conquer the sin in his heart.  Yet Cain does not listen.  God invites Cain to acknowledge his sin when he has murdered his brother.  Yet Cain pretends to have no knowledge of his brother’s death, as if he could fool God.  God does not give Cain the death penalty but makes him a wanderer upon the earth.  When Cain complains that this seems too harsh, God mercifully marks Cain so that nobody will kill him.  This is what God is like.  Slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and mercy.  His kindness is meant to lead us to repentance (Rom. 2:4-5).  Yet Cain never repented.  Abel trusted God and now has an eternal inheritance in the presence of the Lord (Heb. 11:4).  Cain left the presence of the Lord in verse 16, and though he seems to have had a measure of success in this world, nothing is said of his returning to the Lord.  Furthermore, he passed on his waywardness to his descendents, as we see in Lamech.  Lamech violated God’s design for marriage, taking two wives rather than one wife.  Then he murdered a young man, taking personal vengeance, and he composed a poem defiantly claiming to be the master and protector of his own life.  Cain at least recognized he needed God’s protection.  Lamech believed he needed nobody but himself.

As Cain’s descendents grew further from the God who made them, the mercy of God continued.  Lamech’s children raised livestock and invented tools for work and instruments for music.  We see the image of God continuing in fallen man.  We also see Lamech crafting an eloquent poem to boast in himself.  By the mercy of God humanity has made many developments.  Yet the sin of man often uses them for evil.  Humanity is broken, foolishly trusting in ourselves.  But then God gives another son to Adam and Eve.  From Seth would come the Christ, who has won redemption for our fallen world.  We get a premonition of this in the closing words of the chapter.  During the days of Seth’s son Enosh, “people began to call upon the name of the LORD.”  Despite our sin and the sin around us, there is salvation in Christ.  As the apostle Paul would later write, speaking of the Lord Jesus, “everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved” (Rom. 10:13 quoting Joel 2:32).

Put the Word to Work:  God has shown every one of us kindness upon kindness, despite all our sin against him and against one another.  He has kept his promise and given us a Savior.  Receive his kindness, turn away from sin, and call upon his name.  We will find life and joy in his presence.

Memory Verse from the Psalms of Ascents: Psalm 121:3-4 – He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.  Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

Gospel Reading: Matthew 13:18-23 – The Parable of the Sower Explained