Transcript
Stephen:
I want to talk about Cain and Abel today. The previous chapter, Genesis 3, is the story of the fall of Adam and Eve. At the heart of that fall is the sin of taking one fruit from a tree. But the very next chapter, we get to murder. It seems like a sudden collapse, and we want to understand what's going on.
Joel:
We have to ask: how do we fall so far so fast? The way to understand this is to step back and realize that Cain and Abel—these brothers in Genesis 4—are a picture of all humanity after the fall. In that state of being unrighteous before God, separated from Him, there are essentially two ways we can respond:
- Return to God on His terms — the way of Abel
- Refuse — the way of Cain
What's interesting is Cain does try to go back to God. He brings an offering. But he doesn’t come on God’s terms. From that self-righteous position—thinking his own efforts, his own produce are enough—everything unravels.
Stephen:
When we think about the Cain and Abel story, there are a couple of things to look at. Why was Abel’s offering accepted, and Cain’s not? Is it just about what they offered, or how they offered it?
Joel:
The object offered is tied to the attitude of the offering. Hebrews 11 says Abel offered by faith. Implicit in that is his recognition that he isn’t worthy to enter God’s presence, but he still seeks relationship with God. He brings a lamb, offers it as a sacrifice—looking forward to the ultimate sacrifice in Christ. He knows that to come to God, it must be through the shed blood of another.
Cain, on the other hand, also comes seeking relationship with God, but on his own terms. He brings the produce of his own labor, thinking, “This will make me acceptable.” He comes not with faith, but pride, self-reliance.
Stephen:
And that blood sacrifice—why is it important? It sounds strange to modern ears. But the whole Bible is steeped in this idea.
Joel:
Exactly. Because sin has a cost. That cost is death. The sacrifice of Christ is how that cost is dealt with fully and universally.
What Abel did, what the Israelites did later in the Old Testament, was a picture of that—substitution. Christ taking the place of the guilty, paying their price, bearing their judgment. So that, on the basis of another’s blood, the guilty can be declared righteous.
Stephen:
And I think the fact that it feels strange to us shows how little we think of sin—how small the idea of grieving God has become. Once you grasp the seriousness of being at odds with your Maker, the fact that God says the consequence is death, suddenly you realise, “I can’t fix this myself.”
Joel:
Exactly. And you see that in Cain. He starts with self-righteousness. But when his offering isn’t accepted and Abel’s is, that turns to jealousy, then to hatred, then murder—and then lying to God. It snowballs. One sin leads to another.
And this theme runs right through Scripture. The act of taking the fruit seems small, but its consequences are massive. Undoing it takes the death of the Son of God.
Stephen:
Even as Cain is going wrong, it seems God still offers him a way back.
Joel:
Yes. God confronts him, but doesn’t immediately judge him. There’s room for repentance. But Cain doesn’t take it.
This pattern of “twos” runs through the Bible: Cain and Abel, Ishmael and Isaac, Jacob and Esau, the two sons in Luke 15. Jesus Himself says in John 3:
- “The one who believes in Me has everlasting life.”
- “The one who does not believe is under God’s wrath.”
Our society splits people into endless categories. The Bible sees just two:
- Those who come to God on His terms
- Those who don’t
Stephen:
Are you a Cain or an Abel?
Joel:
Right. And if someone is drifting away from God like Cain, what can they do?
They need to see where they are and turn back. The New Testament calls this repentance—a complete change of heart and mind. It's turning from the idea that I can fix myself, atone for myself.
That’s how we think: “I messed up, so I need to clean up.” But we can’t bridge that gap. We can’t reconcile ourselves to God. The New Testament says Jesus made peace through the blood of His cross. That’s how we find rest, grace, and relationship with God.
Stephen:
Thanks. Next time, let’s move on from the sin of one man to a world full of sin—and what God does in response.
