Study Page – Lessons 4 – 6

Lesson 4: Cain and Abel (Genesis 4)

If you search for images of Cain and Abel online, you can find many different depictions of Cain in the midst of killing Abel. However, I found one striking image of Cain and Abel at the altar.

In that painting, Abel is in the background, standing up in the light with his hand outstretched toward his offering almost looking upward. Cain has his head on his hands in the foreground in darkness. Cain is looking out toward the viewer as if to say, “you know what happens next.” I did not use that image here because I could not find an attribution for who painted it nor who might currently possess the painting.

Let’s examine the story of these two sons of Adam and Eve and their offering as recorded in Genesis 4. Cain is the firstborn and Abel is his younger brother. Cain tilled the soil (and raised crops) while Cain kept (and raised) flocks. Both of them bring offerings to the altar.

There is an important distinction in what they brought. Cain brought “some of the fruits of the soil” while Abel brought “fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock.” The character of the offerings are completely different.

First, as Moses records later in the law, both the burnt offering and the sin offering includes the fat from firstborn, unblemished livestock. The “firstborn” is discussed a lot in the Bible. Esau was the “firstborn” of Isaac (but Esau despised his birthright.) For that matter, Ishmael (by Hagar) was the firstborn of Abraham, but Isaac (by Sarah) was the child of the “promise.” The Old Testament law speaks a lot about redeeming the “firstborn” of Israel, whether an animal or a firstborn human male. Jesus was presented at the temple as a “firstborn.” What is not mentioned about Cain’s offering is that it is not one of the “first fruits.”

Second, when Adam and Eve are exiled from the Garden of Eden, one of the things that God does is “clothe them with the skin of an animal” as the fig leaves they had chosen to clothe themselves with were frankly not sufficient to cover their nakedness. This naturally means that an animal was sacrificed in order to provide skins to Adam and Eve. Even Hebrews 9:22 records that “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness (of sin).”

If you think that perhaps God was being unfair to Cain as a “tiller of the soil” in expecting an animal sacrifice, remember that he could have always traded some of his “fruit” with Abel in order to bring an animal sacrifice.

Finally, remember what David says in his “Penitent Psalm” – the psalm that he composes after being caught in his sin by sleeping with another man’s wife (Bathsheba) and then killing the husband (Uriah the Hittite) when Bathsheba becomes pregnant with his child –

“You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
    you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
    a broken and contrite heart
    you, God, will not despise.” (Psalm 51:16 – 17 NIV from biblegateway.com)

Ultimately, it is most likely that Cain’s heart was not right before God as Abel’s was.

And the result, “The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor.” I live in a culture that really doesn’t care what God thinks – as such, many people are unconcerned about “God’s disfavor.”

Cain, however, does care – the problem is that he didn’t care enough at the time of his offering. He wanted the “blessing” when he did not do right by God. However, Cain is unrepentant and he becomes angry. But how does God console Cain in his anger – “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast?  If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” (Genesis 4:6 – 7)

Cain chooses not to heed the warning and kills his brother Abel. The first murder of the world occurs when one son of Adam slays another in jealousy. The LORD calls out to Cain immediately (in the passage), “Where is your brother, Abel?”

Cain lies, “I don’t know.” Cain deflects, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” And the LORD confronts Cain with this (latest) sin – “You have killed your brother.” And the LORD passes judgment on Cain – as tiller of the soil, the ground would no longer produce crops for Cain. He would restlessly wander the earth.

Here is a dichotomy of good vs. evil in humanity. Abel does the right thing and Cain does the wrong thing. Instead of repenting, Cain chooses to exacerbate his sin by participating in jealousy and then murder of his brother (who did the right thing and received God’s blessing). Cain is judged. Cain finds the judgment harsh and is fearful of being killed since he is a murderer (and the killing of him would be a just punishment). However, God marks Cain (in mercy) so that none would kill him. (And if one did, he would be cursed by God “seven times.”)

Fast forward to Lamech who also kills a man, but takes it upon himself to issue a curse against anyone who would kill him (“seventy-seven times”). This won’t be the first (or the last) time that a man tries to stand in as God.

So, what are we to make of this in relation to end time prophecy?

First, judgment is necessary because mankind still does evil, just as it did at the beginning. At some point, God will no longer let evil persist. (That includes the evil of ignoring God which so many are doing today.) His final judgment will eradicate evil and evildoers.

Second, persecution will happen to those who believe in Jesus from the unbelievers. Cain not only took his revenge on Abel, he also persecuted him for doing the right thing. Jesus states that persecution will happen to those of us who believe and spread the gospel of Jesus before the end times start in earnest. (Luke 21:12)

Third, sin has been a problem since the beginning. In the end, all sin will be eradicated as well. And what is sin? Sin is anything that separates mankind from God. After the judgment, sin will no longer exist.

Fourth, we must still be on our guard (until the very end) against sin and evil. Remember what God said to Cain, “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” (Genesis 4:7)

Lesson 5: Noah and the Flood (Genesis 6)

If we want to understand what the end time will be like, we can look back to the history of what has already happened.  The most direct correlation to the past is the time of the flood in the days of Noah.

In Genesis 6, we see the state of the world.  “The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. So the Lord said, ‘I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.’ But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” (Genesis 6:5 – 8 NIV from biblegateway.com)

In other words, everyone in the world were wicked (except Noah).  God regretted making human beings (except Noah).  God decided to wipeout all of sinful humanity (except Noah).  

What can we already learn from this passage?  One, just being in the majority does not make you “right” before God.  I heard an assessment recently about Canada, “Canada is a democracy but that doesn’t mean Canada is free because the majority are in favor of what the Prime Minister is doing” (Dennis Prager commenting on the freezing of bank accounts of everyone who donated money to the truckers demonstration against having to be vaccinated against Covid-19 in order to keep their jobs).  Whether you agree with what the Prime Minister did or not, it doesn’t mean that being in the majority makes a person necessarily right on an issue.  It certainly didn’t make mankind right when only one man (and his family) are the ones who are “looked on with favor by God” because of the choices they made and the actions they took.

Two, Noah is not “rescued” just by the hand of God.  He is required to demonstrate his faith in God by continuing to be obedient to Him.  “So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high. Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit^[e] high all around.^[f] Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks.”  (Genesis 6:14 – 16 NIV from biblegateway.com)

Once Noah has completed his tasks, all the animals that are to be saved get on the ark along with Noah and his immediate family (sons and their wives), God brings forth the waters of the earth and rain to flood the entire earth and wipe out the rest of humanity.

I identify as an evangelical (meaning, I believe one of our responsibilities is to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ as He is the only means of salvation to God).  I also believe that Noah spent part of his time warning his fellow man of the impending doom. (I mean, that ark was HUGE and just what was it’s purpose?)

However, many evangelicals believe in what is known as the Pre-tribulation rapture of the church.  In this viewpoint, these “dispensationalists” believe that Jesus will come back first (secretly) and rapture the church (those that are still living and all those who have died) before the end time events that are recorded in Revelation (specifically the Seals, Bowls, and Trumpet judgments from heaven) as well as the rise and persecution by the Anti-Christ before Christ’s “Glorious Appearing.”

This viewpoint of the early rapture of the church was developed by James Nelson Darby, a Scottish theologian.  However much the majority of evangelicals want to embrace this view of the rapture, I do not see how this is borne out by biblical scripture.

First, Noah and his family were not miraculously kept away from the flood; instead, God “carried them through the flood” in the ark.  Second, When Israel was about to be destroyed by the Egyptians in the desert, God did not miraculously teleport them to the other side of the Red Sea, instead he caused the Red Sea to part so that Israel “walked through the Red Sea” to the to the other side.  Based on these examples (and so many others) I believe that God will carry the church through the tribulation to come – not rescue them from it by a “rapture.”

So, Noah builds his ark, God shuts the door and the Flood kills the rest of humanity.  It’s many days before the ark comes to rest and dry land reappears as the waters recede and Noah and his family are allowed to leave the ark.

So, what other lessons can we learn from this event in history?

For that, let’s look at what Jesus said about Noah in Matthew 24. “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.” (Matthew 24:36 – 41 NIV from biblegateway.com)

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready ,because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” (Matthew 24:42 – 44 NIV from biblegateway.com)

The Day and Hour will be unknown – people will be living their lives when the end comes.  (See the news report about all the women giving birth in the Ukraine now in the midst of the Russian invasion.  It makes me think about what Jesus said, “How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers!”  Matthew 24:19)

Our duty is to be READY for his return.  This means being right with God and obeying what he commands.  

Remember, that in the days of Noah, mankind was “utterly wicked” – so I believe that mankind will also be utterly wicked at the end time.  

Also, as the Ark was a huge vessel built before the flood, and I’m sure that many people say this boon doggle and probably knew what it was for – there will be signs that will become obvious before the end – if we are willing to watch!

Lesson 6: Russia/Ukraine – War and Rumor

See if you can follow this list:

1.  Russia and Ukraine
2. US withdraws from Afghanistan
3. Taliban take over Afghanistan
4. Syrian conflict
5. ISIS Caliphate War
6. Russia and Crimea
7. US invades Iraq
8. US invades Afghanistan
9. 9/11/2001
10. Iraq invades Kuwait
11. Iran/Iraq war
12. KGB Coup in Russia
13. USMC troops bombed in Lebanon
14. US troops in Panama to apprehend Manuel Noriega
15. US troops defeat Cuban troops in Grenada
16. Six Day War
17. Vietnam War
18. Cuban Missile Crisis
19. Korean War
20. World War II
21. World War I
22. Russian Revolution
23. Russian/Japanese War
24. Spanish/American War
25. American Revolution
26. British Civil War
27. War of the Roses
28. Norman invasion of England

These are just a partial list of the events that I can remember personally or have read about (and maybe not in the correct linear timeline).  Today, we are in the fifteenth day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.  Like many of you, I have watched the news and have seen the heroic resistance of the Ukrainian people against the illegal and immoral invasion by Russian military forces.  Like you, I am wondering whether President Vladimir Putin will widen the war if he feels that he has been “provoked” by either NATO or the United States.

In the bible, Jesus speaks of “war and rumors of war” in Matthew 24:6, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.”

We have had war since Jesus time, probably first in 70 AD when the Roman military destroyed the Temple as part of the first Roman-Jewish War.  As I once told you, my pastor said in a sermon recently that “we are already living in the end times” which began once Jesus arrived as Peter recounts in his sermon at Pentecost (“In these last days”).  It’s just that the end time is taking a really, long time.  

Jesus also said this in Matthew 24:7 – 8, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.  All these are the beginning of birth pains.”

There is so much more to Jesus prophecy which we will not have time to get to today.  Suffice it to say, that as bad as circumstances are at present, there is still a God of the Universe who is in control.  Our job at present is to “not be alarmed.”  

This is not to say that we shouldn’t be “concerned” about the current Russian/Ukraine conflict nor that we should not take action to resolve the conflict – we should do everything that God leads us to do about this conflict according to His will, including praying for the Ukrainian people and leaders that God will make them strong and praying for the Russian people and leaders that God will impress upon them to do the right thing.

But, because God is who He is and because of His great care for us, we don’t have to be fearful.  In a larger context, I believe we are still seeing the “birth pains” of the end time which will move as fast or slowly as God wills.  Our job is to be prepared for Christ’s return.  How do we do that?

First, we must be in right relationship with God through Jesus Christ.  Second, we must daily seek His will for our lives in worship to Him and in loving others.  Third, we must be prepared to “give an answer for the hope that we have” (I Peter 3:15) to a lost world.  And finally, we must “love each other as Christ loved us.” (John 13:34 – 35)

Look forward, my friends, in the hope of God, or as John Wayne, once said, “Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway.”