Genesis 4:1-16

4:1 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the LORD.” 2 And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. 3 In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, 4 and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. (ESV)

Cain and Abel made offerings to the LORD of some of what they had received from Him. What could be the purpose of such offerings, since their was no church which had expenses that needed to be paid? The only purpose could be to worship God — to express love, gratitude and trust toward Him.

And Abel was worshiping. He offered the best portions of the first-born from his flock. Before he knew what the future held for his flock he offered his first and best to God.

The passage does not go into detail about what was wrong with Cain’s offering or how God’s regard or lack of regard for the offerings was communicated to the two men. But Hebrews 11:4 says, “By faith Abel offered God a greater sacrifice than Cain, and through his faith he was commended as righteous, because God commended him for his offerings.” God knows our thoughts and even the motives behind our thoughts. There is a difference between truly worshiping God and merely discharging what one may view as an obligation.

6 The LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.” (ESV)

Everyone has a choice about whether they will submit to God’s lordship or whether they will — like Cain — resent it and rebel against it.

8 Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. 9 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” (ESV)

Cain’s defiant and insolent reply to God’s rhetorical question implies no responsibility for his brother. But of course he is directly responsible for what he has done to Abel.

10 But the LORD said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground! 11 So now, you are banished from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you try to cultivate the ground it will no longer yield its best for you. You will be a homeless wanderer on the earth.”

Cain’s crime testified against him. God could not and would not ignore that crime. He made it clear to Cain that Cain had done wrong and would be held accountable.

At the same time, it is fair to say that Cain got off relatively lightly. God did not demand Cain’s life for Abel’s. Cain is instead condemned to a life as a restless wanderer on the earth. It is not that God would be unjust in ending Cain’s life then and there (see Genesis 9:5,6). He apparently had something else in mind for Cain.

However, all of this seemed to be lost on Cain:

13 Then Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is too great to endure! 14 Look! You are driving me off the land today, and I must hide from your presence. I will be a homeless wanderer on the earth; whoever finds me will kill me.”

Cain, curiously, seemed to understand that because of what he had done his life was forfeit (“whoever finds me will kill me”), yet at the same time felt no remorse, as indicated by his suggestion in verse 13 that God was being unfair to him.

15 But the LORD said to him, “All right then, if anyone kills Cain, Cain will be avenged seven times as much.” Then the LORD put a special mark on Cain so that no one who found him would strike him down. 16 So Cain went out from the presence of the LORD and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

In verse 15 the Hebrew term lakhen (“therefore”, translated here as “All right then”) has the sense of “Okay” or “in that case then I will do so-and-so.” The Lord put some sort of mark on Cain to protect him from retribution. Again, it was not that Cain did not deserve death for his murder, but rather that God was taking responsibility upon Himself for ensuring that Cain was held accountable for his crime.