“With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man.”
First baby ever. Think about that for a second. No practice, no manuals, no experience, no doctors, no painkillers. And you know Adam is freaking out and completely useless. “With the help of the LORD…” I don’t know how it went down, who cut the umbilical cord, or what they wrapped the baby in. But I do know that God wasn’t abandoning anybody. Banishment from the garden does not mean banishment from God, and he’s still pursuing them and personally involved in their lives.
In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock.
In the course of time – how long? Enough time to have some daughters? Obviously enough time for the boys to grow up, and there’s no reason for Adam and Eve not to keep having children. Remember, the goal is to “be fruitful and increase in number.”
Anyways, I don’t know when sacrifices started and whether this is a first time deal, or whether Adam and Eve have been showing the boys what to do, but they’re bringing offerings now. “Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil…” There doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with this to me. It seems like a solid offering. He brought some of what he had. “But Abel brought fat portions…” While Cain’s offering may not have been ‘bad,’ it just didn’t match up to Abel’s. Abel brought the fat portions of the firstborn. The best of the best. His offering cost him more, it was more significant.
The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor.
Looked on Abel AND his offering, Cain AND his offering. It’s not just about the offerings, but about the person. Perhaps their attitude as well? God looks with favor on Abel and his offering, but not on Cain and his. Doesn’t look with hate, or disgust, or anger, or frustration, just not with favor. God asks “why angry?” You didn’t receive favor because you weren’t joyful, didn’t give your best, whatever. Don’t hold back, give it your best, and you’ll be rewarded, but don’t expect favor when you don’t give your best. But watch out, “sin is crouching at your door, it desires to have you, but you must master it.” To me, this sounds like so far Cain hasn’t sinned in this story. Sure, Abel’s offering was better, and Cain didn’t receive God’s favor, but he hasn’t actually done anything wrong, except holding back. And then he does do something wrong. Sort of a biggie.
And just as Adam and Eve were cursed, Cain is cursed. No longer will the ground produce crops for him. His livelihood is stripped away. The one thing he knew best is taken from him and he is cursed to be a wanderer. God puts a mark on him so that no one would kill him. Who? Family? There’s still no one else except Adam, Eve, and whatever other sisters he has, but they surely aren’t going to be pleased that he killed Abel. Justice might very well drive them to sentence him to death. It’s hard to fill the earth with people when one of you is killing the others. Whatever this mark is though, it’s supposedly enough to make everyone leave him alone. So what was it? A word of warning? A symbol? Some single thing that everyone would realize was a mark of God. But where? His forehead perhaps? I don’t know.
So Cain went out from the from the LORD’s presence…
For the first time, someone is separated from God.
Cain lay with his wife…
Wife? When did that happen? Question you were too afraid to ask in Sunday School: where did she come from? Since everyone has to come from Adam, it must be a sister. There aren’t any other people in the world, that just doesn’t match up with anything that’s happened. God created Adam and Eve to start the world, and they’re the only ones. Not just one of many groups. So Cain married his sister. But isn’t that like against the law and aren’t their babies going to be all messed up and everything? Not really. First of all, the law didn’t come for thousands more years. As for defects, they’re still basically perfect. Genetic issues arise because related people have the same weird stuff in their DNA, so it compounds to their children. Adam and Eve were created perfect, though, and even though sin has entered the world, they’re still pretty much as close to perfect as anyone ever will be. Their children, then, don’t suffer from genetic issues, and inbreeding isn’t an issue at all. As generations pass, it slowly does become something that can actually cause problems, and a couple thousand years later the law comes which forbids it, since by that time there are plenty of other people in the world to choose from.
Anyways, Cain builds a city. Just for reference, he wasn’t a caveman. Nobody really was. They’ve been farming and caring for animals from the beginning. Not to mention talking. These were intelligent, basically almost perfect people. I don’t know who invented the wheel, but it probably wasn’t by accident.
So Cain’s line starts developing, and we see certain heirs take up specific crafts. Six generations down we see Jabel, the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock. His brother Jubel, the father of all who play the harp and the flute. And their half-brother Tubal-Cain, who forged tools out of bronze and iron. Well, the Stone Age didn’t last that long…only a few generations. So we have a line of resourceful offspring, accomplishing things, and delving not only into survival, but even music. Also, we have Lamech, proclaiming his power, and threatening his vengeance.
Back to Adam and Eve, they have another son Seth to replace Abel, and his line also begins to develop.
At that time, men began to call on the name of the LORD.
Now what does that mean? Now obviously Adam and Eve have been talking to God from the beginning. Perhaps we’re talking about some of Cain’s descendants who actually haven’t been calling to God, since Cain did leave his presence and everything. Like a revival, then. Or perhaps the first sort of gathering to worship. Adam and Eve bundle up the kids and head over to visit Cain to sing a few hymns or whatever. Or maybe that’s the wrong track altogether, and this isn’t a good thing at all. Maybe this is actually a statement of men beginning to worship idols. To call other things ‘LORD’ as they stray farther from God.
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