Here we will look at Genesis 4:1-16, this passage deals with the murder of Abel by his brother Cain. We clearly see that these 16 verses are broken into four distinct sections. The background genealogy v. 1-2a, the Impasse in v2b-8, the Judgement V.9-15 and finally in V. 16 the conclusion . It can be seen that the events build and then slow at the critical point when God is talking to Cain, indeed the recalling of the actual events is very clear. This is a simple case of murder, indeed the first murder. The conversation is between God and Cain and just as we saw with Adam and the fall the focus here sin and the consequences of sin.
When we look at V. 1-2 we are presented with the image of life starting after the fall with the first birth of a human being taking place, we are given the image of Eve giving thanks for the birth with the cry “I have acquired a man with the Lord” that being Cain. This cry of joy is given in rejoicing to the Creator who
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It can also be seen that in this lie or attempt to lie to God there is an obvious lack of remorse and it appears that there is no repentance in Cain in regards to his actions or the events that have transpired.
V.10-14 God presents the evidence of his crime, Abel’s Blood that has been shed by Cain is given an identity of its own, and this is clear as God calls on it as if it were a witness that testified as to the actions and events that had occurred. Now God passes judgement on Cain for his actions, in 3:13-14 we saw that the ground cursed, here now we see that it is the ground that will curse
When God proclaims that he favors Abel's gift over Cain's, Cain becomes angry and jealous towards Abel and he eventually kills him. Although God is fully aware of what has transpired, He asks Cain where Abel is, and Cain answers Him untruthfully saying, "Am I my brother's keeper?" (Genesis 4:2-5). After God reveals to Cain that he knows of Abel's murder, God banishes Cain to another part of the land and places a mark on him so that no man will kill him.
One always asks, why does one kill? For love, for money, for power…and sometimes because the devil was hissing in your ear, kissing your neck, willing you on. He’d spoke of wrong doings, and trespasses, ones that could not be forgiven. So Cain had taken destiny into his hands, millenia ago he was going to find himself wrapped up in the embrace of hell, of Satan, and the Pit.
In this essay I will analyze and differentiate two completely contrasting legacies left behind by Cain and Seth, the descendants of Adam and Eve. Reflecting on the point in time where Eve appointed eponyms for her children, their very names conceptualized a foreshadowing of this apparent contrast. In Hebrew, Cain means ‘spear' and Seth means ‘anointed’ or ‘granted’ a name that alludes to Eve’s utterance found in Genesis 4:25, “God has granted me another child in the place of Abel since Cain killed him”. This sets the tone of the significant dissimilarity of their character later distinguished in the narrative of Genesis. Cain was the primary exploitation for murder, and not only the act of killing, but that of his beloved brother. (Genesis 4:11-16) And in the midst of his child Enoch being born, Cain was developing the world’s first advanced civilized society. (Genesis 4:17) Contrasting, Seth was the third son of
The biblical story of Cain and Abel has been written in more than one way. The King James version of the Bible states that when God speaks to Cain after he had murdered his brother Abel, God said, "Thou shalt" overcome sin. In the standard American version of the Bible, God says "Do thou" which means Cain will certainly overcome sin. The Hebrew word 'timshel' means 'thou mayest' which is arguably the most important two words in John Steinbeck's novel East of Eden. These two words change the meaning of what God said completely. 'Thou mayest' gives a person the gift of free will. It is not a promise or an order that people will overcome sin, timshel means that people are responsible for their own actions and decisions. It is the thoughts and
For his sin he was expelled from Eden. From that day on he led the life of an exile, doomed to be "a fugitive and wanderer in the earth" (Gen. 4:12) and denied the rights of a normal man, only to bare the mark of a sinner and warning to others. With this Cain walked into the land of Nod (unknown, evil, dark), only to leave a legacy felt by the generations of his offspring.
Another biblical example of a moral or intrinsic evil is the result of Adam and Eves disobedience of God’s free will in the Garden of Eden and becomes even more clear to them with the birth of their two sons, Cain and Abel. The birth of these two sons brings the evil of lethal violence to society. It begins with rivalry amongst siblings of jealousy and family fighting. Cain’s jealousy finally ends with him making the decision to commit murder and kill his brother Abel. This decision of moral or intrinsic evil made by Cain is the first taking of human life and the deterioration of humanity’s condition. The act of murder is not an act of God, it is an act of man and because of man’s action, evil succeeds in society. Again, the problem of
As Genesis is the first book of the bible and verses 1:1-2:3 are the first accounts, it is essential that the story that proceeds be examined. What is then discovered is another account about creation. This creation story is similar to the first account but it can be seen that God ‘is not working to a pre-planned strategy’ , this then ‘hints at a measure of vulnerability in the Creator’ in the second creation account which is a stark difference to the first story of creation where God is viewed as ‘is a king who does all things well: in his own judgement, it is 'very good'. He alone is responsible for creation: his voice alone is heard; he consults no one for wisdom or advice’ . Incorporating the world behind the text and the world of the text we are able to get a more cohesive experience about what the story is telling us, in this case what Genesis 1:1-2:3 is actually referring to. The tools used to analyse the text allows the audience to develop greater insight about the purpose of the text, it also allows the audience to change their previous viewpoint with integrated gained depth and
In Genesis, God interacts with Adam by speaking to him face to face. Whether God was giving out instructions or punishment to Adam and Eve, he was always doing it on a personal level. The usual portrayal of God as an omniscient being is instead replaced as mentor to Adam and Eve who is trying to help them understand their existence. This close relationship is shown even when man does something wrong. The only rule that God gives to Adam is that he must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Adam and Eve go on to break the singular rule and be punished; but not to the extent most would think. Before partaking of the fruit God says that, "the day that you eat of it you shall die"(Genesis). Instead of dying, Adam and Eve are removed from the garden and go begin their lives. God punishes them for their actions, but also gives clothes and allows them to take the knowledge they have gained from the tree. Even after breaking the one rule that he has set for them, God allowed them to keep the knowledge they gained to begin mankind. This grace towards humanity is shown once again with Adam and Eve's children, Cain and Abel. Cain kills Abel after God accepts Abel's offering and not his own. Even with Cain having killed his own brother, God still does not punish Cain severally; "you will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth"(Genesis). This punishment is especially seen as inadequate as Cain goes on to settle in Nod and have his own family. This mercy by God shows that he was unable to punish humanity even for the most serious of offenses. This lack of punishment shows God's sympathy for mankind because of his close relationship with them. This close relationship stems from God's close bond with mankind because of their similar image and knowledge. This relationship that began as two very similar beings, has further blossomed as God has given great responsibility to
In book 4 of the Bible the first brother story takes place. It is one of deceit and competition over receiving better blessings from God. This is the story of Cain and
The beginning two and a the half minutes into the movie describes the beginning of the Book of Genesis including creation, the original sin, the curse of Cain, and anything preceding Noah. The movie continues with Noah as a child, on a hill with his father Lamech, who is about to give him an important heirloom - the skin of the original serpent from Eden- which has been passed down. Then suddenly, a large group of people led by a young king named Tubal-Cain, who wants to make that land into a mine approaches Lamech. Seeing Noah’s father, Tubal-Cain kills him and takes the serpent 's skin, while Noah runs.
God comes to Cain to confront him with the responsibility and Cain denies him. God comes not to find the truth, but to allow Cain the opportunity to admit the truth. Never being able to admit his sin and receive God's blessing, he receives a curse. His farming shall not flourish as it once did, and he must wander and be a fugitive. God puts a mark on Cain as one of deserving of death yet one chosen by God to live. One interpretation of the mark is that God believes death is too good for Cain and punishes him by making him live with what he has to do. It can also be looked at as allowing Cain an open door through which he can return whenever he is ready to face things more honestly.
These verses state “Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, ‘Where are you?’” (Gen. 3:8-9). From this passage, we glean that God habitually walked with His stewards through the garden at the end of each day and fellowshipped with them. However, because of their disobedience, Adam and Eve became ashamed of themselves and afraid of God. God was forced to evict His people from the garden as a result of their refusal to repent, and their relationship with Him was never again the same. The account of Cain and Abel reveals that from that point on, God required sacrifices from His people in order to restore fellowship. Moreover, He still spoke to them, but He no longer walked among them. Adam and Eve thus longed for the promised Seed who would undo the effects of the curse and bring back God’s favor upon their
The bible remains a mystery to many people in society today. Therefore, the relationship between God and Adam can be said to be a very complex relationship. Genesis shows us many examples of God 's interaction with Adam, apparently there is so much more about God’s disappointment and righteous anger in the garden. The world of Christianity fails to see there’s so much more to the story about God and Adam, I think many of us do the same. He was the first man, the father of mankind, however, Genesis does not fill-in the missing background information as to the reasons why man and woman came to be the first rational, mortal creations of God 's divinity. Moreover, most believers in the Bible do not know the specific similarities and differences regarding the two humans ' characteristics, and how their relationship impact each other as well as all other living creatures in the garden. We see the wrath, but we miss the grace. The bible does not tell if Adam was Baptized and upon his death he went to heaven, however many of religious leaders tried to read and to the relationship between god and Adam, without facts to back it up. Non statement should not be used to formulate doctrine. A conclusion cannot be drawn from something that God did not say. If Adam had been faithful, God may have had any number of plans for Adam, none of which are touched upon in Genesis. If all other aspects of earthly creation tend to decay and death it makes as much sense to conclude that human 's
Did you know that the Holy Bible was written over 3500 years ago ("When Was the Bible Written?" - Biblica. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Sept. 2016.)? In Genesis 1-4, by God this book was written over thousands ago. This story in the Bible is about one great God putting everything we know into existing and creating human however one of the human named Cain gets jealous of his younger brother Abel and kills him. Ultimately, the story portrays the relationship between creation story, jealousies, love, murder and punishment in mankind. In return of God’s creation being jealous, God states the punishment upon Cain however, God still shows love by letting Cain Know that if anybody body tries to kill will suffer sevenfold vengeance (The Norton Anthology World
Genesis is the first book of the Bible. It begins with the story of God’s creation of the universe. The Lord is the Almighty Creator of the world, skies, heavens, seas, animals, man, and woman. He governs the universe and develops relationships with man. Throughout Genesis, God acknowledges the fact that human beings make mistakes, and accepts their imperfection. Throughout Genesis, God changes from one who does not tolerate disobedience, to one who shows clemency. Early on in Genesis, God punishes Adam and Eve for disobedience. After making the mistake of flooding the world, the Lord realizes that even He is not perfect, and does not allow Jacob’s deceit of his father to taint his future.