READ: Gen. 4:1-16: … And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering … and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him … And He said … you are cursed …
Adam and Eve have been expelled from the Garden of Eden, and they are not spared from troubles and concerns. However, children are born to them. At the birth of their first child, Eve exclaims, “I have acquired a man from the LORD.” Then comes Abel, his brother. They turn out to be two very different children.
Cain means spear or acquire, while Abel means breath or transience. One becomes a farmer and the other a shepherd. But the most significant difference is that Abel loves and serves the Lord, while Cain is indifferent to Him. They would have received the same upbringing in faith, but it manifested differently.
Abel is called righteous in Hebrews 11:4. Faith has worked in him, as is evident in his offering of the best of his flock, which pleases the LORD. Abel is therefore blessed and sees that God has taken notice of his faith. However, Cain’s grain offering does not receive a blessing, and Cain becomes very angry.
The LORD Himself warns him directly to do good and not let sin rule over him. The Spirit of the LORD works in Abel; he belongs to the seed of the woman. But Cain does not heed the warning. Sin is given free rein in him, and he kills his brother. He is a follower of the devil (1 John 3:12), the murderer of mankind from the beginning (John 8:44). He belongs to the seed of the serpent.
The enmity established by the LORD becomes apparent so soon after the fall. It is crucial to observe how Cain arrives at his act. He begins with envy toward Abel, which then turns into hatred and anger, culminating in fratricide. This is where sin reaches its most horrifying expression: a rejection of the LORD accompanied by the murder of one’s own brother. Let us be warned and strive against the sin that still dwells within us.
How does Abel “speak” even now (Heb. 10:4)?
Singing: Ps. 1:1,2