Cain has never stopped killing Able. It’s the gospel of salvation.
[November 1 is the day to remember and pray for Christians in persecution. This post is dedicated to those are suffering and dying right now as we speak.]
It’s a heartbreaking story (see below for text), and it is one still happening murderously (literally) on repeat today. To understand why it is happening today, it starts with Adam and Eve.
The sons of Adam and Eve were called Cain and Able. One brother kills another brother, and God curses Cain, the one who killed his brother. But why? What happened? What’s the story? It actually goes back to Adam and Eve.
When Death Entered In
Adam and Eve were given one command, not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Of course, they tested God, and ate it. Even went first, and she didn’t die right away, so Adam joined her, and ate as well.
Prior to this the Lord had walked with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day and enjoy fellowship with them. Now they hid fro God, hid from each other, and tried to cover themselves with fig leaves. It was horrific.
God met them, confronted them, and pronounced judgment upon them. They would suffer from the effects of sin, and they also would eventually die. Instant gratification did not mean instant death, but rather delayed death. They would be eternally separated from God.
What happened next changes everything. Because of their shame and the separation that sin caused, they needed to be covered. What did God do? He covered them with animal skin. How did he get animal skins? He had to kill some animals.
This was the first picture of blood and death needed to cover man’s sins. We will read later in Leviticus,
“For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life” (Lev 17:11).
Sacrifice was what was necessary to cover for man’s sins. In particular, the blood sacrifice of an animal. It wasn’t fully sufficient, or else only one sacrifice was needed.
Why Cain Killed Able
The time of offering had come. God had spoken to them to bring their offering. What did each of them bring?
Cain brought the fruit of his labor as an offering to the Lord.
Able brought a sacrifice.
God did not look favorably upon Cain’s offering, but was pleased with Able. Why? Because Able brought what the Lord required – a sacrifice, a blood atonement for the forgiveness of sins. Able brought what the Lord did not require, an offering from the soil.
This was of no small significance.
Cain’s offering appeared to be good. It was the fruit of his hard work. He had tilled the soil, tended the crops, and brought something of his works to the Lord.
Here’s the problem: He brought his good works to the Lord to atone for his sin.
Good works have NEVER covered sin. As we read in Leviticus, it was only the blood and death of something that covered for sin. Otherwise, the severity of sin could not ever be fully understood.
Cain brought his good works for the forgiveness of sins.
Able brought his faith in the sacrifice that was blood and death for his sins.
What happened? Cain was bitter towards his brother Able. He had trusted his own effort and not what God required, and when God was not pleased, he was bitter. In his pride, he thought he had brought the better sacrifice–his works.
Out of jealousy, he murdered Able.
The result? God brought his curse upon Cain.
How it Keeps Happening Today
The story repeats itself today. There are still only two religions in the world–those that try to earn the forgiveness of sins through their good works, and those that put their faith in the blood sacrifice that God requires–Jesus.
Those who put their faith in their good works are walking in pride. They believe they can overcome their sins through good works. They become bitterly opposed to those who put their faith in the blood sacrifice of Christ.
It’s why they kill Christians.
The spirit of Cain is still trying to kill the spirit of Able. The spirit of those under works are proud and bitter against those who trust in the blood sacrifice.
The result?
Able is killed.
Cain is cursed.
But the fact remains. Our good works still won’t save us, no matter how many times Cain kills Able.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast” (Eph 2:8-9)
“By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks” (Heb 11:4).
Today we remember the persecuted church. It is November 1, the day when we do so in a very open and particular way. Let’s pray for them.
The Cains of this world have never stopped killing the Ables of this world. Those who put their faith in works have never stopped killing those who trust in the blood sacrifice of Christ for the forgiveness of sins. And sadly, when they do so, they put themselves under God’s curse. Not only for killing Able, but also for never trusting in what God requires for the forgiveness of sins:
“But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Heb 9:26).
“Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” (Heb 9:22).
“And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God” (Heb 10:10-12).
“for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Mt 26:28).
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Genesis 4:1-16
Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man.” Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.
Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.
Then the Lord said to Cain, “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.”
Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”
“I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”
The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.”
Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is more than I can bear. Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”
But the Lord said to him, “Not so; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. So Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.”