This teaching is our seventh session in our verse-by-verse study of the Book of Genesis by pastor Barry – given as part of our family service on 26th February 2017.
In this study, as we look at Chapter 4 of Genesis – The Second Murder.
The first pre-meditated murder took place inside the Garden of Eden when Satan intentionally deceived Eve, knowing full well that the result of her action would lead to her death. What Satan did not realise was the God would then use death as a way to bring new life.
The second murder took place outside the Garden of Eden.
Eve had given birth to two boys. As far as Adam, Even and Satan knew, one of them could be the promised Seed of the last chapter. Satan, not willing to take any chances used his same lie again. “Has God really said…”. This time, the question was directed toward Cain. “Do you really have to offer a blood sacrifice? Why not offer God some of that wonderful produce you have grown?”
Whatever it was that was whispered in Cain’s ear, he decided to approach God on his terms and not God’s. He brought God the best he could produce, but the problem was, to make atonement for sin there had to be the shedding of blood. God had instigated the first blood sacrifice in the Garden of Eden when He had made two coats of skin for Adam and Eve from two innocent substitutes. In all probability, this would have been done in front of Adam and Eve so that they would have been brought face to face with the real cost of sin. This pointed forward to the sacrifice that would one day be offered – once and for all – on a cross at Calvary.
Jude tells us that Cain denied the Lord Jesus Christ (Jude 4, 11). How so? By refusing to offer a sacrifice acceptable to God for his sin he denied the atonement through the shedding of blood that foreshadowed the death of Christ to atone for sin.
Cain’s path then descends into darkness as he and his descendants turn away from the light of God’s revelation toward the darkness of a life given over to sin. It is amazing how ‘the way of Cain’ that Jude speaks of reads like a checklist for today’s world.
You can listen to the audio on this web page, or save it for listening to later. We have also made available Powerpoint slides (in PDF format) that outline the key points of this study.
For those wanting to study further, verse-by-verse study notes are uploaded each week as part of the Pastor’s Blog section of this web-site. The Post accompanying this study is entitled “Three Words That Changed Everything!”.
We hope and pray this teaching will bless you and encourage you to undertake your own personal study and adventure in God’s Word!
