Genesis 4- Good News From God Bible study Genesis to Revelation

 Here’s the notes for Genesis 4

Good News From God Ministries Bible Study Genesis to Revelation 

Genesis: The Book of Beginnings Chapter Four- Cain and Abel 

Genesis 4:1-3...”And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.”

In these three verses we have the birth of Cain and Abel.....it might be surprising to you that Cain and Abel were over 100 years old when this event took place.  We will see proof of this in Genesis 5.

Genesis 4:4-6....”And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?”

Now we see The Lord having respect for Abel’s offering and attempt to encourage Cain because he was very angry that The Lord didn’t respect the offering Cain brought because he didn’t have the Faith that Abel had. 

Hebrews 11:4....”By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.”

Genesis 4:7....”If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.”

This is a Very Interesting verse.  Notice how The Lord warns Cain that “sin lieth at the door”....and then tells Cain that Satan desires Cain and Sin will rule through Cain if Cain allows jealousy and anger overtake him.

Genesis 4:8....”And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.”

Cain’s anger and jealousy allow Satan to influence Cain to kill Abel. Notice how the Lord was not present when this happened.     The Lord cannot be in the presence of sin.

Genesis 4:9-10....”And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper? And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.”

The Lord knows that Cain sinned but The Lord gives Cain the chance to seek forgiveness and Cain refuses to admit what The Lord already knew when Abel was killed.

**********************************The First Prophet In God’s word.....other than The Lord was Abel.  The Lord heard Abel’s Blood crying out to Him from the ground.  Check out this verse in Luke 11:50-51....”That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.”

The Lord lists Abel as a prophet!!!

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Genesis 4:11-14...”And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand; When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth. And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.”

Now The Lord judges Cain and we get the first hint that a lot of people have also been born other than Cain and Abel.  Why would Cain be worried about other people “probably Abel’s Descendants” killing him if there wasn’t a great amount of people on the earth at this time?

Genesis 4:15-17....”And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him. And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.”

Now The Lord puts a mark on Cain for his protection and we see one of the earliest cities founded by Cain’s son Enoch.

Genesis 4:18-22....Genealogy of Cain to Tubal-Cain and his sister Naamah.....”And unto Enoch was born Irad: and Irad begat Mehujael: and Mehujael begat Methusael: and Methusael begat Lamech. And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle. And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ. And Zillah, she also bare Tubal-cain, an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.”

Genesis 4:23-24.....”And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt. If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.”

This is an interesting verse because it seems like Lamech killed a man and a young man that he didn’t want to kill because of the pain and hurt he was going through when he makes this announcement.  

Because The Lord told Cain that anyone who killed him will be avenged sevenfold.....Lamech seems to be warning anyone who kills him will be avenged seventy and sevenfold to prevent any future attempts to take his life.

Genesis 4:25....”And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.”

Now we see God blessing Adam and Eve with Seth because Abel was killed....and Eve says something VERY INTERESTING.....even though the Earth was highly populated Seth is the seed appointed that will bring The Messiah into the world.  We see proof of this in Luke 3:23 and Luke 3:38.  We also see THE VERSE that refers to Adam as a Son of God.

Luke 3:23....”And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli, 

Luke 3:38...”Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.”

The entire passage from Luke 3:23-38 shows the genealogy of Adam to Jesus Christ.  We also see that Seth is the one appointed to have The Messiah come through his descendants.

I really like the way Luke puts a parenthesis when he refers to Jesus Christ as the son of Joseph.  We all know that the Holy Spirit birthed Jesus Christ in Mary, but at this time before the resurrection of Jesus Christ after He Died For Our Sins...it seems like some people thought Joseph was Jesus Christ’s father.  Here’s that part of Luke 3:23....”And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph.

Another important point about Luke 3:38 passage is that you see Adam referred to as the son of God.  A person is considered a son of God if they are a direct creation from God. Since Adam is the only man that is a direct creation from God he is the only man that was created or formed by God and that is why he is referred to as son of God.

We are sons of God when we believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior as well!!!  

1 Corinthians 5:17-18 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;”

When we get to Genesis 6 we will see sons of God mentioned and since Adam wasn’t alive during the flood of Noah there is only one other option as to who these “Sons of God” are.  God created the Angels and Adam which is why they are called Sons of God.  We will learn a lot when we get there!!!!

Genesis 4:26....”And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.”

This verse stands out because of what is said at the end.  This phrase “then began men to call upon the name of the Lord” is very peculiar.  

Earlier in this chapter we heard the Lord say that the blood of Abel was crying out to the Lord from the Earth...so what does this mean when it says here men began to call upon the name of the Lord here? 

Weren’t men already doing that?

I believe that this verse is showing that the birth of Seth that was appointed by God to carry forth the line of the Messiah excited everybody that feared the Lord and remembered the Lord’s prophecy in Genesis 3:15.... where he promised that a seed would bring forth the Messiah.  If Cain would not have killed Abel...I believe that the Messiah would have come through the line of Abel, and I believe Satan knew that too.... which is why Satan used Cain’s anger and jealousy to kill Abel.

Unfortunately for Satan around 130 years later God provided Seth to Eve. and an interesting fact is that the name Seth means “appointed”

And as we saw in those Bible verses from Luke our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ did come from the line of Seth!!!  

Satan can try all he wants to disrupt God‘s plan but God always wins.....HALLELUJAH!!!