Cain the Older Brother Of Abel
UNDATED PAST — Cain's story is told in Genesis 4:1-24.
He was the older brother (and possibly twin) of Abel. Cain worked the land and Abel looked after the animals.
Abel did what God asked him to do but Cain did what he thought he should do. When God was not pleased with Cain's offering, Cain became very angry.
He ignored God's advice as to how he could fix it and murdered his brother instead.
The murder of Abel was evil in God's eyes, and so Cain was banished from the presence of the Lord in that part of the earth.
Cain was the first murderer recorded in the Bible.
Cain did evil in God's sight.
In Hebrew Cain means: possession.
What is evil in God's sight? Read 1 John 3:4
4 Every person who commits (practices) sin is guilty of lawlessness: for [that is what] sin is, [the breaking, violating of God's law by transgression or neglect — being unrestrained and unregulated by His commands and His will]. (Amplified Bible)
Despite punishing Cain by sending him away, God still protected him by placing a mark on his head so that the people in the rest of the earth would not kill him.
Cain married and built a city in the land of Nod and named it after his son whom he called Enoch.
Background Reading:
Cain and Abel
4Adam lay with 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." 2 Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.
Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil.3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD.4 But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering,5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.
6 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast?7 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 master it."
8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out to the field." And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
9 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?"
"I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's keeper?"
10 The LORD said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground.11 Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.12 When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth."
13 Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is more than I can bear.14 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."
15 But the LORD said to him, "Not so; if anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven times over." Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him.16 So Cain went out from the LORD's presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
17 Cain lay with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch.18 To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech.