We've been looking at what happened to the perfect world God made. Last week we saw how Adam and Eve rebelled openly against the good commandment of the LORD God by taking the forbidden fruit and eating it. The temptation of "being like God" ie. of being autonomous as far as moral choices were concerned proved too strong. The serpent's lie was believed but instead of being like God they found that they had become like Satan and just as Satan had been chased out of God's presence when he fell so Adam and Eve were chased out of the garden of Eden because of their sin.

Angels when they fell had no hope of any salvation promised to them but God is His wonderful mercy made a promise to the, at that stage, unrepentant Adam and Eve. He promised that life would go on for the human race and in due course a Saviour would be sent – salvation would be secured for the human race.

And now in chapter 4 of Genesis we begin to find out what happened to the race outside of the garden.

The birth of some babies

Adam and Eve had been warned that disobeying God would lead to death and so they could well have anticipated the extinction of the race but no God in His mercy provides the first couple with children. The command to go forth and be fruitful begins to put into practice.

Just how long they had been out of the garden before this happened we aren't told but in v.1 we read of Eve rejoicing as she brings her firstborn into the world.

Adam and Eve are sinners but they have not become godless pagans. It would seem that although they had been unrepentant in the garden God's kindness and mercy towards them had born fruit in their lives.

Eve cries out "I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord." v.1

It would appear that Eve has some idea that this son, Cain, will in some way be the fulfilment of Gen.3:15. She was wrong as Cain would go on to murder his brother. However it does show us that Eve was taking God's word seriously and was now trusting His faithfulness which she had previously thrown over in the garden.

And then Abel is born v.2. A number of commentators think that because it is mentioned only once that she conceived she in fact had carried twins. If this were the case then it only serves to make Cain's subsequent crime the more heinous!

The boys bring offerings

The years have gone by and Cain and Abel have grown into men. Their parents have brought them up in the fear of the LORD because we find these two now bringing their own offerings to the LORD. It is now time for the boys to worship.

Moses tells us simply how they went about it – he didn't need to fill in lots of detail as the Israelites he was writing for knew well enough what made for an acceptable sacrifice.

Cain brought some of the fruit of the ground. And Abel brought an animal sacrifice. How appropriate we might be tempted to think – each brings to God from his own sphere of competence; each does what he can. Surely God can't ask for any more can He? And that is just the way many today view religion. Each of us must do as we can and of course God will be pleased with us.

But this whole story teaches us something completely different. God has the audacity to accept one brother with his offering and to reject the other brother with his.

We must learn from this that if we are to approach God we must do it His way and not ours!

Let's look for a moment at these two brothers with their respective offerings. And let us note that the text lays stress not firstly upon the offering but upon the person!

a) Cain – brings fruit of the land to God. Now the Israelites knew that it was possible to bring this type of offering but there conditions.

It was important that sin was dealt with first! The writer of the Hebrews could later write in summing up the OT sacrificial apparatus Heb.9:22 "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins."

It is inconceivable that Adam and Eve had not spoken over the years as the boys were growing up of how God had killed an animal, shedding its blood, to provide them with a covering that had become necessary because of the shame of their sin. Indeed if they hadn't so spoken where on earth did Abel get the idea that God could be appeased with the death of an animal? – it was not until after the flood that God gave Noah and his family the right to eat meat!

But no, Cain, preferred to do things his way and so he offered fruit of the land!

I wonder if any of you are like Cain. Thousands of religious people are. How barbarous all this business of blood sacrifice! Let's re-interpret Jesus whole life and ministry. Surely we don't need to look to His blood? Surely that is old fashioned and we've grown up – can't we come another way? Yes, we will come another way – a way of our own imaging. And Jesus still declares:

Mt.7:13 "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many."

But there is more than that. Not merely did Cain decide to do things his way he wasn't too fussy about what he brought.

The Israelites knew that it was important that first fruits be offered – that fine flour be offered. The emphasis was always upon the choiceness of the offering. You could not bring anything to hand it had to be the best quality. But we don't read that there was anything special about what Cain brought along.

And the LORD rejects Cain along with his offering. Cain's heart is all wrong and a few religious offerings will not do any good.

But Cain doesn't like it one little bit – he became very angry and his face fell! He was angry with God for not accepting his offering but pretty soon he'll be venting his anger on his younger brother because God had had the temerity to accept Abel's offering!

b) Abel

Once again the first thing to notice is that Abel was accepted and that made his offering acceptable. It's not a case simply of Abel making the right offering – though he certainly did do that – but the motives of his heart were right. See how Moses describes his offering: "Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions." The Hebrew while not being easy to translate is certainly clear as to its meaning – Abel brought the very best that he had and he brought it in faith as the writer to the Hebrews states in no uncertain terms:

Heb.11:4 "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."

God speaks to Cain

God has rejected Cain and his offering but hasn't given up on him for all that. How encouraging we should find that. We are never to think that if we've blown it once then that's it. God comes to angry Cain and questions him much as He had earlier done to his parents in the garden.

He speaks to him about his anger – this is not the right kind of behaviour – all he needs to do to be approved by God is to do well. He must give up any ideas he might have had of coming as he thought best – he must come God's way. He must be wholehearted too. Sin is too important to be trifled with!

Did you hear about the American President this week? Two of his appointees had to withdraw because of failure to pay their taxes properly. Obama was both angry and disappointed. This is what he said:

"It's important for this administration to send a message that there aren't two sets of rules, you know, one for prominent people and one for ordinary folk." Then he said "I screwed up". He spoke of it being important to own up to mistakes and to learning from them."

Now I'm not overly enthusiastic about Obama but how right he was on this particular occasion. How much better it would have been for Cain had it responded similarly to God and admitted too that he had "screwed up" and needed to learn not to repeat the mistake but to learn from it.

But he didn't did he?

Obama spoke of there not being two sets of rules to live by in the US and all would agree with him that prominent people shouldn't be able to get away with things that the ordinary folk get penalised for. But try applying this statement to the world of religion!! Then the politically correct approach is to give the impression that all religions lead ultimately to the same destination.

How politically incorrect our God sounds to the 21^st century ear! How intolerable to suggest that not all religions do actually lead to God! How the exclusive claims of Jesus Christ are hated today and what reactions of anger they stir up!

And yet this intolerant God who will not approve of Cain's self-appointed methods still reaches to angry Cain with an invitation to repentance. And Christ calls men and women and boys and girls to Himself.

How will Cain respond? How will you?

And in loving kindness the LORD warns Cain. "Sin is lurking – sin is crouching at the door" He says. "Sin is waiting like a wild beast to have you if it can. Beware!"

And the same is true for each of you gathered here this evening. Sin is lurking, crouching at the door! At every turn you're in danger – be on your guard! Trust not in your own strength but in His.

And you know how Cain responded – he laughed it off. I'll be angry if I want. I'll go my way you just see if I don't.

The first murder

The fact that Abel has gained God's approval only serves to highlight Cain's failure so burning with hatred and with premeditation Cain destroys his brother.

And still the LORD comes – questions providing Cain with the opportunity of coming clean and confessing his sin. But as his parents had done in the garden he refuses to admit guilt and lies defiantly to the All-Seeing, All-Knowing God. How stupid but haven't we all acted in just the same way? Perhaps some of us still are.

You can't sin with impunity. "And be sure your sin will find you out." Nu.32:23. Oh yes, for a time all may appear to go well – you may think you've got away with it but God sees, God knows. Just as He heard the blood of Abel crying out for vindication from the very ground that had drunk it up so He knows what it is that you have done. Cain had gone out into the fields away from prying eyes to do his dirty work – no-one will see, no-one will know - he thought. God saw, God knew, God heard and God held him accountable.

As Cain stubbornly refuses to repent he is sentenced. And the cowardly, deceptive murderer is sent away from the presence of the LORD. He is now exposed and fearful – will the avenger of blood get him? Who is this stranger now approaching, will he be the one to finish me off?" And God graciously protects the one who afforded no protection to his own brother.

Why should this be so?

Well sinners still live in God's good world. And in that good world God still gives good gifts to all and sundry – He sends the sun and the rain on the just and on the unjust.

It had all begun so brightly this chapter hadn't it? A couple of birth announcements – God was keeping His word – the human race wasn't coming to an end. Perhaps even here in this little chap "Cain" we'll call him, perhaps this is the seed God promised. Ah, but no. This offspring turns out to be a seed of the serpent.

Abel was a good man and he too has gone. Approved he was by God and that in a public manner but this did not mean he was going to enjoy a long life of prosperity – the seed of the serpent are always persecuting the righteous.

Sin had begun in the garden and caused man's exclusion from the immediate presence of God. But sin followed man and quickly we see how sin spreads and violence increases. Sin is a reality which confronts us daily!

And Cain moves unrepentingly away from the presence of the LORD. His descendants are briefly listed for us. Culture and technology advance in what remains God's world but as they do so does sin progress. The seventh generation from Adam and we arrive at Lamech and in this evil man we see how sin has developed. Not content to follow the creation pattern of one man one wife Lamech takes two wives. Not content with surviving in a violent world he glories in what should be his shame – he boasts of retaliation way out of proportion to any wrong he may have suffered.

Do you see where sin leads where it is not mastered?

Phil.3:18-19 "For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things."

But there is a remedy, there is hope, there is a solution! Abel's blood cried out for vindication but there is a blood that calls out more powerfully. "the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel." It is the blood of Jesus and it calls out for the forgiveness of sins! Let us make sure that we take heed and put our trust in Him.