Where Is Your Brother? Scripture Focus: Genesis 4:1-16

Questions God Asks Week 2: Where Is Your Brother? Scripture Focus: Genesis 4:1-16

Introduction

Have you ever heard or used the phrase, “Life isn’t fair?” Are there times in your life where you felt like you really deserved something or worked really hard for something that you didn’t receive? When you didn’t receive it, you probably found yourself thinking, “This isn’t fair!”

Question to Discuss: Give an example of a time or situation in your life that you felt wasn’t fair. How did you respond when you felt you deserved something that you didn’t receive?

Examining Scripture

Today, we’re going to look at the well-known story of Cain and Abel. A lot of people read this story and walk away with the conclusion that “murder is wrong”, but there’s so much more to this story.

The story of Cain and Abel picks up after Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden. Through this story, we get a glimpse of life outside the perfection in the Garden. Sin has entered the world and the effects of it are seen immediately in Genesis 4.

Let's read this passage together.

Genesis 4:1-16 (NLT)

1 Now Adam had sexual relations with his wife, Eve, and she became pregnant. When she gave birth to Cain, she said, “With the Lord’s help, I have produced a man!” 2 Later she gave birth to his brother and named him Abel.

When they grew up, Abel became a shepherd, while Cain cultivated the ground. 3 When it was time for the har- vest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the Lord. 4 Abel also brought a gift—the best of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The Lord accepted Abel and his gift, 5 but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected.

6 “Why are you so angry?” the Lord asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? 7 You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out!

Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.”

8 One day Cain suggested to his brother, “Let’s go out into the fields.” And while they were in the field, Cain -at tacked his brother, Abel, and killed him.

9 Afterward the Lord asked Cain, “Where is your brother? Where is Abel?”

“I don’t know,” Cain responded. “Am I my brother’s guardian?”

10 But the Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground! 11 Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has swallowed your brother’s blood. 12 No longer will the ground yield good crops for you, no matter how hard you work! From now on you will be a homeless wanderer on the earth.” 13 Cain replied to the Lord, “My punishment is too great for me to bear! 14 You have banished me from the land and from your presence; you have made me a homeless wanderer. Anyone who finds me will kill me!”

15 The Lord replied, “No, for I will give a sevenfold punishment to anyone who kills you.” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain to warn anyone who might try to kill him. 16So Cain left the Lord’s presence and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

Question to Discuss: Why do you suppose God didn’t accept Cain and his gift?

Unpacking the Scripture

It is very easy to become lost in the question “Why?” when difficult things happen in our lives. Certainly Cain’s response to God could be justified when he didn’t understand why God didn’t accept him and his gift. After all, he probably felt as if his labor was just as important as Abel’s work with livestock.

Just like Cain, we often find ourselves in a game of comparison with others. We compare our abilities, our successes, and even the successes of our kids. It’s easy to see God blessing others and think they must be “closer” to God than we are. However, this thinking is dangerous to our relationship with God and could not be further from the truth.

Consider this: God often allows situations to take place in our lives that cause us to grow in our response to Him.

Questions to Discuss: 1. What was Cain’s response to God? 2. How did Cain sin in his response to Him?

Looking back at verse 7, we see that God gave Cain the option to be accepted if he did what was right. Isn’t it ironic that, in the midst of his anger, God basically gives Cain the opportunity to make the decision that will lead to his acceptance?

It may seem obvious to assume that God is speaking of His own acceptance, but what if He was also setting the foun- dation for Cain to be a witness to the rest of the world? What if the acceptance God refers to isn’t just by God, but also by others? As Christians, our response to life’s circumstances is often a witness to the world about the peace that comes through Jesus Christ.

Question to Discuss: Think back to your response to God at a time that you didn’t feel you got what you deserved. What did your words and your actions communicate to the rest of the world about what you believe?

Look at the Lord’s response to Cain in verse 7:

“But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.”

God reminds Cain that if he makes the wrong decision, “sin is crouching at the door, eager to control [him]”. Consider this imagery. Sin is literally “bowed down” at his door. When we allow anger to overtake us, we create a level of resistance to God that will lead us to the wrong responses. Anger is poison to the mind of the Christian. Therefore, we have to learn how to release the things that cause us frustration, distorted judgment, and eventually to lose sight of who we are in Christ Jesus.

The problem is not becoming angry. Anger is actually a part of grief. However, the problem comes in our response to anger. Improperly handled anger leads to the destruction of marriages, families, churches, communities, and nations. Leaders have lost power because their anger got the best of them.

Unfortunately, Cain allowed anger to control his response to God. He allowed anger towards God to control him and it resulted in the choice to kill his brother.

Reread verses 9-16.

In verse 9, God asks Cain where his brother is. It’s not that God doesn’t know; He already knew the answer. He was posing the question to cause Cain to think about what he had done.

Pay close attention to God’s response to Cain in verses 10-12 & 15. According to the Deuteronomic legislation, anyone who committed murder was to be punished by death or cast out to a “city of refuge”. (For more information, see Deuteronomy 10:10-11.)

Question to Discuss: Do you feel God’s punishment of Cain is justified? Why or why not?

Application

God’s response to Cain actually shows an incredible amount of grace and mercy. God loves all of His children. He desires that we all come to a full knowledge of who He is through Jesus Christ. Perhaps the lesson in this story is not about the fact that God did not look with favor upon Cain, but that God wanted Cain to make the right decision with his anger. When life seems unfair to us, when we feel like God has forgotten about us or is more concerned with others, that is not the moment to allow our anger to get the best of us.

The fact is, the way we respond to anger has consequences and affects the people around us. God makes that very clear in his response to Cain. Not only that, but our response also affects how others around us view God.

The good news is that our obedience to God in a time of struggle causes us to remain in right relationship with Him, and therefore, in His presence. He offers us ultimate forgiveness and healing through the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross. At the end of the day, God’s grace is overwhelming. When we deserve death and separation from God, He offers us life, healing, and wholeness in Him. Even in Cain’s situation – a convicted murderer – God places a mark of protection on him so that no one would kill him. That is a true picture of God’s grace.

Today, God is asking us the same question. Where is your brother? Where are those who have been casualties of our anger? Where are the families or family members our anger has destroyed? Where are the children that are now mis- guided and left as orphans because of our anger?

Question to Discuss: Are you truly living in the fullness of the presence of God or are you like Cain - wandering around because of the effects of sin in your life? How do you need to ask for forgiveness for areas of your life that you haven’t fully given over to God in order to restore your relationship with Him and with others?