The Story Of Cain And Abel + 7 Powerful Nuggets Of Wisdom
The story of Cain and Abel is about The Lord Almighty conveying a foundational message to all mankind. And that message is that if you acknowledge wrongdoing and work to improve, there’s redemption.
Coming up I will present the first 16 verses of Genesis chapter 4. There you’ll see the actual text of the story of Cain and Abel. And then I will break down 7 nuggets of wisdom that I learned from this story.
Needless to say, the verses of the story are brief. But yet, contain some of the most powerful advice to affect and improve your life immediately.
Check it out…
The Story Of Cain And Abel Bible Verses (Genesis 4:1 – 16)
- Now the man knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying “I have gained a male child with the help of the Lord.”
- She then bore his brother Abel. Abel became a keeper of sheep, and Cain became a tiller of the soil.
- In the course of time, Cain brought an offering to the Lord from the fruit of the soil;
- and Abel, for his part, brought the choicest of the firstlings of his flock. The Lord paid heed to Abel and his offering,
- but to Cain and his offering, [God] paid no heed. Cain was much distressed and his face fell.
- And the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you distressed, And why is your face fallen?
- Surely, if you do right, there is uplift. But if you do not do right, sin couches at the door; its urge is toward you, yet you can be its master.”
- Cain said to his brother Abel …and when they were in the field, Cain set upon his brother Abel and killed him.
- The Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”
- Then He said, “What have you done? Hark, your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground!
- Therefore, you shall be more cursed than the ground,*which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.
- If you till the soil, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. You shall become a ceaseless wanderer on earth.”
- Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is too great to bear!
- Since You have banished me this day from the soil, and I must avoid Your presence and become a restless wanderer on earth—anyone who meets me may kill me!”
- The Lord said to him, “I promise, if anyone kills Cain, sevenfold vengeance shall be exacted.” And the Lord put a mark on Cain, lest anyone who met him should kill him.
- Cain left the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
A Key To A Happy Life According To God
The story of Cain and Abel has the answer in the first sentence of Genesis (4:7).
“Surely, if you do right, there is uplift.”
God tells Cain directly that doing good is the key to getting out of his funk. Also the key to cheering up and overcoming his negative feelings.
The same is true in your life. There’s nothing more satisfying than doing the right thing. Which includes doing good deeds and helping others. That simple.
Do not confuse happiness and satisfaction with “having fun” though. Fun is temporary and fleeting. But you can have real satisfaction about your life even in times of struggle. When you strive to lead a righteous, good life.
Your Options In Life Are: You Win Or You Get Better
This is another poignant message of the story of Cain and Abel found also in (Genesis 4:7).
And this is the message I give my children whenever something doesn’t go as planned and they get disappointed.
I tell them that losing or being disappointed about an outcome is actually good. It is a reality check. And it is an opportunity to know where they need to get better.
This is why the verse, “If you do right, there’s uplift” also applies to your reactions to adversity. Not only does it bring fulfillment to “do right.” But reacting “the right way” after adversity is the way to grow and get better.
Which is the opposite of what Cain did. God was not admonishing Cain by His words in verse seven. The Lord was actually being kind to Cain by offering him an opportunity to see the error in his ways. By offering him an opportunity to repent. And an opportunity to grow beyond himself and get better.
But Cain was not having any of that. And the lesson for you is…..don’t sulk like Cain.
Don’t focus on your negative feelings or on what went wrong in a disappointing situation. Instead try to ascertain the substance and the learning opportunity behind the disappointment. And then be optimistic about your future improvement and growth in your area of weakness.
After all, it is normally through overcoming pain and struggle that we achieve the most meaningful improvements in our lives.
“Doing Good” vs. “Doing Bad” — Both Have A Snowball Effect
As explained up top, the story of Cain and Abel correlates “doing good” with happiness and improvement.
So the overarching message is that good habits lead to satisfaction and wellness.
But be aware, as the latter part of verse seven states, the opposite is also true.
It says, “But if you do not do right, sin couches at the door, its urge is toward you…”
What this means to you is do not underestimate the negative power of choosing to do the wrong thing. Basically, God is telling Cain that he is already predisposed to sin by his nature. And “doing bad” only heightens his urge to sin. (See Genesis 8:21)
This is a truism in life for all of us.
Choosing good in your life generally leads to more good habits and satisfaction. Choosing bad leads to more bad habits and down a dark path that may be difficult to come back from.
So choose good. Resist that initial pull from your sinful nature. And refuse to be entrapped by the temptations of the “evil inclination” within you.
The Most Crucial Lesson of The Story Of Cain And Abel
After warning Cain that his nature leans toward sin. And that bad deeds/choices feed this sinful nature.
The story of Cain and Abel unveils its most powerful message. When God tells Cain — “its urge is toward you, yet you can be its master.”
This is a lesson for you about the importance of free will. God is telling you that you are not a slave to your feelings, emotions, passions, lusts, desires, thoughts, urges…etc.
Instead, your Creator has empowered you with an ability that no other creature possesses in creation. The ability to choose. Which means that you have ultimate control over what you choose to be influenced by in this world.
If you think about it, this is indeed the most powerful idea in human history. And as such, I think it should be taken more seriously in our society. I see many of us just give in to our negative urges.
Whether it’s overeating. Or not reigning in feelings of envy. To giving-in to carnal lusts.
The message God is telling you is….”Unlike anything else that I’ve created…YOU have the FREE WILL and POWER……to CHOOSE. The power to CONTROL your reactions. The power to control your behaviors.”
A truly empowering concept for you and all mankind.
Duh!…Why Murder Is Really, Really, Really Bad
This should go without saying but taking the life of another human being is intensely frowned upon by God.
Not just for the obvious reason of having ended the life of another child of God. But because of the serious implications such an action has on the universe.
In the story of Cain and Abel, God tells Cain — “Your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground!”
But what I learned is that in the original Hebrew of the text the word “blood” is in the plural form. So it’s actually, “Your brother’s bloods…”
Meaning, another understanding of this verse is that when someone is murdered you’re not just ending their life. You are by extension taking the lives of all the possible descendants of that person.
What this means for society is that potential future contributors to our world are being eliminated. Possible creators. Innovators. Inventors of cures for humanity…etc.
The point is, you don’t know what specific instrument God will utilize to spark change in this world. Many of the lives murdered(or their descendants) throughout history could have had a deep impact on the world as we know it.
That’s why murder is the height of arrogance displayed by one human to another. Only God knows the value of a life.
Now apply this concept to today’s perspective expressed by abortion activists. Like I said, the word arrogant times infinity doesn’t begin to describe the audacity of such a stance.
Do Not Be Ashamed To Admit When You Are Wrong
The story of Cain and Abel sees the elder son of Adam and Eve actually be better than his parents’ in one regard. Unlike Adam and Eve, Cain eventually confesses his wrongdoing.
In (Genesis 4:13), “Cain said to the Lord, ‘My punishment is too great to bear!’”
Finally! An admission of guilt. Even though it came at the threat of punishment. Still, God gets the first confession in human history. Which was God’s intention all along for asking the rhetorical question, “Where is your brother Abel?”
Likewise, God is trying to emphasize to you the importance of acknowledging your mistakes. And that ultimately, there’s nowhere for you to hide from judgment.
Which coincidentally leads to the next step in God’s master plan for redemption. (See the next section)
God’s Message To You Is…
As mentioned earlier, Adam and Eve were doomed by their lack of contrition regarding their roles in the “Forbidden Tree” incident. Much like the story of Cain and Abel, they too were asked by God to come clean for their misdeed. Instead, they chose excuse making and were banished from God’s presence in the Garden Of Eden.
So too was Cain’s fate until he confessed and repented. Not only does he confess by saying, “My punishment is too great to bear.” But repentance is also implied when he said, “Since You have banished me this day from the soil, and I must avoid Your presence and become a restless wanderer on earth—anyone who meets me may kill me!”
With these words, Cain is dreading having to lose his connection to God. Thus, he is deeply repentant of his actions.
The lesson for you and I is this — we need to notice the different handling of the Adam and Eve case versus the story of Cain and Abel. And to note that God values that we acknowledge our wrongdoing and then repent.
Only then can you be assured to remain in God’s presence and under the Almighty’s unwavering protection. Or as (Genesis 4:15) puts it, “‘I promise, if anyone kills Cain, sevenfold vengeance shall be exacted.’ And God put a mark on Cain, lest anyone who met him should kill him.”
Conclusion
The story of Cain and Abel lays out the simple formula for you to follow in case of emergencies. The emergencies being the many mistakes, mishaps and sins that cross your path throughout your lifetime.
God is not demeaning toward Cain for his transgression. Instead, notice how the whole ordeal centers around getting Cain to own his misdeed.
He proceeds to give Cain “parental” advice as to how to handle his emotions.
Because the most important thing for you and Cain to know is…you have a choice. You have free will. And just like your human nature can tend towards sin, it can also be inclined towards greatness, if you so choose.
Bottom line, your fate in this world is in your hands.
And even if and when you falter, there’s always a way back to communion with your Maker. It’s called confession and repentance (a commitment to do better). Only then will you merit an everlasting connection. And be worthy of God’s protection — like Cain.
