Genesis
Lesson 13Ruling Over Sin, The Story of Cain and Abel Part 2
The Murder of Abel (Genesis 4:1-15)
We begin this lesson by examining Cain’s sin in committing the murder of his brother Abel.
Read Genesis 4:1-16 and consider the following questions:
- Can you identify some parallels between the fall of Adam and Eve in Genesis Chapter 3 and Cain’s murder of Abel in Chapter 4?
- How do the following verses apply to Cain’s life and sin?
- Hebrews 4:13
- 1 John 2:15-16
- Romans 1:20-21
- Luke 21:1-4
- Psalm 51:16-17
- Galatians 5:22-24
As evidenced in this lesson, Cain’s heart was not right with God, and when God confronted him with his sin, Cain did not repent. Cain’s concerns were for himself, and not about his relationship with God. It is ironic that Cain, who murdered his brother, now fears that the same thing will happen to him. However, God, in His great grace, provides protection for Cain even though Cain has turned his back on God (Genesis 4:16). We need to watch that we do not allow sin to rule over us and in so doing turn our hearts away from God, or we too would be living in the land as a wanderer, never to see God again.
The Exile of Cain (Genesis 4:16-26)
Banned from the land of Eden, Cain becomes a wanderer. He has a wife, and we discover that, in the land of Nod, there are already people living there, people who will not harm Cain because of the mark God placed on him. But, where did all those people come from, and where is "the land of Nod?"
As we examine this text, we note that when God banished Cain, Cain left Eden and went east to wander the land. The name Nod means "wanderer," and is likely named after Cain who wandered this land. Cain would have left Eden with his wife and any children that he had. There could have been many—however we are not told how many. Nor are we provided his wife’s name nor how long Cain and his wife had been married. We don’t even know Cain’s age. However, we do know one thing about Cain…
Read Genesis 4:16-26 and respond to the following questions:
- What does Genesis 4:17 tell us about Cain, who was now living in the land of Nod?
- How did Cain know how to build a city?
Where was the land of Nod?
The text tells us that Nod was "east of Eden." So, in order to place Nod’s geographical location, we need to understand where Eden was (as the land of Nod would be east of it). For the land of Eden, there are two primary views. One view applies the description found in Genesis 2:10 and applying it literally, using the two existing rivers, Tigris and Euphrates; thereby beginning in northern Turkey, joining together in modern Iraq, and emptying into the Persian Gulf.
The second view also takes a literal approach; however, it views this scripture in consideration of the flood described in Genesis Chapters 6-8. That view posits that the original geography from the time of creation no longer existed after the flood. Correspondingly, it assumes that Moses used the knowledge of the day, and the names of the rivers at the time of the writing, to describe the rivers that flowed through the Garden, wherever it was located. This view recognizes that the rivers, mountains, canyons, and gulfs were likely different before the flood compared to that which we see and know today.
The existence of the Tigris and Euphrates today is probably evidence that they survived the flood and provided Moses good geographical markers for the pre–flood land of Eden and the garden.
Based on the above, the best guess as to the location of the land of Nod would be around the Persian Gulf area eastward.
In summary, we see that Cain’s inability to control sin in his life led to his banishment from Eden—and more importantly from God. An unrepentant Cain went on to the land of Nod, and his descendants continued to allow sin to rule them as they slide into a decadent and evil lifestyle, ending the chapter with another murder as recorded in Genesis 4:23-24.
In the closing verses of Chapter 4, we read that Adam and Eve had another son whom they named Seth, and he had a son named Enosh. The chapter closes with, "at that time people began to call on the name of the LORD." (Genesis 4:25-26)
In the next lesson, we will look at Seth and his descendants and see God’s great grace displayed once again.
In Christ,
Wes
[2022]