Smeda: Unit 1

Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, had many sons, but only three are named in Scripture. These sons were Cain, the eldest, Abel, the middle child, and Seth, the youngest. Seth was the one chosen by God to be one of the great ancestors of Jesus, but this will not be his story. Abel was also loved by God, but this will not be his story either. This is a story about a man, a murderer, a liar, an outcast, who is rejected by God. This is Cain’s story.

Chunk. Thud. Chunk. Thud. Sweat coursed down Cain’s brow as he toiled under the mid-day sun, digging up the weeds attacking his garden. Long rows of tomatoes, eggplant, corn, and green peppers created a rainbow of vegetation, yet weeds threatened to choke out the prized vegetables.
“YOW!” Cain gasped. Dropping his gardening tool, he eyed the oozing blister on his left hand. “I need a break,” he said to himself and plopped down in the shade of the trees by a bubbling brook, relieving his thirst.
Spotting movement out of the corner of his eye, Cain watched his younger brother Abel carrying a lamb upon his shoulders. “A beautiful lamb,” Cain thought, noticing the pure and spotless animal. Abel proceeded to kneel on the ground, kill the lamb, and offer it to the Lord. Envy twisted across Cain’s features as he witnessed Abel smiling at the heavens and laughing.
“Why does he always do that?” Cain whispered. “I never feel that way. It’s like God listens to Abel…it’s like God is right there with him. I never feel that way.”
Standing to his feet, Cain ran to his garden, and he quickly harvested a large portion of ripe vegetables. Shuffling through the trees until he reached a clearing, he made a fire and burnt the freshly cut vegetables, kneeling just as Abel had. …Nothing. He felt nothing. He tried dancing, laughing, smiling, twirling, leaping…nothing. Then the LORD spoke.
“Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 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” (Genesis 4:6-7)
Turning his back, Cain raced away from that place. Letting his feet guide him, he propelled himself forward until he saw Abel. Slowing to a walk to catch his breath, Cain called out to Abel.
“Let’s go out to the field” (Genesis 4:8).
The mile walk did nothing to lessen Cain’s rage. Abel talked the whole walk, praising Cain’s garden and congratulating him on the bountiful harvest. And yet, Cain didn’t acknowledge any of Abel’s compliments; his mind was caught in the past. Cain thought of all the times that Abel had been praised by God, yet he had always fallen short. Cain remembered the look on his mother’s face when she heard Abel’s stories of God’s words to him, and then Cain saw his mother’s face fall whenever he told her that God had said nothing. He gulped in a breath of air and wiped away a hot tear before it trickled down his face. No more. He couldn’t take any more.
“Why did you bring me here, Brother?” Abel asked. “What did you want?”
Tortured eyes turned toward Abel as Cain spoke.
“I just wanted to be you.” Turning his face away, Cain lifted the knife, and the deed was done.

James 3:16 says, “For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.” Cain is a prime example of this very thing. He envied his brother, desiring God’s blessing to be upon him, not on Abel. His envy was his downfall, provoking him to murder his brother.


Fisher, David A., et. al. World History. Greenville: BJU Press, 2007.

The Holy Bible, New International Version. Grand Rapids: Michigan, 2002.