Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1926-04-22

e.
GOLDEN TEXT-Am l my brothers
Eeeper?-Gen. 40
PRIMARY TOPIC - Cain Quarre.s
with his Brother
JUNIOR ToPIC-cain Loses His Self
Control
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOP
IC-What Jealousy and Anger Lead to.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOP
IC-The Sin of Hate.
|. The Birth of Cain and Abel
(vv 1:2).
In obedience to Gods command to
multiply and replenish the earth, the
first children were born into the
world. In the birth of Cain Eve
thought that the promise of Genesis
7 3;15 was in process of fulfillment,
and exclaimed 81 have gotten a man
from the Lord" Soon afterwards
she gave birth to Abel Both sons
were born outside of Eden. It was
after the fall of our first parents and
their expulsion from Eden that they
brought forth children in the like
ness of their fallen nature Through
the law of heredity this stream Of
WI iPbAbil IIetS DctH HuWIUG vi IEOlll
generation to generation.
II. The Respective Callings of Cain
and Abel (v. y.
cain was tiller of the ground and
Abel a keeper of sheep. This shows
that the primitive employment of man
was agriculture and stock raising in
fact, before the fall, mans oecupa-
ton was horticulture.
Ill. The Respective Offerings of
Cain and Abel wv. 30.
Both were worshipers; both
brought offerings-Ca Cain of the first
fruits of the ground and Abel of the
firstlings of his flock. They both
recognized God and His claims upon
them. "The Lord had respect unto
Abel and his offerings. but not unto
CAIN" Why this difference? Is Cod
respecter of persons? Was Abel BET
ter by nature than Cain? Rv no means
for there is no difference from. 3 :22).
They both were born outside of Eden
therefore they both possessed the
same depraved nature. The answer
is given in Hebrews 11:4-'By faith
Abel offered unto God a more eX-
cellent sacrifice than Cain" This
leads us to the conclusion that God
! had taught the necessity of Offering
a bloody sacrifice, a vicarioSs sub
stitute, that acceptance with Him was
/ dependent upon the offering of be
I ing apart from themselves as their
substitute which prefigured the atone
ment of Jesus Christ (Rom. 1O:17.
~. The Lords Attitude Toward
Their Offerings wv. 4-11).
l. He accepted Abels offerings
". ~.
The reason for this acceptance was
not because of Abel's goodness, but
because he recognized his need as
sinner and by faith brought the
sacrifice which represented the sub
stitutionary offering of another in his
stead (Heb. II a, Rom. 1O:1O.
?. He rejected Gains offering ". 81.
This was not because of the moral
badness of Cain, but because he in
the energy of his sef-wiIl, brought the
fruit of his own toll
-. (dlu TeDukeQ wv. D, -.
Cain, having sullenly resented the
Lords action. the Lord put cues
ton of searching rebuke to him AS
He extended His mercy to Cain. so He
will give consideration to all who
forsake their self-will and apnroach
Him through the Lamb which VAS
slain. The sin offering is lying at the
door of everyone,
V.-cain Stays Abel (v. s..
He showed hypocritical friendship
for Abel Il John 3:2) to get a good
chance to kill him. 1t is strange that
the first murder grew out of the first
recorded act of worship. This first
murder was but a forecast of the
oceans of blood which have been shed
in the name of religion.
vi. Gods Judgment Upon Cain
wv 9-1G).
Soon after Gains sin, God asked
Cain to account for Abel, his brother
Instead of confesSing his guilt and
suing for pardon, he tried to lie ous
of it, even answering God with de-
fiance, disputing His right to bring
Nun INTO Judgment.
!. Unrenuited toll
The earth failed to respond in fruit
fulness to Gains toiling.
?. A degraded outcast.
He was condemned to perpetual
exile.
3. Banished from the presence Of
God.
He not only was thirst out from
home and society, but from the divine
presence. Cain realized the greatness
of his punishment. but showed no re-
pentance of his sin.
4. God set a mark upon him.