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To
Study:
Genesis 4:1-17, 25-26.
To Read in class: Genesis 4:1-17
Memory Texts:
Younger: Hebrews 11:4 “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent
sacrifice than Cain.”
Older: Hebrews 11:4 “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent
sacrifice than Cain,
by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts:
and
by it he being dead yet speaketh.”
OBJECTIVES: To teach that
1. In the heart of every human being God has placed the need to draw near to
Him.
2. The way to draw near unto God was established by Him; nothing has been left
to man’s election.
3. Cain and Abel responded to what God expected, but each used a different
criteria.
4. Each person is identified with the offering he uses to approach God, but
God’s response to what is offered determines whether the person is accepted or
rejected.
5. Christ is the only offering for sin that is acceptable to draw near to God
today.
SCENE No. 1. VISUAL AIDS: Figures of Cain and Abel walking toward separate
altars, each one carrying his offering. Cain carries produce from the earth,
while Abel carries an animal. Inset: Figures of Adam and Eve with Cain and
Abel when they were young.
DEVELOPMENT:
 - Adam
and Eve would have recounted to their sons some events of their past.
Sug. Ask the students what they think they would have told them.
Cns. Possible responses: Their early life in the Garden of Eden, the deceit of
the serpent, the forbidden fruit and their decision to eat it.
Also, they would tell of having made aprons, of God seeking them out, the death
of the animal to provide clothing for them to continue to live on earth, and how
they were expelled from the garden.
- Adam and Eve were responsible to teach their children what God required of
each one individually.
- Cain and Abel understood that sin had caused a separation or distance between
God and His creatures.
Cmt. This point should be emphasized to show why Christian parents are
especially interested in having their children present at the meetings of the
local church. It is so they might learn Bible truths.
Cmt. The same point can applied to children from unsaved homes. Their Sunday
School teachers try to interest them in spiritual values so they might know what
God requires in order for them to be saved.
- Cain and Abel learned that sin brings death, and that only on the basis of a
sacrifice which “loses” its life can a person present him/herself before God in
order to be pardoned.
- Once Cain and Abel reached an age of being accountable to God, they had a
desire and a need to draw near to Him.
- Cain, a farmer, took “of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD”
(Genesis 4:3).
- Abel, on the other hand, “by faith offered a more excellent sacrifice than
Cain” (Hebrews 11:4). He
chose the best from the firstborn of his flocks.
- Abel recognized the greatness of God and brought an offering consistent with
God’s excellence.
- It is possible that Cain was proud or stubborn and did not want to obtain an
animal from his brother for the offering.
- The desire of the two brothers to draw near to God is a reflection of the
human heart today and its desire to have contact or fellowship with its Creator.
Cmt. Man has turned to many other means to satisfy his spiritual longing, but
since they are all outside of Christ the Saviour, they do not find acceptance
before God.
Sug. Ask the students, “What do you think is the way to draw near unto God?”
Cmt. God’s way of salvation is through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus on the
cross, and this lesson emphasizes this point.
- On account of sin, man has lost the privilege of having fellowship with God
and entering into His presence.
- Although both of them knew what God required, Abel obeyed, but Cain chose to
disobey.
- Abel obeyed because he had faith, that is, he acted according to what God
required.
- Motivated by his own ideas, Cain decided what HE would present to God.
SCENE No. 2. VISUAL AIDS: Figure of Abel standing before his altar, seeing
the offering consumed by fire. Figure of Cain before his altar but with the
produce of the land still intact, for God has not responded by fire. A sign that
quotes part of Genesis 4:4 -5. “And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his
offering. … But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect.” Inset: God’s
words to Cain to have him change his attitude in order to offer an acceptable
sacrifice.
DEVELOPMENT:
 - Abel
approached God with the kind of offering required by Him, and God responded
sending fire from heaven to consume the offering.
Cmt. In certain passages of the Old Testament, it is seen that God responded
with fire, something similar to a flash of lightning which set fire to the wood
and consumed the sacrifice.
- On seeing his offering being burned, Abel knew that he had been accepted by
God, for a person was identified with what was offered.
- Since Cain did not receive a reply from heaven, he understood that his
sacrifice had not been accepted.
- If the sacrifice was rejected, so was the person who offered.
- Cain insisted on his own system of drawing nigh to God and it did not bring
the desired result.
Sug. Ask the students what Cain’s face would be like. What is reflected on the
face reveals what is in the heart. There was probably consternation, a scowl,
anger, frustration, etc.
- The jealousy Cain felt towards his brother was the product of his own
disobedience.
- Cain wanted to show his anger, and since God was not at hand, he planned to
eliminate the one who had been approved by God.
SCENE No. 3: In a field, figures showing Cain and Abel talking to each other.
Cain’s face shows displeasure while Abel’s face shows satisfaction. Figures are
changed to show Cain hearing the words of Jehovah asking about his brother.
Figure of a mound of rock or earth covering the body of Abel. In an upper
corner, Cain looking through a window towards the outside of a house, for God
had spoken of “sin at the door.”
DEVELOPMENT:
 - With
the intention of murdering his brother already in his heart, Cain invited Abel
to go out into the field.
- Being a farmer, Cain would have had the implements with which to dig a hole
and hide the corpse.
Cmt. Anger is latent in the human heart and seeks an opportunity to inflict
damage. Anger is a very strong emotion and sometimes is expressed through
verbal, psychological or physical abuse.
Cns. When someone is angry and cannot attack God directly, the individual will
instead harm that which has to do with Him. This is sometimes the cause of
persecution suffered by Christians.
Cmt. In a less violent way, there are people who become “angry” with God and His
people. These show their feelings by not reading the Bible or not taking time to
read a tract. Sometimes it is shown by not attending meetings for the study of
Scripture.
 Lsn.
When sin is present in the heart, it causes a person to commit shameful deeds.
Exm. Fighting among brothers and sisters and friends is sin, even when it does
not go as far as murder. Anger, envy, disobedience etc. lead to the same sad
end. One can “murder” the reputation of another with words. See Matthew 5:22.
- Once the murder is committed, there is no way that Cain can restore life to
his brother.
Lsn. There is no way anyone can undo the damage that was caused by his sin.
- Cain did not want his parents and other family members to know of his sin, so
he tried to hide the evidence.
Cmt. Whenever someone commits evil, all kinds of excuses are given in an attempt
to cover up what was done.
- Since nothing escapes the eye of God, Cain had to answer to Him for his sin.
 Apl.
The consequences must be faced, and only when the price is paid for the sin
committed can pardon be granted. This teaches the need for salvation which can
only be obtained through the Saviour.
Cmt. Those who do not accept the sacrifice of Christ to be saved will have to
stand before the Great White Throne to answer for what he/she has done.
- Cain rejected the opportunity that God offered him of changing his attitude
and bringing an acceptable offering.
- There was still time to recognize his sin and come to God with a substitute,
an animal that would die instead of him.
- Cain chose instead to continue independent of God, following his own ideas.
- He never acknowledged the goodness and mercy of God, and he continued to live
far from Him.
- Cain’s children succeeded in life in many ways (Genesis 4:20-22), but they
gave in to violence and sin, both of which began to increase greatly (Genesis
4:23-24).
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