Genesis 4:12

“When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.”   Genesis 4:12

Is Cain the first nomad?  His green thumb is now gone.  He can no longer farm for his food.  The wanderer part might be a consequence of not being able to work the land.  Or it could be another part of his punishment.  Or maybe a little of both.

The consequences of our actions are not always what we expect them to be.

Genesis 4:11

^"Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand."  Genesis 4:11

Because he killed his brother, Cain is now cursed from the ground.  I wonder if God chose that curse because Cain is a farmer?  You killed your brother so now you're loosing your livelihood.  Is God telling Cain when you take a life you loose your own?

Genesis 4:10

"The Lord said, 'What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.'"  Genesis 4:10

Since Cain didn't take the last opportunity that God offered him, God is straight up telling him he knows what he did.  No matter how much we want to, we can't hide what we've done from God.  We can't talk our way out of it with technicalities.  We can't twist the logic to our favor. 

The good news is he gives us chance after chance to come clean and he has offered us a way to wash away our sins.  We don't have to be perfect.  Thank you, God.

Genesis 4:9

"Then the Lord said to Cain, 'Where is your brother Abel?'"
"'I don't know,' he replied.  'Am I my brother's keeper?'"
Genesis 4:9

This is the first murder, God knows what happened to Abel and yet he is giving Cain the chance confess all.  Why didn't he just strike him down before he killed Abel?  But God has given us freewill and he loves us all - even the murderers.

Again Cain didn't take the opportunity God was giving him to repent.  Instead he denies any knowledge with that famous line, "Am I my brother's keeper?"  In other words, my brother is old enough to take care of himself and doesn't need me watching out for him.

How many chances does God give us before it's too late for us?

Genesis 4:8

"Now Cain said to his brother Abel, 'Let's go out to the field.'  And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him."  Genesis 4:8

The Qbible doesn't translate what Cain said to Abel.  It only says Cain talked to Abel and then when they were in the field Cain killed Abel.  Did they spend time together often?  Did Cain plan the murder of his brother before hand or was it in the heat of the moment? 

Anyone that has siblings knows how frustrating they can be, even when they're not doing anything wrong.  They're your siblings, they're suppose to think like you and understand you, right?  Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case.  Even my brother, who I am the closest too, thinks differently then me about a lot of things and it can lead to some friction.

Cain let all of his anger and jealousy towards his brother control him and he killed him.   So here is the first recorded death.  Did they even realize what that was going to be like before then?  God had warned Adam and Eve about it back in Genesis 2:17 when he told them the consequences if they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but being told about something is different then living through it and experiencing it.

Whether he fully understood what his actions would bring about or not, Cain still did an evil thing.  He ignored the warnings God had given him before and had physically attacked his brother.

Genesis 4:7

"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 4:7

That first question implies that Cain knew what he should have done with the offering and didn't do it.  Whether that was to offer something different or to offer a better portion of his crops then he did doesn't matter.  He knew and didn't do it.  Now God is warning him that one step into sin can lead to further sin unless he controls his sinful desires.

Just because we fail and commit a wrong doesn't mean we have to give up.  God wants us to succeed.  He'll send us warnings when we're starting down the wrong path.  We need to master our sinful desires, and when we can't master those alone, he will help us.

Genesis 4:6

"Then the Lord said to Cain, 'Why are you angry?  Why is your face downcast?'"  Genesis 4:6

Why would God ask Cain these questions as if he didn't already know the answers?  Perhaps he was giving Cain the chance to come to the right answer himself.  Maybe he's trying to get Cain to stop and think before he acts. 

For me there are times I feel righteous anger until I stop to really think about it, and then I know my anger isn't really righteous.  It doesn't always help remove the anger, but it does help how I react to it.

Is God questioning you?  Is he trying to give you the chance to think things through before you act on it?

Genesis 4:5

"But on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor.  So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast."  Genesis 4:5

So here it tells us that God did not look with favor on Cain's offering.  We don't know why.  Was it just not good enough?  Was it because it was not animals? 

I'm inclined to believe it had more to do with where Cain's heart was.  Verse 4 says that Abel brought God his best, but it doesn't describe Cain's offering.  Perhaps Cain's offering were an after thought - "Oh yeah, I should give back to God, here's some harvest I have left over that I can spare..." or maybe Cain was just being selfish and wanted to keep the best to himself.  Or maybe it was simply Cain going through the motions.

Whatever the reason, Abel's offering was better than Cain's and God was pleased with Abel.  It doesn't say God was angry at Cain - just that he did not look with favor on Cain.  Because Abel's offering was better, Cain was filled with anger. 

The Qbible translates "very" as "wholy" or "speedily" and "anger" can be translated as "jealousy."  So this was a jealous anger that raged through his whole being.  It's hard not to feel that anger sometimes, even when we know that the other person is deserving of the respect and honor they are receiving and we are not.  Emotions don't follow logic.  The real question is how will we react to those emotions?  Will we allow the anger to control us?  Or will we control the anger?

Genesis 4:4

"But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock.  The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering."  Genesis 4:4

The Qbible has that "fat portions" can be translated as the "richest or choice part" and "favor" as "respect" or "regard." 

So Abel, like Cain, also brought an offering to God, but it says Abel brought the best of his flock.  It doesn't say Cain brought the worst or the leftovers, it just doesn't say he brought the best part either.  It also doesn't tell us what God thought of Cain's offering.

What we can learn from this passage is that the best offerings to God are from the best portions from our first fruits.  Those are the offerings he will respect, and to have God's respect is just an awesome thought.  Who wouldn't want that?

Genesis 4:3

"In the course of time Cain brought some fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord." Genesis 4:3

For whatever reason, it seemed like a good idea to the first family to make a tribute to God.  No where does it tell us that God commanded them to make this offering, but here Cain is returning some of the proceeds of his labor to God.  Did he learn this from his parents?  Whose idea was it?

Genesis 4:2

"Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.  Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil."  Genesis 4:2

Abel possibly means "breath," and from the Qbible it appears that the word "flocks" implies it was either a flock of sheep or goats.  So now Adam and Eve have two sons - one a farmer and the other a shepherd.

So far there has been no mention of eating meat.  In Genesis 1:29 God promised mankind every seed-bearing plant and tree with fruit in it that bears seed.  Why would Abel keep sheep or goats?  You can get wool from sheep, is that why he kept them?  Can you milk ewes?

Genesis 4:1

"Adam lay with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain.  She said, 'With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man.'"  Genesis 4:1

The Qbible uses the phrase "and Adam knew Eve" to mean he slept with her.  Now that they've left Eden, Adam and Eve are following the command God gave in Genesis 1:28 "Be fruitful and increase in number."

I wonder how long they were in Eden.  Did they not discover sex until after the garden or did they just not become pregnant until after?  The Bible doesn't tell us how long they lived in the garden - it could have been a week or it could have been a couple of years or maybe even longer.

Either way, the first baby has now been born.

Genesis 3:24

"After he drove the man out, he place on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life."  Genesis 3:24

The Qbible translates the word "flaming" as "blazing" with the idea that it is wrapped in magic, and the "flashing back and forth" of the sword can also be translated as simply "turning."  As far as the cherubim goes it is uncertain what what type of being this is referring to.  It is believed this would be an angel.

Now that God has sent man from the garden he is blocking the way back in.  I wonder if the only entrance is on the east side.

Genesis 3:23

"So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken."  Genesis 3:23

The Qbible has the word for banished translated as "sent away from."  So that man would not eat from the tree of life he was sent away from the Garden of Eden where it grew. 

A quick internet search will pull up several various reasons that God would take away the tree of life after Adam and Eve ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, including fear that man would become competition and just the simple explanation that God couldn't let them eat from the tree because it would thwart their punishment.  Several different sites suggest if man lived forever with his capacity for evil, Eden would become a hell on earth.  Whatever the reason, the Bible doesn't expound upon it here in Genesis 3 - it only tells us that it was because man ate from the tree of knowledge and became like God - knowing good and evil.

Let Us Reason Ministries reasons that banishing Adam and Eve from the garden was not just an act of justice, but of mercy also.  "For them to continue to live in the sight of the tree that made them fall and the one that would give them life would be a constant reminder of their disobedience."

Even though I am trying to do this study in order, I do think it is important to know that we have been given a way to access the tree of life again.  Revelation 2:7 states that the tree of life is in the paradise of God and the right to eat of it will be given to the victorious that hear and listen to the Spirit of God.  Revelation 22 tells us that the people of Jesus Christ will be given the right to eat of the tree.  So to gain eternal life we must follow Christ.

Genesis 3:22

"And the Lord God said, 'The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil.  He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.'"  Genesis 3:22

So while they were in the garden, Adam and Eve had not yet eaten from the tree of life.  Is that like a kid that hasn't eaten their veggies yet?

Not being allowed to eat of this tree is not punishment.  It is a consequence of their actions, sure, but not a punishment.  Why is it important to make sure mankind does not eat from the tree of life now that they know the difference of good and evil? 

Genesis 3:21

"The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them."  Genesis 3:21

So after Adam and Eve use fig leaves to make their clothes, God gives them animal skins instead.  Did God kill and skin the animals or did he just create the skins from nothing?

Genesis 3:20

"Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living."
 Genesis 3:20

The Qbible gives the meaning of Eve as "life-giver."  That's an appropriate name for the first mother.  Eve was named, Adam (which means man) just started being called by what he was, Man.  So Adam wasn't just to name the animals (2:19), he also named his wife.  Did he name himself also?

Genesis 3:19

" 'By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.' "  Genesis 3:19

And now we have that all so familiar funeral line, "...dust to dust..."  This verse is continuing what God told man in the previous verses, that the ground will be cursed and he'll have to work hard for his food.  This brings to mind the expression, "blood, sweat, and tears." Blood isn't mentioned, but God is telling man there will be sweat (and possibly tears too).

If sin hadn't of entered the world, would there still be the cycle of death and decay?  Or would we all just be multiplying in Eden?

Genesis 3:18

" 'It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.' "  Genesis 3:18

So the curse on the land is that thorns will grow in the field.  The Qbible says the translation of the word "thistles" is uncertain maybe another variation of thorns.  Even today there are always thorns in our work fields.

Genesis 3:17

"To Adam he said, 'Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, "You must not eat of it,"'"

"'Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.'"  Genesis 3:17

So now, because the man didn't stop his wife from breaking God's one command to them, God is cursing the ground.  Man's punishment for not being the "man of the house" is he will have to work hard to provide food for his family.  Even now our sins don't just affect us, they affect the people and the world around us. 

How many of us have secret, private sins that we think will only affect us?  Can we even imagine all the consequences of these sins?

Genesis 3:16

"To the woman he said, 'I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children.  Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.'" Genesis 3:16

God didn't tell the woman she was cursed like he did the serpent in the previous verse.  Is this just punishment or is this a curse also.  I heard someone say that recently that God only cursed two things in that passage, the serpent and  the ground.  Increased childbearing pain sounds like a curse to me.

In the Qbible the first "pains" can also be translated as "labor" or "worrisomeness" while the second one is a different word but still can be translated as "hurt," "offense," or "toil."  Either way it's not going to be fun.  And not only that, but the husband woman will long for, will rule over her.

Is this setting up the roles of men and women?  Is this a viable argument for the traditional roles with men as leaders in the family, in church, or in the rest of life?  Was God saying women will have the tendency to bow to the man in their lives and do his wishes?  Was all of this really not a curse?

It is interesting that a husband will rule over his wife when the first man just went along with his wife when she ate of the forbidden fruit and gave him a piece also.  Was God telling him to grow a backbone and stand up even against his wife when he knows she's wrong?

Genesis 3:15

"And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."  Genesis 3:15

The second half of the curse against the serpent.  Not only will there be hostility between it and the woman, but also between their offspring.  Of course, offspring doesn't have to refer to her immediate children, it could be generations later (all or part).  So God is telling the serpent that somewhere down the line one of the woman's offspring will deliver a killing blow to the serpent's offspring even though it will injure his heel.  So the question is, who is this offspring?

Genesis 3:14

So the Lord God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals!  You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life."  Genesis 3:14

Now that both man and woman have had a chance to give their side of the story, God turns to the snake, but he doesn't ask the serpent for it's side.  Why not? 

Instead God gives the snake his edict for deceiving the woman.  Now it would crawl on his belly.  Did it not before?  Did the snake have legs?  Also could all the animals talk?  Or was it just this serpent?  Did the devil come take the form of a serpent?  If so, why curse all snakes if it was actually Satan?