Cain and Abel

Year A, Quarter 1, Number 7

Hello boys and girls! Uncle Steve has a story for you from the Holy Bible about Adam and Eve's first
children.

The Promise and Sacrifice

When Adam and Eve sinned, God told them in Genesis 3 verse 15 of the consequences they would
suffer. But at the same time God also gave them a promise that the serpent who deceived them would
eventually be destroyed by a child, or seed, that would be born.
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy
head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. (Ge 3:15)

Then God showed them how the serpent would bruise the heel of this child in the death of Jesus on the
Cross. Romans 6 verse 23 tells us:
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Ro 6:23)

Many many years later Jesus was born on earth to a woman. After He grew up, John the Baptist
introduced Jesus to the people in John 1 verse 29:
The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin
of the world. (Joh 1:29)

Sin could only be taken away by Jesus' death on the cross. In order for Adam to understand this, God
taught him how to make a sacrifice with a lamb as a sin offering. Moses later recorded the details of
God's instructions in Leviticus 5 verses 1 to 13:
1 And if a soul sin,... 5 And it shall be, when he shall be guilty in one of these things, that he shall confess that
he hath sinned in that thing: 6 And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD for his sin which he hath
sinned, a female from the flock, a lamb or a kid of the goats, for a sin offering; and the priest shall make an
atonement for him concerning his sin.
And if he be not able to bring a lamb, then he shall bring for his trespass, which he hath committed, two
turtledoves, or two young pigeons, unto the LORD; one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering... 9
And he shall sprinkle of the blood of the sin offering upon the side of the altar; and the rest of the blood shall be
wrung out at the bottom of the altar: it is a sin offering. 10 And he shall offer the second for a burnt offering,
according to the manner: and the priest shall make an atonement for him for his sin which he hath sinned, and it
shall be forgiven him.
7

But if he be not able to bring two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, then he that sinned shall bring for his
offering the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering; he shall put no oil upon it, neither shall he put
any frankincense thereon: for it is a sin offering. 12 Then shall he bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take
his handful of it, even a memorial thereof, and burn it on the altar, according to the offerings made by fire unto
the LORD: it is a sin offering. 13 And the priest shall make an atonement for him as touching his sin that he hath
sinned in one of these, and it shall be forgiven him. (Le 5:1-13)
11

From that time on, anyone who sinned, could bring a sin offering, confess his sin, and receive
forgiveness. By bringing a lamb, pigeon, or fine flour in obedience to these instructions, he showed that
he believed that Jesus would someday come and die for his sin as a lamb. Paul tells us in Hebrews 9
verses 11 to 26, that these sacrifices were an illustration of what Jesus would do for us:
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11 Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made
with hands, that is to say, not of this building; 12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood
he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the
purifying of the flesh: 14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered
himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?...
13

And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. 23 It
was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly
things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
22

For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into
heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: 25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the
high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; 26 For then must he often have suffered
since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the
sacrifice of himself. (Heb 9:11-26)
24

Choosing
Genesis 3 verse 15 records God's first promise to Adam and Eve in the garden:
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy
head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. (Ge 3:15)

Enmity is another word for hatred that God promised to put between the serpent, Satan, and people.
This meant that every person would be able to choose whether to obey the serpent or to obey God.
Joshua 24 verse 15 tells us that we can choose:
And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods
which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye
dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. (Jos 24:15)

Isaiah 7 verse 15 tells us that God wants us to know to refuse the evil, and choose the good. (Isa 7:15)

Cain and Abel

Moses tells us what choices Adam and Eve's first children made in Genesis chapter 4 verses 1 to 16:
1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the
LORD. 2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the
ground.
And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the
LORD. 4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had
respect unto Abel and to his offering: 5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very
wroth, and his countenance fell.
3

And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? 7 If thou doest well,
shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, [sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but
you must rule over it. (NIV)]
6

And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up
against Abel his brother, and slew him. 9 And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he
said, I know not: Am I my brothers keeper? 10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brothers
blood crieth unto me from the ground. 11 And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth
8

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to receive thy brothers blood from thy hand; 12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto
thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.
And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear. 14 Behold, thou hast driven me out
this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in
the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me. 15 And the LORD said unto
him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark
upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him. 16 And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and
dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. (Ge 4:1-16)
13

Cain chose to leave the presence of the Lord rather than to bring a sin offering and confess his sin. He
suffered the consequences of that choice for the rest of his life.

Appeal
God's purpose in asking Adam and Eve and their children to confess their sins on the head of a lamb
and then offer it as a sacrifice was to show them the price of sin is death. Without the shedding of
blood, no sin can be wiped away or forgiven. The lamb they sacrificed on the altar could not take away
their sin. John chapter 1 and verse 29 tells us who only can take away our sin:
John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the
world. (Joh 1:29)

Solomon tells us in Proverbs chapter 28 verse 13 how it is better to confess our sin rather than try to
cover it up like Cain did:
He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. (Pr
28:13)
David records a similar experience in Psalm 32 verse 5:
I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto
the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah. (Ps 32:5)

Will you choose to come to Jesus and confess your sin so He can take it away?

Kindergarten Bible Story 3-year Series

2013 New Life Mission Canada

Kindergarten Bible Story 3-year Series

2013 New Life Mission Canada