Genesis 4:1 “I
have gotten a man.” – Eve experience the suffering of childbirth but exclaimed
“I have gotten a man.” What if it had been a girl? Don’t know. The story shifts
to Eve. Adam is the father. His job is to “know” his wife. Is this the first
time? Don’t know. Eve now speaks about the source of her child. Interestingly
enough she does not mention Adam. She mentions “the Lord”. Do children come
from the man or from the Lord. What a unique thought!
CAIN - Personal name meaning “acquisition.” The firstborn son of
Adam and Eve (Gen. 4:1). Although the meaning of the name is disputed, Eve’s
rationale for giving it suggests a relationship with a Hebrew root that means
“to acquire.” She was the first woman to bear children. No comment on the pain
promised. Adam showed faith in God’s promise that she would bear more in the
future.
Genesis 4:2-10 Abel, The Brother who was Murdered
And again she bore his brother
Abel. Where’s Adam? He was there when the children were being raised. Did Eve
do the child raising? What did Adam think about the fight between Cain and
Abel? No comment. Why not?
And Abel was a keeper of sheep… 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; And Cain spoke unto 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.
What is
a brother? Something new in the community of mankind.
Abel was the first shepherd. The offering that Abel made to the Lord was
costly, from his personal flock. Did Moses think about this as he received the
Levitical commands from the Lord about sacrifices. I think so.
We are
told that the Lord had “respect” to both Abel and his offering. What is this
“respect”? They just knew. Was Abel and Cain’s offerings compared? Did God set
sibling against sibling? I doubt it.
Can we blame God for Cain’s
actions toward Abel? The
narrative indicates that Abel’s character was more worthy of God’s blessing;
hence his offering was accepted and Cain’s was not accepted. In the NT Abel is regarded as the first martyr (Mt. 23:35; Lk 11:51) and a prototype of
Christ (Heb. 12:24).
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