Worship, Wrath, and the Way of Cain

That was some mighty fine singing again this morning. Thank them for all their hard work and practice that goes into their singing. I'm glad we've got a choir here that lifts their voices to honor the Lord.

If you've got your Bibles this morning, I'd like for you to turn with me to the book of Genesis, chapter 4. We're looking at verses 1 through 16. The title of my sermon this morning is "Worship, Wrath, and the Way of Cain."

To set the theme for this narrative, I'll give you a brief introduction. We'll introduce our talking points this morning and the points of application. When we think of the story of Cain and Abel, we're given a portrait of what acceptable worship really is. We also see in this narrative the deceitfulness of sin. Moses is driving home the contrast between self-righteousness and saving faith.

Cain and Abel represent the first recorded act of worship after the Fall. We see in this narrative that even after the Fall, God remains gracious to His creatures. God still desires fellowship with His creation. Adam and Eve enjoy the intimacy of marriage, and as a result, they are given children.

Now let's turn to chapter 4, verse 1. The Bible says, "And Adam knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, 'I have acquired a man from the Lord.' Then she bore again, and later bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain was a tiller of the ground. And later, Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. And Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel in his offering. But he did not respect Cain in his offering."

Let's pause right there. Let's go to the Lord in prayer. Lord, we thank You for Your Word. Lord, we thank You for these biblical narratives recorded in the pages of sacred Scripture. We know that all Scripture is inspired and is profitable for reproof and for correction and training in righteousness. I pray that the Holy Spirit will be our teacher this morning and show us wonderful things from Your Word. In Jesus' name, amen.

In verse 1, Adam knew Eve his wife. The word "knew" means he knew her intimately, sexually. She conceives and she bears a son. In Genesis 3:20, Adam calls his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all living. In naming his wife Eve, there is a message of hope. Because she's the mother of all living, Adam recognizes God had not destroyed them because of their sin. It wasn't over. Life would go on. The story had not been finished. There was yet hope because he holds to the promise of God in Genesis 3:15 that there is going to come a seed from this woman who will redeem humanity, who will reverse the curse, who will overcome the serpent, who will make all things new. One would come from Eve, the mother of all living, one who would bring life from death, one who would defeat death itself.

She conceives and gives birth to a firstborn son named Cain. Most people don't name their children Cain, for the same reason why most people don't name their child Judas. But Cain is not a bad name. It literally in Hebrew means "acquired" or "gotten." It reflects Eve's hope that he was the promised seed. "Could this be the one that God promised? Could he be the deliverer? Could he be the seed of the woman? Could he be the fulfillment of chapter 3 verse 15?" However, as we'll find, Cain's life contradicted his name. Rather than crushing the serpent, he aligns with the serpent. He becomes a murderer. He becomes a symbol of rebellion. Instead of being a deliverer, he becomes a destroyer.

Then a second son is named. His name is Abel. The Hebrew is *hevel*. It means "vapor" or "breath." It symbolizes the brevity of life, how fragile life is. The Bible says that even though his life was cut short, Abel's faith has a lasting impact. Cain's name reminds us that life is a gift from God—precious, valuable, and from Him. Therefore, you should appreciate and enjoy your life. Abel's name, however, also reminds us that life is precious. And eternity is long. Therefore, we should prepare for it.

The contrast between Cain and Abel introduces us to a recurring biblical theme. We have two lines: the righteous and the unrighteous. We have the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. We also see a common theme of the feud between two brothers: Cain and Abel; Jacob and Esau; and before that, Isaac and Ishmael.

From the beginning, God draws a line between worship from the heart and worship from the fruit of the flesh. In this story, God also makes a distinction between the offering of faith and one of works. Keep this in mind: this is a primitive yet accurate portrayal of salvation by faith alone, through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ. You have to keep that theme in mind.

In this story, there's more than just a sibling rivalry. This is the seed of the serpent attempting to destroy the seed of the woman. In this story, we see that sin has devastating consequences. Remember when the serpent tempted Eve in the garden? He didn't tell them about the consequences of their sin. He only said that the forbidden fruit would make them wise, wise like God. He didn't tell them of the pain and heartache that losing a child would bring, only that the fruit was desirable and good to look at. Sin always promises pleasure. But in the end, it only brings pain. It promises life, but it only delivers death and destruction. Adam and Eve are about to see that played out before their very eyes. So, as we read this narrative, keep this thought in mind: our sins have consequences beyond ourselves.

We don't live in a vacuum. Our actions and behavior affect those around us, even future generations. Adam and Eve's sin didn't just affect them—it didn't just expel them from the garden. It affected their descendants as well. That's why we have a sin nature that we still struggle with today. One act of disobedience led to a legacy of sorrow. Sin is never isolated. So do not believe the lie that your sin only affects you. It does not. It affects everyone around you—and future generations.

We see this drama of humanity being played out outside of the garden. We see sin taking its full effect. We see sin creating chaos and disharmony in the home, between husband and wife, and between brothers. In this story, we're introduced to jealousy, strife, envy, hatred, and eventually, murder.

We have two brothers, two offerings, and two outcomes. Even in his fallen state, God is gracious to Adam. Adam obeys the creation mandate. He's fruitful. He multiplies. Now we see his descendants exercising dominion over the earth. One by farming. The other by shepherding. These two brothers are as distinct in their occupations as in the roles they will play in the narrative. Both brothers have equally respectable jobs. However, their hearts could not be more different.

The Bible says in verse 4: The Lord respected Abel and his offering. But He did not respect Cain and his offering. At this point, we must ask: Why did God respect Abel’s offering but reject Cain’s? We have to answer that question in order to know the point of the story. Thankfully, God saw fit that the writer of Hebrews should answer that question for us. The Bible says in Hebrews chapter 11 verse 4: "By faith, Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain. Through which he obtained witness that he was righteous. God testifying of his works. And through it, he, being dead, still speaks." Abel’s offering was accepted not merely because of what he gave, but because of the faith with which he gave it, making it a true act—an act of worship.

Now, I'm going to read the verses. We're going to set the stage. Then we'll go through and make application. God has respect unto Abel. He does not respect Cain and his offering. Cain was very angry. His countenance fell. Verse 6: "So the Lord said to Cain. Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well. Sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you. But you should rule over it." Let's pause right there. Let's think about this. These boys were taught well. It's evident that God still communicated with man. They knew there was a God. They also knew that sin was offensive to Him. They also knew how He must be approached. It's likely that these two boys, growing up, approached the gate of paradise. They saw the cherubim with flaming swords. They said, "Mom and daddy said we can't go past these guys, because God is holy. And God has been offended by our parents' sin." They know that when they come to God, they must bring an offering. Because one does not simply barge into the presence of this holy being.

We read that in the process of time, Cain brings the fruit of the ground. Abel brings the firstlings of his flock, and the fat thereof. That is, he brings the best. The best that he has to offer. The best of his flock. A lamb without blemish. Cain, for all his faults, is not an atheist. If anything, he is very religious. He is conscientious. He is an exercising man. He is more forward than his brother, because he comes first. He brings of the fruit of the ground. Then Abel comes. He brings a lamb without blemish. Think about this. Abel built a small altar of stones. He cut his kindling. He started the fire. He set the logs ablaze. Then he took hold of this precious lamb. A lamb he had raised. He took out his knife. The lamb was innocent. It was precious. He looked up at him. It was trembling. He was trembling. "How can I do this? How can I kill this creature?" But he knew there was only one sacrifice that this God would accept. So he took the knife. He cut its throat. The red blood spurted out. It drenched the ground. Then he lifted it up. He placed it on the altar. It caught fire. He was crying, because he was so attached to this little lamb. This was a dreadful, dreadful thing. But of course sin is dreadful. God is deadly serious about sin.

Then we have Cain looking in the distance. He had a sunburned face. He was white-knuckled with fury. He looked at Abel's bloody altar with disgust. His fist was clenched. His muscles were knotting in his arms. He thought, "What a disgrace this is. My brother—who does he think he is?" He marched in anger from the scene. He stood before the altar that he had built. It was filled with fresh and fragrant fruits and vegetables from the field. He thought, "Surely I am going to be accepted." But the tables were turned. The Lord had respect unto Abel and his offering. But unto Cain and his offering, He did not have respect. Some people think that maybe fire consumed the sacrifice of Abel, like fire fell from heaven for Elijah. Whatever the case, Cain knew he was rejected. Now he was angry, very wroth. Does it mean he was like, "meh, too bad, try again"? No. He was angry to the point he wanted to kill someone. He was disgusted. He was put out. He could not understand why God did not accept his offering. But Abel, by faith, offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain.

The Bible tells us that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. It is obvious, therefore, that Cain and Abel were not left to their own ideas in deciding how God was to be approached. They had been told by their parents about the first sacrifice that had been made in the garden in order to provide garments of skin to cover their nakedness. What kind of sacrifice was it? It was a blood sacrifice that God Himself had made. They had learned that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. Therefore, Abel took his place before God as a guilty sinner needing an atoning sacrifice. But Cain was self-righteous. He was smug. Abel realized his sins were like scarlet, and only the shedding of blood of an innocent animal could atone for them. Ultimately, Abel looked in faith far out into history, future. He saw Calvary. He was placing his faith in the sacrifice that God would one day provide. He believed God. Hebrews 11 says that he was counted righteous by his faith. But not so Cain. He came to God in his own self-righteousness. He spurned a salvation based on blood. To him, this notion was barbarous. It was offensive. It was disgusting. He scorned a salvation like this. Cain came to God in his own way, in a way that seemed right to him. His spiritual heirs follow suit. They are rejected by God. There are only two ways to approach God. He can be approached the appropriate way, the way of the cross, or he can be approached the way of Cain, which is all other false religions, which is human merit, which is salvation by works. One leads to heaven. One leads directly to hell.

Cain sets before us the first false religion. Where did all these religions come from? It came from Cain. It came from the seed of the serpent. All these false religions ever since bear these same identifying marks of Cain. True religion focuses around the word of God, the work of Christ, and the witness of the Spirit. The Bible says that "by grace you are saved, through faith, not of works. It's the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2:8-9. It's through the blood of Jesus that our sins are forgiven. 1 John 1:7. Remember Passover? God says, "When I see the blood, I will pass over you." 1 Peter 1:18-19 says that "we are redeemed with the precious blood of Christ as a lamb without spot and blemish." But Cain's religion ignores all that. It's not based on divine revelation. It's based on human reasoning. Cain's philosophy is that salvation can be earned. It can be worked for. It can be merited at the expense of one's own effort. Therefore, Cain brings to God the fruit of his own striving. The fruit of earth. The second error in Cain's religion is as bad as the first. Instead of centering around the work of Christ, he offers a purely human sacrifice. Cain's offering was expensive. It was impressive—perhaps even more costly than Abel's. That's the result of toil and sweat and hard work and persistence and careful thought and planning. Perhaps he brought to God beautiful flowers from the garden. Maybe he arranged it with artistry and skill. Maybe he brought fragrant herbs. Ripest fruits dug from the soil. Vegetables from the soil and fruit from the trees that he's cultivated. He gives God what he thinks is the best. There's not a single drop of blood anywhere. Cain brings an offering, but Cain does not bring a sacrifice. Cain expresses pious thoughts, but he ignores Calvary. He's willing to worship, but only on his own terms. Is that not what all false religions do? They want a God of their own making whom they can come to on their own terms. That's the approach of all false religions. Cain does not realize that he's a sinner in need of a vicarious sacrifice. Cain represents the millions who follow suit, thinking that their good works and their church attendance and their giving and their religious rituals and their social actions can merit salvation before God.

The third false point in Cain's system lay in the fact that he ignored the witness of the Spirit. Instead, he offers a purely human satisfaction. Cain could stand back and look at this altar with pride. "Man, haven't I done well for myself. It's the best that I can do. There, God, You should accept this. You have to accept this. I'm trying to be a good person. It's the best that I can do." But God does not respect his sacrifice. Therefore Cain's feeling of satisfaction didn't last, did it? Now he's very wroth. His countenance falls and the Lord approaches him and asks him the question, "Why are you angry?" "If you do well, will you not be accepted?" See how gracious God is. Cain is invited by God to come the right way, Abel's way, to bring the only kind of sacrifice that God will accept. In Cain and Abel, we see the difference between the believer and the religious person. The difference doesn't lie in the person themselves but in the object of his trust. One provides salvation for himself, the other accepts what God has provided, and are therefore accepted by God.

God only accepts us in Christ. Amen. There is only one atoning sacrifice for sins, and that is Christ. There is only one way to heaven, and that is Christ. Every single effort of yours is rejected by God. He will accept only perfection, only the best, only His Son. Abel's worship is by faith. He brings to God the firstborn of His flock. But Jesus is the firstborn. He's without spot, without blemish. Abel gives the first and best of what he has, but Jesus Christ is the first and best of what the Father has. Abel's heart flowed with worship. Although his faith was primitive, he exercised his faith in the God who walked with his parents in the cool of the day. He placed his trust, even though it was fuzzy and hazy and vague at this point—he knew one day God is going to send the seed of the woman, the Redeemer, who's going to make all things right, and therefore this sacrifice anticipates the work that He will perform. Abel also understands the basic principle of substitution and the shedding of blood without which there is no forgiveness of sins. People say, "Why couldn't God just snap His fingers and do away with sin?" "Why this bloody religion?" Because God is a holy God. Because justice had to be served. Because sin had to be punished. If God did not punish sin, He would not be holy. God is a holy God. Justice has to be served. His law has to be upheld. But God, in His love, instead of punishing us, punished His Son in our place. Abel's sacrifice typifies and points to the substitutionary death of Christ. Abel worshipped God the way God has modeled for him in the garden. He worshipped God's prescribed way.

But Cain's worship is by works. Cain brings the fruit of the ground. It is impressive, but it is not what God requires. It is beautiful on the outside, but God looks at the heart. Cain's heart was not right with God. He followed the way of Cain. Many people, according to Jude, verse 11, follow specifically the way of Cain, which is religion without repentance, which is routine without relationship, which is external worship devoid of internal saving faith. This story reminds us that we are saved by grace through faith, not of works, not of our own striving, not of earning favor with God, not the produce of the ground or of the flesh, because the flesh profits nothing. In fact, our righteousness is as filthy rags in the sight of a holy God. We must have the blood. The only way God receives sinners is through the atoning work of His Son. Cain thought that he could worship God on his own terms. Many people think that they can come to God on their own terms. They say, "All religions are equally valid as long as you're sincere." You can be sincere and go to hell. There are a lot of good, well-meaning people who are going to hell. Your goodness doesn't matter. My goodness doesn't matter. We must be covered in Christ's righteousness, the only acceptable sacrifice God will accept. God makes no special deals, nor does He make allowances for anyone. We must come to God His way, and that is the way of the cross.

The difference wasn't merely in the offering. It was also in the offerer, because we can't separate the offering from the offerer or the worship from the worshiper. Abel had faith, and "without faith, it's impossible to please God." God is most concerned with our heart. It's possible for us to be like Cain and go through all the motions and say and do the right things when our heart is not right with God. Many people in this church this morning have drawn nigh to God with their lips, yet their heart is far from Him. You're like Cain. You're giving what you think is the best, what you think God should accept, but you haven't come by the cross. I want to ask you, how is your relationship with God? Do you have a heart of faith? Are you drawing nigh to Him? Are you drawing nigh to Him through His Son? Do you find in yourself a longing for God, a desire for holiness, a hatred for sin, a desire to love God with all your being the way Abel did? By faith, Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain. Abel's heart was right with God, and therefore God accepted him. His offering was by faith in the God who justifies, and just like Abraham centuries later, Abel is declared righteous on the basis of his faith in God. Abel leaves a legacy. Remember Hebrews 11? Even though he's dead, he now speaks. He leaves a legacy of pleasing God and of worshiping Him in spirit and in truth. His sacrifice and worship speaks to the greater than Abel, who we'll talk about here in just a few minutes.

Cain's offering wasn't rejected so much because of his offering as because of the offerer himself. God would not have respect unto him. One, it was the wrong type of offering. Two, he offered it with the wrong heart. He didn't love God. He had no desire to please Him. He was just checking boxes. He was going through the motions. He thought his offering should be good enough. I want to ask you, how's your heart with the Lord this morning?

Let's look at the rise of sin and the refusal of grace. God confronts Cain—not because He lacks understanding, but by asking him a question. He gives him a last chance to do what's right. Once again, we see God seeking the sinner. God is seeking Cain. Even in Cain's anger, God extends a path to repentance. He says, "Cain, if you do well, you will be accepted. But sin lies at the door. Its desire is for you. But you should rule over it." We see sin's predatory nature. God knew that Cain was very angry because his offering had not been accepted. He knew what Cain was planning in his heart to do to his brother. He says, "Cain, you better watch out because sin is lying, crouching at the door." In the Hebrew, it paints a picture of a wild beast ready to pounce. He says, "All you have to do is crack open that door just a little bit, and it will spring in and it will maul you to death." Sin is not passive. It's aggressive. It's personal. It desires to dominate you. That's the reason why Paul writes in Romans 6:12, "Do not let sin reign in your mortal body." So we must daily crucify the flesh. Sometimes that requires getting rid of things and severing ties with, and avoiding relationships or places that would cause you to sin or lead you to temptation. As John Owen said, "We must be killing sin or sin will be killing us." Sin is not to be played with. We're not to flirt with it. We're not to see how close we can get to it before we go over the line. It would be like going to the zoo and sticking your arm in a tiger's cage. You're an idiot if you do that. But so many people are playing with sin, and sin wants to maul you to death. We must be ruthless against evil because it desires to destroy us. We must rule over our desires or our desires rule over us. Sin is a cruel tyrant. He says, "Cain, you have to watch out. You better master this. You better kill sin or sin will be killing you." But instead of mastering sin, we see Cain is mastered by it. He fails to kill sin and he kills his brother instead.

Look with me in verse 8. God has offered Cain an opportunity to repent, to come to Him in His way. But Cain is just angry. "Now 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 killed him. And the Lord said to Cain, 'Where is Abel your brother?' And he said, 'I do not know.' He lies. 'Am I my brother's keeper?'" Cain responds to God's gracious rebuke with hatred. In the end, Cain's outward religious front did nothing but elicit more hatred for God. That's the nature of dead religion. It empties the soul of all its desire to do any more good because it eventually finds that its good is never good enough, and then they end up disenfranchised and disheartened and disengaged and eventually filled with disdain for both the church and God. He hated God for rejecting his offering. He hated God so much, he wanted to kill God. And he would, if he could. But he couldn't. So instead, he killed someone made in God's image. He killed his brother. Cain had murdered Abel many times in his heart before he struck him in the field. According to Jesus, hatred is the moral equivalent of murder. If we have anger in our heart against a brother or sister without a cause, we have murdered them already in our heart, Jesus teaches in the Sermon on the Mount. Is there someone you're angry with? Is there someone you're bitter against? Is there a grudge that you're holding on to? Every day that passes that you don't deal with that, you are murdering someone. You're guilty of murder in the eyes of God. You need to repent of that and you need to make things right. Cain's hatred of God was manifested by his hatred of his brother. John teaches about Cain. He mentions him by name in 1 John 3:12. He says, "Cain murdered his brother because he was of the evil one." We know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. He goes on to say in chapter 4 verse 20, "He who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?" In contrast, if we love our brother, that shows that we've passed from death to life and we love our God. Therefore, our attitude toward God, whether love or disdain, is revealed in how we treat others who are made in His image. He lures his brother out into the field. Jewish tradition says that he takes a stone and he "whops" him over the side of the head. He murders his brother in cold blood. This is the first human death. We're only four chapters in. We've already got jealousy and envy and hatred and murder and false religion. It doesn't take long for sin to take its course, does it?

This is more than just rivalry between siblings. This is a worship war. A war over worship. We all worship someone or something. As we've seen in our study of creation, we were made to worship. So the question is not whether you worship, but who or what you worship? Who or what you worship holds your affection and your devotion. Our worship is determined by our affections. Our affections are then reflected in our priorities. We prize what we prioritize. What we prioritize becomes precious to us. It's made manifest by our behavior and our actions. Cain did not worship God. He cared nothing about God. He worshipped himself. His success. His own perceived goodness. His own righteousness. He's worshiping his own religion. He is arrogant. He is proud. He cannot understand why God won't accept this awesome offering. His behavior betrays his heart and what he truly values. His self-righteous pride is wounded. He's willing to kill his own brother out of envy, jealousy, and spite. The first murder in Scripture wasn't a struggle for land. It wasn't a struggle for money or power. It wasn't that Abel had a woman that Cain wanted. It wasn't all the typical reasons why people go to war or kill each other. At the root of this atrocity is worship. A worship war. In fact, behind all sin is the problem of misplaced worship. We worship what we truly value. We place worth on people and possessions and pride more than God. This causes us to lash out in anger, to be harsh toward our spouse and our children. It causes us to be selfish with our time and money. It causes us to find our identity and our security in anything other than God. Therefore, all sin is a misplaced priority. It is loving something or someone more than God. We all experience this war in our hearts, a battle for our affections, a war for our worship. What do you worship? What do you value? Comfort? Control? Success? Approval? Who do you desire to please? Who do you seek to obey? Who or what can you not live without? The answers to all those questions will reveal to you who or what it is you truly worship. Cain worshipped himself, the fruit of his garden. Abel worshipped God. He treasured the Lord above all else. Cain worshipped what he could provide. Abel worshipped in the God who provides. Amen.

Cain's murderous heart is given full reign. The first baby to be born upon the earth becomes the first murderer. The first life becomes the first one to take a life. Sin has consequences. Adam and Eve’s disobedience didn’t just affect themselves. Not only is he self-righteous. Not only is he jealous. But his jealousy leads to hatred. Hatred leads to plotting his brother’s death. Then it leads to murder. That’s not all. He then tries the old trick his parents used. He runs and hides from God. When God confronts him, he lies about it. Then he expresses a heart that is unconcerned: "Am I my brother's keeper? Why should I care about my brother?" Cain goes from bad to worse. If you don’t kill sin, sin will progress. Sin will progress from bad to worse—until it eventually kills you.

Once again, God asks a question. Not asking for information, but asking for confession. "Where's your brother?" Once again, God seeks the sinner. Cain responds, "Am I my brother's keeper?" In Hebrew, this is a play on words. Remember what occupation Abel had? The shepherd. The long line of shepherds, following his footsteps are Abraham, Moses, David, and ultimately Christ. But in Hebrew, it says, "Should I shepherd the shepherd? Should I watch over the watcher?" "Why would a shepherd need someone like me to watch over him?"

God responds. "What have you done?" Verse 10. "The voice of your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground." It's an interesting statement. Abel's blood was crying out from the ground. There are multiple times in the Bible when sin cries out. The sins of Sodom and Gomorrah cried out to God for justice. Numbers 35 says that when unjust bloodshed is in the land, that their blood will cry out to God for justice. Abel's blood is crying out to God for vengeance. Here in Genesis, Abel's blood is crying out to God for justice. Think of how much injustice has been done in this nation. How much blood has been shed that's crying out to God for justice.

Now let's examine Cain's curse. Because he spilled blood on the ground, the ground is now cursed. Verse 11: "So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth." And Cain said to the Lord, "My punishment is greater than I can bear. Surely you have driven me out this day from the face of the ground. I shall be hidden from your face. I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth. And it will happen that anyone who finds me, will kill me." The Lord said to him, "Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold." And the Lord set a mark on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him.

Let's briefly walk through some applications. The ground is cursed again for Cain. This is devastating to Cain because Cain is a farmer. He makes his living from the ground. He's going to experience more work and heartache than his father Adam, who also cursed the ground with thorns and thistles. He will no longer be able to make anything grow. Sin always leads to curse, never a blessing. It always results in shame and guilt and regret and ultimately death. But verse 12, not only is the ground cursed, but now he becomes a restless wanderer. He's not merely a stranger away from home. He's not a pilgrim headed home. He's a vagabond who has no home. He doesn't belong anywhere. He's reduced to a life of wandering the earth. He finds no rest for his head. There's no satisfaction, no fulfillment. Sin never satisfies. It never brings you fulfillment. Yet many are like Cain this morning. They're wandering this earth aimlessly, without God and without hope and without heaven as their home. But we, believers, are like Abel. We're like Abraham. We're like all the pilgrims who are just passing through. We're looking for a better country, a city whose builder and maker is God. For us it only gets better the closer we get to heaven. I want to ask you, are you on the way of Christ or the way of Cain? If you're in the way of Cain, you're wandering, hopeless, and you're going to drop off the cliff into hell. You need to turn to Christ. Repent and turn around. Cease your aimless wandering. Come to Christ who can make you a citizen of heaven.

Let's think about what Cain is saying. He fears vengeance, even though he just murdered his brother. He wants mercy when he showed no mercy. He responds to God's mercy not with repentance but with rebellion. He doesn't care about his character. He's only concerned for his own convenience and his own comfort. He exhibits rebellion. He exhibits remorse for his actions. But he's completely devoid of heartfelt repentance. He's only sorry that he can't be a farmer anymore and he's not going to have a home. He has no godly sorrow that leads to brokenheartedness over sin. He's not mourning his brother's death. He's mourning the fact that now he's got to wander around and people are going to want to kill him the way he killed his brother. He's not mourning the fact that he sinned against God. He's mourning the fact that now life is about to get very difficult for him. So let me make a point here. Godly sorrow works repentance. But remorse and regret are not repentance. Judas felt remorse for denying and betraying the Lord. He felt sorry for his actions. But what happened? He went and killed himself. He's in hell today. Peter denied the Lord but he turned to the Lord in repentance. He didn't just have remorse. He repented. The question is, are you running from God or are you running to God? Cain runs further from God. Where does he go? He goes east of Eden. He's putting as much distance between himself and God as he thinks possible. He wanders into the land of Nod. The land of Nod. Some of you were already there. He wanders into the land of Nod. Look in verse 16: "And Cain went out from the presence of God and dwelt in the land of Nod, east of Eden." Nod doesn't mean you're taking a nap. It means wandering. It means exile. It's a fitting name for the one who has exiled and alienated himself from his family, from his home, and from his God. Repentance is not merely feeling sorry. It is brokenness before God. Repentance isn't experiencing regret and wanting to escape the consequences of your actions. It is wanting fellowship with God restored. Cain did not want God. He says, "I'm going to Nod. I'm going as far away from Eden as possible." Repentance is turning from sin instead of attempting to conceal it. Repentance involves running to God rather than from Him. So this morning, I don't care who you are or what you've done. You are never too far gone to run to God. So stop running to Nod and start running to God. Run to Him because He's ready and willing to receive you.

I'm ending up with this. This is not the last time Cain is mentioned. We'll talk about Cain a little bit next week. He wanders from place to place. He builds cities for himself and for his son. He tries to make a name for himself. But eventually, he's known in 1 John 3:12 as "the child of the evil one who murders his brother because his deed is evil." He goes down as the founder of the first false religion in Jude chapter 11. "Woe to them, false teachers, for they walk in the way of Cain." Like Cain, the false teachers reject true worship and they have hatred for the righteous. Like Cain, the religious leaders rob their father the devil who was "a liar and a murderer from the beginning." John 8:44. Cain goes down in history as a prototype of rebellion against God, of rejection of truth and righteousness, and as the spiritual lineage from the evil one. He goes down in history as the one who corrupts truth and promotes self-made religion. As one who refuses correction when confronted with God's Word. And ultimately as one who opposes and harms the righteous. So the way of Cain is the way of self-righteousness. It's the way of religious pride. It's the way of rebellion instead of repentance. It's the way of religion without relationship. It's the way of atonement without blood. It's the way of hatred and mercilessness against the righteous. It's the way of rebellion against God's prescribed way of salvation. It's the way of the rejection of false teaching. It's the way of works righteousness of self-achievement. It's the way that resists salvation by faith and divine accomplishment. He's also known as the one who kills the first martyr. Jesus speaks highly of Abel. Cain goes down in infamy, but Abel goes down as a man who is righteous because in Matthew 23 Jesus says that Abel was the first martyr. He's the man who gave his life in honor of the Lord. He was the man who was declared to be righteous.

Now our last point. Jesus is the better Abel. Hebrews 12:24, as Brother Coley read this morning, "the blood of Christ speaks better things than the blood of Abel." Abel is the first martyr. He is a man whose faith cost him his life. But Jesus died not as a martyr but as a substitute. Jesus is the true and better Abel. He too was killed by jealous religious brothers. Was He not His own countryman? Though He did no wrong. Abel was a beloved son of his parents, but Jesus is the only begotten, the beloved son of His Father. Abel was a keeper of sheep who sacrificed one of his flock as an act of worship. Jesus, the good shepherd, lays down His own life for His flock. Abel’s blood cried out from the ground, testifying of his innocence. It called for justice to fall upon the one who had murdered him. But Jesus’ blood speaks better things than the blood of Abel. Because Jesus’ blood does not call down a curse upon the wicked or call for their judgment. Rather, it calls for them to be spared. His blood cries out for mercy. His blood cries out, "I love you and I forgive you." It welcomes instead of banishes. It frees and it forgives. While Abel’s blood is crying out for justice, Jesus’ blood cries out for mercy. Because on the cross, Jesus did not respond in Cain-like vengeance. But He responded with the words, "Father, forgive them." Cain bore a mark in his own body. We don’t know what that mark was, but whoever saw that mark was to be warned: "Don’t mess with Cain. Don’t avenge his death. I’ve set a mark upon him. Whoever messes with Cain, whoever kills him, will be avenged sevenfold." But we have Abel, who had marks on his body through his hands and through his feet. It doesn't cry out for vengeance sevenfold. It cries out that vengeance and justice have been served. Praise God for that. The blood of Christ speaks better things than the blood of Abel. Christ shed blood at Calvary speaks a better word. Abel’s blood exposes sin. Christ’s blood covers it. Abel’s death condemns the sinner. Christ’s death redeems the sinner. His blood satisfies divine judgment. At the same time, it extends divine grace. When Jesus’ blood speaks, it means that there is forgiveness instead of condemnation. There is peace instead of wrath. There is reconciliation instead of separation. Love doesn't cry out from the ground. His blood cries out from heaven because He is seated at the right hand of the Father and He ever lives to make intercession for us. What is His blood crying out this morning? It is crying out for mercy. It is crying out that justice has been served, that the debt has been paid. Jesus’ blood speaks in our defense. It says the ransom has been paid. Our sin debt has been erased. His blood says, "Let these go their way. I have redeemed them."

So there's the way of Cain and there's the way of the cross. The way of the cross is to receive God's own precious lamb without spot or blemish. The way of the cross is not religious pride but humility. It's not trying to earn favor with God, but it's receiving God's love, favor and forgiveness as a gift. The way of Christ is the way of faith. The way of Christ is the way of justification. On the basis of His imputed righteousness. The way of Christ is coming to God in God's way and that is through His atoning sacrifice. So as they come, give us a hymn of invitation. Don't offer to God your leftovers or your pride or your own efforts. Instead, come to Him in faith as the Lamb slain, whose blood speaks better things than that of Abel, whose blood speaks in our defense, who cries out, "It is finished." Come to the one whose blood justifies the ungodly, washes away our sins. Come to the one who declares guilty sinners pardoned. And you too will be accepted by God just as Abel was on the basis of His atoning sacrifice and your faith in Him. Perhaps this morning you're lost. You've never received this gift by faith. You've been trying to please Him in the way of Cain. You find yourself rejected. You find yourself rebellious, running from God. You need to come to God. You need to repent and place your faith in Him. This morning perhaps you'd like to pray where you are or you want to come up here and receive prayer. Either way, this altar is open. Come to the one whose blood speaks better things than Abel.