Lesson 4 – Cain and Abel

Even though Cain sinned, God still loved and preserved him. Even though we sin, God in Christ, still loves and preservers us.

Opening

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

This lesson will use the Bible. Also paper and pencil will be needed.

Which do you like best--winter or spring? Summer or fall?  Football or volleyball? Baseball or softball?

Whom do you argue with more--a friend or a neighbor?  Your mom or your dad? Teachers or other students? A brother or a sister?

What makes it most difficult for you to reconcile conflicts- being right or being wrong? your pride or your lack of confidence? Anger or hurt? Fear of punishment or the need to win?

Identify the conflict and the consequences in the video “Jedi Kittens Strike Back”.

In the video, Whom was the conflict between? How did it resolve? What were the  consequences? Kittens fought in Star Wars jets and then with lasers. They both crashed. Their owner grounded them and told them to clean up.

 How does this silly video demonstrate what often happens in households? Do you argue with siblings? Do you talk things out? Does the person who stops the conflict or hands out consequences always understand the skirmish?

Well find out about a family conflict today.

 

Prayer:  Lord God, we want to do Your will, but instead we argue, fight, and sin.  Thank You for rescuing us through the life, death, and resurrection of Your Son, Christ. Keep us in this one true faith. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

God Speaks

Thoughts come from our minds. What comes from our hearts? Emotions, faith, love

Using the Student Page at the end of the lesson, read Mark 7:21-22 under the Heart-to-Heart title.

How are the things Jesus listed alike or different from what we listed? Different, the things Jesus listed are from a sinful heart.

How do we show that we inherited the disease of sin? We can't stop sinning  or make sin go away by ourselves. It's stuck to us like the stickiest tar.

Let's dig into Scripture to find out more.

Using your Bible, read Genesis 4:1-2. Then on the Student Page under the Brother versus Brother title, follow the directions in the first section.

Draw two large cookie-cutter-type outlines of a person. One of Cain and one for Abel. Add details from verses 1 and 2. Cain, the firstborn, worked as a farmer. Abel, born second, shepherd.

Cain sounds similar to the Hebrew phrase "l have gotten." Some scholars, including Martin Luther, think Eve believed she birthed the promised offspring who would defeat the devil and regain paradise (Genesis 3:15).  If so, how do you think Adam and Eve treated Cain? Show this on your drawing of Cain.  Luther said, "without a doubt Cain was very highly regarded and considered the favorite. Their names and occupations show this. Adam trained his favorite son to do his work. Abel cared for the flock.

In Hebrew, Abel means "breath or vapor implying something temporary. Come up with some way to show this on your drawing of Abel.

Using your Bible, read Genesis 4:3-7. Then on the Student Page under the Brother versus Brother title, follow the directions in the second section.

The Hebrew word translated as had regard means "looked at" or "paid attention to." Genesis does not say why God accepted Abel's sacrifice but so we let Scripture interpret Scripture.

Read 1 John 3:12, Hosea 6:6, 1 Samuel 16:7, and James 4:6 to find out why.

Show these things on your drawings. Cain was evil; Abel was made righteous by faith. Cain didn't trust God or Worship Him with a true heart Abel did. God wants our love, not begrudging sacrifices. The Lord looks at hearts, not appearance.

Cain acted proud and arrogant. Abel was humble, and God counted him as righteous because he trusted Him. This faith was a gift Abel received from God; he did nothing to earn it. We cannot earn God's favor either. He renders us righteous through faith in Christ Jesus, just as Old Testament believers God’s promise to send the Savior offspring.

Cain rejected this gift and trusted other things instead – perhaps his status in the family, his reputation or his parents faith.

Luther said “So the fault lay not in the materials which were offered but in the person of him who brought the offering. The faith of the individual was the weight which added value to Abel's offering.”

How did Cain react to God's displeasure? Show Cain's reaction and your ideas on your drawing of Cain. Cain became angry, and his face fell. This means he felt disappointed, embarrassed, or shamed.

God spoke Law to show Cain his sin so he would repent and come back to God. What did God warn Cain about? Sin was ready to pounce on him. Jealousy and anger fester and lead to dangerous actions. God warned Cain to stop and adjust his thinking and attitudes before he sinned more.

Using your Bible, read Genesis 4:8-16. Then on the Student Page under the Brother versus Brother title, follow the directions in the third section.

How did Cain act out his emotions? He let frustration; anger, envy, and rejection boil over into a murderous fury at his brother.

What kind of criminal charge could we bring against Cain day? Cain ask Abel to come into the field with him. He planned to take Abel's life. Toda y. this is evidence of premeditated, or first-degree, murder.

God knew where Abel was when He asked Cain where his brother was. Why did He ask? He gave Cain a chance to admit his sin and seek God's forgiveness.

What did Cain do? He lied.

What consequences did God give Cain for this sin? God cursed Cain so the ground would no longer provide his living. He would wander the earth.

How did Cain react? What does this show was in Cain's heart? Show this on your drawing of Cain. Cain whined, felt sorry for himself, and showed a lack of repentance and a shirking of responsibility. He blamed God and did not repent . He worried that other siblings would take his life.

Cain expected the worst, saying he would be separated from God. God did not say this, and it was not true. God continued to care for Cain as He did for Adam and Eve. Cain's heart was filled with a mixture of self-pity, emotions, and sin.

How did God show mercy to Cain? Show this on your drawing of Cain. God put a mark on Cain that told others to leave him alone. We don't know where it was, but it must have been easily visible. God said He would take sevenfold vengeance on anyone who hurt Cain. He did not abandon Cain or separate from him, but He continued to care for him.

We Live

Read John 14:6 from under A True Heart, A Pure Heart on the Student Page.

What do we have in common with Cain and Abel? We were born in sin and cannot escape it without God's help. We need a Savior,

The Book of Hebrews tells how Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament sacrificial system.  A curtain separated the Most Holy Place from the rest of the temple. The high priest went in the Most Holy Place once a year on the Day of Atonement to sprinkle the blood of a sacrificed lamb. When Christ died, this heavily embroidered curtain split from top to bottom (Luke 23:45).

Read Hebrews 10:19-22 and 12:22, 24 (Student Page).

Whose blood gives us access to God's holy places? The blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God.

What did our great priest do for our sinful hearts? Jesus sacrificed Himself to pay for our sins and to forgive them. In Baptism, our hearts are sprinkled clean with His blood and our bodies are washed with pure water. We receive His forgiveness and a true heart filled with sure faith.

Our sinful hearts are filled with lust, anger, fear, idolatry, despair, evil conscience, jealousy, and more. God begins the removal process in the new heart He gives us in Christ. As we increase in spiritual health, many evils diminish, but they are not extinguished until we die. Spiritual health is nothing more than faith in or love in Christ.

What does God extinguish in a clean heart? An evil conscience.

 What is a true heart? "An honest, believing heart".

Where do we get a true heart? It is a gift of God by grace through faith in Christ, which we receive in God's Word and Sacraments (Ephesians 2:8-10).

Although we sin, God does not forsake us. He made a way for us through Christ, His Son, and continues to care for us every day.

Closing

Read the Apostle’s Creed.