Genesis - Part 10

Genesis 4 Part 2

The Increases

Part 1 - Increasing Population

Part 2 - Increasing Sin

Summary

Meeting Purpose

Discuss Genesis chapter 4, focusing on the increasing sin and its consequences

Key Takeaways

·     Cain's offering was unacceptable because it lacked the proper heart attitude and obedience to God's instructions regarding blood sacrifice

·     Sin requires effort to master, and has serious consequences if not dealt with properly

·     God desires a relationship with us and provides the resources needed to avoid sin, but we must have the right attitude and obedience

Topics

Cain and Abel's Offerings

·     Abel brought the firstborn animals and their fat portions, showing obedience and giving God the best

·     Cain brought an offering from the fruit of the ground, a grain/produce offering

·     God had regard/respect for Abel's offering, but not Cain's

·     The difference was attitude - Abel had a God-focused heart, Cain was self-focused

Cain's Anger and God's Warning

·     God questioned Cain about his anger, giving him a chance to repent

·     Sin was "crouching at the door" desiring to overpower Cain

·     God warned Cain he must master/rule over sin's desire

Cain Murders Abel

·     Cain rose up against Abel and killed him out of jealousy

·     When God asked about Abel, Cain lied "Am I my brother's keeper?"

·     God cursed Cain to be a wanderer, unable to successfully cultivate the ground

Lamech's Arrogance

·     Lamech boasted of killing a man for merely injuring him

·     He claimed vengeance on him would be 77-fold, showing an inflated ego

·     This displayed increasing ungodliness and disregard for human life

Next Steps

·     Recognize that obedience, attitude, and giving God our best is more important than just going through motions

·     Strive to have a God-focused heart, not self-focused

·     Rely on God's resources to master sin, understanding sin has serious natural consequences

·     Avoid arrogance, inflated egos, and taking vengeance into our own hands

What have we learned?

-Misreading the Scriptures causes confusion!

-Actions matter: Obedience is better than sacrifice, but the right kind of sacrifice can be a good thing!

-Attitude matters, God looks at the heart

-God is an effective communicator, but it helps if we are willing listeners!

-Sin is inherent in the human condition

-Sin requires effort if it is to be avoided

-Sin has consequences of greater significance than we tend to realize or want to admit

-Revenge is an expression of ungodliness stemming from a lack of faith and not trusting God

-God has supplied the resource we need to avoid sinning

-God’s plan and efforts revolve around His desire for relationship with us