"Adam was not deceived." Perhaps as a type of Christ, Adam left his paradise for love of his bride— Eve. “Nevertheless,” Paul teaches, “she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control." (1 Tim 2:13-15) “Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived literally “acquired” Cain, and said, ‘I have acquired a man from Yahweh.’” (Gen 4:1) “She believed that the Messiah promised in Genesis 3:15 had come. Her hopes were quickly dashed and she named her second son ‘Abel,’ which means ‘vanity.’ One can imagine these boys growing up near the gate of Eden, guarded by the angel’s flaming sword. No doubt they heard how their parents attempted to cover sin with fig leaves and how God instead covered them with skins, signifying the importance of sacrifice and substitution (Gen 3:7, 21).” (David Woetzel)
Still he was firstborn and had the responsibilities thereof. “Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel.” (Gen 4:1) Surely, to be accountable, both boys were taught by their parents and the Spirit about the untold conversation in the Garden, as the LORD covering them with the animal skins— “about the Promise, and about how sin must be cared for as one is coming into God’s presence.” (Edith Schaeffer)... and about the coming Judgment; and the penalty annexed to sin; and the complete destruction that awaits the impenitent sinners. Without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin (Lev. 17:11 and Heb. 9:22).
“And in the process of time,”— literally “at the end of days” which suggests that they came on the day of the weekly Sabbath, according to the the Commands, they brought their sacrifice to God: "God had cursed the ground, but Cain brought of ‘the fruit of the ground’…. Abel’s offering consisted of ‘the firstlings of the flock and the fat, thereof.’ He believed himself a sinner who had deserved death.” (Arno Gaebelein) Abel “approached his Maker by an atoning victim for sin which God had enjoined on man, though the injunction is not named, being known and understood.” (Joseph Sutcliffe) “'And Yahweh respected Abel and his offering,' which ‘signifies’ in Hebrew, - ‘to look at anything with a keen earnest glance,’ which has been translated, ‘kindle into a fire,’ so that the divine approval of Abel‘s offering was shown in its being consumed by fire (see Genesis 15:17; Judges 13:20).” (Jamieson, Fausset, Brown) And the consumption of the sacrifice by fire confirms the message of complete destruction for hardened sinners.
Cain’s religion, on the other hand, was works-based. It had no room for blood. His offering was a fruit offering, like unto the fig leaves, which the first couple had used to try to cover their nakedness. “But He did not respect Cain and his offering.” (Gen 4:5) His religion was “that of the natural, self-righteous man, who needs no blood, but trusts in his character and good works.” (Arno Gaebelein) Cain rejected the story of Creation and of the fall of his own parents in the Garden of Eden. He denied the reality of sin and its effects, as well as God’s covering for sin. "Cain came, in essence, saying 'You can just accept me, God, as I do my own thing. I am not going to believe it is necessary to do anything other than my own thing’” (Edith Schaeffer)
Mankind has since been divided into: 1) those that believe God’s Word and act upon their faith concerning the coming of Messiah; and 2) those who say in one form or another "I’ll do my own thing”—endorsing the idea that “all roads lead to the same place.”— perhaps even the soul of man is immortal. The important thing to these folks is that you are sincere in your convictions!
“And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.” So Yahweh said to Cain, 'Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted?’ (lit.) 'Shalt thou not have the excellency’? which is the true sense of the words referring to the high privileges and authority belonging to the first-born in patriarchal times.” (Jamieson, Fausset, Brown)
“When Cain practices what is right, there will be an uplifted face, meaning a good conscience before God without shame (Mathews 1996:270; see also Fretheim, Brueggemann, and Kaiser 1994:373). This was an attempt by God to ‘provoke a change of heart’ in Cain (Gowan 1988:68; Wenham 1987:104).” (Dynamics of Shame in Genesis 3 and 4 by Andrew Tompkins)
To effectively carry out the role of firstborn or head of house, after Adam’s decease, Cain must have communion with God. And the burnt offering was instituted for the clearing his conscience. The animal got what the offerer deserved— death and complete destruction by fire. If offered in faith, he could afterwards enter into communion with Jesus and lead the next generation.
“And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door sin lies at the door… etc’” (Gen 4:7a) “When men break away from God, they will soon murder one another.” (Alexander MacLaren) He had already broken the first tablet of the Commandments, here the second was now in view. Some may argue that the moral code of the Ten Commandants were not given until the time of Moses.
“But we may trace its original higher still, even beyond the foundation of the world: to that period, unknown indeed to men, but doubtless enrolled in the annals of eternity, when ‘the morning stars’ first ‘sang together,’ being newly called into existence. It pleased the great Creator to make these, his first-born sons, intelligent beings, that they might know him that created them. For this end he endued them with understanding, to discern truth from falsehood, good from evil.” (John Wesley)— as insinuated by the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
“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 gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.” (Heb 11:4) Abel is dead, but the story of his obedience, found in Genesis 4, is still used by the universal church for edification and instruction in righteousness today.
And the LORD ended: “And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.” (Gen 4:7b, KJV) This was a calling of the firstborn to rule over his brother. “It is assumed by most that the ‘his’ and ‘him’ in this verse is ‘sin,’ however, this is impossible. It is important to understand that in Hebrew all nouns are either masculine or feminine. For instance, the earth is feminine, but the sky (heaven) is masculine and the word for fish is feminine, but the word for bird is masculine. The Hebrew word for sin is hhatah, which is a feminine noun. If the ‘his’ and ‘him,’ which by the way are the correct gender for the pronouns in the Hebrew text, were referring to ‘sin,’ then the correct pronouns would have been ‘hers’ and ‘her.’ We can then conclude that the ‘his’ and ‘him’ are referring to something or someone other than sin. Their Relationship— Let's take a closer look at that the last part of what God told Cain. Here is a literal rendering of this passage from the Hebrew; ‘and toward you is his desire but you will rule over him.’ Now, let's go back to the previous chapter (Genesis 3:16) where God is speaking to Eve about her relationship with Adam; ‘and toward your husband is your desire, but he will rule over you.’ Did you notice that these two passages, aside from the gender of the pronouns and to whom the passages are referring too, are identical? In the passage about Adam and Eve, Eve is to follow her husband and her husband is to rule over her. In the passage about Cain and Abel, ‘he’ is to follow Cain and Cain is to rule over ‘him.’ So who is the ‘he’ and ‘him?’ It has to be Abel.” (Jeff A. Benner)
But Cain did not have ears to hear. “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.”(Gen 4:8)
“The Chaldee paraphrast adds, that Cain, when they were in discourse, maintained there was no judgment to come, and that when Abel spoke in defence of the truth, Cain took that occasion to fall upon him. The Scripture tells us the reason wherefore he slew him, ‘because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous;’ so that herein he showed himself to be a ‘child of the devil,’ as being ‘an enemy to all righteousness.’(1 John 3:12)” (Joseph Benson)
“Then Yahweh said to Cain, ‘Where is Abel your brother?’ (Gen 4:9a) The interrogatory here reminds us of the question put to the hiding Adam, 'Where art thou?' It is calculated to strike the conscience... 'He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?' (Gen 4:9b) Yes, as firstborn, he was supposed to be. “And He said, ‘What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.’— A common Scriptural expression concerning murder… (Gen 18:20, 21; 19:13; Exo 3:9; Heb 12:24; Jam 5:4).” (Pulpit Commentary) So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. “Cain was cursed from the earth. He found his punishment there where he chose his portion, and set his heart. ” (Matthew Henry) Cain was “separated to all evil, laid under the wrath of God, as it is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.” (Joseph Benson)
“And Cain said ‘My punishment is greater than I can bear! (Gen 4:13) 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.’ (Gen 4:14a) Simularly: “The patriarchs were pilgrims, and stayed not long in a place. The apostles also were hurried about, [Rom. 15:19] and had ‘no certain dwelling place.’ [2 Cor 4:11] But first, God numbered their wanderings. [Ps. 56:8] He kept just reckoning of therein his count-book. Secondly, Their hearts were fixed, trusting in the Lord. [Ps. 112:7] They could call their souls to rest, when they had no rest in their bones; and fly up to heaven with the wings of a dove, when hunted on earth as so many partridges." (John Trapp)
But this was not the case for Cain— unless he repent of his disbelief. Yet, God granted Cain continuance of life, “partly because the tares were to grow with the wheat, and sin develop itself to its utmost extent, partly also because from the very first God determined to take punishment into His own hands, and protect human life from the passion and wilfulness of human vengeance…” (Keil and Delitzsch) “‘And it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill me.’ (Gen 4:14b) And Yahweh said to him, ‘Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.’ “God having said, in Cain’s case, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, it had been a daring usurpation for any man to take the sword out of God’s hand.” (Joseph Benson) “’And Yahweh set a mark [a sign] on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him.’ i.e. for Cain's protection. The law of Genesis 9:6 was not yet enacted— ‘Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God He made man.’” (Scofield's Reference Notes)
Lamech mocked God, killing a man for wounding him and says that if the avenger of Abel's death is responsible in the Judgment seven-fold, his Judgment would be seventy-fold. Some say that “if Cain were killed, seven deaths would be exacted in retaliation; the murderer and six of his family would forfeit their lives, cf. 2 Samuel 21:8.” (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges)… if they, going against the Spirit, execute Judgment. Thus the fighting in the land Israel. But to be "avenged seven-fold’"is to be avenged fully or perfectly by God. Cain's avengers will "no doubt receive even-handed justice from the Almighty.” (Barnes Notes) The church of Cain- preaching false doctrine- has gone "the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.” (Jude 1:11) “Who was Balaam in the Bible? He as a wicked prophet in the Bible and is noteworthy because, although he was a wicked prophet, he was not a false prophet. That is, Balaam did hear from God, and God did give him some true prophecies to speak. However, Balaam’s heart was not right with God, and eventually he showed his true colors by betraying Israel and leading them astray.” He did it for popularity and money. St. Jude speaks of evil doers of his day as “having already perished, which affords us a genuine trait of the prophetic spirit, speaking of things certainly future, as if they were past.” (Thomas Coke)