Ruined lives

Genesis 4

The ruining, spreading rule of sin

Genesis 4 is the story of how the first rebellion against God (in Genesis 3) led to a sad and sorry and sick state of ruin and misery on the earth.

Verse 7 is a key to understand this gloomy chapter. God counsels Cain saying, saying, "If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it" (ESV).

'Sin is being personified here as a demonic force, waiting to pounce on Cain' (Faithlife Study Bible).

If people do not resist sin, it will "rule over" them and ruin everything. We see this ruining rule of sin as it spreads through Genesis 4:

Sin ruins worship making it substandard

(v3-7)

The difference between the offerings of Cain and Abel was a matter of value, cost and sacrifice. 

The Faithlife Study Bible comments on verses 3-4 saying that 'the Hebrew word order here may hint that Cain brought whatever was close at hand while Abel brought the best of what he had'.

Cain's offering had little or no real value. It was just any old "the fruit of the ground" (v3). It cost him little, was not missed and was not a real sacrifice. It was substandard worship that showed he did not highly value God or seek to honour Him very much.

On the other hand, Abel's offering was the very best he had to give to the Lord of his life. It was "the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions" (v4). It was a costly sacrifice that showed his love and reverence for his God. "And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering" (v4).

Sin ruins relationships making them murderous (v8-10)

This is the first of a long line of sinful murders recorded in the Bible. Though people may refrain from physically killing, Jesus warned of the anger, insults and contempt that are just as sinfully murderous (Matthew 5:21-22).

Sin ruins everything increasingly making life difficult and dangerous and disobedient (v11-24)
For Cain and his family and his descendants, sin results in poverty and a struggle to get enough to eat (v11-12).
 Sin makes them vulnerable and likely to be attacked and killed in a hostile, sinful world (v12-14). 
Sin leads to inventive ways of doing marriage and the first mention of polygamy is found in verse 19. This was a departure from God's intention for monogamous marriage revealed in Genesis 2:24.
Sin increases down the renerations and the violence of Cain explodes into the vengeance and arrogance of Lamech (v23-24).
But sin is not the only thing in Genesis 4, because God's mercy never gives up.

We see God's mercy in His protection of Cain (v15) and in the growth of families (v17-18, 25-26), the development of farming (v20), music (v21) and metal work (v22).
We especially see the mercy of God in His allowing and enabling people to begin to pray. We are told that "at that time people began to call upon the name of the Lord" (v26).