THE EVIL SEED
Genesis 4:3-8
Part 2
The Character, Personalities, the Individuals, Cain and Abel
And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. (Genesis 4:3)
And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: (Genesis 4:4)
But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. (Genesis 4:5)
And 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 slew him. (Genesis 4:8)
Cain
  Cain’s name is very intriguing. It was Eve who named her firstborn son, and I will merely just copy from my very basic research the following; Cain ‘<Qayin> (pronounced kah’yin) from a primitive root; to strike a musical note, i.e. chant or wail (at a funeral):–lament, mourning woman.’ The name is also built on another root ‘in the original sense of fixity; a lance (as striking fast):–spear.’ This is not the totality in the study of the name of Cain, and there is more that can be expanded upon; other sources for the meaning of the name of Cain can be traced to the statement that Eve made at the birth of Cain, And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. (Genesis 4:1) This verse has drawn many to another added meaning of ‘acquired’ or ‘gotten.’ The first male child born from natural means and not supernatural means has a name (although small in letters) that allows us to understand the complexity of not only this male child but gives us some insight into the experience of the first earth born child.
  The very first natural birth by a woman came when Eve delivered her firstborn son. I cannot begin to imagine what was going through her mind at that time, to experience something so new in this birthing process. Truly, her wail of pain was a note struck of the very first woman to experience this traumatic event, the birth of the very first child on earth. With her travail still fresh on her body, and in her mind, she named this child after her state of going through a time of mourning and agony, and surely, she remembered what God had said to her, Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. (Genesis 3:16) She also remembered the hope and the promise that God had given to her through the curse of the one who had deceived her, the serpent. And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. (Genesis 3:15) Although this statement was made to the deceiver, Satan, there was also a promise given of a seed, a man, to come forth who would destroy the deceiver; herein, we have the promise of the coming of the Messiah. The first mention of seed was of the seed of Satan, and the first seed to appear was the seed called Cain.
  She called her child of pain, Cain. Cain, a man child received from God; a curse and a promise, all in one. Cain, striking quickly as a spear; a man quick to act without thinking of the possible consequences. Cain, a state of fixity, never able to change, a static state of being — this so fittingly describes the state of sin that man through Adam now existed within. This child of her pain would only be the beginning of many births that she would experience; for Adam and Eve had many children, both sons and daughters.
  The supernatural aspect of the Bible is in how names, numbers, types, colors, symbols, allegories, parables intertwine and connect in such an inexplicable manner. From types (examples) to the law of first mention there is the obvious woven art from the fingers of a supernatural weaver, weaving under and over, and joining every conceivable fiber into the perfect fabric of His Word to His creatures.
The Bruise, The Heel, The Seeds
  The word ‘bruise’ and/or ‘bruised’ occurs in the entire Bible 19 times. In the Old Testament it is recorded 16 times, and 3 times in the New Testament. The first mention, of course, is in Genesis 3:15 and the last mention is in Romans 16:20.
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. (Genesis 3:15) (To see this prophecy fulfilled, read the following article by clicking HERE. Although this article is long, the connection to Genesis 3:15 comes at the end of the article — it may be well worth your while as it has a surprise ending.)
  And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. (Romans 16:20) From the first to the last mention we see the connection of the seed of Satan being bruised under the feet of the King of Peace, Jesus Christ. Let us look at the word and how it connects to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. In the Book of Isaiah Chapter 53 we have the revealing of Christ in His sacrificial death for sin.
But he [was] wounded for our transgressions, [he was] bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace [was] upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)
Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put [him] to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see [his] seed, he shall prolong [his] days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. (Isaiah 53:10)
  The word ‘heel’ occurs 6 times in the Bible; 5 times in the Old Testament and only once in the New Testament. Now let’s connect the dots . . . or the numbers . . . 5 (the number of grace) + 1 (the number of the Godhead) = 6 (the number of man). The grace of God to sinful man came by the bruising, and death of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. His heels pressed against the tree, bruised and suffering there for you and me.
The Two Seeds and The One Seed
  Now let’s consider the word ‘heel’ and how it is connected with both seeds. The seed of Satan (the seed of evildoers) has always been in opposition to Christ the Messiah, the true seed and His own (the godly seed). The threads of these two seeds throughout Scripture can clearly be seen as the seed of Satan and the seed of God. We sometimes read of the evil seeds also called ‘the tares,’ that grows up among the godly seeds and are counterfeits of the pure seeds. The Lord Jesus Christ said The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; (Matthew 13:38) He clearly states the existence of two seeds, two types of people, two seeds that have always and will always be in conflict.
Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel. (Psalm 22:23)
For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. (Psalm 37:28)
  The seed (the one seed) promised in Genesis 3:15 is recorded in Galatians 3:19 as being the promise fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. (Galatians 3:16)
Wherefore then [serveth] the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; [and it was] ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. (Galatians 3:19)
  The close relationship between the first murderer and the first victim was brother and brother. The relationship of the Lord Jesus Christ to his betrayer was a close bond beyond familiarity. Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me. (Psalm 41:9) Here is the prophetic statement (made approximately 1023 B.C.) of who would betray the anointed one, the Christ. This was to be a familiar friend (one who shared bread and journeys), and who benefitted from this close relationship. Then in John 13:18, the Lord Jesus Christ went to Psalm 41 to reveal that He always knew who His betrayer was. And Christ said, I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me. (John 13:18)
  As Eve named her child, she also hoped that here was the man that was to come to redeem them to God, the victorious seed. And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. (Genesis 4:1) Here is the man that God had promised, she hoped. How swiftly God had acted to accomplish His promise of hope to them, how swiftly (she thought) that they would soon be able to fellowship again with their Creator, that God would offer His peace and forgiveness to them; thus, in the name that she gave this man child was a reflection of what she thought was the swift action of God to fulfill His promise. (But the name is also built on another root ‘in the original sense of fixity; a lance (as striking fast):–spear.’) The three-fold meaning in the name she gave her son gives us a broader picture of how God acts behinds the scenes, behind the motives and moves of men they act and speak unknowingly to advance His purpose and will.
  In the sense of a state of fixity (compared to the transitory state in the name of Abel), Cain (the firstborn) would be the representation of that which is in the natural man, the sinful man, the stubborn man, the evil seed, and the rebellious man. Eve most probably thought that her firstborn was the promised seed; however, God spoke of two (2) different seeds: one seed would be of the serpent, the rebellious seed, the unregenerate man; and the other seed would be the victorious seed, the true seed, the seed of promise, the Lord Jesus Christ who would proceed from the loins of Abraham; and thus, come from His appointed nation of Israel. Her first-born son was the rebellious seed, the evil seed, the seed of Satan.
  Adam passed on to his firstborn son all that he was, and this intractable nature of sin brought forth the first murderer. (One of the principles in Scripture is that we produce after our own kind.) We know that Cain was an evil seed, that it would be his heel that he would raise in anger and envy to slay the godly seed in Abel. In Abel we have types of Christ, but in Cain we also have types — examples and types of the ungodly man, of the unrepentant man of the seed of Satan.
  Even through the name of Cain, (the name is also built on another root ‘in the original sense of fixity; a lance (as striking fast):–spear.’) we just may have the method by which Cain murdered his brother Abel — with a spear. Let us go to the very last mention and the only mention of the word ‘spear’ in the New Testament. But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. (John 19:34) The hatred of the unregenerate man is so great against God, against His Christ, against His Word, and against all who follow Him that the natural man is always ready to swiftly thrust a spear at his perceived enemy.
The mention of Cain in the Old Testament
All vanity, all malice, all evil, and all rebellion flourished in the being of Cain. He is the poster child for the seed of Satan.
  The name Cain is mentioned 17 times in the Old Testament, 16 of these occur in the Book of Genesis, and 1 time in Joshua where we have a connection to the character of the man Cain. There we find a city named Cain, one of ten cities with their villages in the outreaches of the tribe of Judah. How appropriate that the character of the evilness of Cain is associated with the numbers 17 and 10. Sixteen times in Genesis, Cain is mentioned. Why sixteen times? Always go back to the basic numbers or the foundation of a number. In sixteen we have by multiplying 2 x 8, or by adding 6 + 10 (I know that you can get to sixteen by many numbers, but remember God is working for the most basic of men to understand the most basic of numbers.) Let’s take the number sixteen first: six (6) the number of man added to the number of God’s Divine order in the number 10. Ten represents the law (as in the ten commandments), it is a number that speaks of His completeness of order. The single digits have been completed in the first of the double digits. In Genesis, which is the book of origins, we have Cain’s name mentioned sixteen times and all occur in the 4th Chapter of Genesis. Numbers like musical notes can play many tunes, so I tread carefully here among the notes on the staff lines. These are the things that we are sure of: Cain was exiled away from the presence of God (7), and turned his back on God’s divine order (10), and built a city as a tribute to himself to be remembered and revered by his descendants. He is the poster child for the number of man which is 6 and of the world (4). All vanity, all malice, all evil, and all rebellion flourished in the being of Cain. He is the poster child for the seed of Satan.  The Lord Jesus Christ connected Satan and Cain together when he said to the Jews, Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. (John 8:44) Unless a supernatural act of grace is accomplished in all believers then the principle of, we produce after our own kind is a static principle. Cain was a product of Satan; he was also fruit resulting from the tragic rebellion of two parents. Since than all men have carried the genes and DNA of sin. Then later in Scripture we have this comment from the Apostle John concerning the originator of sin, and the mission of the Lord Jesus Christ. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8)
  The evil seed (Cain) would not only flourish in his world, but the Cainites (all unregenerate mankind) would carve out a society that would approve and accept all heinous acts and corrupt religious and political systems with joy and celebration. We are not just pointing out an attitude of evil that only existed in the antediluvian age, but this evil found its way into the age after the flood most properly through the line of Ham (but that is for another session). All unregenerate mankind is the fruit of Cain, and the product of Satan. I don’t really care how much you or others chant the mantra of ‘we are good people of the earth, we love, we care, there is goodness within all;’ it is not the amount of goodness within each individual that is the issue, but it is the evil that is within all. It is not your changing definition of goodness and sin that God cares about. There is only one definition of goodness and sin that all is measured by, For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23) And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. (Mark 10:18) You are wrong to assume that God can be swayed by your self-righteous thoughts and acts, until you can see yourself as God sees you, then and only then, will you agree with God concerning your need for a Savior. There is evil within all, there is Cain within all; all except those who are ‘born again,’ those who are born through the grace of God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember, from the very first born (the evil seed — Cain), and the good seed — Abel there has always been two creatures: the spiritual man, and the natural man. The spiritual follows and obeys God and His directives, and the natural creature follows the dictates of his own will, and heart, and his own way. We, mankind, have always existed in a world full of Cains. The two seeds have always been active throughout all of time.
It (the body) is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. (1 Corinthians 15:44)
Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. (1 Corinthians 15:46)
  There is a natural body (the flesh), and there is a spiritual body (to be received after the natural body has died). While living in the flesh, there is a natural body (the sin driven creature), and when miraculously touched by the power of the Holy Spirit of God and by Him a new spirit within man is created then, and only then, does the natural man become a spiritually reborn creature called a son of God.
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (John 1:12)
Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:13)
Cain – the natural man – in the Book of Joshua
  Then, we come to the seventeenth (17) mention of the name of Cain. Very interesting indeed, as it is in the Book of Joshua, Chapter 15. It is not in the meaning of the number, but surprise . . . surprise . . . it is where we find it that should hold our interest. The Book of Joshua, (Savior, Deliverer), could also be referred to as the Book of Jesus, or the Book of the Savior, or the Book of the Deliverer. Joshua is a book of warfare, a military book, for with each step into their promised land, they fought enemy after enemy. Yes, it was given to them by Jehovah, it was their land by promise, it would one day be their home, but first they were surrounded by that which had to be destroyed. Joshua is a picture of the Christian’s spiritual warfare in a world that is full of evil, full of murder, full of vanity, and full of the enemies of God — the world, the flesh, and the Devil — the world that was built by Cain, and for Cain.
  It is appropriate that the Holy Spirit would draw our attention with the name of Cain in the Book of Joshua and connect it to the warfare and battle that the Christian faces every day; in Joshua it was a conflict of a chosen nation fighting for a land that Jehovah had given to them as their inheritance. Joshua pre-figures Christ, the Savior leading His people into the land of His rest. (Hebrews 4) We have the earthly walk of the Christian led by the Spirit of Christ, and we have the spiritual battle in our earthly walk. It is sometimes difficult for the Christian to accept and to enjoy that we, as Christians, are not earth dwellers, but we are earth travelers. Unlike Israel, we have not received the promises of the land, and a blessing of the inheritance of the land of promise, but we have received an inheritance, and we have a place promised to us. We have a promised dwelling place that after our days on the spiritual battlefield we will finally reach and enjoy.
In my Father’s house are many mansions: if [it were] not [so], I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (John 14:2)Â And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, [there] ye may be also. (John 14:3)
In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: (Ephesians 1:11)
Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: (Colossians 1:12)
Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. (Colossians 3:24)
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, (1 Peter 1:3)
To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, (1 Peter 1:4)
  We have a present spiritual conflict (and for many it has become a conflict of physical suffering) led by our Savior, our Joshua, that can be compared to the past physical and spiritual conflict of the people of Israel led by Joshua.
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. (Ephesians 6:10)
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. (Ephesians 6:11)
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:12)
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. (Ephesians 6:13)
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; (Ephesians 6:14)
And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; (Ephesians 6:15)
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. (Ephesians 6:16)
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: (Ephesians 6:17)
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; (Ephesians 6:18)
  You cannot escape from the scene of battle. The words, ‘armour,’ ‘shield,’ ‘helmet,’ all involve the items necessary for the warrior. And our primary instrument of battle is our Bible.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: (Ephesians 6:17)
For the word of God [is] quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and [is] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)
  The Christian has enemies, we are in a constant battle, we have adversaries; sometimes those in our own households, our blood relationships, our marriage relationship, sometimes our business acquaintances. And in this particular age, there are many Christians who have been slaughtered and jailed for their testimony. Do not for one moment think that you are immune to conflict whether it be solely spiritual, or both spiritual and physical. Our path is different from the world, the world knows nothing of a living God. Know your enemy, know your purpose, understand your position and state before the Almighty God. Read the Book of Joshua and see what the children of Israel faced, battle after battle, they were only victorious when Jehovah fought for them, whenever they went out on their own power, they failed. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. (1 Corinthians 10:11) Everything that preceded the age of grace and everything that happened to them (Israel, the nations, leaders, and events) were for examples for us; to teach us, to encourage us, to give us insight into our own age, and to help us to grow spiritually in an evil world. (Note: I said, ‘everything that preceded the age of grace,’ however, do not forget that grace existed since time began. Remember, Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Grace is not and was not limited to the church age. Sometimes, I am careless in how I mention grace.)
  I do not want this to become a focus on the Book of Joshua, but I want to continue in the study of Cain, and why the Spirit of God mentioned Cain in the Book of Joshua. It is a book of the battle between the righteous and the unrighteous; the obedient and the disobedient.
Cain – the natural man – in the Book of Joshua – in the inheritance of Judah.
This then was the lot of the tribe of the children of Judah by their families; even to the border of Edom the wilderness of Zin southward was the uttermost part of the south coast. (Joshua 15:1)
Maon, Carmel, and Ziph, and Juttah, (Joshua 15:55)
And Jezreel, and Jokdeam, and Zanoah, (Joshua 15:56)
Cain, Gibeah, and Timnah; ten cities with their villages: (Joshua 15:57)
  WHAT . . . are you kidding me? These are just boring and strange names . . . I don’t think so! There is nothing superfluous in the Word of God! The last mention of the name of Cain in the Old Testament is alive with meaning. First, where do we find the city of Cain? In Joshua 15:1 we read that this town was in the inheritance of Judah. Judah . . . does that ring a bell? The Lord Jesus was of the tribe of Judah. Now that Judah has been brought into the equation in the Book of Joshua, we need to just see the connection between Judah and Cain. The name of Judah is mentioned 754 times in the Old Testament, and in the New Testament 1 time, and as ‘Juda” 10 times.
For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: (Hebrews 8:8)
For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood. (Hebrews 7:14)
And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. (Revelation 5:5)
  What has this all to do with Cain? Let’s look at just a few verses about Judah.
Judah, thou [art he] whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand [shall be] in the neck of thine enemies; thy father’s children shall bow down before thee. (Genesis 49:8)
The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him [shall] the gathering of the people [be]. (Genesis 49:10)
In Judah [is] God known: his name [is] great in Israel. (Psalm 76:1)
But (God) chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved. (Psalm 78:68)
Judah was his sanctuary, [and] Israel his dominion. (Psalm 114:2)
  Out of all the twelve tribes, Jehovah chose Judah. Out of Judah, His Messiah would be born. Out of Judah God would be known, God would be revealed to man out of the tribe of Judah. Out of Judah the preeminent One would come. He would be the lawgiver, He would hold the scepter of royalty, and rule, and govern, He would be the true sanctuary of the Almighty God. Just the mention of this name implies God’s accepted One, God’s chosen one, God’s approved one. Judah’s name means ‘Praise.’ Do I need to draw lines to the Lord Jesus Christ as coming from the line of David, out of the tribe of Judah? Here in Joshua, Chapter 15 we have the name of Cain almost hidden within all the cities and village within the boundaries of Judah. How appropriate that this should be, as we shall see that later the system of Cain will embed itself within the territory of that which is of God’s (spiritually speaking). By the way, Judah is mentioned seven (7) times in Chapter 15 of Joshua. God presents His perfect order in His number seven as it relates to His chosen tribe. Don’t you just love the way that the Spirit of God intertwines the threads in His tapestry?
The City of Cain
  Cain is seen in the borders of Judah, within praise. Within the boundaries of Judah, there were groupings of cities and villages; places that are types of worship, types of failure, types of blessings, types of corruption, types of humiliation, types of judgment, weaknesses, strength, temptations and mercy to teach us what we, as Christians, are surrounded by not only the blessings of God, but we are also surrounded by the adversary and by His Cains.
And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. (2 Corinthians 11:14)
Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. (2 Corinthians 11:15)
  Look at what Cain’s close grouping of cities mean. The meaning will follow each name, and some names have more than one root to its name.
Maon, Carmel, and Ziph, and Juttah, (Joshua 15:55)
And Jezreel, and Jokdeam, and Zanoah, (Joshua 15:56)
Cain, Gibeah, and Timnah; ten cities with their villages: (Joshua 15:57)
Maon, (a place of habitation, a place of sin)
Carmel, (a fruitful field)
Ziph, (mouthful of falsehoods, melting)
Juttah, (turning away, and extending out))
Jezreel, (seed of God, or sown of God)
Jokdeam, (crookedness, or burning of the people)
Zanoah, (to cast off, as in forgetfulness, and desertion)
Cain,
Gibeah, (a hill, a rising, a height)
Timnah (forbidden, and/or thou wilt number)
  Through the names of these ten cities, we learn more about Cain: Cain, the man, his actions, his activities, and his character. Cain’s place of habitation was a place of sin (Maon). He lived among Carmel (a fruitful field), he existed with a people who were fruitful for God. Cain’s mouth was full of lies and falsehoods (Ziph). The Cains are constantly fluid in their actions, their spiritual restlessnss revealed through their physical restlessness, continuously turning away from God, and extending their influence of lostness out to others (Juttah). Then we again see the seed of God, those who have been sown of God (Jezreel) and are growing together with the tares of Satan, the Cains of this world. Wherever and whenever God sows His Word and His truth, Satan is there also sowing his seeds of evil in the darkness. (In Chapter 13 of the Gospel of Matthew there is the sowing of evil seeds by Satan, how fitting that this sowing is found connected to the number 13 which signifies rebellion.) The crookedness (Jokdeam) of Cain, his perverseness is the reason for the burning judgment of God against the people of the world. The Cains cast off (Zanoah) God from their thoughts. And then there is Cain in the midst, he thinks of himself as a place above others (Gibeah). And the last city mentioned points to the time when all Cains will face God to be weighed in the balance, to be numbered and found wanting (Timnah). Every named village and city represent a spiritual lesson to be taught and is profitable for edification. All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: (2 Timothy 3:16) There is a significance of the meaning of names, and where names are placed have a purpose, and a connection to the power of the Almighty God. God constantly reminds us of our place, and purpose through His Word. In 2 Timothy 2:10 we are reminded that the house or place we presently dwell in has many different types of inhabitants, some to honor, and some to dishonor. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. (2 Timothy 2:10)
  The Spirit of God shows us the character of the first murderer, and the character of evil, the character of rebellion, and the character of one who lives in a place of sin, who flourishes in a fruitful field with a mouthful of falsehood. This murderer not only turned away from God, but was turned away by God, and extended outward his influence of evil. The city of Cain’s existence was a place of judgment to come. In Cain and all Cainites there will be a future numbering, or a future settlement of debt, the debt of rebellion and sin. God will not allow the last mention of this murderer to take over His listing of the names of some of the cities and villages within Judah’s inheritance; therefore, Judah is mentioned seven (7) times in this Chapter — how fitting! Never bypass strange looking names, and what seems to be an endless catalog of names — God is also in the details.
  And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch. (Genesis 4:17) In Genesis 4:17 we note that it was Cain who began building the very first city on earth, it is a continual action of man to build upon buildings without end. To acquire a name for himself, to possess and never have, not only to wander geographically, but to wander spiritually — ever searching for his lostness of soul, and never able to come to the understanding of what and why he is searching. The very last mention of Cain in the Book of Genesis is found in Genesis 4:25. And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, [said she], hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew. (Genesis 4:25) The last 4 words just vibrate with meaning, God does not want us to ever forget what Cain was and what Cain is; therefore, in very last four words we read Abel, whom Cain slew.
  The name of Cain is mentioned 3 times in the New Testament, and it would serve us well to look at these.
1. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. (Hebrews 11:4)
2. Not as Cain, [who] was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous. (1 John 3:12)
3. Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. (Jude 1:11)Â
   (Read more about Balaam because he represents corrupt priests and prophets: CLICK HERE.) (Read more about Core because he represents how those closest to the things of God become traitors to God: CLICK HERE.)
The first mention – the sacrifice of Cain (Hebrews 11:4) God set His standard for the only acceptable way to worship Him through the example set before us in the differences between the sacrifice of Cain and the sacrifice of Abel.
  Cain was not an atheist, he acknowledged the existence of God and understood that God required sacrifice, and he interacted with God. Cain knew that there was more than merely a higher power, he knew there was God! Cain is the perfect example of a religious person, he sacrificed to Jehovah, what could be wrong about that? After all, is not all worship alike? As I asked in a previous study, what was the difference between these two brothers that God accepted the sacrifice and worship of one but not the other? Why was one accepted and the other rejected by God? Is not all worship equal? Is not all worship alike? Cannot we all approach God in many different ways, and He will accept our worship? After all, are there not many roads and many ways to approach God? God set His standard for the only acceptable way to worship Him through the example set before us in the differences between the sacrifice of Cain and the sacrifice of Abel. What was this difference? And what did they sacrifice? This is one extremely important issue I wish that all Christians and all professing Christians understood — God’s acceptable sacrifice.
By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. (Hebrews 11:4)
1. It was by faith that Abel offered his sacrifice.
2. It was a more excellent sacrifice than Cain’s.
  Cain sacrificed, but not what God required! Cain sacrificed what he wanted to sacrifice, not what God wanted and on God’s terms. Cain chose to disobey God in what he brought to God. Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice. Adam disobeyed God and was banished from the Garden. Cain disobeyed God and was banished to walk the earth as a wanderer.
The second mention – the evil works of Cain – (1 John 3:12)
And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. (Genesis 4:3)
And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: (Genesis 4:4)
But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. (Genesis 4:5)
  1. Cain brought the fruit of the ground, the work and labor of his hands. He rebelliously imagined that his own works would be approved and accepted by God instead of what God had required — blood. God looked on this sacrifice as evil and not righteous. Man has not changed, he still insists on approaching God through his own works, rationalizing all the time that he knows what God requires — when in reality he is an unrepentant rebel in the eyes of his Creator. The same hands that brought the fruit of the ground as a sacrifice to Jehovah in worship also slew his own brother. This is Cain, the same hands that worship also is used to murder. The same hands that bring offerings to God also holds a weapon to kill the people of God.
  2. Abel brought the first and the best of his flock, that which was precious in his eyes and that which he cared for, protected, and held dear. This teaches us to see the sacrifice through the eyes of God. God gave His precious, beloved Son for us; that which He held dear was what God gave.
The third mention – the system of Cain – (Jude 1:11)
  One of the lessons in Joshua is that the Israelites were able to conquer all, but they were not able to drive out all their enemies from the land. The moral of this lesson is if the enemy cannot overcome the righteous, he will readily dwell among the righteous, and then attempt to corrupt the righteous. What happened to Israel has also happened to the Church. Israel was overcome by their enemies, time and again; even though they had many recoveries and victories, the very last verse in the Book of Zechariah gives us the last mention of the Canaanite in the Old Testament. The enemy of Israel had found a place of safety in the ‘house of the LORD of hosts.’ Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the LORD of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts. (Zechariah 14:21)
  We, as Christians, and those of Israel have much in common; their enemy succeeded in obtaining a place of power in their nation, both religiously and politically. The enemies of God and His Christ have also taken over the control of the professing Church, both religiously and politically. But do not be disheartened this is all in the purpose and plan of God, for the foundation of God stands strong and immovable.
  In the New Testament we see the fulfillment of Cain in his desire to set up his own system of sacrifice and worship. It was much more than a city that Cain wanted to build, he wanted to build a religious edifice to himself and to his own way of worship.
  The third and last mention of the name of Cain in the second part of the Bible, in the Book of Jude, attaches Cain’s name to a system of worship. This is the oldest religion of the world, the system of Cain. Do not be blinded by ancient names, or systems that insist that they are the only true system of worship and represent God on earth. This is Satan’s counterfeit religion, the systems of Cain. There are many counterfeits, many ‘isms.’ The systems of works, the systems of hierarchy, the systems that flourish in the ceremonies and pomp of ever-changing doctrines while hiding behind Christian and other religious names and organizations and covering themselves with their specific identifying robes and clothing, stealing terms, words, and phrases to add authority to their actions. Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that steal my words every one from his neighbour. (Jeremiah 14:14-15) The evil religious systems that lurk within and behind words of peace, and goodness, and charity, and good works, and temperance, and false theocracies are the extensions of Cain. Cain’s end game is to take charge over the things of God, to gain control over the house of God, over His sanctuary, and especially over His people. To remove from His people their understanding of their place, their position and their true standing before God, and consequently, to separate them from their spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus their Lord; to become the sole decision maker and only authority of who to worship, what to worship, how to worship, and where to worship was Cain’s/Satan’s goal from the beginning.
Why the required sacrifice?
  The very first sacrifice can be seen through the following verse. Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them. (Genesis 3:21)
  I find this verse to be a heart wrenching cry from the voice of the LORD God. Jehovah, (the eternal self-existing one), élohiym (the supreme completeness of the Godhead), the totality of the Person of God in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are One in the act of the very first shedding of blood. The very silence by the Holy Spirit of God in the words that He did not use gives us a very small indication of the depth of what God did. We do not see the words ‘blood,’ ‘kill,’ ‘slew,’ ‘sacrifice,’ ‘death,’ ‘offering,’ ‘animal,’ ‘lamb,’ and why? I can only say with the limitations I dwell in that it is impossible for man to understand what it took for God to take one of His creatures, a simple, helpless, innocent, beautiful animal with trusting eyes and slay it and watch as its life blood slowly flowed out, and it became a lifeless form. Consider carefully what it cost God. If God could cry, this would be the moment for tears to flow from the heart of God. How could God do that? And why would God do that? Before the world began, before the very foundation of the world, God’s redemptive plan for man in the giving of His Son for the sin of the world was put into an irreversible action. Consider what God’s perfect redemptive plan cost Him.Â
  This animal that God Himself slew would be a symbol of what it took for God to send His only begotten Son to die for the sin of the world. As the blood flowed from this innocent animal, God looked on it and saw that one day blood would flow down a wooden cross from the wounds of His Son, and by His blood many would be reconciled to Him; this was the first gospel message to the world.
  It is recorded only once in Scripture in only two little words that ‘Jesus wept’ as he approached the tomb of Lazarus. He wept over where man’s sins led. He wept over where the sin of man placed him, in the depth of the darkness of death. He wept over Adam, He wept over you, and He wept over me — yes, God cried!
© Copyright 2016, Mary Haigh
This article may be used, but not for gain. Freely ye have received, freely give.
All Scripture references are from the King James Bible. (KJV)