This concept of offerings or tithes was obviously instructed to Adam from the time he left the Garden of Eden. Previously he had all the food he needed without working for it and now they had to work for it but rather then grumble about all the work they were to be thankful for what they received. This is the concept of tithes and offerings. They are not a tax, although the Catholic Church and many others have enforced them like a tax in the past and some still do today. They are supposed be a thanksgiving offering for what you receive.

Some have assumed that God didn’t respect Cain’s offering because it wasn’t a blood offering but it doesn’t describe this offering as a sacrifice for sin but as a harvest offering. Since Cain was a tiller of the ground an offering of the fruit of the ground would be appropriate. So what was offered is not the problem but how and why it was offered is often the problem. For instance people have called me and asked why they haven’t been blessed financially because they have contributed to the church. It is as if God owes them a blessing. God doesn’t respect such offerings and He certainly doesn’t owe us anything. An offering is supposed to be given in thanks for what God has already given you. In our society we appreciate people who are thankful and humble but quickly are annoyed with people who are always demanding, prideful and selfish. God knows the heart of the giver and while he truly has no need to receive an offering, He created everything and needs nothing but He wants us to develop a heart of appreciation and humility.

I didn’t recognize your offering but if you do good you will be accepted but if you do not then sin, the act of selfishness and self promotion, will rule over you. This is a simple law that God has in place for us. There is really no middle ground. We are either pursuing righteousness or pride and selfishness. You need to choose which.

Cain probably worked just as hard as Abel but jealousy and envy of not being accepted led him to act out the anger that was inside him and he murdered his brother. Then continuing with sin he lies about it to God. Of course he knew where his brother was.

Some wonder how this could be since they suppose there is only Adam, Eve and Cain on the earth but Adam and Eve had many sons and daughters. We are told of two in this story that demonstrates how sin works to avoid it. We are told of Seth later in chapter 4 but many others are born along the way. His family is going to abandon him because he murdered their brother and he was afraid they also might want revenge. That wasn’t his only fear though as the penalty described meant that all he did for a living until then was of no value to him anymore and that he had to search for fruit and food that was grown naturally rather than cultivated.

What the mark was no one knows. Some have described it as a colour of one of the races (some black and some white) which seems like an incredibly ignorant point of view. Firstly, we are all mankind –one race. This is a biblical perspective and a scientific dna evaluation. Secondly, colour is mentioned thousands of times in the Bible and not once about race. Thirdly, the mark wasn’t about looking down on a family of people but to protect the guilty from a death sentence. The father was responsible for his sin and his children were and are not.

Where did Cain’s wife come from? It was one of his sisters that either took pity on him or was not appreciated by her brothers and she mated with Cain and had many children. Well isn’t this incest and detestable to God? Incest is detestable to God today but from the beginning Eve came from her husband Adam. Their genes were perfect. Their children without disease. Coming together to have children did not bear the same problems as is evidenced today because they did not carry the genetic problems that have increased over the years. We haven’t evolved to be more perfect people but more flawed people. With regards to purebreds it is a scientific fact that the more inbreeding or "pure" they are the more genetic problems are exposed and the weaker the species becomes. We know that when we take two people who share a close and common background they are likely to pass on the same genetic defect and cause problems in their children. However, when one of the parents does not have that genetic problem then the resultant children are good. It takes generations for the genetic weakening to occur and at first there was no problem and it was a necessity. God doesn’t want us to be racists from physical appearances. God wants us in this passage to recognize race as being a child of the Lord or a child of sin. This has nothing to do with physical appearance but everything to do with the heart and character of an individual.

Lamech sounds like a tough dude that was a little scared that his wives may take vengeance against him so he threatens them that if the Lord was going to exact vengeance seven times against someone who acts against Cain he will act seventy-seven times against someone who acts against me. There was probable ground for him to fear his wives since having two of them probably results in less trust and loyalty and more envy and jealousy.

The line from Cain does not appear to fear God but appears to be making a name for themselves. This is further demonstrated when we see the contrast with Adam’s son Seth and how he and his seed is described in contrast to Cain’s.

This is an interesting expression as Adam still had Cain. Seth was not only a son but a line of children that followed the LORD as Abel had and Adam probably did. It is tough as a parent to see your children do wrong and go there own way. It is such a blessing to see them do good before God.

Which way will the people gravitate to over time, Cain’s of selfishness and self reliance or Seth’s in walking with the LORD?