The Greatest Stories of the Old Testament

Spears

Copyright © 2017 Eva Marie Scott.

Illustrations by Eryn Maggio Spears.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means—whether auditory, graphic, mechanical, or electronic—without written permission of the author, except in the case of brief excerpts used in critical articles and reviews. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law.

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission. NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® and NIV® are registered trademarks of Biblica, Inc. Use of either trademark for the offering of goods or services requires the prior written consent of Biblica US, Inc.

ISBN: 978-1-4834-6653-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4834-6652-1 (e)

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Lulu Publishing Services rev. date: 4/26/2017

dedicated with love to my children…

Justin and Brooke, Dillon, Gretchen and Caleb, and Kathryn,

in prayerful hope that each of you will always have a close relationship with the Lord

Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

Deuteronomy 11:19

…to my parents,

my dad, whose passion for teaching God’s Word was passed on to me

my mother, who is my best friend

CONTENTS

The Old Testament

GOD’S FIRST PEOPLE

The Creation

The Garden Of Eden

Cain And Abel

Noah’s Ark

The Tower Of Babel

THE PATRIARCHS BECOME GOD’S PEOPLE

Abram’s Journey

Abraham’s Two Sons

Sodom And Gomorrah

The Sacrifice Of Isaac

Isaac And Rebekah

Esau And Jacob

Jacob’s Ladder

Jacob’s Wedding

Joseph And His Brothers

Benjamin And The Silver Cup

THE EXODUS OF GOD’S PEOPLE

Moses In The Bulrushes

Moses And The Burning Bush

The Plagues Of Egypt

The Tenth Plague

Victory At Sea

The Ten Commandments

The Golden Calf

The Promised Land

Balaam’s Donkey

GOD’S PEOPLE IN THE PROMISED LAND

Rahab And The Spies

Crossing The Jordan

The Battle Of Jericho

The Sun Stands Still

Deborah The Prophetess

The Call Of Gideon

Gideon’s Battle

Ruth And Naomi

Boaz Marries Ruth

Jephthah’s Daughter

Samson’s Wedding

Samson And Delilah

GOD’S PEOPLE ESTABLISH A KINGDOM

Samuel, The Prophet

Saul, Israel’s First King

Saul’s Downfall

David And Goliath

Saul Turns Against David

David And Jonathan

David And Abigail

Saul And The Witch Of Endor

Long Live The King

David And Bathsheba

Absalom’s Rebellion

King Solomon’s Wisdom, Wealth, And Wives

The Queen Of Sheba

THE DIVISION OF GOD’S PEOPLE

Elijah And The Zarephath Widow

The Contest

Naboth’s Vineyard

Elijah In The Whirlwind

Elisha And The Woman Of Shunem

Naaman The Leper

Joash The Boy King

Jonah And The Great Fish

The Prophet Isaiah

Hezekiah’s Gold

Josiah And The Scroll Of The Law

Jeremiah And The Potter’s Wheel

The Fall Of Jerusalem

GOD’S PEOPLE IN EXILE

Daniel In Babylon

In The Fiery Furnace

Belshazzar’s Feast

Daniel In The Lion’s Den

Esther Becomes Queen

A Plot Against The Jews

Esther Saves Her People

Nehemiah Rebuilds The Walls

The Ending Of The Old Testament

Author’s Note

THE OLD TESTAMENT

The Bible is a collection of books written by many different people who were inspired by God. It was written over a period of more than 1,000 years, and is divided into two main parts – the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament books are known as the Scriptures, or sacred writings, of the Jewish people. These 39 books provide a historical account of the ancient Israelites over hundreds of years. The basic theme is of the people’s rebellion, restoration, and renewal to God. The New Testament consists of 27 books, and covers a period of 60-70 years. The focal of the New Testament is Jesus Christ and his followers. The Old and New Testaments comprise the Christian Bible.

The Old Testament has guided the Jewish people throughout their history, but for Christians, all 66 books of the Bible are acknowledged as relevant to their faith. People have long turned to the Bible in their effort to fully understand the ways of God and his purpose for their lives.

The books in the Old Testament are divided into four sections – the law, history, poetry and wisdom writings, and the prophets.

• The law books begin with the creation of the world and conclude as the nation of Israel is preparing to enter the Promised Land of Canaan. These first five books tell the origins of the Jewish race and culture.

• The history books continue from there with God’s people living in the land of Canaan until their exile. In these 12 books, the Israelites established a kingdom that lasted almost 500 years. These books also contain the account of their return from exile, and provide stories about God leading in individual lives.

• The books of poetry and wisdom concentrate on life questions regarding human suffering, how to relate to God, and the meaning of life. These five books also include love poems and words of wisdom.

• The books of the prophets include inspired messages from God to the Israelite people. In these last 17 books, God spoke through the prophets during the years when kings ruled Israel and Judah. Although some prophets did predict future events, their primary role was to call God’s people to repentance.

Most of the events of the Old Testament took place in a small area to the east of the Mediterranean Sea. Canaan, the Promised Land, was where the Israelites flourished. It was only about 150 miles from north to south, and represented the territory between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, reaching from Egypt to Syria. It contained many different types of geographical scenery – plains, river valleys, lakes, seas, hills, woods, and rocky desert. There was also a garden, which is where our stories of God’s people will begin…

GOD’S FIRST PEOPLE

God began with the creation of Adam and Eve, who were the most perfect human beings in the history of the world. As the first people, they eventually populated the earth through numerous sons and daughters. Over time, there were many generations of people, with a population of several thousands. Obviously, we don’t know all of their stories; the biblical focus seems to be on those who were responsive to God, such as Adam’s son, Abel, who found favor with the Lord. However, with the beginning of people came the beginning of sin, and soon, there was widespread rebellion.

When God became grieved because of the sin of the earth’s people, he began again with Noah, a righteous man from the line of another of Adam’s sons, Seth. After the worldwide flood, Noah’s descendants settled in one geographic location known as Babylon. But, this was a problem because God wanted the people to fill the whole earth, not just one part of it. So, God dispersed the people and divided them into nations according to Noah’s three sons. Shem was the second born son of Noah, and progenitor of the Semitic race. The three great monotheistic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all have Semitic origins.

From the beginning, Adam, Eve, and all mankind have had the freedom to make their own life and spiritual decisions. Whether or not they embraced God’s ways was their choice, as it is ours. God’s purpose in creating humankind is to share a personal relationship with all people, and those whose faith is in the Lord belong to him. These are the stories of the earth’s first inhabitants and their response to God, the Creator of the world…

THE CREATION

Genesis 1, 2

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

Genesis 1:1-2

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.

Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

John 1:1-5

God created the earth and everything in it – the land, animals, and human beings. God spent six days in his creation; then he blessed the seventh day…

***

Genesis is a Greek word meaning origin, and the book is one of beginnings. It was not the beginning of God, who has always been, but rather, the beginning of the universe. From ancient times, people have had a keen interest in the origin of the universe. The natural sciences describe the process of the development of life, but give no clues as to the origin of the earth, or the source of that life. Genesis was written as witness to the fact that God is Creator. The Bible begins with the words, In the beginning God… (Genesis 1:1), showing that the Scriptures don’t attempt to prove the existence of God, but to declare God!

God created the heavens and the earth – the universe. The heavens include everything beyond the earth, the outer space. The height of the heavens is a reminder of God’s supremacy. God’s throne is above the heavens (Ezekiel 1:26), however, he is never separated from any part of his creation. God’s presence is in space and in relationships. God is omnipresent, meaning he is present everywhere in the world at the same time.

Before God created the earth, it was formless, empty, and dark, and God’s Spirit was there above the waters. It was through God’s creative energy that the earth was formed and filled during the six days of creation, and the creative acts are immediately concerned with earth.

God created the world in six days, and it has long been debated what is meant by a day. In Hebrew, the term for day is yom, and has more than one meaning. It can mean a 24-hour period of time, or an unspecified period of time. Accepting the creation days as literal 24-hour days makes the age of the universe about 6,000 years. Keep in mind that this is a calculated number that cannot be proven. Nor can claims be proven that the age of the earth is billions of years due to the fossil record, as scientific methods are subject to human error. So, regardless of what we have been taught in secular settings, there is more than one school of thought. Whether the earth is young or old is basically irrelevant to the creation account – what matters is trusting God’s Word as the basis of truth. If we knew and understood everything about God and all of his creation, why would we need faith?

It is interesting to know that at the end of each of the six creation days, it is stated that there was evening, and there was morning- (Genesis 1:5). The Hebrew word for evening is erev which means twilight, but came from the understanding of obscurity, chaos. When the day approaches evening, things become obscure and difficult to see as darkness (chaos) advances. The morning is the opposite of evening. The Hebrew word for morning is boker which means dawn, with the understanding of discernible, orderly. As light pierces the darkness, visibility (order) is restored. Therefore, at each stage of creation, there was a systematic flow from chaos to order.

The First Day – Light

It all started with the power of God’s words. The Gospel of John reveals that this powerful Word of God is represented by Jesus Christ. Christ existed in the beginning with the Father, and through him all of creation was made.

God spoke and light was created by the power of his word. God divided the light from the darkness. Yet he divided time between them, the day for light and the night for darkness, in constant and regular succession. This was the first day’s work.

It was not only the first day of the world, but also the first day of the week. Jesus, the Word of God, is also called the Light of men. God’s people should begin and end every day with Jesus Christ, as the light of the world.

The Second Day – Sky

On the second day, God divided the waters in order to make an expanse between them, calling the expanse sky. The encompassing of the earth by the sky serves as a reminder of God’s universal providence. All of creation has a purpose, and the sky was formed as a barrier between water upon the surface and moisture in the air. The earth, at this point, had an atmosphere. So, the sky was created on the second day.

The Third Day – Land and Seas

Up to this point, God’s work had been within the upper part of the world. But on the third day, he descended to the lower part which was designed for his children. The earth was in existence before creation, but it was not fruitful, because it was under water. Now the earth was prepared to be inhabited by man.

God gathered the waters together, and dry ground was made to appear, called land. God created all plant life, in great diversity and with the ability to reproduce. The collected waters were placed within the bounds that God set for them, and were called seas. Therefore, land and seas were formed.

The Fourth Day – Sun, Moon, and Stars

God provided light on the first day, but on the fourth day he made greater and lesser light. The lights of heaven are the sun, moon, and stars. The sun is the greatest light of all, while the moon is a lesser light. By the work of God’s hands, these sky lights shine, and their movement helps man track time. They serve as signs to mark seasons, days, and years.

The Hebrew names for sun and moon do not appear in the Scripture. This may have been to discourage the worship of the sun and moon, as nature worshippers might be tempted to suggest that they were primary deities, only one step removed from God. The worship of the sun, moon, and stars is an ancient idolatry, but it is God who should be worshipped as the one who created astronomy.

The Fifth Day – Fish, Water Creatures, and Birds

It was on the fifth day that the fish and fowl were created. The first appearance of animal life consisted of swarming creatures in the sea, great sea monsters, and birds. There is a close biological relationship between water animals and birds. Insects, also made on this day, are the most various and numerous of any species of animals, numbering in the millions. Fish, birds, and insects were made with the ability to preserve their various species by reproduction. All of these creatures were part of this day’s work.

The Sixth Day – Land Creatures and Man

On the sixth day, God created the living creatures that pertain to the earth, including livestock and wild animals. Very few animal species are mentioned in the Bible, except those that are significant to human history, such as cattle, oxen, donkeys, camels, and sheep. God created all the animals, and they were made according to their kinds (Genesis 1:24) with no crossing of the kinds. This phrase is recurring and significant as it cancels out the theory of evolution.

The evolution theory states that complex elements have developed from simpler elements, and that living organisms have sprung from non-living chemicals by a chance association.¹ This idea is in direct conflict with Scripture. However, if evolution is simply defined as change (the development of an infant to an adult), or a change within a kind (the development of certain characteristics within a species), then it is completely consistent with Scripture. Neither theory – evolution or special creation – can be scientifically proven because neither can be repeated in a laboratory environment. Special creation happened only once in the past, and evolution is, of course, too slow to observe. Both theories are based on faith.

Creation proceeded from the lower forms to the higher, and it was both an honor and a privilege that man was made last, but also on this day. It was an honor to man because the order of creation was from that which was less perfect to that which was more so, and a privilege because man had the entire visible creation before him. Imagine how awesome that experience must have been! Man was also made last so it might not be said or suspected that he had been a helper to God in the creation of the world. While man was made in God’s image, or likeness, he is not God.

The first man, the crown of creation, was formed from the dust of the ground and was named accordingly, as the Hebrew meaning for the word adam is soil. Of all God’s creation, Adam alone was given the living breath of God. Man became a living being, or a living nephesh, the Hebrew word for soul. The idea is similar in reference to the animals (Genesis 2:19). The difference between man and animals is not that one has a soul and the other does not, but in the kind of soul that man has, or is.

God gave man dominion over the animals, and even brought them to Adam so that he might name them, as it is an act of authority to impose names. Before sin, God described the world as very good (Genesis 1:31) with perfect harmony among God’s creatures. However, after sin entered the world, man’s relationship with all things changed, as sin would lead to struggle and death. Mankind would later find it much more difficult to carry out his dominion over the animal kingdom.

Man is a social being; therefore, complete solitude would have turned this paradise into a very lonely place. God allowed a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and the woman was formed from his rib. When God brought her to Adam, he said, This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man (Genesis 2:23). Matthew Henry appropriately claims that, the woman was made of a rib out of the side of Adam; not made out of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be beloved.

A godly wife is a helpmeet, and is from the Lord. Our first father, Adam, was confined to one wife, Eve, and if he had put her away, there was no one else for him to marry, plainly indicating that the bond of marriage was not to be dissolved at will. God made one male and one female, that all the nations of men might know themselves to be made of one blood, descendants from one common stock, and might therefore be persuaded to love one another.

Marriage and the Sabbath were two ordinances instituted by God. Marriage was for the preservation of the world of mankind, and the Sabbath for the preservation of the church.

The Seventh Day – Rest

The eternal God rested after the creation, but not as one who was weary, but rather well-pleased. He blessed the seventh day, and the Sabbath should be honored in obedience to him. It is holy because God set it apart.

God spent six days in creation, when he could have completed everything in an instant. While some wonder whether the days of creation were literally 24-hour days or indefinite periods of time, the real question may be – why did God take as long as six days? He deliberately took six days, and rested for one, to establish a pattern for man (Exodus 20:11). The seven-day week has a biblical foundation.

The creation of the universe and mankind was God’s first work, but definitely not his last. The story of creation shows that God’s normal way of working is through an ordered process, and is how he continues to work in our lives today.

***

Applying the story of The Creation

1. Before God created the earth, it was formless, empty, and dark. A world without God is still empty and dark. If you ever feel that this describes your life, it’s because there is a void in each individual that only God can fill. Does God exist in your life? Do you have a personal relationship with him? Have you asked Jesus Christ to be your Savior, and bring light into your world?

2. At each stage of creation, chaos was brought into order. We live in a chaotic and hurried society, one that we have created ourselves. Do you need the Creator of the universe to bring the chaos of your life into order? What are some activities that you could possibly let go of in an effort to minimize your chaos?

3. The wonders of God’s creation can be seen everywhere. We don’t necessarily have to travel the world in order to experience amazing sites. Do you take time to appreciate and enjoy the beauty of the world around you? Doesn’t it make you wonder how anyone could question God’s existence?

4. God rested after six days of creative work. He provides us with a holy day of rest as well. What does your day of rest look like? Do you need to set apart some time to be spent with God?

THE GARDEN OF EDEN

Genesis 2 – 4

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?

The woman said to the serpent, We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’

You will not surely die, the serpent said to the woman. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

Genesis 3:1-7

God placed the first man and woman in the beautiful Garden of Eden. They disobeyed him, and were cast out of the garden as a result of their sin…

***

God placed Adam in a perfect garden, a pleasant place, located in the east, in Eden. Where was Eden? The most popular thought is that Eden was located in present day Iraq; however, the worldwide flood of Noah’s day destroyed and reshaped the surface of the earth, including the area where the garden was originally located. Many Bible maps place Eden near the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which continue to run through Iraq. Knowing that rivers can change course over time, it’s impossible to know with certainty the location of Eden except that it was located in the Middle East. One thing is certain – God planted this garden himself, so it was most definitely perfect, and truly a paradise on earth.

Adam was put in the Garden of Eden to work and take care of it. Two trees are mentioned in this story, the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God told the man that he could eat from all the trees of the garden, except the tree of knowledge. This was the first law of God, which was quickly broken. God’s first people would soon fall to the wicked influence of the tempter.

Lucifer, or Satan, was already a fallen creature when he came into Adam’s garden. At some point, he, along with his angels, had been cast down to earth. Attempts have been made to place an unknown period of time between the first two verses of Genesis 1, putting Lucifer’s sin and resultant banishment to earth in this supposed period. This could be the reason for the chaos that God brought into order. It would make sense, but others claim that Satan’s expulsion from heaven was after the sixth day of creation when God declared everything was good. Regardless of when he was driven from heaven to earth, this is the first appearance of Satan in the Bible. His evil mission was one of temptation; mankind would have to contend with demonic forces.

Satan uses many devices to trap people into sin. One form of temptation is through lust of the eyes, something looks desirable. Another way to become trapped in sin is through lust of the flesh, something tastes or feels good. Satan also plays on human pride, the desire to be wise. This was Satan’s own sin – rebellious pride, and a desire to be God. While tempting Eve, Satan used both lust of the eyes and selfish pride as an allurement to sin. Eve saw the fruit and it was pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom (Genesis 3:6). Because of her pride, Eve was seduced into believing that she could be like God. Unfortunately, this philosophy remains popular, and is still being taught in countless religions.

Eve fell to temptation. The Scriptures don’t reveal how long Adam and Eve lived in the garden without incident, but at some point, Eve was deceived by the serpent, the creature used by Satan. She ate of the forbidden fruit and shared it with Adam, who willingly ate it with her.

This presents a parallel between Adam and Jesus, who is sometimes mentioned in the New Testament as the second Adam (1 Corinthians 15:21-22, 45). Both Adam and Jesus deliberately shared sin with their brides. The Christian church is often referred to as the bride of Christ, and reference is made to Jesus as the bridegroom (John 3:29). Because of his love for her, Adam sinned with Eve, his bride, and shared her punishment. In the same way, Jesus loves his people and took our sin as his own. Christ suffered and died for us – incidentally, on a tree in the Garden at Calvary. The punishment Adam bore with his bride, Eve, was a temporary payment for their sin. The penalty that Jesus later endured for his bride, the church, was a permanent cancellation of debt.

When Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the tree, their eyes were opened and for the first time, they realized they were naked. What were Adam and Eve doing about their sin? In their shame, they were hiding from God, sewing fig leaves together in an effort to cover their nakedness. However, God would not find the covering of leaves to be sufficient.

God’s ultimate creation had disobeyed him, yet he didn’t turn away. He sought after man, as he still does today. When God confronted the couple with their sin, Adam blamed Eve, and Eve blamed Satan. While it’s true that Satan and his demons tempt God’s people to sin, the excuse of the devil made me do it is not valid. Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed (James 1:14). This clearly states the problem is our own desires. Rather than blaming Satan, Eve should have looked at the problem of pride within her own heart, recognizing her own sinful desires. Even though she was tempted by the serpent, Eve had a choice.

God himself clothed Adam and Eve with garments made of skin to cover their nakedness. This is the first prophecy, the first direct promise of a Redeemer, who, of course, is Jesus Christ. The key words are garments of skin (Genesis 3:21), as opposed to the fig leaves Adam and Eve sewed together. The skin must have come from flesh and blood, therefore, an animal was killed and blood was shed in order for God to cover his people’s sin. A sacrifice was made because without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness (Hebrews 9:22). God covered Adam and Eve through the bloodshed of an animal, and later, Jesus shed his blood for his people as the sacrificial Lamb.

Because they ate of the forbidden tree, Adam and Eve had a new understanding of what they had not previously known – they became aware of both good and evil. They also lost their right to the tree of life. Adam and Eve were ordered to leave Eden so that they wouldn’t eat of the tree of life, and live forever as sinful people. The institution of death had been established – death, disease, and suffering came into the world as the result of sin. Adam and Eve had become mortal beings, but there is hope in the fact that the gate to the garden was not locked, nor was the garden destroyed.

Because of their sin, Adam would find his work more difficult. His judgment included a curse on the ground. Originally, in the Garden of Eden, food was plentiful without laborious farming. However, after sin, Adam would spend the rest of his life working to provide food for himself and his family. Mankind would experience these consequences on a daily basis. On the other hand, Eve’s judgment, and every future mother, would be increased pain in childbirth. But even in judgment, there is mercy as God gave his blessing to Adam and Eve in the form of children.

Adam named his wife Eve, meaning living, because she became the mother of all humankind. Being the only people on earth, they began to populate the world. Eve became pregnant and gave birth to a son, named Cain. She must have felt very alone during her pregnancy and childbirth experience. Being the first woman on earth, she had no mother, sister, nor friend who could share her feelings. This would have been a strange experience, to become a mother when she had never had a mother, or even been a child herself. Eve relied on God’s help and acknowledged him as the source of life. But, Eve’s initial joy in motherhood would soon be tempered with suffering and trouble.

***

Applying the story of The Garden of Eden

1. Satan uses many ways to trap God’s people, including lustful thoughts and behaviors. How do you find yourself being tempted by Satan? Are you aware of your weaknesses?

2. After disobeying God’s law, Adam and Eve tried to hide from God in the trees of the garden. We also have a tendency to try to hide after we do wrong. We attempt to avoid God and his people. Has there ever been a time in your life when after you sinned, you felt God seeking you in an effort to have you return to him? Did you find yourself trying to avoid certain people?

3. After Adam and Eve sinned, they realized they were naked. They felt exposed. We often feel exposed when our sin is discovered. How do you attempt to cover your sin? Do you try to blame others? Do you find yourself justifying sinful actions?

4. Adam and Eve might have been the first sinners, but all people have a sinful nature – we are human. But, as believers, we also have the Holy Spirit within us, to help us overcome sin. We have everything we need in order to live a life of godliness (2 Peter 1:3). Do you depend on God’s Spirit to help you in your everyday temptations? Would it help if you strengthened your prayer life?

CAIN AND ABEL

Genesis 4

Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

Then the Lord said to Cain, Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.

Now Cain said to his brother Abel, Let’s go out to the field. And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

Genesis 4:2-8

Adam and Eve’s sons, Cain and Abel, brought offerings to God. Abel’s offering pleased God, but Cain’s was rejected…

***

Abel was a shepherd; Cain was a farmer. Each gave an offering to God according to his occupation. Cain brought part of his crops, but Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Creator of the universe didn’t need crops or animals, or anything else, for that matter. These were to be sin offerings – sacrifices to atone for sin.

This is the first mention of sacrifice and offerings in the Bible. How did Cain and Abel know what to give? It’s safe to assume they could have drawn conclusions as to what God expected based on the example he set through Adam and Eve. From the time Adam and Eve sinned in the garden until Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross, God’s people were required to present blood offerings, through animals, to cover their sins and bridge the gap between themselves and the Lord. In the Garden of Eden, God made Adam and Eve clothing of animal skins, implying that the shedding of blood was required to cover their nakedness, symbolic for sin.

Beyond giving the firstborn of some of his animals, Abel’s offering followed God’s example and was a blood sacrifice, while Cain gave grain. Cain’s grain offering represented the works of his hands, an important point when realizing our own works, no matter how worthy, cannot make us good before the Lord. Only our faith in Jesus, the ultimate sacrifice, can bring us into a right relationship with God.

Once Cain noticed that his sacrifices were not acceptable, he was quick to become angry with God, who directly told Cain his actions were not right, and challenged Cain to master the sin of anger and rebellion in his life. It was fully within Cain’s power to give an appropriate offering, even if it meant trading or buying an animal from Abel.

In what must have been a jealous rage, Cain murdered his brother Abel, and attempted to cover his crime by burying him. This was the first recorded murder, and it was premeditated. Cain was envious of Abel, possibly hoping to eliminate the competition, as Abel’s actions were considered right by God (1 John 3:12). Cain’s heart was evil. He exhibited a flippant, arrogant attitude when God asked where his brother, Abel, was. Claiming he had no knowledge, Cain bordered on sarcasm by responding to God, Am I my brother’s keeper? (Genesis 4:9). God said Abel’s blood called to him from the ground (Genesis 4:10). Imagine Adam and Eve’s pain at these events, it doesn’t follow the natural order of life for parents to outlive a child.

Cain expressed no remorse or repentance, and made no request for reconciliation with God. Even murder is not an unpardonable sin, and God must have stood ready to forgive and restore. Instead, God’s punishment, in response to Cain’s rebellion, was to make Cain a restless wanderer on the earth.

Far from learning through God’s judgment on him, Cain complained about his new condition of being outcast, and the chances of people killing him. It seems when Cain committed murder, he somehow justified it. But in his arrogance, he couldn’t bear the possibility of being on the receiving end of the same treatment.

God was merciful even in the midst of Cain’s sin. He placed a mark on Cain to keep him safe from those who might have killed him. The Bible doesn’t describe this mark, but whatever it was, the people must have understood what it meant.

This leads to the question of – what people? Who was Cain afraid of? Assuming that Adam and Eve were created as fully grown adults, and Seth was born to them soon after Abel’s death (Genesis 4:25), then Cain must have been about 129 years old when he killed Abel, because Adam was 130 years old when Seth was born (Genesis 5:3). Seth’s name means replacement and Eve must have felt that God gave her another child in place of Abel. Keep in mind the longevity of life at that time. In the 130 years from Adam’s creation to Seth’s birth, there was ample time for several generations, with a population of many thousands.

Where did these people come from? As the mother of all living, Eve had other sons and daughters (Genesis 5:4). The Jewish historian Josephus wrote, The number of Adam’s children, as says the old tradition, was 33 sons and 23 daughters.² These children, unnamed in the Bible, were quite possibly born before and between Cain and Abel. Genesis 5 reads like an obituary, giving names, length of life, and children. The information provided is based on the descendants of Seth, as the Messiah would come from Seth’s line. But certainly there were many people living at that time whose lives were not recorded in the Bible.

So why was Cain afraid of these people? In those days, a person’s extended family, or clan, was responsible for avenging wrongful deaths of relatives. Abel’s family might have made an attempt on Cain’s life, so he went out from the Lord’s presence to a land, east of Eden, called Nod, a place meaning wandering. Cain’s attempt to settle