Lesson 4

Adult Questions
Genesis 4

Focus Verse
“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 rule over it.” – Genesis 4:7
FIRST DAY: Read the notes and the references.
1.Use this space to record how you have seen God’s activity during the week. (How has He provided,
answered, comforted, reconciled, guided, etc.?)

God, the self-creating Elohim, who is Eternal and Transcendent provided me the clear, comforting under-
standing and discernment through the touch of the Spirit that :
 I am a God’s image-bearer that is made for a purpose.
 I am a God’s image bearer that is made to have relationship with Him, where I find true
satisfaction. . . representing Him to be a channel of truth.
Because I am a God’s image-bearer I should be guided by the Bible that temptation itself is not a sin.
The Bible warns about temptation but also promises the Holy Spirit’s power to overcome sin. God never
tempts us to sin. However, God may use trials or hard things in life as loving tests so we can grow in DE-
PENDENCE on Him and experience His Great FAITHFULNESS.

2.What from the notes, lecture, group sharing or personal study impacted you most in the past week?
 Temptation is an invitation from Satan to give in to his kind of life and give up on God’s kind of life.
 We must realize that:
 Being tempted is not a sin.
 We have not sinned until we give in into temptation.
In the lecture of Sue, I learned two principles:
 Sin takes hold when we doubt God’s Word and Goodness.
 Eternal death is only for those who refuse the Gospel of God through the Lord Jesus Christ.

SECOND DAY: Read Genesis 4:1-7.

The Lord responded to Cain and Abel and their offerings.
3. Compare and contrast Cain and Abel and their offerings. What stands out to you?

Cain: ‘the tiller of the ground’ . . . (v. 3) “brought an offering of the ground to the Lord”.
Abel: ‘keeper of the sheep’. . . .(v.4) ‘brought of the first born and of their fat”
 The Lord: “respected Abel and his offering” (i.e. “the Lord respected” i.e. God sees the heart 1 Samuel
16.7; Abel and his offering v.4) I learned that the worshiper and his offering is inseparable: by FAITH.
 (v.5) “but did not respect the offering of Cain”. I learned that without faith neither Cain nor his offerings
was pleasing to God (Heb. 11:4, 6)

4. Why did the Lord accept Abel and his offering but not Cain and his offering? (See Hebrews 11:4.)
 v. 4. I would like to believe that because Cain was the firstborn, God as the Author and Owner of life
was/is entitled to the first share produced by plants, by animals and by man and to the best of what a
worshiper had to offer.
 Cain brought neither. Abel brought a blood sacrifice, while Cain did not.

5. a. Name some factors that contributed to Cain’s anger.

 4:5 “Cain was very angry” I would like to believe that Cain’s offering which the Lord did not respect
was actually his arrogant failure in worship and his subsequent angry response, were basic to his unethical
behavior.
 The elect and the non-elect are differentiated by their attitudes before God.

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 b. How do you react when someone suggests you are wrong? Why?
Human as we are, we are displeased by the unsolicited suggestion and become angry in the process.Why?
Because of pride and arrogance in our hearts.
6. What do you learn about God from His interaction with Cain?
 God is a jealous God.
 God sees the heart. Because He is holy, and the Author and Owner of life, God should be worshiped
through our offerings that are expressed with over-all, over-flowing and unconditional gladness, joy and
thanksgiving.

THIRD DAY: Read Genesis 4:8-12.

Cain killed Abel and was cursed by the Lord.
7. Describe Cain’s actions that culminated in killing his brother Abel.

v.8 “Talked with Abel” . . . “they were in the field” . . . “that Cain rose up against Abel his brother ” AND
“KILLED HIM”. (NOTE: fracturing of family ties by sin . . . quickly reaching the extreme of murder. . . seeking
autonomy just like his parents, Cain usurps divine sovereignty over life.

8. What do you notice about the Lord’s conversation with Cain?

v.9 The Lord started with a question: “Where is Abel your brother?” The same way of asking God did to Adam in
the Garden: (3:9): “Where are you?” ( NOTE: Though omniscient, God accommodates His speech to human
limitations)

9. a. Why is it difficult to confess and accept responsibility for sinful actions and reactions?
 It’s the human conscience that condemns thus it is difficult to confess and accept responsibility for sinful
actions and reactions.
 Adam and Eve were gripped with a sense of pollution and guilt that made them ashamed and fearful
before God.- with good reason.
 The fear of being cursed . . . of “death” . . . . of expulsion.

b. What impact could victory in this area have on your relationships?

When tempted, we need to keep God in our decision making process always. His Word, the Bible is our
guidebook in decision-making.

10. From Genesis 4:1-12, what truths do we need to know about temptation and sin?
 In the life of Eve, we should not allow our contentment to be undermined by Satan.
 For Cain to subdue the sin that was waiting to attack and destroy him, he would have to give up his
jealous anger so that sin would not find foothold in his life.
 Like Cain, we will be victims of sin if we do not master it.
 We can not master sin in our own strength, instead we turn to God to receive FAITH for ourselves. The
Holy Spirit will help us master sin. We choose God’s way rather than Cain’s.

FOURTH DAY: Read Genesis 4:13-16.

Cain went out from the Lord’s presence.
11. What do you learn about Cain from his responses to the Lord?
v. 13. That God’s punishment:
 is “greater that I (Cain) can bear”.
 (v.14) had “banished” Cain from his farm (“from the face of the ground”).
 Cain “shall be hidden from God’s face” (i.e.presence)
 Cain shall be a fugitive and a vagabond (i.e. a tramp) on the earth.
 Cain feared “that anyone who would find him will kill him.”
Note: Cain responded with self-pity instead of repenting for his sin against God and man.
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8 | AdQ (06.2020) mybsf.org | Genesis Lesson 4
12. How do you respond when confronted about your sin? What does this reveal about your heart?
With humility in my heart and my spirit, I will repent for my sin against God and man.

13.How does God’s response to Cain comfort or challenge you?

v. 15. Despite of Cain’s sin, God remained a God of mercy, a God of protection and a God of love by:
 saying “whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him, sevenfold”.
 “setting a mark (i.e. a protective tattoo) on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him”.

FIFTH DAY: Read Genesis 4:17-26.

Cain’s descendants increased, and Seth was born.
14.What progress did Cain’s descendants make?
 v. 17-24 I can deduct from my reading of these verses, the ambivalence of Godless human culture is
portrayed by the advancement of /advances in civilization, including the first city with a parallel
increase in violence.
 See v.23 for Lamech’s song to his two wives i.e.abuse of marriage; his progressive hardening
in sin; Cain’s violence and vindictiveness are greatly magnified in his descendants e.g. (v.24) seventy-
seven-fold.

15. What do you observe about the character of Cain’s descendants and their relationships with God and
one another?
vv. 19-24 . . . I observe two characters:
 the ungodly Lamech and
 the godly Enoch (5:24). The former inflicted death the latter did not die.
16. What hope was there in Seth’s birth and for all who “called on the name of the LORD”?
Seth in Hebrew means “appointed” expressing Eve’s faith that God will continue to the covenant family
inspite of death (3:15 and 3:20).
17. What warning or comfort do you want to remember from this chapter?
A family that calls “on the name of the Lord” will surely be recognized as the Lord’s people like the
descendants of Seth.
SIXTH DAY: Review Genesis 4.
18. How did this week’s study impact your thinking about temptations surrounding you and the unexpected
consequences of sin?
I got my answer from the lecture of the HQ-based Sue that the consequence of sin (i.e. or the pay-off of sin)
is DEATH. There are three types of death: spiritual, physical and eternal .We can only appreciate this if we
fully understand who GOD is. (in 6 ways) :
 God is our Creator.
 God is our Bountiful Provider/Sustainer of all things.
 God, the Giver of Purpose and Responsibility.
 God, the Law Giver (e.g. You will surely die).
 God, as a Judge
 God, who is perfectly Good!
I am reminded by the two principles reiterated in the lecture by Sue from the HQ:
 (1.) SIN takes hold when we doubt God’s Word and His Goodness.
 (2.) Eternal death is only for those who refuse the Gospel of God thru the Lord Jesus Christ.

No homiletics for group and administrative leader

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