THE FIRST MURDER

This is the enthralling account of two brothers.  Abel was a righteous man who offered the firstborn from his livestock to God.  Cain, his older brother, gave fruit from the earth for his offering to God.  

The Lord found favor and respect for Abel, but He did not for Cain. 

Jealousy toward his younger brother consumed Cain to the point where "sin lieth at his door..."

And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord.

And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord.

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:

But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?

If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.  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.   And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?  And He said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto Me from the ground.  Genesis 4:1-10

The following is a commentary from Matthew Henry:

"Cain had no reason to be angry at God, but at himself only; he had no reason to be angry at his brother.   

Cain was the elder brother, but Abel has the preference. It is not seniority of birth, but grace, that makes men truly honourable. The difference is observable in their persons: Abel was an upright person, a righteous man, a true believer; Cain was a formalist, had not a principle of special grace. 

Abel acted under the power of faith; Cain only from the force of education, or natural conscience. There was also a very observable difference in their offerings: Abel brought a sacrifice of atonement, brought of the firstlings of the flock, acknowledging himself to be a sinner who deserved to die, and only hoping for mercy through the great sacrifice; Cain brought only a sacrifice of acknowledgment, a mere thank-offering, the fruit of the ground, which might, and perhaps must, have been offered in innocency; here was no confession of sin, no regard to the ransom; this was an essential defect in Cain’s offering. 

See also what comes of envy, hatred, malice, and all uncharitableness; if they be indulged and cherished in the soul, they are in danger of involving men in the horrid guilt of murder itself. Rash anger is heart-murder (Matthew 5:21-22). Much more is malice so; he that hates his brother is already a murderer before God; and, if God leave him to himself, he wants nothing but an opportunity to render him a murderer before the world. 

Many were the aggravations of Cain’s sin. It was his own brother that he murdered, his own mother’s son whom he ought to have loved, his younger brother, whom he ought to have protected. He was a good brother, one who had never done him any wrong, nor given him the least provocation in word or deed, but one whose desire had been always towards him, and who had been, in all instances, dutiful and respectful to him."

The First Mourning