Genesis 4: Questions for Apologetics

Apologetics
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1. The Bible says, “5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard.” Why didn’t God accept Cain’s offering? Considering Adam’s curse, it would’ve been difficult work to grow anything from the earth. Not only that, but offering what he could grow to God was an admirable sacrifice if he was showing reverence to his creator. He could’ve made the decision to keep what he could grow for himself, but he didn’t. Was there any good reason why God would dote on Abel but not Cain? That just seems frivolous.

2. So Cain grew angry, which I can understand, and then God has the audacity to ask him why he’s angry, as if it’s not obvious. Then he has the gall to ask, "7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is couching at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it.”

God is implying that Cain didn’t do well. What? You could argue that he worked harder than Abel for his offering. And what sin could result simply from not providing a satisfactory offering, especially if the criteria for what is or isn’t satisfactory is up to a God that’s so far behaved in impatient, temperamental, unfair, and frivolous ways? This sounds incredibly manipulative. God seems to be gaslighting Cain.

3. So Cain then kills his brother, presumably out of jealousy. But, although it was a despicable thing to do, God fanned the flames of his anger by treating him as inferior. If God had behaved differently and treated Cain with patience and love, rather than dismiss, berate, and gaslight him, Abel wouldn’t have died. God is just as responsible for Abel’s death as Cain.

4. Cain chose to murder his brother, which is definitely reprehensible. But God also did Cain dirty. As a leader, which God is, you’re responsible for the way you influence the people under your charge. If you treat people unfairly they’re going to behave in unsavory ways. Not to mention that if God is all-knowing, he knew that Abel’s murder was a possibility. But instead of behaving in a way that could’ve steered history away from that terrible result, he chose to allow it to happen. Abel’s blood is on God’s hands just as much as Cain’s, and it’s wild that he’s chosing for this to be the history of mankind, rather than something that better represents the love people are taught he bears. So far, God isn’t behaving as a loving creator.

5. So God decides to punish Cain for a crime that happened as a result of his mistreatment and manipulation, and when Cain cries out that it’s too harsh and that others will kill him as a result, God marks him to protect him? What? Is that supposed to show God’s mercy? God said (when punishing Cain), "12 When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength; you shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.” Isn’t not being able to grow your own food and forced to wander the earth as a fugitive a fate worse than death, especially in that more primitive era? You could argue that killing him would’ve been more merciful, and that prolonging his solitude, torment, possible guilt, and overall agony is torture. Not to mention that Cain’s exile to Nod could’ve been prevented to begin with!

6. So Cain, who was cursed to be a fugitive and wanderer, somehow got a wife, had a son, settled in a land and built the city of Enoch? What happened to the punishment? Why did God not enforce it?

7. So Lamech says to his two wives that he killed two men, and as a result he’s protected more fiercely than Cain? Does this imply that he was the first successor to murder after Cain? This also implies that Cain became a legend of sorts.

8. What does “26 At that time men began to call upon the name of the Lord.” mean?

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The reason why God rejected Cain’s offering is because the faith [moving grace] given him by God, to perform the work, he attributed to his own strength and fund and not God’s grace, therefore Cain has his reward already. He patted himself on his own back. This is spoken of in Romans chapter 4. Here is the scripture and the commentary that explains why someone like Cain was rejected.

Romans 4:1-5 What shall we say then that Abraham hath found, who is our father according to the flesh. 2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory, but not before God. 3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was reputed to him unto justice. 4 Now to him that worketh, the reward is not reckoned according to grace, but according to debt. 5 But to him that worketh not, yet believeth in him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is reputed to justice, according to the purpose of the grace of God.

[2] “By works”: Done by his own strength, without the grace of God, and faith in him.

[2] “Not before God”: Whatever glory or applause such works might procure from men, they would be of no value in the sight of God.

[3] “Reputed”: By God, who reputeth nothing otherwise than it is. However, we may gather from this word, that when we are justified, our justification proceedeth from God’s free grace and bounty; and not from any efficacy which any act of ours could have of its own nature, abstracting from God’s grace.

[4] “To him that worketh”: Vis., as of his own fund, or by his own strength. Such a man, says the apostle, challenges his reward as a debt due to his own performances; whereas he who worketh not, that is, who presumeth not upon any works done by his own strength, but seeketh justice through faith and grace, is freely justified by God’s grace.

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In charity, I wanted to offer Cain’s antithetical biblical view of Abel and the related commentary that actual grace is needed to perform a work for God. And a question that I use on protestants who believe in the heretical idea of faith alone.

Question: If Abel, who was given faith [moving grace] which enabled him to perform and offer his sacrifice to God, if he did not act upon the faith given him by God, would the faith not acted upon still justify him?

Hebrews 11:4 (By faith) Abel offered to God a sacrifice exceeding that of Cain, by which he obtained a testimony that he was just, God giving testimony to his gifts [works]; and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

God calls men of good will, those acting upon the natural law, showing the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness to them, and their thoughts between themselves accusing, or also defending one another, for which they are called and delivered by water baptism. Romans 2:13-15 Romans 6:16-18

Proverbs 16:1-3 It is the part of man to prepare the soul: and of the Lord to govern the tongue. All the ways of a man are open to his eyes: the Lord is the weigher of spirits. Lay open thy works to the Lord: and thy thoughts shall be directed. (by grace)

Haydock Catholic Bible Commentary Proverbs 16;1-2

The enemies of grace would infer from this text, that the beginning of salvation depends on free-will. But S. Aug. (con. 2. epist. Pelag. ii. 8.) has solidly refuted them, and Solomon does not mean that man acts alone. C. vil. 35. Sept Jo. xv. 5. and 2 Cor. iii. 5. “Man,” says St. Augustine “does no good things, which God does not cause him to perform.” C. — The Scripture cannot contradict itself. A fresh grace is requisite to execute what God has enabled us to devise, v. 9. W.

2 Corinthians 3:5 Not that we are sufficient to think any thing of ourselves, as of ourselves: but our sufficiency is from God.

John 15:5 I am the vine: you the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing.