Shame: The Mark of Cain
Sermon Notes
1) Cain was Entitled:
Eve, ‘with the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man’ (Gen 4.1)
2) Offering:
Abel kept flocks of sheep (shepherd) and Cain worked the soil (farmer)
Cain offered ‘produce / fruit’
Abel offered ‘little lamb (blood was shed)’
3) Shame
God accepted Abel’s offering and rejected Cain’s. Cain was angry and downcast (shame) - deeply hurt (Gen 4.4)
4) God calls (Grace)
Why are you angry? Why is your face down cast? If you do the right thing, you will be accepted, a chance for grace. But if you refuse to make the perceptual shift sin is crouching at your door. It desires to have you. But you must master it (Gen 4.6). Anger / Shame are portals for evil, “Do not let the sun set on your anger in order not to give the devil a foot hold” (Eph. 4.26)
5) Cain moves into the evil violence tunnel
Invites Abel for a walk in field and attacked and murdered him (Gen 4.8)
6) God Calls (Grace)
Where is your brother (Gen 4.9)
Cain lies - ‘I do not know. I am not my brother’s keeper.’ (Gen 4.9)
7) God Calls (Grace)
What have you done?
Listen. Your Brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground
8) God Acts (Condemnation)
Tells Cain he is under a curse
(a) Driven from the ground - no longer yields crops
(b) Will be a restless wanderer on the earth
9) Cain Replies
‘My punishment is more than I can bear - I will be hidden from your presence whoever finds me will kill me. (Gen 4.13)
10) God’s Cross
“Not so. If anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance 7 times over.”
The Lord put a mark on Cain so no one who found him would kill him. (Gen 4.15)
11) No Repentance (power of shame)
Cain went out from the Lord’s presence!