Again to Genesis 4.
If you are at Swansea, we are continuing our series.
!
If you weren't in Swansea, go ask someone in Swansea what they learnt.
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Genesis 4.
A man named McAllister Hull.
He was one of the American physicists who helped develop the atomic bomb
that was eventually dropped over the Japanese city of Nagasaki in 1945.
And when the bomb dropped and detonated, it killed around 40,000 people in an instant.
And McAllister Hull, he was interviewed years later in 1995.
And he was asked, what was it like for you as soon as the bomb dropped?
What are your reflections on that moment as soon as the bomb dropped?
And he said this in the interview.
He said, immediately, both of us who knew the score began to think,
okay, what have we done?
What have we done?
And it's that same thought, that same question,
that is lingering in the air after Genesis 3.
Adam has just eaten of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
He severed mankind's relationship with God.
He's brought sin and death into this world.
God has cursed this world and humanity,
thrown Adam and Eve out of the garden,
out of his presence, east of Eden, and shut the door.
And now the question lingers in the air.
What have we done?
What is the world like now?
What is humanity like now?
What's going to be the fallout of this bomb that Adam's detonated?
And Genesis 4 to 11, it's here to answer that question.
What have we done?
What is the world like now?
As Adam and Eve are thrown out of the garden to the east of Eden,
Genesis 4 onwards, it's here to show us what life is like east of Eden.
What the world, what humanity is now like.
And that is deeply relevant for us now.
Because we are still east of Eden.
And so these chapters are an insight into what we are now east of Eden.
What sin is like, what the world is like.
And so if Adam detonated a sin bomb,
then it's like this whole world has become radioactive.
And Genesis 4 to 11, it's like a guide showing you
how to dodge the radiation of this world.
And so as we go through these chapters over the next few weeks,
I want you to be like a detective.
And I want you to get your magnifying glass out.
And I want you to spot what these chapters have to say about sin.
But that's not the only thing that we should look out for.
Radiation isn't the only thing we should expect after the fall.
Because chapter 3, it ends with a promise.
Look back to Genesis 3.15.
Just Genesis 3.15.
God, he promises something to the serpent, to Satan.
He says, I will put enmity between you and the woman,
between your offspring and her offspring.
He shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel.
This is God's promise to Satan and to us
that this world won't be completely consumed by sin.
Radiation won't completely wipe out this world.
Humanity is not going to be completely abandoned by God.
Yes, as we leave this garden and as we head east,
yes, we go ahead into this world, into our lives with sin,
but we also go with God's promise.
A promise that God will put enmity between Satan and the woman.
A promise that they won't be friends.
Instead, she's going to be friends with God.
And also, do you see, God promises that there'll be two families in this world.
The offspring, the children of Satan,
and the offspring, the children of Eve.
Two families.
And God promises that these two families are going to be at war.
Do you see?
I will put enmity between your offspring and her offspring.
Now, the offspring of Satan,
this isn't talking about little demons running around this world.
No, this is talking about humans who will follow Satan.
It's talking about unbelievers.
That's what Jesus calls those who reject him.
He says, you are of your father, the devil.
And Paul says this in Ephesians.
Do you remember when we were in Ephesians?
Before conversion, we are following the world, the flesh, and the devil.
And here in Genesis 3.15,
God promises that there will be a family,
a group of people in this world,
who in their unbelief will belong to Satan.
Which shouldn't be a surprise after the fall.
But what is a surprise,
is that God promises another family.
The offspring of the woman.
And that family, that group of people,
will have enmity, opposition,
against Satan's family.
This is a promise that there will be believers in this world.
People who are friends with God.
And that family is going to be at war with Satan's family.
Two families at war in this world.
That this is the promise that God will build his church.
And on top of that,
God promises, did you see,
that through Eve, through this believing family,
there will come one offspring.
One child, one man, a son.
And he will come to bruise Satan's head.
To crush him.
A son to end evil in this world.
He shall bruise your head, Satan.
This is God's promise to have a people.
And from that people, there will be a son.
And that son will save the world.
And so we leave Genesis 3 on a cliffhanger.
Who is this son going to be?
And when is he coming?
And so, yes, we enter Genesis 4.
We head into the east of Eden,
and asking, what have we done?
But we also go out asking,
but what is God about to do?
And so the story we're in now in Genesis,
it's the story of sin and a son.
We are to enter these chapters and head east
with our magnifying glass out,
looking for two things,
sin and a son.
What have we done?
What is sin like?
And what is God about to do?
Where is this son?
So if you want to understand what this world is,
who we are,
what God is doing here in history,
then listen closely to Genesis.
And so let's leave the gates of the Garden of Eden,
head east,
with our magnifying glasses out,
looking out for those two things,
and let's see what we find.
And the first thing we come across
is that God is doing just as he promised.
God is creating two families.
That's my first point today.
God is creating two families.
So we're expecting sin and a son.
And how does Genesis 4 begin?
It's a promising start.
There's a son, verse 1.
Now Adam knew Eve, his wife,
and she conceived and bore Cain.
And Eve knows that this is no ordinary birth.
She says,
I've produced a man with the help of the Lord.
She has this promise in her mind
that this is a woman clinging to God's promise.
And as she holds her son,
she knows God is keeping his promise.
But there's also another son, verse 2,
Abel.
Two sons, Cain and Abel.
So if we have our magnifying glasses,
and we're looking for a son,
then this is a promising start east of Eden.
Maybe, maybe the serpent crusher is here.
But we see
these brothers aren't alike.
There's a deep difference between them.
And that difference,
it shows up in worship.
So Cain,
he's a fruit and vegetable farmer.
And Abel,
he's a shepherd.
He's got sheep.
And we see,
even from the beginning,
humanity is worshipping God.
These two sons bring offering sacrifices to the Lord.
Cain brings his fruits,
and Abel brings the best of his sheep.
But the Lord isn't happy with one of them,
verse 4.
And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering.
But for Cain and his offering,
he had no regard.
The Lord delights in Abel,
but Cain he isn't happy with.
Now, we aren't told why here explicitly,
but the New Testament,
it gives us an insight.
The book of Hebrews says this,
about Cain and Abel.
It says,
by faith,
Abel offered to God
a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain.
The difference is not that one brother
is more impressive than the other.
Abel isn't more likable than Cain in God's eyes.
Abel hasn't earned God's favour in some way.
No.
The difference,
the key,
is faith.
One son trusts in the Lord,
knows that God is worthy,
knows that the Lord is to be feared and served,
and the other son doesn't.
And you can even see that in their offerings.
Did you notice,
Abel,
he offers his firstborn sheep,
the most precious of his animals,
the best of his meat,
the fattest bits.
But look what it says Cain brings.
It just says,
an offering of the fruit of the ground.
It's not the best he has.
There's no mention of anything special here.
It's like Cain kind of rummages around in his stock,
around just trying to find something.
Oh yeah,
here you go God,
that there's something I've got.
Yeah,
there's a bit of fruit.
And the Lord isn't happy.
And not because God is happy with a leg of lamb,
rather than with apples.
No,
it's because one son worships with faith,
and the other doesn't.
One loves the Lord,
and thinks he's worthy of everything,
and trusts in his God,
and the other doesn't.
And the difference in their offerings,
it just reflects that faith.
And so,
five verses in,
and we see,
God's promise is already coming true.
We see,
God is creating two types of people here,
two families,
a family of faith,
and a family of unbelief.
And this is how the world is divided east of Eden.
There are those who know God is worthy,
who know it is a good thing to serve him,
who know God is so great,
he demands my soul,
my life,
my all.
Abel knew that.
And there are those who think,
how they live before God,
how they approach him,
what they give to him,
they think it doesn't matter.
That God should be happy,
with whatever we do,
and however we live.
Even if we just give him the scraps of our life,
that's Cain.
And that's the unbelief of this world.
People are existing before God,
and thinking,
God should be happy with them,
just the way they are.
They don't think about him,
or love him,
or give him the time of day,
but they give him scraps.
And God isn't happy.
Because God doesn't want your scraps.
He wants your heart.
He wants you to have faith in him.
God delights when you have faith in him.
And so it should make us think,
am I giving God the best of my life?
Or am I giving him my scraps?
And how does Cain react to all this?
Verse 5.
He's fuming.
He hates it.
He hates that God isn't happy with him.
He hates that he can't approach God how he wants.
He hates that God deserves so much.
He hates that Abel's right with God,
but he isn't.
And he's fuming.
He's filled with anger and jealousy.
And God asks him a piercing question.
Why?
Why are you so angry, Cain?
Why are you so angry with me
and with your believing brother?
Come on, if you just trusted me,
you'll always be accepted.
Why are you so angry?
It's a probing question to unbelief.
It's a bit like, have you heard this?
You know when an unbeliever gets so angry
about the idea they're going to hell,
even though they don't believe in it.
It's like that.
Why are you so angry?
What's going on in your heart there?
Well, God provides the answer to that.
He tells Cain what's really going on inside of him.
Verse 7.
Sin is crouching at the door.
Its desire is for you,
but you must rule over it.
Why is Cain so angry,
so angry with God?
It's sin.
And do you see the picture God gives?
Sin is like a beast.
Sin is like a monster.
A crouching monster ready to pounce.
Ready to devour and tear apart.
And it's crouching just by your front door.
So if your life in your heart is like a home,
the monster of sin,
it's crouching just at the door,
ready to sneak in and devour you.
And it's desire,
it's appetite,
is for you.
And so in this world,
east of Eden,
this is what life is like now.
That there is a powerful force.
That there's a monster at play in this world.
But it's not out there.
It's not a talking serpent out there anymore.
No, it's in here.
Sin is crouching at the door
of each and every heart here.
When Bethany and I lived in America,
we went on holiday to the mountains
in North Carolina.
And the one thing that we were told
to watch out for is bears.
If you're going hiking,
watch out for bears.
The one thing you do not mess with
is a bear.
Well, this is like,
God is telling us,
as we head out of the garden,
as we live east of Eden,
this is the one thing
you need to watch out for.
Sin is crouching at your door.
And so God says,
you must rule over sin.
Otherwise, it will rule over you.
Because when you let it in,
look at Cain.
It becomes anger
and jealousy
and bitterness
and it devours you.
And we can see that in our lives.
We saw it this morning with Naomi.
You start grumbling.
You open the door
to a little bit of that grumbling
and sin pounces in,
devours you,
and before you know it,
your whole life
becomes a life of complaining
and bitterness
and anger towards God.
You let one lustful thought in.
You entertain that.
You welcome that through the door.
And it takes over your mind
and it's all you can think about
all day.
And so as we head east,
what have we done?
This is what we've done.
This is the human heart now.
And so pick up your magnifying glass.
We find a son,
two sons.
It's a promising start.
But we also find a monster,
sin.
And that monster
has devoured
one of the sons.
God has created two families,
a family of faith
and a family of unbelief.
And as we go on,
we find east of Eden,
not only do these two families exist,
but these two families
are at war.
That's my second point today.
These two families
are at war.
So remember,
God promises conflicts
between these two families.
And this is what we see
because what happens next,
verse 8,
Cain meets Abel in a field,
rises up against Abel
and kills him.
Sin really does devour, doesn't it?
It began with an angry thought
and it ends with blood
spilled in a field.
If you, kids,
if you went to Holiday Bible Club,
do you remember one of the lessons?
Wrong thoughts
lead to wrong words
and wrong actions.
This is exactly
what happened with Cain.
From an angry thought
to the first murder
in human history.
And so,
this is a stark warning
to us.
If you are angry
with someone right now,
if you are jealous,
if a thought like that
is lingering in your head,
if sin is crouching,
don't let it rule you.
Confess that anger
to the Lord right now.
Put that anger to death.
Because we can't think
we're better than Cain.
No.
We all have the capacity
to be like Cain.
This is why people
get shot on campuses.
This is why we have
blood splatter analysis.
This is life
east of Eden now.
And so God asks Cain,
he asks him,
where is Abel,
your brother?
And does this question
remind you of something?
It's like God asking Adam,
where are you?
after he ate the fruit.
Sin always has a way
of repeating itself.
And how does Cain respond?
Don't ask me.
My brother's nothing
to do with me.
Just like Adam,
he tries to cover his tracks.
But God knows
our secret sins.
Cain can't hide this body.
And so God asks the question,
still lingering in the air,
Cain,
what have you done?
Cain,
what have you done
that the voice
of your brother's blood
is crying to me
from the ground?
It's like the wrongness,
the injustice,
the horror
of Abel's murder.
It's such an affront
to God's creation,
so heinous
to the God of life.
It's like Abel's blood
has seeped into the soil
and you can put your ear
to the soil
and you can still hear
the screams.
Creation,
it's like it's vibrating
with injustice.
And so God
is very clear
about how he feels
about murder.
God hates murder.
God cannot
forget
or ignore
the blood
spilled
this side of Eden.
The blood
on that Utah campus
cries out
to God.
The blood
on the streets
of London
cries out
to God.
The blood
of the unborn
cries out
to God.
And it cries,
not just generally,
it cries
to God.
And this,
this is actually
a great comfort
for every family member
of someone
who's been murdered.
God hears
those cries
and it matters
to him
and he will
answer those cries
on judgment day.
But remember,
remember who
this feud
is between.
God has created
two families
and God promises
these two families
will be at war.
God's family
and Satan's family.
And here is
the war.
And so
this is not only
the murder
of one human
by another.
No,
this is
an attack
on God's people.
that this is
an act
of persecution
against the church.
This is
spiritual warfare
in action.
But why?
Why does there
have to be
a conflict
like this?
Why does
Satan's family
have to be
against the family
of faith?
Well,
remember,
who is coming
from this family
of faith?
The serpent
crusher.
So,
if you were
Satan
and you knew
the saviour
is coming
from God's
family,
what would
you want
to do?
You want
to end
that family.
Kill it.
End any hope
of the serpent
crusher coming.
And that's
what Satan
is orchestrating
here.
He's out
to stop
the son.
He's out
to end
the church.
So,
not just
blood,
but the
blood of
martyrs
particularly
cries out
to God.
God has
promised that
from the
beginning.
He's
promised
that God's
people
won't be
welcome here
east of Eden.
We won't
be at home.
The church,
it's going
to be at
war with
the world.
Godliness
is going
to be
opposed
by evil.
And it
began here
with Abel.
It continues
with Abraham.
We saw
it in
Holiday
Bible
Club
with
Joseph,
brother
against
brother.
You see
it with
Israel
and Babylon.
And you
see it
with Christ
on the
cross.
The serpent
crusher
finally came
and Satan's
family had
to kill him.
And in fact,
you see it
before the
cross.
Think,
who tried
to kill
Jesus
as a
baby?
Herod,
a fellow
Jew,
his own
brother.
History
is the
story of
these two
families at
war.
So get
your magnifying
glass out.
East of
Eden,
there is
sin and
there is
a son.
But sin
wants to
destroy that
son.
And this
is why
the church
faces such
opposition
today.
This is
why being
a Christian
and actually
standing up
for godliness
at work
or at
school,
even within
your own
family,
this is
why it
exists.
Satan
can't
stop the
serpent
crusher
anymore.
And so
he goes
for the
people.
And he
tries to
scare us
away from
following
this son.
And so
realize,
realize what's
going on
in your
life and
at school
and at
work.
It really,
it's a
spiritual
warfare out
there.
But we
can take
comfort that
this isn't
something new.
This isn't
a surprise.
Back in the
garden,
God promised
you will
belong to
this family.
family.
And you
will be
at war.
We might
ask why.
Why is
God creating
his own
family and
then putting
us through
this?
Well, I
want to see
that this
war is
actually a
good thing.
To feel
persecution,
it's actually
a good sign
because it
means we
aren't in
Satan's
family.
God has
set you
apart and
brought you
into his
family.
And so,
to feel
uncomfortable
in this
world,
to be
hated
even by
your own
brother,
it means
you belong
to something
special.
Blessed are
those who
are persecuted
for righteousness
sake,
for theirs
is the
kingdom of
heaven.
Abel died
in a
field,
but he
will rise
again in
a kingdom.
And
brothers and
sisters,
so will
we.
But the
drama isn't
over.
God spares
Cain's
life.
God is
merciful even
to murderers.
But Cain,
he isn't the
promised son.
This isn't the
promised family.
In fact,
it looks like
there's no
family at all
anymore.
Like the
promise has
been killed.
It's died
with Abel.
Like Satan,
he's won
here in
chapter 4.
Like sin
is too
fierce a
monster this
side of
Eden.
It often
feels like
that in
persecution.
It feels
like that in
life.
And so
how will
God's
promise win?
Well,
keep your
magnifying
glass out
and keep
looking for
sin and
a son.
Because next,
the final
thing,
the monster
is big.
God is
bigger.
It's the
final point.
The monster
is big,
but God
is bigger.
After Abel's
murder,
it looks like
sin is one.
And then to
pour salt in
the wound,
if you keep
going,
it looks like
the problem,
it's actually
only got worse.
We follow
Cain's family
line.
And by the
way,
Adam and
Eve had
other daughters,
and so if you're
wondering who did
Cain marry,
there you go.
And so we
follow the
family tree,
and we end
up at
Lamech.
And Lamech
seems to be
even worse
than Cain.
And in
verse 23,
this is actually
a song.
He sings a
song about
something he's
done.
What does he
sing?
I have
killed a
man for
wounding me,
a young
man for
striking me.
murder runs
in the
family.
But this
time, look
who he's
killed, a
young man.
Well, the
word, it
actually means
young boy.
And he
boasts about
it at the
end of the
song.
Cain got
away with
it, but
I'm really
going to get
away with
it.
So he
not only
murders,
he murders
a boy,
and then he
boasts about
it, and
then sings
a song about
it.
It's like
the monster
of sin.
It's
grown even
more just
a few
verses on.
Adam hid
when he
sinned, but
now Lamech is
singing about
it.
This side
of Eden,
we make
ourselves feel
better about
sin by
boasting
about it.
It's no
coincidence
pride is
called
pride.
And sin
really has
become a
giant monster.
It started
with a bite
of fruit in
the garden,
and now
it's
already
become
this.
This is
what we've
done.
And so
it looks
like this
world is
hopeless,
like the
promise has
ended.
That's how
we can
feel.
Like the
monster is
too big in
this world
to do
anything.
Or the
monster,
it's just
too big in
my life.
How can
I rule
over it?
But look
how this
chapter ends,
verse 25.
And Adam
knew his
wife again,
and she
bore a
son,
and called
his name
Seth.
For she
said,
God has
appointed for
me another
offspring instead
of Abel,
for Cain
killed him.
Another
son,
Seth.
And what
family does
he belong
to?
Verse 26.
At that
time,
people began
to call upon
the name of
the Lord.
it's a
believing
family.
The church
continues with
Seth.
The gates
of hell
did not
prevail.
And so,
east of
Eden is
dark.
It's
bloody.
Sin is a
big monster.
But listen
to this,
God is
bigger.
His grace
is brighter.
And even
through the
blood and
sin of
this world,
look what
he does.
He brings
a son.
He brings
a family.
And this
is what he
can do
with you.
However
hopeless
life feels
for you,
however
messy the
family that
you've come
from,
however big
the monster
inside of
you may
seem,
you need
to know
God is
bigger.
And he
can bring
light into
your darkness.
There is
hope east
of Eden.
And it's
found in
a son.
It's
found in
his only
begotten
son.
Because God
promises,
if you have
faith in the
Lord Jesus
Christ,
sin will
not,
cannot rule
over you.
Christ is
the son to
break the
power of that
monster inside
of you.
The monster
of this
world.
And so
Satan and
sin,
it seems
like he's
winning this
side of
Eden.
God's
family.
Satan can
never win
in your
life.
Satan
tries to
suffocate,
to kill,
to extinguish
the church,
but God
is preserving
his family.
The family
of his
son,
the church.
For those
in Christ,
he is
preserving you
right now.
So let
me ask,
which
family do
you belong
to?
Because at
the end of
the age,
only one
family will
see victory
in this
war.
So this
side of
Eden,
yes,
there is
sin,
but there
is a
son,
and it's
only in
him that
we have
victory.
Let's
pray.