Remember that history is a point of view; and the Bible is a history of mankind and the struggles of the chosen people of the time. From these works of history, we can understand the struggle of the people who choose to stand for good and God against those that seek the other path of greed, lust, and immorality. The lack of organized religion in modern society has led to godless and immoral generations in the Western cultures and elsewhere. We see pollution, greed, lust, and waste on scales never before seen.
Many times when referring to God, or when God speaks he is referred to or refers to himself in the third person (Our, Us). This is because God is anything and everything; therefore, like many members of royalty the third person is used. Since God is everything and everywhere, the third person use is proper especially in the form of us, or our as found in Genesis. “Our” is an inclusive metaphor that allows the listeners to feel as if the word of Moses is their word also.
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When Moses is attempting to explain to the people how Adam and Eve were created, he used metaphors that the people of his time could relate to. The sense of the meaning of “us” that Moses may have meant is the fact that Adam and Eve are now like himself, and his brethren, knowing both good and evil. When he is making reference to us, he is essentially saying that now Adam and Eve are like modern man. Everyone can understand both good and evil, therefore making Adam and Eve to be both good and evil (They have become like us).
then the lord god saId, Behold, the Man has BeCoMe lIke one of us, to know good and evIl.
GENESIS 3:22 (NKJV)
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7. CaIn, aBel, and seth
This is the story of the second betrayal in the Bible after Eve’s neglect to adhere to the word of God and the warning from Adam. Remember that as time passed, more and more children began to be born in the Garden of Eden. Although this point in time makes reference to only the births of Cain and Abel, it is most certain that there were also other female offspring present. For example Cain was not banished alone, but instead his tribe was banished.
In ancient times people used to divide themselves according to tribes and some even took the names of their previous fathers. King Phillip II and King George II are examples of lineage retaining the namesakes of their fathers. When considering the story of Cain and Abel, we must realize that these men represented tribes of people; however, the other members of the tribes are not mentioned. We find later that the wife of Cain is included in the banishment (Enoch), and we must assume that others were banished, too. When we refer to Adam, Cain, and Abel, we refer to the tribes they represented in a patriarchal type setting—the tribe of Adam, the tribe of Cain, etc.
Cain’s generation would have been the first generation of wanderers, the ancient forefathers of the ancient tribes of migratory people. The migratory patterns of these people out of Africa corresponds with the time of banishment (approximately 50,000 BC), as well as the migration for the Bering land bridge (approximately 25,000 BC) through North America, down to the jungles of South America (6000 BC). These historical migratory patterns coincide and show how settlements along the way were established (China, Mongols, various North American native tribes). For even the descendants of the Jewish people are from Central Africa, and took thousands of years to migrate to the promised lands of Abraham.
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Cain and Abel are the first example of division among people in the Bible. For the first point in time a conflict in interests arises and the banishment of the betrayers is the only solution at the time. Adam did in fact commit the cardinal sin of favoring one son more than the other. Although Cain displayed jealous and envious traits, there is an explanation to why Adam favored Abel’s sacrifice as opposed to Cain’s.
There was not simply one man involved; they were consisted of tribes (many people), and war broke out in the land or the fields.
God warned Adam of what was to come when the forbidden fruit was eaten. The knowledge of life, death, birth, envy, and jealousy did not exist prior to this. For if there were only Adam and Eve present in the garden of bliss and felicity, then there would be no other people to worry about. If there is no one around to become jealous of you, you do not have to worry about being betrayed. As soon as another person is added to the equation (for example, one girl and two guys, or two girls and one guy, etc.), you can already see the potential for violent situations. This concept is easily visible when watching children playing with each other in school.
Cain was banished to the Land of Nod. Nod in Hebrew means wanderer, so Cain was banished to the land of the wanderer. Since Cain was banished to the wandering lands, he and his brethren would then migrate northeast as is said, and begin their voyage or wonderment to their own lands. They were banished to wonderment, and they in fact wondered for many millennia, all the way to the Americas where they colonized the lands as natives, Mayans and Aztec like tribes in the North and South Americas.
so now you are Cursed froM the earth, whICh has oPened Its Mouth to reCeIve your Brother’s Blood froM your hand. when you tIll the ground, It shall no longer yIeld Its strength to you. a fugItIve and vagaBond you shall Be on earth.
GeNesis 4:11–12 (NKJV)
Although the Lord banished Cain, he also protected them with a prayer. They were sent to find an understanding of life, death, and the purpose of sacrifice, which was the purpose of their banishment, to work together and use the animal sacrifice to survive off of the land. God did not hate the tribe of Cain; he wanted them to learn and ensure that needless killing did not take place again.
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and the lord saId to hIM, “therefore, whoever kIlls CaIn, vengeanCe shall Be taken on hIM sevenfold.” GeNesis 4: 15(NKJV)
The tribe of Abel offered a sacrifice of life, slaying the prime of his sheep or cattle for feed and offering to the tribes and the Lord. In order to farm, the understanding of life and death is essential to raising healthy, well-balanced stock. Abel, like the Lord, had a respect for life and death; to understand the concept and cycle of life and death is essential in being able to achieve spiritual growth and understanding. An enlightened soul when slaying an animal understands that it is of necessity and that the animal is a gift from God and needs to be respected and have as many parts of the animal used as possible.
aBel also Brought of the fIrstBorn of hIs floCk and of theIr fat.
and the lord resPeCted aBel and hIs offerIng.
GeNesis 4:4 (NKJV)
Many people today take for granted the meat they consume and the leather they wear. These things come from the sacrifice of animals and are necessary to ensure healthy and comfortable living. Cain lost this respect and sense of awareness and understanding; the sacrifice of his brother or brothers was of no benefit to anyone. It was simple murder for the fact of Cain’s people being too covetous to bear or acknowledge the offering of Abel to be greater. The offering of Cain was also acceptable, but the sacrifice of the fruit of the ground was not as great as the sacrifice of the prime of Abel’s flock (animal life and plant life).
and In the ProCess of tIMe It CaMe to Pass that CaIn Brought an offerIng of the fruIt of the ground to the lord.
GeNesis 4: 3 (NKJV)
But he dId not resPeCt CaIn and hIs offerIng. and CaIn was very angry, and hIs CountenanCe fell.
GeNesis 4: 5 (NKJV)
Although the tilling and sowing of the ground is an honorable and labor-intensive job, there is only a respect for life, and not an apprecia-60
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tion for death. Plants give life and food; however, when they pass on, their sacrifice and heartfelt loss is not as great. It would be like comparing a house plant to a family dog. Without the warmth of clothes (animal skin), the people would not have clothes or blankets, diapers, or tents. Animal sacrifice was key to the survival of the human species, and the closeness to God allowed for the animals to sacrifice themselves to the human beings. This concept can largely be seen in the native cultures up until the late 1700s to mid-1800s. Many times hunters and warriors would get together and pray for a good hunt; many times they would have a good hunt.
A closeness to God was also required by the tribe of Cain to be able to farm the plants and till the ground. Plants also need love and understanding in order to yield a healthy crop. You cannot compare a plant to an animal (in regard to intelligent life and emotion). As stated previously it requires great strength to raise something from birth in order to sacrifice it for a greater cause (survival). Much like the God that watches us live and die, death is an understanding we will not achieve until we return to the Creator. This is hard for many of us to see, as suffering and pain is so common in the world; but if we do not work together, then how can we get better? God solely wants us to function in peace…the rest will follow.
When Adam is given the forbidden fruit, he then became aware of his conscious. That consciousness was God; and God has guided the way for mankind, the greatest animal and being to walk the plains of material existence. For the first time in evolutionary history, there was an animal born that had the ability to comprehend the divine light and spirit known as God. Cain did not know this appreciation and respect of death for a greater life or purpose (sacrifice). Much of the clothing for survival and bones for tools arise out of the carcass of prey. Prey was essential to the survival of the first humans, especially in Nordic climates were the temperatures were not always warm enough to sustain life.
In turn, the natives and Asian people became some of the greatest hunters and gatherers in the world. To this day, these people still have the greatest appreciation and understanding for the cycles of life and death (Taoism). This was the punishment and lesson of God, but also a mercy.
god would rather guIde theIr CreatIons to hIs desIre, than PunIsh and CondeMn theM forever.
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By the Lord casting Cain and his people out of the Garden of Eden, or Eden, the generation of Cain gained the understanding that they never had. The intended desire and understanding in regard to the lessons which the Lord intended to show Cain—the respect for life, death, and sacrifice was achieved. As stated earlier, these people had to survive by killing and sacrificing the animals to survive the harsher climates. The generations of Cain later became some of the greatest keepers of the earth in the history of man.
Eventually over time, these tribes would co-exist and procreate together, forming the diverse world we live in today. Although the banishment of the tribe of Cain is a real event in history, they are not the evil generation of Satan that many extremists view and believe; however, evil thought or evilness could be given the term Satan or sin. Life is a lesson and we are taught that lesson in many different ways and forms throughout life. The story of Cain and Abel is to emphasize that needless and pointless killing should not be tolerated; the only time we should kill is for the sacrifice for the greater good.
Eventually as the populations began to rise, these banishments became more and more commonplace among cultures. People of different cultures intermingled more and social groups began to divide according to interest groups. Those with similar interests and beliefs would war with those not sharing the same views. Outcasts of different tribes began to band together and create new ones; others were destroyed from the face of the earth. Quickly we can see how the division amongst man began to occur. Even in modern culture, we see how different people organize to similar social groups (arts, politics, music).
The divide in interest groups has fueled war since the banishment of Cain up until modern day. The banishment of the people of Cain can be said to be the first war that broke out between different interest groups.
Cain’s banishment allowed for primitive man to begin to expand their borders and realize that they no longer held an innocence and common interest with the majority. This is essentially the first exercise of law and punishment; many native cultures and animal cultures have used banishment as a form of punishment. Survival away from the whole was hard and harsh, thus again coming back to the lesson Cain was meant to learn.
It is not specified anywhere in the Bible that the generation of Cain is the spawn of Satan, or that Satan was in fact in Cain at the time of 62
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Abel’s murder. In fact Satan can be used as a metaphor to describe the evils of man. These are the evils that were in Cain at the time of the murder, as well as the evils that are in everyone when they commit crimes. So was Satan in these people at the time of their offence? Technically Yes..., but in a metaphorical sense only, not a literal one. The concept of the evil traits has been around since man developed consciousness; it is conscious that has given us reason. It is this reason that defines and separates us from others in the animal kingdom. It is the eternal struggle between our animal wants and needs (animal body), and our conscious sense of morality and virtue (soul) that represents the good and evil in man.
The story of Cain and Abel is not meant to be an eternal punishment for the ancestors of the tribe. It is meant to show how needless and sense-less murder is, and what can happen between families when someone loses their virtue and is tempted with the wants of Satan. In this case Cain could not acknowledge Abel and his sacrifice, as well as respect the decision of the Lord. Jealousy, envy, and hate (covetous) began to take over Cain and we are left with the story as a result. This is the reason for many wars throughout time. Cain is an example of what can happen if people do not control their need for constant praise and acknowledgment; the result is murder out of jealousy and spite.