The narrative of Cain and Abel (Genesis 5) was meant to convey two essential principles. One, that the Fall left mankind completely bereft of any redeeming traits. Two, the tension between the Two Realms is unresolvable. There is no middle ground, and the Children of Darkness will be the aggressors.
As usual, the story is loaded with symbolism. For example, the difference between herding sheep and growing grain is purely symbolic. For thousands of years, men have properly given thanks to God for the increase of the ground, and some of the awfullest scoundrels have tended herd animals. However, the symbolism of the shepherd is close to the ideal lifestyle of a spiritual man. The sedentary farmer, clinging to the symbols of civilization, has little need to call on God for much of anything. Thus, while God surely has always required men to bring the firstfruits of their fields or flocks, the symbolic meaning of a blood sacrifice is recognizing the high price of sin. There is a place for every offering, but sin ultimately leads to death. Somehow assuming the principle is false if the story is not literally true is a modern Western notion, brought in from outside the Bible.
The differences between Cain and Abel symbolized the differences between spiritual men and fleshly men. Cain obeyed, but he suffered a divided loyalty, and sin ran with him like a pet wolf. At some point, it must devour him. God offered a way of escape, but Cain refused it. He chose instead to act on his envy, trying to remove his embarrassment by removing the one who adhered to the standard of holiness, making him look bad. The nature of sin is to pull the standard down to what man can perform, not drive men upward to the call of holiness. Abel, Child of Light, clung to the spiritual world.
The result was the Child of Darkness killed the Child of Light. Thus will it ever be in this world. Men who do not turn to God for mercy and grace will pervert everything they touch. Nothing they do is right, because it was never a matter of performance in the first place. Yet that is all men know outside the Light. So anything which cannot be explained on the human level must be snuffed out. Abel was hardly an existential threat to Cain, but an inconvenience, a living proof Cain could not look in the mirror of complacency and say, "I'm okay." The witness of the Light will always draw the wrath of Darkness, and Cain was the tool of Satan here.
Cain's flippant answer to God's query sums up nicely the whole effect of sin in the heart. This is God Almighty who asks. Instead of fear and trembling, he gave the equivalent of, "Why should I care what you think?" The answer God gave finds Cain whining about God's unfairness and injustice. Things haven't changed much since then. Spiritually dead people have no room for God in their equations of life. The result is Cain forced even farther from the Garden, farther from the path back to spiritual salvation. The curse on his efforts to grow food is merely an extension of the curse of the Fall. In a tribal world, as God intended mankind to live, the man without a tribe is a an outcast, usually because he did something wrong and dangerous to anyone who lets him stay around. Cain knew he could not survive that way.
The image of a marked man is also purely symbolic. Since he was rejected and ejected from the spiritual lifestyle, symbolized by tribal sheep herding, he would have to come up something to provide him with earthly security. Spiritual people don't cling to this world very tightly, but Cain had nothing else. The result was various ways of organizing a society which did not feature spiritual concerns. So we have urban concentrations, technology and wider efforts to conquer nature. Such a life seeks ever more efficient production and gathering of stuff, controlling the environment and making Creation bend to human convenience. Such a life is consumed with controlling everything tangible, because nothing else exists, and this is the mark of Children of Darkness.
The arrogance of Lamech -- demanding special treatment -- points out the vanity of those who gain the rule over others. Human government never comes without privilege, and privilege is what drives the demand for economic growth. While we gratefully enjoy the many comforts of life God grants while we are here, if we cannot carry on in our Kingdom calling without such comforts, we are too far from the Garden. Seth rose to replace his brother in leading men back to the Garden, by leading them to actively seek God's face, and His grace. The difference is as night and day.
Return to Bible Literacy Index
[<-- Previous]
[Next -->]
By Ed Hurst
30 March 2009
COPYRIGHT NOTICE: People of honor need no copyright laws; they are only too happy to give credit where credit is due. Others will ignore copyright laws whenever they please. If you are of the latter, please note what Moses said about dishonorable behavior -- "be sure your sin will find you out" (Numbers 32:23)