One day when Cain was out in the field with Abel his brother, he became so angry that he killed him. What a terrible thing to do! He did not seem to realize that God was watching him, but let us remember He sees everything we do. You may be able to hide things from others, and perhaps from your parents, but you cannot hide anything from God.
For He sees what we do,
And He hears what we say,
My Lord is watching
All the time, time, time.
And although God sees and hears everything, He loves us. He does not love our sins, but He loves us and wants to cleanse us from all our sins.
After Cain murdered his brother, the Lord asked him where Abel was. Cain replied, “I know not: am I my brother’s keeper?” This was a lie to God, for he did know where his brother was. He had killed Abel, and he tried to cover up his sin by telling a lie. Have you ever done something you knew to be wrong and then tried to cover it up by telling a lie? You often end up by telling two or three lies! When you do one wrong thing, then Satan tries to catch you in his net and lead you on in a sinful path. Only the Lord Jesus can set you free, and He will, if you come to Him telling Him “all the truth.” Here is a good verse to remember at all times, “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:2323But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out. (Numbers 32:23)). Don’t try to cover things up, children; confess them at once.
Cain’s Punishment
God told Cain that he was to be a fugitive and a vagabond (a wanderer) in the earth. Cain did not like the punishment, and he was very sorry about it, but not for his sin. Many people today are much like Cain. They are very sorry when they are found out, and even cry when they are punished, but they have never really repented before God. Dear young reader, have you ever taken your place as a guilty sinner before God? This is true repentance, and the moment you do this, and trust in the work the Lord Jesus has done for you, you will be saved.
Then Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and built a city. He was trying to make himself happy away from God. This is just exactly what the world is today. It has so many attractions for your young heart, to make you forget the Lord in a whirl of pleasure and excitement. In the city which Cain built, there were harps and organs and all kinds of beautiful things made from brass and iron, but let us not forget where it was. It was “out from the presence of the Lord.” It is the same world today, and Satan is its god and prince. Just as Cain’s city was later destroyed by a flood, so there is a day near at hand when this poor world will be burned up. Here are two verses for us to consider. “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth ... But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:19-2019Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: (Matthew 6:19‑20)).
Further Meditation
1. What punishment did God give for Cain’s sin?
2. Why is lying such a serious thing to God? You can find one example of how God dealt with lying in Acts 5. What made the punishment so severe on that occasion.
3. You might find additional help on this story from the Audio CD Adam, Cain and Abel, Enoch and Noah: From Notes on Genesis, Genesis 3-5 by C. H. Mackintosh.