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Adapted from a Sunday School Lesson...

A Tale of Two Men

Cain and Abel

Scripture:  Gen. 4.1-16; Matt. 23.35; 1 John 3.12; Heb. 11.4; 12.24

Text:   By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.   Hebrews 11.4

Lesson Aim

1.   To show the result of the inherited sinful nature  (Ps. 51.5)

2.   To show the difference between faith and works  (Eph. 2.8-9)

3.   To show the necessity of the blood sacrifice  (Hebrews 9.22)

4.   To show that hate and malice is of the wicked one   (1 John 3.12)

Introduction

This story might be called “A Tale of Two Men.”

The newspaper recently told of two men sitting on a log.  The log dislodged and one man fell off in back of the log.  The other man jumped in front and began to run.  The man who had fallen in back watched with horror while the log rolled down the hill, overtook his running friend and crushed him to death.  One man was on the right side, the other on the wrong side.  [2 men being chased by a bear… “I only have to outrun you!”]

The same truth is illustrated in the stories of . . .

·       Two men evaluating a birthright  (Gen. 25.24-34)

·       Two men who built a house  (Matt. 7.24.27)

·       Two men at the rapture  (Luke 17.36)

·       Two men who went to pray  (Luke 18.10-14)

·       Two men crucified with Jesus  (Luke 25)

·       Two men who went to meet God  (Luke 16.19-20)

Lesson Outline

I.                 Cain

A. First baby born – born in sin as are all the seed of Adam  (Romans 5.12)

B. First murderer – the deed resulted from the evil heart  (Prov. 4.23)

C. Note his steps . . .

1.   He hated  (1 John 3.15)

2.   He killed  (Gen. 4.8)

3.   He lied  (Gen. 4.9)

4.   He was cursed  (Gen. 4.11)

D. His offering was rejected because it pictured his own works and not the grace of God

E.  Cain killing Abel pictures sinners crucifying Christ

F.   God’s grace pictured – a mark was placed on Cain so he would not be killed.   We are brought under God’s wing so judgment will not fall on us.

II.             Abel

A. Abel pictures Christ – He suffered and died at the hands of sinful men.

B. His offering accepted – It filled the picture of Christ in shedding blood to make atonement.

C. His offering is by faith in contrast to Cain’s offering of works

III.         Lessons to be learned

A. There are still only two kinds of people in the world – unbelievers like Cain and believers like Abel

B. The failure in Adam and Eve’s life was directly responsible for this tragic story – the importance of parent’s relationship to God is seen here.

C. Every man is under the curse of Cain and is delivered from it only by turning to Christ for grace like Abel.

D. Suffering at the hands of the wicked is part of the life of a child of God

E.  Men are still faced with a choice and need to consider the results of a right or wrong choice