Cain — Firstborn Son, First-Class Foolishness

This article is taken from Ray Comfort’s upcoming book, Idiotic Things People Did in the Bible. Please subscribe to our Weekly Newsletter to be the first to receive its release date!

Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. Genesis 4:8

What He Did

Cain gave a half-hearted offering, got jealous when God accepted Abel’s, and killed his own brother out of envy.

Why It Was Idiotic

God literally warned him: “Sin lies at the door” (Genesis 4:7). Cain ignored divine counsel and committed the first murder in history.

Here’s the Scoop

Cain and Abel were the first two sons of Adam and Eve. Abel was a shepherd, and Cain was a farmer.  When they brought offerings to the Lord, Abel’s was accepted because he offered the best of his flock by faith, while Cain’s offering was rejected—likely because it lacked sincerity and obedience. Jealous and angry, Cain then lured his brother into a field and murdered him—the first human death as well as the first murder in history. God confronted Cain, who denied responsibility with the infamous line, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” As a punishment, God cursed Cain to be a restless wanderer on the earth. Yet even in judgment, God showed mercy by placing a protective mark on Cain to prevent others from killing him. This tragic story highlights the destructive power of sin, the importance of offering God what is pleasing to Him, and the sobering consequences of sinful jealously and unchecked anger.

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The Scriptures tell us that the first couple obeyed God’s command to multiply:

Now Adam knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the LORD.” (Genesis 4:1)

Like many things in life, we take reproduction for granted. Adam and Eve came together, and in time, Eve’s stomach began to swell—as the miracle of life unfolded within her. A human being was forming inside her, knit together by the hand of God. She had no doctor or midwife to guide her through possible morning sickness or labor. One day, perhaps Adam fetched hot water and something to use as towels, and before long she held the first baby in her arms—her precious firstborn. Then they repeated the process, and the first family grew to four. Though they now lived in a fallen world, they were likely a happy little family.

Scripture then tells us:

Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. (Genesis 4:2–5)

Imagine researching your ancestry and discovering that one of your forefathers was a murderer. The truth is, humanity’s bloodline traces back to one: our distant great-uncle Cain. And we’ve inherited the same sinful nature. That’s why “raising Cain” comes so naturally to us. It’s a common American expression meaning to stir up trouble, and it’s rooted in this tragic biblical account.

Cain is infamous for being the first murderer. The world’s best-selling Book doesn’t gloss over the gory details. He simmered with wicked jealousy toward his only brother. This jealousy grew into rage, and that rage boiled over into the horror of premeditated murder.

“Sinful jealousy is like a beast in wait just outside the heart’s door. We think we can entertain it safely, but it can pounce with deadly force. That’s the sobering lesson we learn from Adam and Eve’s firstborn.”

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The first family looked ideal from the outside—a husband, a wife, and two boys. No drugs. No gangs. No bad influences. No social media. No wild parties. Just a seemingly peaceful household. But sin crouched at the door. Adam and Eve had two sons. One killed the other—and shattered their hearts. Why? Because Cain didn’t fear what sin could do. Worse still, he didn’t fear that God could see.

Sinful jealousy is like a beast in wait just outside the heart’s door. We think we can entertain it safely, but it can pounce with deadly force. That’s the sobering lesson we learn from Adam and Eve’s firstborn.

Tragically, many who profess faith are like Cain. They neglect to soak their souls in the Scriptures because they neither fear their own sinful hearts nor fear God.

How can a young man cleanse his way?
By taking heed according to Your word.
With my whole heart I have sought You;
Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!
Your word I have hidden in my heart,
That I might not sin against You.
(Psalm 119:9–11)

If we read God’s Word daily and take its warnings seriously, we won’t follow in Cain’s footsteps. We’ll recognize sinful jealousy and put it to death before it destroys us. One of the easiest ways to spot this jealousy is when someone else gets praise or has success. If it twists our gut, that’s a warning sign. Sinful jealousy is a symptom of shallow love.

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil (1 Corinthians 13:4–5)

When we’re tempted to walk down a path we know we shouldn’t, if we’re not guarded by God’s love, sinful jealousy will steal our joy—just like it did with Cain. The Bible says that his face fell in discouragement.

But there’s an even deeper truth in this story. It points directly to the gospel. Cain believed that the work of his hands would earn God’s approval. But it didn’t. Billions around the world are following in his self-righteous footsteps—offering up their good works, hoping that will make them right with God. Like Cain, they’re blind to their sinful hearts. That’s why we must use God’s moral Law—summarized in the Ten Commandments—to bring the knowledge of sin. Only then can people see their need for a Savior.

This article is taken from Ray Comfort’s upcoming book, Idiotic Things People Did in the Bible. Please subscribe to our Weekly Newsletter to be the first to receive its release date!