The Offerings of Cain and Abel

Driving home: And in using the euphemism the man knew Eve, God is not being prudish about sexual intimacy but rather he is setting forth a profound reality that the sexual intimacy between a husband and wife in the covenant of marriag…

Compares Eve's pregnancy and birth to the common experience of mothers, from maternity dresses to labor, to emphasize the normalcy and sanctity of procreation as described euphemistically in Scripture.

With the help of Jehovah. The birth and naming of Cain begins with a very judicious, simple, straightforward, tasteful, euphemistic description of the fact that as the result of normal sexual intimacy within the sanctity of the marriage bond, for the man knew Eve his wife, she conceived and obviously passed through the normal period of gestation that many of you children have seen and are witnessing with your own mommies,

10:48 - 11:29 Read in full sermon

Driving home: And in using the euphemism the man knew Eve, God is not being prudish about sexual intimacy but rather he is setting forth a profound reality that the sexual intimacy between a husband and wife in the covenant of marriag…

Illustrates the Hebrew play on words between 'gotten' and 'Cain' by imagining an English speaker naming their child 'Gott' to remember God's help, explaining the significance of names in Hebrew culture.

Now there is a play on words in the Hebrew. When she gets this child, she names him Gott. That is what we would do in English. I have gotten a child with the help of Jehovah, therefore I'll name him Gott.

15:00 - 15:19 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: This section details the births and namings of Cain and Abel. Cain's name ('Gott'/'gotten') reflects Eve's gratitude for God's help in childbirth, while Abel's name ('breath…

Compares Eve's unique experience of childbirth under the curse to a first-time mother seeking advice about labor, highlighting Eve's isolation and the intensity of her experience.

In pain thou shalt bring forth children. Now pause for a moment. Some of you young women with child for the first time, those of you who have been mothers more than once or twice, can you remember when you were with child for the first time? And one of your great concerns was to ask your mother or an intimate friend or intimate friends who had gone through the ordeal of childbirth, what is it like?

15:53 - 16:29 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: This section details the births and namings of Cain and Abel. Cain's name ('Gott'/'gotten') reflects Eve's gratitude for God's help in childbirth, while Abel's name ('breath…

Describes the sounds of cows and sheep in labor to help the audience imagine what Eve might have observed, further emphasizing her unique and painful experience of human childbirth.

what does it mean in pain I shall bring forth a child? No doubt she beheld the animals that Adam had named and had watched those animals in labor, had heard the peculiar intense mooing of a cow in labor as I've heard cows in labor. And perhaps the peculiarly piercing bleat of a sheep in labor bringing forth a little one. But she did not know, one thing she did know, that when her birth pangs began to come upon her they were of such a nature as to be permeated

17:13 - 17:55 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: This section details the births and namings of Cain and Abel. Cain's name ('Gott'/'gotten') reflects Eve's gratitude for God's help in childbirth, while Abel's name ('breath…

Contrasts Eve's lack of modern childbirth preparation (Dick Grantley books, Lamaze classes) with contemporary practices, underscoring the raw, unassisted trauma she endured.

with the curse of God for her involvement in that first sin of her husband. That much she knew. Whatever I'm experiencing it is not only something that may be native contractions that expel the child from the womb but they are interlaced with the curse of God and you mothers know when your labor pains go from seven minutes apart to six, to five, to four and get more and more intense you wonder, am I going to make it? Eve went through all of that and she had no Dick Grantley read books to read

17:55 - 18:40 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin discusses Cain's occupation as a tiller of the ground and Abel's as a keeper of sheep. He infers that Adam likely taught them these skills and applies this to parental…

Compares the biblical narrative's leap from infancy to adulthood to a photo album that skips many pages, illustrating how Scripture focuses only on what is relevant to its main point.

to be and Abel was a keeper of sheep but Cain was a tiller of the ground now do you see how the narrative passes over all that is not relevant to the great concern of this portion of the word of God it leaps over all of the stages from infancy until what appears to be at least the threshold of adult life and we know nothing about the intervening period it's as though you went to a home and someone said here is a photo album of two sons from birth until middle age and you open

26:47 - 27:32 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin discusses Cain's occupation as a tiller of the ground and Abel's as a keeper of sheep. He infers that Adam likely taught them these skills and applies this to parental…

Martin shares his experience of reading widely for Old Testament studies, noting the diverse interpretations and his own humbling moments of realizing obvious truths, to explain why he considers various viewpoints.

And I'm amazed, whenever I get into this kind of study, I try to read very, very wisely, widely, not so wisely at times, but widely. Because unlike what I've done in the past, when you're working through a New Testament epistle, where you're dealing with dense thought that has grammatical construction, and there is not the same kind of range for imagination, and for the other faculties to fill in the gaps, you get much more difference among good men as to why certain things are the way they are. And so if one is not to be foolish, one must read very widely, and it's a very interesting, at time...

32:52 - 33:36 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not impose your own inclinations or career aspirations upon your children, but rather be sensitive to their God-given native inclinations and dispositions.

Imagines Adam observing his sons' natural inclinations (Abel drawn to sheep, Cain to the garden) and guiding them into suitable occupations, illustrating sensitive, godly parenting.

As any godly, sensitive father to the native inclinations and dispositions of his sons. Perhaps they were just beyond the toddler stage when Adam could communicate verbally, and he would say to Cain and Abel, now, sons, daddy's going out to round up some sheep. It's time to clip them and have mommy make some wool. And when he'd say, sheep, Abel would be right at his heels.

34:32 - 35:09 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin explains that God had 'respect' (gazed with favor) upon Abel and his offering, but 'had not respect' (disfavor) for Cain and his offering. He acknowledges that the exact…

Compares God's 'respect' (gazing with favor) for Abel to a young man gazing at a picture of his beloved, conveying the deep approval and delight God had in Abel.

The word respect literally means to gaze, and came to mean in common usage to gaze with favor and approval. Like the young man, saying at home, propped up on his elbows, gazing at the picture of his present heartthrob. Minutes can pass into an hour, and it seems no time at all. He's gazing upon his heartthrob.

45:48 - 46:18 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin explains that God had 'respect' (gazed with favor) upon Abel and his offering, but 'had not respect' (disfavor) for Cain and his offering. He acknowledges that the exact…

Uses the character Tevye from 'Fiddler on the Roof' saying 'I don't know' to illustrate Martin's own uncertainty about the exact method God used to show disfavor to Cain's offering, while affirming the fact of it.

How was the favor shown to Abel's offering and the disfavor to Cain's? Do you know what the answer is? Like Tevye, when he says, do you know why I wear this hat? I don't know.

47:11 - 47:25 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin explains that God had 'respect' (gazed with favor) upon Abel and his offering, but 'had not respect' (disfavor) for Cain and his offering. He acknowledges that the exact…

References Elijah's encounter on Mount Carmel where God sent fire to consume the sacrifice, as a possible (though not certain) analogy for how God might have shown His acceptance of Abel's offering.

I don't know. I don't know. And I will neither confuse you nor amuse you by telling you all the suggestions people make. We might say the most likely conjecture, and that's all we can make, is arguing from what's called the analogy of Scripture, how did God show His pleasure in other situations where there were acceptable and unacceptable offerers and offerings by sending the fire of heaven to consume the sacrifice?

47:27 - 47:58 Read in full sermon