The Story of Cain and Abel (Genesis 4)

Today’s story has a happy beginning but a very sad ending. Adam and Eve were very happy when their first child was born. They named him Cain, and the name of their second child was Abel. These brothers were very much loved by their parents, and they both had great potential for a happy life if they would trust and obey God. Cain grew up to be a tiller of the soil or a farmer, and Abel was a keeper of sheep or a shepherd. However, the biggest difference between the brothers was that Abel worshiped God with a true heart, and Cain did not. Cain gave fruit of the ground as an offering to the Lord, and Abel gave a lamb. We don’t know all the details, but Abel’s sacrifice was accepted by God and Cain’s offering was rejected because he did not trust and obey God. Now here’s the really sad part of this story. Cain became so jealous and so angry that he tried to hurt his little brother and ended up killing him. Of course, Abel went straight to heaven to be with Jesus forever, but Cain was severely punished. The Bible says he became a fugitive and a vagabond, and God had to put a mark on him to keep people from killing him. Do you agree that today’s Bible story has a very sad ending? I think the lesson we learn from this story is that if people do not get right with God, their life will have a very sad ending. Do you agree?