20-Scriptural Points on the Real Ancient Historical Figure of Cain

Dr. MA Petillo

Thy life was given for me,
Thy blood, O Lord, was shed,
That I might ransomed be,
And quickened from the dead;
Thy life was given for me;
What have I given for thee?
Long years were spent for me
In weariness and woe,
That through eternity
Thy glory I might know:
Long years were spent for me;
Have I spent one for thee?
Thou, Lord, hast borne for me
More than my tongue can tell
Of bitt'rest agony,
To rescue me from hell;
Thou suff'redst all for me;
What have I borne for thee?
And thou hast brought to me
Down from thy home above
Salvation full and free,
Thy pardon and thy love;
Great gifts thou broughtest me;
What have I brought to thee?
O let my life be given
My years for thee be spent;
World-fetters all be riven
And joy with suff'ring blent:
Thou gav'st thyself for me,
I give myself to thee.  (TH, 536).

1.  Ancient Cain was a historical figure who was Adam's son (Gen. 4:1).

2.  Ancient Cain had his offering to God rejected (Gen. 4:2-7; Heb 11:4).

3.  The historical figure Cain was of the wicked one (1 Jn 3:12).

4.  Adam's son Cain physically murders Abel (Gen 4:8).

5.  Cain became a vagabond (Gen. 4:9-15).

6.  Ancient Cain really builds a historical city (Gen 4:16, 17).

7.  Cain was of a type of evil that was contrary to a holy God (Jud 11).

8.  The infallible Word says that God works together everything for the good of God's people who are called according to His purpose and for our good because we have a love born of heaven not of the world (Rom 8:28; Jn 1:13).  Was this the case with Cain?  Cain did not have a love born of heaven for he was not called according to God's purpose by God's choice, but everything in the life of Cain worked together for his ultimate justice in eternal hell.  Cain was a son of perdition for he did not have Christ in the final analysis.

9.  God seems to reach out to Cain (Gen 4:6-7), but it is for the ultimate purpose of his eternal destruction.  God here showed an outward display of mercy but His hidden purpose was to destroy both body and soul in hell for Cain as a resident of the place of eternal destruction.

10.  The sinner's final rejection of the gospel is evidence of their cosmic damnation.

11.  After Cain murdered his brother, God immediately questions him with historical facts (Gen 4:10).  God gives us an example of how to deal with a spiritual, cosmic and civil criminal.

12.  Every human being is conceived, apart from the miraculous conception of Jesus Christ in the Virgin Mary, a cosmic criminal, villain, fugitive, stranger and foreigner to God's superlative holiness.

13.  Cain receives a divine curse from God.  That is, God the Son curses Cain in divine, cosmic and supernatural judgment because there is no credible, reliable and trustworthy offering than Jesus Christ in His all-atoning death for God's people in Christ alone.  Everyone without Jesus Christ does not have Him alone take the supernatural curse in their place, but everyone outside of Christ must bear the burden of a cosmic curse that cannot be undone through human merit, effort or anything touching this fallen world.

14.  The murder of Adel shows that man is dust and he will return to the ground from whence he came.  Dust to dust and ashes to ashes!

15.  God pronounces Cain guilty in His cosmic, supernatural and divine court.  Cain has no divine substitute in his behalf, but Adel had the hope of God's promise through Gen 3:15 regarding Jesus Christ as His unified divine covering in perfect righteousness.  Adel in his position with God (that God caused through His dear Son could get no more right with a holy God than he was) not because of human works but the real imputed righteousness of Christ alone.

16.  God granted Cain a punishment greater than he could bear.  That is, God's wrath is against sin in a multiple fashion because He hates unholiness and cosmic murder.

17.  Cain is worried about his own life, but he does not speak of getting right with God.  That is, his priorities are far from the words of God-speaking.  Fallen man is concerned with earthly things while God is concerned with heavenly things.  The Bible does not teach to be so heavenly minded that you are no earthly good.  Further it does not teach to be so earthly minded that you are no heavenly good.  Rather the Bible teaches a spiritual, Christian and Reformed balance through a workmen not ashamed but rightly handling the Word of Truth.  It does not mean God does not grant things in earthly matters, but His highest aim is the glorification of His eternal Son in spiritual salvation.  The priority for the human race as real cosmic fugitives should be the necessity and exclusivity of Jesus Christ.  Its not that Adel was not aware of the promise of divine Messiah, because God clearly made the historical and prophetic promise in Gen 3:15 about the real and only Christ: Jesus, Son of Mary, Son of God.  That is, the OT saints looked forward to Jesus Christ as fulfillment of Messiah while the NT saints looked back in the finished person and work of Jesus Christ in how someone is right with a holy God and Christian living.

18.  Cain is punished with words of divine judgment, but his life is spared.  God sees words of divine judgment that suffice for cosmic and civil punishment.  He does not take Cain's life, because He shows Him uncanny mercy.  God is gracious and he does not permit Cain's life to be taken in Gen. 4:15.

19.  Cain received a mark from God.  It does not mean Cain turned into a different race or something.  It seems it was a spiritual mark that indicated he was not to be touched by fallen man.  We are not told who Cain fears, but he fears someone or something in the ancient world.  It probably just a fear of punishment because of real and known guilt.  Ancient man was violent but so is modern man.  The nature of man has not changed.  The Lord gave Cain mercy out of His CIVIL graciousness, but this was not a redemptive mercy.  There is a radical difference between civil graciousness touching general benevolence and redemptive mercy touching spiritual salvation.  God did not use injustice to let Cain free, but He used justice in words of God-speaking to grant His ancient freedom.  Fallen man may grant civil fugitives freedom through injustices after a clear case of apparent injustices.  The God-breathed example is clear: it is possible to grant punishment through God-breathed words to punish but not allow freedom through more injustice in whatever way it may emerge.

20.  Cain receives divine protection from a holy God after he committed great murder.  That is, God would avenge Cain sevenfold.  God protects a civil and cosmic criminal.  Is this aiding and abetting a fugitive?  God is God and man is not God; He has the right to do what He pleases with His creation.  God shows CIVIL mercy that does not violate the law but further injustice in some way would violate the civil and moral law of God.  The concept of God's showing mercy and civil authorities taking that civil example is a good lessen to learn.  But watch out that you do not become demi-gods.  A demi-god would be allowing injustice through more injustice.  God grants justice but remembers CIVIL mercy.  This kind of mercy is not a SAVING MERCY, because ONLY God's elect receive a redemptive mercy!  And Cain was able to dwell in the presence of God in a sin of impenitence.  Fallen man dwells in God's presence without heeding God's command of getting right with a holy God.  It does not mean it is not possible for God to use even murder for the good of His holy people chosen in Christ.  The elect sinner called according to His purpose will have that sin turned on its head.  That is, in God's secret outstretched arm He turns the evil on its head for the good of God's people without committing sin or tarnishing goodness with evil or Himself becoming an Author of evil.  The devil and his people hate a predestinarian God, because He is able somehow according to His holy secrets to take the wickedness of fallen man and use it for the edification of God's people in our learning and their meticulous betterment for His glory alone either for ultimate mercy or wrath.
  

How lovely shines the Morning Star!
The nations see and hail afar
The light in Judah shining.
Thou David's Son of Jacob's race,
My Bridegroom and my King of Grace,
For thee my heart is pining.
Lowly, holy,
Great and glorious,
Thou victorious
Prince of graces,
Filling all the heav'nly places.
Now richly to my waiting heart,
O thou, my God, deign to impart
The grace of love undying.
In thy blest body let me be,
E'en as the branch is in the tree,
Thy life my life supplying.
Sighing, crying,
For the savor
Of thy favor
Resting never
Till I rest in thee for ever.
Thou, mighty Father, in thy Son
Didst love me ere thou hadst begun
This ancient world's foundation.
Thy Son hath made a friend of me,
And when in spirit him I see,
I joy in tribulation.
What bliss
Is this!
He that liveth
To me giveth
Life forever;
Nothing me from him can sever.  (TH, 434).