* LESSON
* SCRIPTURES CONCERNING CAIN AND ABEL
* HANDOUT #1
* HANDOUT #2
* CAIN AND ABEL PLAY
Bible Memory Verse:
“…But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.” Genesis 4:7
“…Am I my brother’s keeper?” Genesis 4:9
“…First go and be friends again with your brother…” Matthew 5:24
“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger…Be kind and compassionate to one another.” Ephesians 4:31-32
“Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous.” 1 John 3:12
HOW DID SIN COME INTO THE WORLD? One of the results of sin was that every child born to Adam and Eve was born with a sinful nature, the desire to sin. And all the children born to them had a desire to sin. Everyone that has ever been born had a sinful nature, except Jesus Christ who was the Son of God.
Adam and Eve had a son named Cain who worked with the soil. Later another son named Abel was born to them. He took care of animals. Cain and Abel brought an offering to the Lord. WHAT IS AN OFFERING (gift, gift to God of money, things we have, service, worship, etc.) Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. The Bible says that God was not pleased with Cain’s offering. It was probably because it was a careless offering-it showed he didn’t love God very much. Abel brought the fat portions from some of the firstborn of his animals. This was the best that he had to offer. This showed that he loved God. The Lord was pleased with Abel’s offering, but not with Cain’s. So Cain was very angry and jealous of Abel.
Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.” An evil force was trying to get Cain to sin.
God told Cain that all he had to do is what was right. IF HE DID NOT DO WHAT WAS RIGHT, WHO WAS TRYING TO GET HIM TO SIN?
Cain did not listen to God. Instead he said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were out in the field, Cain attacked his brother and killed him.
Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” (God really knew because He knows everything, but He wanted to see what Cain would answer.)
“I don’t know,” said Cain, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Cain lied. He was also saying that it wasn’t his job to look after his brother. But we are supposed to take care of one another; God wants us to take care of one another.
The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.”
Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is more than I can bear. Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”
But the Lord said to him, “Not so; if anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven times over.” So Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden. He had a wife and children. Cain went out from the Lord’s presence. He was separated from God forever.
Cain was never repentant. He just said that the punishment God was giving him was more than he could bear. God was compassionate and kind to him and put a mark on him so no one would kill him. He had it better in this life anyway.
This was the first murder. It was a deceitful, planned murder against a brother who was good. This shows the terrible consequences of Adam and Eve’s sin. Because of their sin, man was born with a sinful nature that always is selfish.
Only through believing in Jesus and asking His Holy Spirit to come into our hearts can we have our nature changed. Only by doing what God says, can we do anything that is good.
God wants us to be kind and compassionate to one another. When our brother or sister or friend or someone else has something good happen to them, we should be happy for them, not jealous like Cain was of Abel. Jesus can help is be kind and compassionate to one another.
QUESTIONS:
1. What work did Cain do?
2. What work did Abel do?
3. What is an offering?
4. Why did Cain kill Abel?
5. What was Cain’s punishment?
6. How can we have our nature’s changed?
* SCRIPTURES CONCERNING CAIN AND ABEL
Genesis 4
“And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.” Matthew 23:35
“From the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible for it all.” Luke 11:51
“…You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.” Hebrews 12:23-24
“By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.” Hebrews 11:4
“Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous.” 1 John 3:12
“Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion.” Jude 11
CAIN AND ABEL
Bible Memory Verse:
“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger…Be kind and compassionate to one another.” Ephesians 4:31-32
Words to choose from: JESUS, SEPARATED, GIFT, JEALOUS, ASK, MARK, SIN, ANIMALS, ABEL, DEVIL
1. Abel raised __ __ __ __ __ __ .
2. An offering is a __ __ __ __to God.
3. Cain was __ __ __ __ __ __ __ because God was pleased with Abel’s offering.
4. Cain could have asked God to help him not to __ __ __.
5. Cain invited __ __ __ __ to go out in a field with him.
6. Cain murdered his brother because he listened to the __ __ __ __ __ who was tempting him.
7. God put a __ __ __ __on Cain so no one would kill him.
8. After Cain murdered Abel he was __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ from God.
9. Only __ __ __ __ __can change us so we will not sin.
10. Jesus will forgive us and change us if we are sorry for our sins and __ __ __Him to forgive us.
QUESTIONS: CAIN AND ABEL
Bible Memory Verse:
“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger…Be kind and compassionate to one another.” Ephesians 4:31-32
1. Who were Cain and Abel’s parents?
2. What work did Cain do?
a. Plumbing
b. Farming
c. Raising animals
3. What work did Abel do?
a. Hunting
b. Raising animals
c. Gardening
4. Who was born first—Cain or Abel?
5. What is an offering?
a. Ten percent of your income
b. Gift to God
c. Gift to a friend
6. Why did Cain kill Abel?
a. He wanted his money
b. He was jealous because God was pleased with Abel’s offering
c. He was mad because Abel had a better job than he did
7. What was Cain’s punishment?
a. He was separated from God
b. He had a mark on him
c. He had to leave the Garden of Eden
8. What could Cain have done to keep from sinning?
a. Nothing—he had to sin
b. Ask God to help him
c. Not inviting Abel to go to the field with him
9. How can we have our nature’s changed?
a. By trying to be good
b. By letting Jesus change us
c. By following a list of rules
Bible Memory Verse:
“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger…Be kind and compassionate to one another.” Ephesians 4:31-32
CHARACTERS: Jolly Giraffe, Polly the Polar Bear, Leo the Lion
JOLLY: (enter) Hi Kids! How are you today? (wait for answers)
LEO: (enter) I’m really mad, Jolly!
JOLLY: Just a minute, Leo. You should at least say hi to the Kids.
LEO: (unenthusiastically) Sorry. Hi Kids.
JOLLY: That’s better…I think.
LEO: I’ve been accused unfairly.
JOLLY: How’s that, Leo?
LEO: I stubbed my big toe when I was running, and a boy in my class said it was because I was bad that I got hurt. I haven’t been bad! In fact, I stubbed my toe when I was going to help my teacher pick up after class!
JOLLY: Well, you know, Leo, you are right. Bad things don’t always happen to us because we are bad. Remember, in our Bible story today Abel didn’t do anything wrong but he was killed!
LEO: That’s true! Cain killed his brother Abel just because he was jealous. All Cain had to do was what was right before God, but instead he chose to kill his brother.
POLLY: (enter & speak quickly & loudly) Abel is in heaven and Cain is in hell.
JOLLY: You’re right, Polly. God says later that Abel was righteous. He knew God and did what God wanted. Of course, Cain didn’t. Cain was separated from God forever. Isn’t that sad?
LEO: It’s sad, but God gave him a chose. He knew what God wanted, but he didn’t obey. I’m sure glad Jesus died to pay for my sins because I don’t always obey God. But Jesus forgives me when I ask. I love Jesus so I know I’ll go to heaven some day.
POLLY: (quickly & loudly) Me too!
JOLLY: I know Jesus, too. He’s my Lord and King and Friend.
LEO: And He’s my helper, too. Whenever I am in trouble or need advice I ask Jesus.
POLLY: (quickly & loudly) And He loves me!
JOLLY: That’s right, Polly. The Bible says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 That means if we believe in Jesus and ask Him to forgive us for the bad things we have done, He will forgive us because He loves us so much. Then we can go to heaven!
POLLY: It is so wonderful to know Jesus!
JOLLY: I wish everyone knew Jesus!
LEO: I guess we can pray for everyone we know and tell them about Jesus. In fact, I should forgive the boy who said those untrue things about me and tell him about Jesus. Bye everyone! (exit)
JOLLY: I have to go now, too. Bye kids. Hope to see you next week. (exit)
POLLY: Don’t leave me alone, Jolly! (Moves head back & forth looking at kids) I guess I’m not really alone. (quickly & loudly) Bye, Kids! (exit)