Who Loved Cain?

Cain, the oldest son of Adam and Eve, has the honor of being the very first human to be born ever—and therefore also the first baby in history. But that same baby grew up to be the first man to perpetrate a homicide. So Cain has great honor but also great dishonor in the history of the human race.

From Cain we get the famous expression “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Cain inspires curiosity and disgust. His life inspired the famous question “Who was Cain’s wife?”—a question many people ask, especially those who like to challenge the Bible’s veracity.

However, there’s a more challenging question about Cain’s life we want to ask today--an edifying question. Our search for the answer will strengthen us in our knowledge of salvation. If you can find the answer to our question, it will change the way you see Cain, and it will change the way you approach repentance and discipline.

Our question is not about Cain’s punishment. It’s not about what his mark was. It’s not about the city he built, the city of Enoch. It’s not about the means he used to kill his brother—was it a stone or a club? Our question is not why God rejected Cain’s harvest offering. Those are all questions people frequently present regarding the life of Cain, but ours is a question you have never heard before: Who loved Cain?

Face-to-Face

Who was the one with whom Cain carried on his conversations? We know that his name was Yahweh, but who was he? This Yahweh was very active in the story of Cain—exhorting, confronting, and protecting Cain in love.

1. He looked unfavorably on Cain’s sacrifices.

2. He encouraged Cain to do what was right

3. He encouraged Cain to resist temptation.

4. He confronted Cain with the death of Abel.

5. He punished Cain by expelling him from Eden.

6. He put a mark on Cain to protect Cain from vengeance.

The Scriptures tell us that this was Yahweh, but because Scriptures also make it clear that Cain spoke with Yahweh face-to-face, the Yahweh of Genesis 4 could not have been the One God—it could not be our Father, the One True God.

When Cain leaves Yahweh in Genesis 4:14, the Hebrew literally says ‘from your face I must hide’ [mi paneka esater] which other translations render accurately ‘I will be hidden from your presence’ (NIV). These words demonstrate that Cain was standing before the Yahweh with whom he was speaking. Cain was in the presence of that Yahweh. No voice came out of Heaven like cartoon versions of the story often depict.

A Pattern for Humanity

Why is the question “Who loved Cain” important? Firstly, because we need an accurate picture of the interactions that took place at the time Cain killed Abel. It was the dawn of human history and the Apostle John says that all of human history follows the pattern established at that time, the second generation after Adam and Eve. What is that pattern? That those who practice unrighteousness will hate those who practice righteousness.

… we should love one another, not as Cain, who was of the Evil One and violently murdered his brother. And for what reason did he violently murder him? Because his deeds were evil and the deeds of his brother were righteous.

Do not marvel, brothers, if the World hates you. We know that we have passed over from death to life because we love the brothers (1 John 3:11b-14a; LEB).

What we learn from Cain and Abel is that the World will hate us. We love the brethren. We love believers. But the World hates Christians, and they’ll hate us more. The history of this World will conclude the same way it started—with our own family members betraying us to death.

… you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other (Matthew 22:9-10).

If the World hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the World, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the World, but I have chosen you out of the World. That is why the World hates you (John 15:18-19).

From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law (Luke 12:52).

Do not trust a neighbor; put no confidence in a friend. Even with the woman who lies in your embrace guard the words of your lips. For a son dishonors his father, a daughter rises up against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—a man’s enemies are the members of his own household (Micah 7:5-6).

Not the One God

Why is the correct interpretation of Genesis 4 so important? Because we have to know who was there with Cain. We have to know the one who demonstrates so well how to deal with sin and sinners. He’s called Yahweh throughout the story, but he is not the Father. The Yahweh of Genesis 4 could not be the One who has never been seen by any man.

Remember what John tells us about the One God:

No one has ever seen God (John 1:18).

And don't forget what the One God and Father said to Moses:

You cannot see my face; for no man shall see me and live (Exodus 33:20; NKJV).

Love for the Unlovable

Cain has gone down in history as one of the worst people ever. Cain lived on the same wretched level as Balaam, who knew God and was a prophet of God, but who cursed the Israelites as they approached the Promised Land. Balaam’s heart was so hard that God had to use a donkey to rebuke him.

Cain is comparable to Korah, who rebelled against Moses (see Jude 1:11). Cain had a rebellious heart and turned from the instruction of his father, Adam. Cain killed his brother, committing the heinous sin of fratricide, and showed no remorse. And even after the dastardly deed, Cain could only think of himself. He was an egomaniac, only capable of seeking self-preservation and his own security. Cain was self-centered, so much that he never repented of his wickedness.

Even so, with all those defects, the Yahweh Cain spoke with loved Cain. From the start, this Yahweh encouraged Cain to do what is right. Even after Abel’s death, Yahweh encouraged Cain to reform his life.

The Harvest Offering

Cain started off on the right track. He heard the story of the Fall and, with his brother and parents, worshipped the Lord. He brought sacrifices to Yahweh according to his profession, farming. He was among the worshippers of God, but he would not conform to the example of his brother, who by faith understood that sin could only be atoned through a blood sacrifice.

And in the course of time Cain brought an offering from the fruit of the ground to Yahweh, and Abel also brought an offering from the choicest firstlings of his flock. And Yahweh looked with favor to Abel and to his offering, but to Cain and to his offering he did not look with favor. And Cain became very angry, and his face fell (Genesis 4:3-5; LEB).

We know that God spoke well of Abel’s offerings. This ‘looking with favor’ on Abel’s offerings was a verbal approval from Yahweh because ‘God spoke well of his offerings.’

We also know that God was pleased with Abel’s offerings because he offered them with faith. Faith in what? Faith in the sacrifice of the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ.

By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead (Hebrews 11:4).

In the Presence of Yahweh

What did ‘bringing an offering to Yahweh’ consist of at the time of Cain and Abel’s primitive worship? Does it mean that the brothers literally stood before the One God and presented their offerings to God? Does it mean that Cain and Abel stood before the one called Yahweh and offered their sacrifices to him?

To understand what was happening, we need to jump to the end of the passage, where it says that Cain had been in the presence of Yahweh. The situations and scenes conclude with Cain leaving the presence of Yahweh. The one the Scriptures call Yahweh was physically present with Cain and Abel in the Land of Eden.

And Cain went out from the presence of Yahweh, and he settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden (Genesis 4:16; LEB).

The fact that Cain left the presence of Yahweh indicates that Cain was in the presence of Yahweh during his conversations with him. In other words, we read about real face-to-face encounters when we read Genesis 4. Cain conversed face-to-face with someone called Yahweh. He conversed naturally, with someone with whom he was familiar. He offered sacrifices to Yahweh and Yahweh verbally made his disapproval known to Cain, just as he made his approval known to Abel verbally.

Face-to-Face Conversations

Below is a record of some of the conversations that Cain sustained with the one called Yahweh:

1. Yahweh tried to persuade Cain to do what is good and to overcome temptation.

And Yahweh said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry, and why is your face fallen? If you do well will I not accept you? But if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. And its desire is for you, but you must rule over it’ (Genesis 4:6-7; LEB).

2. Yahweh tried to sensitize Cain to the death of his brother and to bring Cain to repentance.

Then Yahweh said to Cain, ‘Where is Abel your brother?’ And he said, ‘I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?’ And he said, ‘What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground (Genesis 4:9-10; LEB).

3. Yahweh cursed Cain.

‘So now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive the blood of your brother from your hand. When you till the ground it shall no longer yield its strength to you. You shall be a wanderer and a fugitive on the Earth’ (Genesis 4:11-12; LEB).

The Reaction

Cain’s reaction to Yahweh’s punishment was very revealing. What he most disliked about his punishment was that he would have to leave the presence of the Yahweh he served and with whom he had so many conversations. He didn’t want to have to be away from the LORD.

And Cain said to Yahweh, ‘My punishment is greater than I can bear. Look, you have driven me out today from the face of the ground, and from your face I must hide’ (Genesis 4:13-14a; LEB).

This demonstrates that Cain was with the LORD during the previous conversations. He was standing before him—but here’s the thing: That’s something that a man cannot do before the One True God!

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the Only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever... who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see (1 Timothy 1:17; 6:16).

So, again we ask ourselves? Who was this Yahweh with whom Cain conversed? It was not the Father. It was not the One God. Rather, it was someone in whom God had put his name.

The Sign

Whether the sign Yahweh placed on Cain was a tattoo, a bright red blemish, or a disfiguration, whatever it was—Yahweh had to have put it on Cain’s body. If it was on Cain’s body, there had to have been some physical contact between Yahweh and Cain. That shouldn’t be strange to us since Yahweh had already covered Cain’s parents with animal skins and had physical contact with them too.

‘I will be a wanderer and a fugitive on the Earth, and it will happen that whoever finds me will kill me.’ Then Yahweh said to him, ‘Therefore, whoever kills Cain will be avenged sevenfold.’ Then Yahweh put a sign on Cain so that whoever found him would not kill him (Genesis 4:14b-15; LEB).

We know that Yahweh touched Cain, but more importantly, we know that Yahweh loved Cain. We know that because Yahweh gave the mark to Cain with the express purpose of protecting Cain from harm. The Bible says that the LORD gave the mark so that no one would kill Cain. The mark had one purpose: to protect Cain.

God's Name Was In Him

Do you know who this Yahweh was—this one who loved Cain to the end? Was the Yahweh who spoke to Cain the One God and Father? No man has ever seen God. He lives in unapproachable light.

No one has ever seen God (1 John 4:12).

A man could, however, stand in the presence of someone to whom God had given equality. Therefore, the Yahweh who was with Cain was the pre-incarnate Christ. It was Jesus, the one in whom God had put his name. Yes, the pre-incarnate Christ is also mentioned in Exodus as the one of whom God says:

Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since my name is in him (Exodus 23:21).

So the one called Yahweh was called Yahweh because God’s name was in him. It’s not that he actually was the One God and Father. He was his deputy and represented all that the Father wanted to communicate.

The Image of the Invisible God

We know that the one to whom Cain was speaking was visible, but we also know that he bore the image of the Invisible God. It’s as if Cain were speaking to the One God as he spoke to the pre-incarnate Christ in Eden.

Christ, a ‘friend to sinners’ (Matthew 11:19) demonstrated the love of God to Cain. Cain saw him, and saw the fullness of deity in bodily form. Cain saw the Father in Jesus. That’s why it says in the New Testament:

Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father (John 14:9).

… in him [Christ] all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9; NASB).

Like Cain, you have seen the Father if you’ve seen Jesus, for Jesus is God's one and only Son. Jesus is the reflection of all that God represents—God’s name! He is the Son who has come into the World to reveal the Father to us.

Righteous Father... I have known you, and these men [the apostles] have come to know that you sent me. And I made known to them your name, and will make it known… (John 17:25-26a; LEB)

The One God is invisible, but his Son, Jesus Christ is visible.

The Son is the image of the Invisible God (Colossians 1:15).

Behold Christ’s love for sinners and you behold God’s love for sinners. Behold Christ’s mercy and you behold the mercy of God. You see the Father in his Son because God sent Jesus, Jesus spoke God's words, and completed God's will. Jesus did all that God told him, even dying on the Cross for you and for me.