Cain & Abel
Cain's Mark
Topics covered in this document:
Introduction
Just what is the mark of Cain? You won't find many details in the Bible
story. But we'll show you some of the rest of the story.
Escape
After killing his brother, Cain tried to run away. At first he was
worried about what his parents would do to him when they found out what
he had done.
Am I My Brother's Keeper?
But no sooner had these thoughts run through his head, than God appeared
to him and asked that well-known question, "Where is Abel thy brother?"
Cain answered with the equally well-known reply "Am I my brother's
keeper?"
Cain Blames God
Cain attempted to talk his way out of what he had done, blaming God for
creating the evil inclination in him to begin with ... and for not being
more watchful Himself.
Innocent
Furthermore, Cain argued that he had never seen a man killed before ...
so how was he supposed to know that throwing stones would actually kill
Abel?
Perhaps these arguments were an echo of some ancient rabbi playing
devil's advocate. After all, what Cain argued would be true if they were
indeed the first people on the planet. He would never have seen someone
die. And no animal he had ever observed would have thrown stones at another
animal in order to kill it.
Mark of Cain
Suddenly all the animals -- both tame and wild -- stepped forward to
slay Cain in order to avenge the innocent blood of Abel.
Cain cried out, asking God how he could go on living, with all the
animals out to get him.
Tattoo
To protect Cain from the wild beasts, God inscribed one letter of His
Holy Name upon Cain's forehead (a tattoo). Then he told the animals that
Cain didn't deserve to die because he had shed blood, since there was no
one to tell him otherwise.
But from then on, murderers were to be slain.
God Gives Cain a Dog
Then God gave Cain a dog to protect him against the wild beasts.
Leprosy
And to mark Cain as a sinner, he afflicted him with leprosy. As you
probably know, the ancients believed that leprosy was a punishment for
being a sinner ... which eased their conscience when they had to pass
by a leper begging on the side of the road.
Lied to Parents
When Cain returned home, he lied again, telling his parents that God had
completely forgiven him ... prompting Adam to rejoice (though I'm not sure
how he explained away the tatoo and the leprosy if he had really been
forgiven). For the first time, Adam realized how powerful the confession
of your sins can be.
Nonetheless, Cain was sent away from his parents' home ... to the east.
He and his descendants further angered God by building cities there. God
apparently doesn't like walls that keep people inside the city.
The wickedness of the Assyrians and Babylonians are said to be a direct
result of Cain and his rebelliousness against God.
Earth's Punishment
Once again, however, God punished the Earth because of Cain's sin.
What the Earth did to deserve this, I'm not sure.
Before his sin, the things Cain grew in his garden tasted like the
fruits of Paradise ... but things changed. The land around where Abel
was slain became a desert (which might come as a surprise to geologists,
who swear it had been a desert long before this).
Before the murder, vines bore 926 different varieties of fruit ...
but afterward, they brought forth only one kind. In the next world, the
plants and trees will be restored to their former glory.
Thus begins the eternal war between the wicked and the righteous.
What Next?
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