Genesis 4: Cain and Abel

Genesis 4 tells of Adam and Eve’s two sons Cain and Abel. Abel was a herder, and Cain was a farmer. Cain gave an offering of fruits to God, and Abel gave fat from his flock. God was pleased with Abel’s sacrifice, but not Cain’s.

From Genesis 4:

Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

To paraphrase the rest of the chapter, Cain was angry that God didn’t like his offering, and murdered Abel. God punished Cain for this by cursing his future crops and sending him away to be a wanderer.

Cain pleaded with God, saying that he would be killed if he became a wanderer. God put a mark on Cain so that no one would kill him.

The chapter ends with a record of Cain’s descendants, and Adam and Eve having another son, Seth, given by God in place of Abel.

My comments here are brief. Reading this story, I am left wondering:

• Why was Cain’s sacrifice rejected, but Abel’s favored?
• Why was Cain allowed to live after murdering his brother
• Why did God protect Cain?
• What does it mean to put a mark on him to prevent others from killing him?
• What is the point of this story?

Basically every aspect of the story leaves me thinking “huh?”