Why did Cain kill his brother?

In Genesis 4:1-12, the first child ever born grows up to commit the first murder. Dr. Toby Holt shows how Cain and Abel reveal the deep reality of sin in every human heart. Both bring offerings, but God accepts Abel's and not Cain's — because of the heart behind it. Instead of repenting, Cain grows furious and murders his brother. There was no bad upbringing to blame; Cain's sin came from his own fallen nature. God had warned, "sin lies at the door."

Questions this study answers:

1. Why did God reject Cain's offering? Because of the heart behind it. The problem was not merely what Cain brought, but the attitude with which he brought it.

2. What did God mean that "sin lies at the door"? That sin was crouching, ready to master Cain — and that he needed to rule over it. It is a warning to every heart.

3. Is sin "at our door" too? Yes. The same fallen nature is in all of us. Like Cain, we must recognize sin's pull and turn from it to God.

"If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door…" — Genesis 4:7 (NKJV)

Dr. Toby Holt is President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio. Find more verse-by-verse Bible teaching at newgeneva.org; support this ministry at newgeneva.org/give.