Who was Cain in the Bible?

The first son of Adam and Eve. Ignoring the fall, he approached God in his own person, and with the fruit of his own toil from the ground that had been cursed... Cain's anger was kindled because of the acceptance of Abel and his offering, and he slew his brother, even though God had reasoned with him about his anger. God cursed him from the earth, and set a mark upon him so that no avenger of blood should slay him.

The first man to be born of a woman appeared, and Eve thought she had received him "from" or "with" the Lord, and so she gave him that name... She was wrong again, for Cain was not from the Lord, but rather "of that wicked one" (1 John 3:12). The Lord Jesus told the Jews that the devil "was a murderer from the beginning," and again that "he is a liar, and the father of lies" (John 8:44). We see him as the liar in Genesis 3, and as the murderer in Genesis 4.

The difference between the brothers did not lie in the presence or the absence of religion; but Cain was in nature, Abel in faith. Now nature ignores sin, and God's judgment of it, as well as the grace that revealed a future deliverer, God meanwhile giving a covering for the naked founded on the death of victims.

He offers to God the fruit of the cursed ground, the produce of his own toil. But this was unbelief. It was the denial of everything that had happened since the creation... Abel took the way of the promise... and offered of his flock; but Cain refused to see man's ruin and God's redemption, giving God the fruit of the earth.

"If you do well, will you not be accepted?"... But to do well was to own, as Abel did, what one born in sin needs... Yet the Lord would not for that finally cast him off, so He added, "If you do not do well, sin," or, as some understand it, a sin offering, "lies at the door"... Here we have the first mention of an offering for sin. God told him what to do, but he refused to obey, and instead of the sacrifice, as pointed out, he took his brother's life.

Did not this anger show that he was at enmity with God?... Instead, "Cain talked with Abel his brother," and the hatred of his heart towards his brother came out when he "rose up against Abel his brother, and killed him"... The violence of Cain was "because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous."

He had killed his brother, and was cast out of the presence of God, despairing of grace and refusing to humble himself. By the judgment of God, he was made a wanderer on the earth; but such a condition did not suit him. He settled down where God had made him a wanderer, and he called the city after the name of his son to keep his family's greatness alive.

Cain goes out from the presence of the Lord, saying the burden of his punishment is greater than he can bear, yet he builds himself a city, makes himself a name, and sets up the whole order of civilization that has continued ever since. This is the "way of Cain," the way of the flesh. It begins with the denial of sin, a refusal of the sacrifice, and goes on to stain the earth with innocent blood, and to surround itself with comfort and pleasure away from God.

This is a way of self-will in the things of God... He would approach God, and this in itself was good: but he would do it in his own way, and not in God's way... Cain had no faith, only his own thoughts. Why should not God be satisfied with the way that seemed right to Cain?

Sometimes they have brought what represents their moral life; sometimes it is their generosity, their gifts for the poor and needy. Sometimes they bring their religious offerings, their prayers, their professions and promises; but whatever form it takes, the offering of Cain has the same moral character. You find in it no recognition of man's utter ruin, and therefore no atonement.