

1.5 Cain and Abel
The full consequences of sin were not apparent in the first human generation. It wasn't until the second generation had grown up that men experienced envy, rage, and murder. The two sons of Adam and Eve were Cain, a farmer, and Abel, a herdsman. Both men made offerings to the Lord, but only Abel's was accepted. God told Cain that if he did right, his offering would be accepted too.
"And if you do not do well, sin crouches at your door; its desire is for you, but you must master it" (Gen 4:7).
There is both a promise and a warning here. In this case, again man had a choice. Even though his parents sinned, Cain was not predestined to do likewise. But he, like they, chose wrongly:
And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him (Gen 4:8).
When God asked him where Abel was, Cain pretended ignorance:
"I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?" (Gen 4:9)
Cain is condemned by his own question: "am I my brother's keeper?" He seems to assume that the correct answer is "No," whereas God's (unstated) reply would no doubt have been "Yes." The racial supremacist differs from Cain in that he answers "Yes" to the question, but restricts the definition of "brother" to those of his own skin color or national origin.