When Covid-19 was first identified in December 2019, many thought that it was just a local disease. Unfortunately the virus spread throughout the world, and by 2020 it had become a pandemic that spanned the entire planet. It shut down economies, killed millions of people, and impacted the lives of billions. Its spread seemed uncontrollable.

Likewise, a major theme in Genesis is the escalation and spread of sin. As with the initial outbreak of Covid-19, the fall in Eden was only the beginning; the sheer magnitude of sin would grow rapidly in the world until creation reached its moral breaking point (see Genesis 6:5). It is unsurprising that the situation kept deteriorating as the world’s first human family continued to expand.

Today’s passage speaks of the beginnings of this first family. As soon as we hear the joyful announcement about the birth of two sons, however, we see sin rear its ugly head. Cain and Abel have different vocations, so they worship God with sacrifices related to their respective professions. Cain brings an offering from his harvest and Abel from his flocks, but while the Lord approves “Abel and his offering”, He “did not look with favour” on “Cain and his offering” (Genesis 4:4–5; italics added).

Since both vegetable and meat offerings would be deemed acceptable sacrifices (see Leviticus 2–3), one possible reason why God distinguished between the two was their attitude and the quality of their sacrifice. Genesis 4:4–5 notes that Abel brought “fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock” (see Leviticus 3:3–5), whereas Cain only brought “some of the fruits of the soil”. 1 John 3:12 calls Abel’s actions righteous and Cain’s actions evil. Abel displayed his faith by going all out to please God with the best, but Cain was merely doing his duty.

When his offering is rejected, Cain does not reflect on his own actions. Instead, he becomes “very angry” and “downcast” (Genesis 4:5). In Cain’s reaction, we can see that the sin has become part of his nature; it has become something internal. Theologians have called this “original sin”, or our “fallen state” (see Romans 5:12–21).

God asks Cain a series of questions to alert him to the dangerous path he is on and graciously counsels him: “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?” (Genesis 4:6–7). Cain has to make a choice: turn away from the monster sin, or be overcome by it. God wants him to resist sin: “You must rule over it” (v. 7).

Though we live in a fallen world, God’s standards of morality and ethics are clear. We need to be aware of our sinful nature, and to know that we have a choice. We can give in to our sinful nature, or we can make conscious, deliberate efforts to resist the temptation to sin.