Adventurers with Jesus: January- March 2022

By R.H. Boyd Publishing Corporation

Adventurers with Jesus (Ages 9-11) is an age-appropriate Christian quarterly lesson guide. Lesson presentations are easily taught and understood and show students how to find salvation through Jesus Christ.

• Language: English
• Publisher: R.H. Boyd Publishing Corporation
• Release date: Dec 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9781681679181

Book preview

Lesson #1

January 2, 2022

Justice for Two Brothers

Lesson Passage:

Genesis 4:1–16

NRSV

NOW the man knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, I have produced a man with the help of the LORD.

2 Next she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a tiller of the ground.

3 In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground,

4 and Abel for his part brought of the firstlings of his flock, their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering,

5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.

6 The LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry, and why has your countenance fallen?

7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it."

8 Cain said to his brother Abel, Let us go out to the field. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and killed him.

9 Then the LORD said to Cain, Where is your brother Abel? He said, I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?

10 And the LORD said, "What have you done? Listen; your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground!

11 And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.

12 When you till the ground, it will no longer yield to you its strength; you will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth."

13 Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is greater than I can bear!

14 Today you have driven me away from the soil, and I shall be hidden from your face; I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and anyone who meets me may kill me."

15 Then the LORD said to him, Not so! Whoever kills Cain will suffer a sevenfold vengeance. And the LORD put a mark on Cain, so that no one who came upon him would kill him.

16 Then Cain went away from the presence of the LORD, and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

Today’s Lesson Story

Our scripture begins with the birth of two brothers who were the children of Adam and Eve. Cain was born first and would later become a farmer, a tiller of the ground; his younger brother Abel would be a keeper of sheep, also known as a shepherd. Together, these four people comprised God’s first family, and all was well until the time when Cain became jealous of his younger brother.

Time passed, and one day, each of the brothers brought an offering to God. Cain brought the fruit of the ground (v. 3), but Abel brought the firstlings of his flock (v. 4). These were the fattest portion of the first sheep born that season and the very best Abel had to give. God was pleased with Abel’s offering, but showed no regard for Cain’s. Throughout history, Bible scholars have attempted to explain why God accepted Abel’s offering over Cain’s. Maybe Abel gave his very best (his first), while Cain paid no attention to the quality of the fruit he presented to God. Whatever the reason for God’s rejection of Cain’s offering, Cain became angry, and God noticed. God told Cain that if he did well (if his actions were good), he would be accepted, but if he did not do well, sin would be lurking at the door (v.7), waiting to consume him.

The idea that sin would lurk at the door of Cain’s heart means that sin would hang out there, until Cain decided whether or not to give in to it. In verse 7, God is quoted to have said to Cain, [Sin’s] desire is for you, but you must master it. God explained to Cain that he had a choice to either dismiss sin or allow it to rule over his life. Unfortunately, if Cain didn’t master sin, sin would become the Master of him; and that is exactly what happened.

It is at this point that Cain could have asked God for forgiveness (which would have changed the unfortunate ending to this story); instead, he became so angry that he led Abel out into a field and killed him! Immediately, God questioned him, Where is your brother? and Cain replied, I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper? (v. 9). Isn’t Cain’s response interesting? First of all, he lied to God, who knows everything. Second, he admitted that although he was the older brother, who should have been the protector over his little brother, he had not acted as his keeper! Then God said, What have you done? Listen; your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground! (v. 10). God knew that Abel was dead and that it was his own brother who had murdered him!

Isn’t it ironic that Cain was a farmer, who worked the ground, and it was onto that very ground that his younger brother’s blood had been spilled! Because of Cain’s horrible sin, God banished him from his family; no matter where he would go, the ground would be cursed to bear no vegetation. Just as Cain had wandered from God into sin, he would forever become a wanderer on the earth (v. 12), moving from place to place. He would be abandoned with no home, a fugitive on the run, always in hiding to avoid