Home Group Study Questions // Feb 16th

Genesis 4:6-7: “The Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”’

[Read Genesis 4; I Samuel 16:7; Hebrews 11:4-6]

  1. As Chapter 4 begins, we are told that Adam and Eve have two children. As they grow up, what are we told each of them do for a living? Do you think Adam and Eve had other children? How might that be significant to what we read in Chapter 4?
  2. In verses 3-5, we have the first record of worship in the Scriptures. What did Cain and Abel offer to God as a sacrifice? What does this say about worship in their day?
  3. Why did God accept Abel’s offering and not Cain’s offering? Did this have to do with what they were offering or how they were making offering?
  4. What are we told in I Samuel 16:7 and Hebrews 11:4-6? How does this help us understand God’s acceptance of Abel’s gift and not Cain’s?
  5. In verses 6-7, God asks Cain, “If you do well, will you not be accepted?” Why is God asking this question? How does God answer this question for Cain?
  6. What does it mean that ‘sin is crouching at the door’? What picture does this give us of sin? Why are we to rule over sin? What does that mean? Why is this important to understand?
  7. What does Cain do to his brother? Why was he so enraged with His brother? What had Cain become? Why?
  8. In verse 9, what is Cain’s response to God when He asks him, “Where is your brother?” What does this tell us about Cain’s heart and motivation? [Read – I John 3:12-13]
  9. Do you see God’s mercy in the story of Cain and Abel? Did you notice that despite the sin of Adam and Eve and being driven out of the garden, God is still speaking to them? What does it say about mercy in Nehemiah 9:31 and Hosea 6:6?
  10. How does this study help you understand sin and evil? How does this story apply to your life and your struggles?
  11. How might you share what you have learned in this study with someone else?