The tale of Cain and Abel has long been one of the best known stories of the Bible; and one that I looked forward to the most when I first set out on this endeavor.  Does that make me weird and morbid?  Perhaps, but I am willing to wager that I am far from being in the minority of the population which find this story particularly intriguing.  It is, after all, presumably the first recorded murder in the history of man.  But what is the signifigance of that?  I suppose it all depends on if one reads the Bible for literature and/or history, or if one reads it for the purpose of moral sustainibility.  Obviously, I am prevented from discussing it in the latter sense for many reasons.  One being that that is not the purpose of this class, and another being that I am not particularly religious myself.

I will start out by saying that the reletively short length of the text, and the vague language thoroughly vexed me during my first reading.  Why was God more privy to Abel's offering than Cain's?  Based upon what I've read thus far, I am compelled to assume that these histories were recorded in a place and time that were dominantly patriarichal.  Some may decry me for stating the obvious, but I reiterate that I know nothing of the Bible or the world(s) in which it was created.  So, my first reaction was to assume that God looked upon Abel's offering more favorably because it was more "manly."  A blood sacrifice as opposed to a vegetarian one.  Or perhaps God perceived Abel's sacrifice as more generous, as if Abel were willing to give more of himself to God than his brother.  On closer reading this line jumped out at me:  "And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering.  But onto Cain and to his offering he had not respect" (Genesis 4:4-4:5).  It states that the Lord had no respect unto Abel...  This indicates to me that there wasn't necassarily anything wrong with Abel's offereing, but that the fault lay in the way in which it was made.  Perhaps Abel was more lazy, perhaps he only wanted to attempt to appease God rather than actually accept and obey His laws.  Maybe he was just plain bad from birth.  This theory is supported by the lines that follow.  Immediately Cain became "very wroth, and his countenance fell" (Genesis 4:5).  God tries to correct his wayward son by warning him of the dangers of jealousy and excessive anger.  " 'If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?  and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door.  And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him' " (Genesis 4:7).  God advises Cain not to give into his impetous emotions, but to master them.  In doing this Cain would be able to master sin, rather than sin being his master; and he would therefore be acceptable to God.  But it is not to be.  Cain seems to let his resentment simmer, for he "talks" with his brother, presumably about the offering incident and God's subsequent advice.  Immediately following their conversation, Cain murders Abel without any apparent provocation.  This leads me to believe that under the guise of reconciliation, Cain lures his brother to the field where there would be no witnesses to his premeditated evil deed.

Cain's seemingly purposeful actions lead me to conclude that he knowingly gave a sub-par offering, and cooked up a vengeful scheme of murder to placate his petty ire.  Contrary to Plotz's interpretation of Cain "getting off scot-free," and being rewarded as "the father of all mankind," I see his banishment as the ultimate punishment.  This is especially true if we look at the reality of banishment in those days.  Life was harsh and brutal in those days, the act of banishment is the ultimate punishment, worse even than death.  Not only does Cain have to live his life outside of the Grace of God and the warmth of family, he has to live with what he has done.  Perhaps he is the true definition of a psychopath, and does not rue the murder of his own brother,  but only regrets the punishment.  It doesn't really matter, for the lesson is clear:  what has been done cannot be undone.  Cain chose not to master sin, and now he has to pay for that choice.  Perhaps we are all still paying since mankind is descended of him.  One bad apple really can spoil the whole bunch.