First Man Driven from God's Presence

9 And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said , I know not: Am I my brother's keeper ? 10 And he said , What hast thou done ? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. 11 And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand; 12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth. 13 And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear . 14Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass , that every one that findeth me shall slay me . 15 And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him seven fold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him. - Genesis 4:9-15

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS:
1) Why do you think that God asked Cain where Abel was, when He already knew?
2) Why was Cain cursed?
3) In what two ways did the Lord judge Cain?
4) Was Cain filled with Godly sorrow or was he just sorry that he was caught? 
5) Why was Cain sorry about the Lord's curse on him?
6) Considering your answer to the last question, was Cain repentant?
7) In what two ways did the Lord make provision for Cain, despite His judgment against him?

APPLICATION QUESTIONS:
1) Have you ever refused to confess a sin that you committed knowingly, or unknowingly?
2) If so, what was the result?
3) Have you ever felt that the Lord was distant from you?
4) If so, what did you do?
5) What sin, if any, are you struggling to overcome?

LIFE LESSONS:
1) Our first response to sin ought to be confession and repentance.
2) The worst fate that can ever befall man is the absence of God's presence.
3) Lack of time spent in God's presence always leads to emotional, spiritual, and moral decay!

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