Bad Guys of the Bible: Cain, Full of Jealousy and Envy

by David Chadwick

The Bible is full of good guys and bad guys. Every great story has both heroes and villains in the plot line. God’s story is the greatest story ever told. Full of ups and downs, twists and turns where Jesus is the ultimate hero!

The story of Cain is found in Genesis 4. He is our next bad guy.

Cain was the firstborn son of Adam and Eve. Their other son’s name was Abel. I like to think of Cain as the first rotten fruit of Adam and Eve’s rebellion. His sin ushered in the world’s first murder.

Cain was a farmer and his brother Abel was a shepherd. Cain absolutely hated Abel. Why? Because his brother was making pure offerings to God that were acceptable before the Lord. Cain’s were not. Jealousy took root and began to brew inside Cain’s heart toward his brother. This root of jealousy and bitterness proved to be deadly.

Evidently, Abel’s offerings to God were done by faith. Cloaked in humility. Pure. Abel had a love for God and a knowledge that God was first in every single way. Cain’s offering was done in the flesh. By his works. With a begrudging attitude and a heart of resentment.

The story of Cain and Abel is a great example of how much God cares about the human heart. As I often like to say, the heart of a matter is a matter of the heart.

Here’s the bottom line. Cain was deeply jealous of his brother and of the favor of God in his life. So, he killed Abel. The first murder of the Bible was motivated by the evil one. Jesus referred to Satan as a murderer from the beginning (John 8:44). Clearly Cain was emulating the father of lies more than his heavenly Father!

Where there is envy and jealousy, there is every evil thing (James 3:13). The antidote of envy and jealousy is contentment with what you have. God loves you for who you are, not what you have.

This life is full of people who will prosper on different levels. We must celebrate other people’s victories and maintain a pure heart before the Lord. If not, we, too, are vulnerable to a root of bitterness driving us to hurt others.