The first baby born on earth was Cain, and Abel followed shortly after. Adam and Eve were filled with hope that one of them would be the saviour of the world. They thought that one of their boys would be the one to die for their sins. As the young men grew, Cain became a farmer and Abel a shepherd.

God told Adam to build an altar by the entrance to the Garden of Eden. Adam’s instructions were to bring a firstborn lamb to the altar to sacrifice it. While doing that, the family would remember that it was because of their sins that the Saviour would have to come to the world and die for them.

It was there, at the entrance to the Garden of Eden, that Adam and Eve would tell their growing sons stories of how it was when they lived there, of how they used to talk to God face to face, and how they had worn the bright robe of light. They told them about how they talked to the beautiful angels and sang praises to God with them. Then they told them about how they had sinned. They also told the boys of God’s love and mercy to them and of His plan of redemption.

Adam and Eve taught Cain and Abel to love God. Abel did love God, and he was thankful for His mercy and love. Cain, on the other hand, let bad thoughts go into his head. He was always complaining, and he did not think it was fair that God had thrown his parents out of Eden and made the ground hard to farm.

When they were older, God told the young men to go to the altar to make a sacrifice. He gave them specific instructions on what to do. As the lamb was dying, they were to think about their sins and remember again why the Saviour was coming to die for them. Abel brought the best of his lambs. He did everything God had asked of them, so God accepted his offering. But Cain brought fruit instead of a lamb. He brought it complaining to the altar, so God did not accept his offering. When Cain saw that God had not accepted his offering, he became very angry.

God then sent an angel to ask Cain why he was angry. The angel told him that God would accept his offering if he did it the right way. If Cain wanted to do it his own way, God would not accept it. Cain was also told that God loved him as much as He loved Abel, and, if he did the offering correctly, he would become the leader because he was the firstborn.

But even after all that the angel had said to him, Cain did not repent. He thought that Abel was God’s favorite, and that God was not fair even though the angel had told him God was. Cain then argued with Abel. Abel tried to calm him down and spoke to him nicely. Abel told Cain that God was right and fair, and that He loved them both. But Cain did not want to take any advice from Abel; after all, he was the oldest. He then got so mad that he killed his brother.

God came once again to talk with Cain. He asked him, “Where is Abel your brother?”

Cain replied, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”

God knew what Cain had really done. The Lord told him that, because of what he did, He would have to punish him. His punishment was that he was to leave home and become a fugitive and a vagabond. God also cursed the ground again for Cain’s sake. Never again would the things he planted come up good and healthy.

Cain thought his punishment was greater than he could bear. He was scared to go because he knew that anyone who found him would kill him. God then put a mark on Cain’s forehead, saying that whoever killed Cain would be punished sevenfold. So Cain left home and became a fugitive.

Thus Adam and Eve lost two sons on the same day. They were very sad, but God made them happy again when He gave them another son, who would be later followed by other brothers and sisters. The boy’s name was Seth, and he loved and obeyed God, which made his parents very happy.

The above is based on The Story of Redemption by Ellen G. White.