Genesis chapter four opens with a hopeful declaration from Eve – the mother of all living, (3:20) “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.” she exclaims. Her hopes that her first-born may be the promised deliverer are short lived however, as he disqualifies himself with the murder of his brother. In this one act, Cain renders Eve's words hollow. Neither he, nor Abel were the promised one. Instead, these early events in the biography of earth's first family further demonstrate the reach and horror of sin as it has obviously affected Adam, Eve, and now, their children. Proverbs 17:17 reminds us that in a fallen world, relationships that ought to be the closest and most loyal, are more ofter plagued with violent hostility. “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”: As the next chapter in Genesis testifies – sin does not dilute itself with the birth of a new generation, but instead, left to its own devices, it often manifests itself with even greater intensity. To this day, the latest generation of mankind are proving the sinful horror of the human condition unless and until they experience the redeeming power of Christ Jesus alone. In the meantime, the conflict between the seed of the serpent (Cain) and the seed of the woman (Abel) takes center stage in our text today...