Cain and Abel (Teacher's Notes)
Artwork: Sheila Hamil
This song tells of the first murder ever recorded in the Bible.
Cain and Abel were sons of Adam and Eve. Cain was jealous of his younger brother because he saw that God had looked with favour on Abel’s offering,
and had rejected his. In one day Adam and Eve lost both sons. Abel was dead and Cain had now run off to a far away land called Nod.
What do you think were Cain’s main reasons for running away and not owning up to what he had done?
(guilt? grief? fear of punishment? shame? horror? his inability to face his parents?)
Take some dominoes and stand them upright in one long line with a small gap between each one. Then knock the first one over in the direction of the others.
What happens? What does this teach us? (There are consequences to pay when we do wrong. Others are affected by our actions. Some of the damage done may never
be put right, even though we may later come to know God’s forgiveness.)
Have you ever done something very wrong? Were there any consequences to your actions?
Make a WANTED poster for Cain. It should contain a portrait of him and a description. It may give details of his whereabouts or even the price on his head.
OR you could do a MISSING poster on behalf of his parents.
2 Cain and Abel : Genesis 4. 1-16
(to the tune ‘This Old Man’)
Eve bore Cain, her first born son
Abel was her second one
With a knick knack paddy whack
She was not alone,
Adam helped her in - the - home.
Cain and Abel, brothers two
Fine and tall and strong they grew
With a knick knack paddy whack
Even when they’d grown
They had strengths to call - their - own
Cain was ‘able’, he grew seed,
He was gifted yes indeed
With a knick knack paddy whack
Gave God what he’d grown
Abel gave fat meat - on - bone.
Abel’s gift was loved the more
Sin came crouching at Cain’s door!
With a knick knack paddy whack
Jealousy is sin
So he ‘did his bro- ther - in’!
“Where is Abel, is he alive?”
I don’t know, said Cain who lied.
With a knick knack paddy whack
Listen hear the sound
Abel’s blood cries from - the - ground.
Abel’s death was cold and slick
What was done Cain could not fix!
With a knick knack paddy whack
He ran away from God
Off he fled to a land - called - Nod!
© words Sheila Hamil 2012