Page 42 - Bible History

II. THE D CENDANTS OF ADAM AND EVE
1. CAIN AND ABEL
When God expelled Adam from Paradise, He said to him, "In the sweat of thy face thou shalt eat thy bread." That meant that he would have to work ve hard to make a living. Adam and Eve told their chil­ dren the story of their happiness in Paradise and how they had lost it through sin. They were very sorry that they had disobeyed God. Yet they did not lose courage. God had cursed the serpent. He had prom­ ised that a woman would crush his head. They told their children that some day God would save them from the e ects of their sin.
Adam and Eve had many children. The eldest were Cain and Abel. Cain made his living from the fruits of the elds, the trees, and the vines. Abel was a shep­ herd. He led his sheep over the plains, seeking for pasture.
Adam and Eve taught their children how to adore God. They adored Him by giving back to Him some of His fts. These gifts they burned up so that they couldneverbegiventoanyoneexcepttoGod. Suchan o ering we call a sacri ce. It tells God that we wish to honor Him as our Creator, and that we know that we belong to Him and depend upon Him for all things.
One day Cain and Abel o ered sacri ces to God. Cain o ered the fruits of the elds, while Abel placed
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