God rejected Cain's offering because of Cain's intent, not because of the offering itself. Nowadays, when we offer God our time, money, skills, and other resources to God, few of us hear an explicit, physically audible voice saying, "Dude, your offering sucks. Try again." If we are in true fellowship with God, though, we should probably be able to tell if we're making our offerings with a sincere heart. I myself sometimes wonder if I'm just going through the motions when I offer my funds and services to God. It's not that I resent doing so--it's just that I often don't approach them prayerfully like I know I should. Part of the problem may be that I've been doing the same tasks for so long that it's become rote. Routine is comfortable, but change can force me to ruminate (but not like a cow or giraffe) on the purpose behind my actions.
The image of sin crouching at one's door in verse 7 is rather horrifying--I know that if I'm not vigilant about maintaining my relationship with God all the time, I can very easily slip up, leading to an unhealthy and ever regressing concatenation of events that I will surely regret. God provides the ultimate joy and peace, but the pleasures of this world, especially those that detract from God, can be so alluring. Now, I don't think God calls us all to be ascetics, giving up all film, literature, art, music, games, sports, and entertainment altogether. (I hate to say this, but the vast majority of Christian films tend to be cheesy, with odd, if not downright poor, aesthetic and narrative qualities). But when it's carried to excess--which I admit to--it can debilitate one's spiritual life by gobbling up time that could be devoted to God.
Cain thinks he can get away with the murder of Abel, but in verse 10, Abel's blood cries out from the earth. If course, God doesn't need to create blubbering blood to tell if someone has been murdered, but it's a vivid, haunting image that reminds drives home the point that God can see everything. So play nice!
Lamech comes off as a watermelon-sized scumbag, as seen in his boast in verses 23 and 24. His arrogance, thinking he can not only usurp God's authority but augment it as well--turning God's curse of seven to an inordinate seventy-seven--establishes a precedent that continues to today. When I try to wrest control from God, thinking I can solve my little peccadilloes on my own, they soon inflate into full-blown spiritual transgressions, hanging over my head like flatulent blimps. Independence is highly-valued in today's society, and in many cases, it's justified. Yet just as I rely on an airplane pilot to fly me safely to my destination because he knows more about planes than I do, I rely on God to guide me spiritually and morally because He is the absolute authority in these areas--among many others, of course.
However, Lamech's line did pioneer husbandry, technology, and music. I don't think anyone's sorry that humans have been able to develop these skills, but they are amoral constructs, capable of being used for both exemplary good and baleful evil. In the end, I believe that God is vital to keeping us focused on the right path. That doesn't mean that I suddenly, upon conversion, became incapable of making any mistakes or doing any harm. I can't speak for others, but I know that when I focus on God, He gives me tranquility, felicity, and motivation for me to take my thumb out of my anus and accomplish something, no matter how insignificant it may be.
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