Genesis 4

Adam and Eve get Busy. They have Cain (the oldest) who takes up his father’s farming occupation, and Abel who branches out into sheep herding. They both work hard at what they do and bring a gift to the God. Giving no explanation or reason God accepts Abel’s gift and completely rejects Cain’s. Apparently God doesn’t do the vegan thing. Then God tells Cain:

If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. – Genesis 4:7

God is telling Cain that he needs to suck it up because if he doesn’t then he may have the urge to “sin” and may not have the willpower to resist. Here’s the problem. God is omniscient. He knew from moment one that he was setting Abel up to be killed by his brother. He already knows that he won’t be able to resist. So Cain kills Abel, then God shows up and freaks out that Abel is dead.

And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground. – Genesis 4:10

Once again; omniscient. Where’s the shock coming from. He set Cain up to take the fall just so that he could punish him. He curses him so that he can no longer farm any longer and forces him to wander leave his home and live as a vagabond. As a parting gift God marks Cain with a big sign that says “If you kill this man God will make you suffer.”

Cain settles down. Apparently God’s “vagabond” curse didn’t take. It’s unclear what his occupation is, but Cain takes a wife, they start begetting, and he builds a city. Fast forward onto Lamech, which is the Great Great Great Great Great Gandson of Adam and Eve. All of the sudden we’re hit with:

And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew. – Genesis 4:25

OK, so Adam and Eve are still alive. Still haven’t died at this point even after eating the apple. The tree of life packs a big enough punch that Adam and Eve are still going strong 90+ years later and are active enough to make new children.