Love no less than justice demanded that for this sin judgment should be inflicted. God is the guardian as well as the sovereign of His people. He cuts off those who are determined upon rebellion, that they may not lead others to ruin. In sparing the life of Cain, God had demonstrated to the universe what would be the result of permitting sin to go unpunished. The influence exerted upon his descendants by his life and teaching led to the state of corruption that demanded the destruction of the whole world by a flood. The history of the antediluvians testifies that long life is not a blessing to the sinner; God's great forbearance did not repress their wickedness. The longer men lived, the more corrupt they became.

Det var lige så meget af kærlighed som af retfærdighed, at denne synd blev straffet. Gud er sit folks hersker, men også dets vogter. Han fjerner dem, der vil gøre oprør, for at de ikke skal føre andre i ulykke. Da Gud skånede Kains liv, viste han dermed universet, hvad resultatet ville blive af at lade synden ustraffet. Den indflydelse, Kains liv og undervisning øvede over hans efterkommere, førte til en fordærvelse, der nødvendiggjorde hele verdens tilintetgørelse ved en vandflod. Menneskenes historie før syndfloden viser, at et langt liv ikke er til nogen velsignelse for syndere. I sin store overbærenhed standsede Gud dem ikke i deres ondskab. Jo længere menneskene levede, des mere fordærvede blev de.