What do you believe is the reason the Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor (Genesis 4:4)? However, there was a wonderful blessing. To go past the felt board and really look at the tragedy and find the hope of the Gospel buried within these few verses brings a freshness to this story and gives its truths more impact and makes them more memorable. 11:7) and whose prayer is therefore his delight, Prov. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell. Also, throughout Leviticus many different types of offerings are described, including grain offerings. So, what’s the ultimate answer to God preferring Abel’s offering? animals. He was a wicked man and thus God did not accept his sacrifice. concerning offerings. Although my understanding is that the word translated offering is different than the word translated as sacrifice, so the issue of blood sacrifice may not apply? Was Cain’s offering rejected because it was not of superior quality? The brothers made sacrifices to Yahweh, each of his own produce, but Yahweh favored Abel's sacrifice instead of Cain's. Cain then murdered Abel, whereupon Yahweh punished Cain by condemning him to a life of wandering. Cain was also angry with Abel. Cain was arrogant and angry. His sullen churlish countenance, and a down-look, betrayed his passionate resentments: he carried ill-nature in his face, and the show of his countenance witnessed against him.” ~ Matthew Henry. Praise God for His awesome attributes and may we all pray that God will convict us of our sin and grant us repentance before sin consumes us. This response is hardly unfair or unjust. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. Abel was a gentle shepherd that offered an acceptable sacrifice. This is revealed in the next few verses. Our duty is to make sure that our actions are right and that our hearts are in the right place. We cannot worship God however we feel and expect God to accept our worship. were not necessarily the best crops - they may have been damaged and/or been what Cain considered But have you ever taken the time to really dig into this story? The Bible itself is the number one resource for interpreting itself! and then sacrificing one of the youngest, and he offered the choicest parts. It is revealed right away in the story of Cain and Abel. 2017. Genesis 4:3-5. Abel was So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell. Was it because of the type or quality of the offering, the heart of the offerer, or something else? It’s reasonable and logical to think they must have had some instruction in how to make offerings to the Lord. 3). With a dedicated kids area, a space for private functions and a variety of food to choose from, we look forward to seeing you enjoying your time with us.. This foreshadowed the blood sacrifices that were later delineated in Levitical Law and ultimately Jesus Christ as the only blood sacrifice that could truly atone for our sin. This practice of blood being shed for the atonement of sin is foreshadowing Jesus shedding His blood as the ultimate Atonement of the sin of God’s children. “It is a certain sign of an unhumbled heart to quarrel with those rebukes which we have, by our own sin, brought upon ourselves.” ~ Matthew Henry. Cain was either claiming he was without sin, thus was not in need of atonement or he was rejecting the form of worship that God had established that would be pleasing to Him. But once again, Scripture never makes the connection explicit, so this explanation remains speculative—albeit backed by more circumstantial evidence and reasonable assumptions based on Scripture. This is a shadow of our gentle Shepherd who became the perfect Lamb and was offered up as the perfect sacrifice. Tomorrow, we will further explore the differences between Cain and Abel’s offerings. This is another reminder to us that we cannot worship God however we feel and expect God to accept our worship. It could have been that God hadn’t given specific instructions for sacrifices, and thus that Cain legitimately didn’t realize his offering was inferior in type or quality. Cain could not claim ignorance regarding this truth because God had sacrificed the first animal to cover Adam and Eve’s shame of sin. Answer: The stories of the first act of worship in human history and the first murder are recorded in Genesis chapter 4. Later in Levitical Law, we see that God required firstfruits in grain offering as well (Leviticus 2:14). One reason is the difference in the character of Cain and Abel. And why did he murder him? Compounding this is that Hebrews 11:4 can be read/interpreted in two different ways: was Abel’s sacrifice “more excellent” solely because it was offered by faith, or was it one of the other reasons previously discussed? This would imply that Cain. He respects one offering and rejects another, ultimately, for His own reasons and pleasure—and isn’t that the Creator’s prerogative? God’s sovereign choice. Finally, P.D., thank you for remembering to start with Scripture when interpreting Scripture. But, ultimately, does it matter? Obviously his murder of his brother was, but Scripture says evil works preceded the murder, so it must be talking about other evil works. And the Lord had regard for Abel and for his offering; but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. (Gen 4:7). Abel was a gentle shepherd that offered an acceptable sacrifice, a shadow of Christ. At any rate, his heart was not right before the Lord, and his offering was not in faith as was his brother’s. In the previous chapter, we read of the consequences of Eve’s sin. In his landmark book The Genesis Record, the late Dr. Henry Morris, one of the founders of the modern creation movement, speculates on why Cain’s offering was rejected: The Bible does not actually say specifically whether such sacrifices had been commanded by God, or whether the practice arose merely as a spontaneous expression of thanksgiving and worship. While we’ve seen some implied and circumstantial evidence for why God rejected Cain’s offering, the New Testament comes to the rescue in giving more explicit reasons for why Cain’s offering was rejected: It’s important for us to keep both verses in mind: not only was Abel’s offering more excellent and offered by faith; the Bible also tells us Cain’s works were evil. Was it because of the HEART of the person making the offering? This begs the question: which of Cain’s works were evil? What could they have been? Not only that, but the law given to Moses specifically requires the sacrifice (or redemption) of the firstborn of livestock (Exodus 13:2, 34:19) and specifies the inclusion and significance of the fat (Leviticus 3:9–10, 16; 4:19–20, 25–26). Jesus fits into the role of both the Shepherd and the Lamb. (Genesis 4:2-5) Abel was a gentle shepherd that offered an acceptable sacrifice. Secondly, Cross refers to And Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. Internet Explorer is no longer supported. "extra" or "leftover." This blessing would even eclipse the curse of the pain of childbirth. The lesson of Cain is that sin and rebellion runs through our attitudes and our actions, and that the two ultimately cannot be divorced. Why did God accept Abel's offering and reject Cain's? Therefore, God rejected his gift. Terms of Service apply. I would add that Cain's reply to God in Genesis 4:9 Cain, on the other hand, brought crops, which You're almost done! “Though Eve bore him with the sorrows that were the consequence of sin, yet she did not lose the sense of the mercy in her pains. Cain’s “evil” could have been his sinful attitude; although this does not seem to fit as an actual “work” of evil. But Abel brought a sacrifice of atonement, the blood whereof was shed in order to remission, thereby owning himself a sinner, deprecating God’s wrath, and imploring his favour in a Mediator.” ~ Matthew Henry. Error: There is no connected account for the user 4017433232 Feed will not update. God had respect to him as a holy man, and therefore to his offering as a holy offering.” ~ Matthew Henry. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. Finally, God did not punish Cain until after Cain murdered Abel. Adam and Eve were humbled at the mercy of God, they were joyful at the fulfillment of the prophecy, and were hopeful in the greater prophecy. The question remains, was Cain at fault for not offering the right kind of sacrifice? There are likely several reasons. Any Bible reader should not be surprised by this. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. However, you are ridiculed, hated, and persecuted for no reason. Abel was a gentle shepherd that offered an acceptable sacrifice, a shadow of Christ. offering was wrong in some way, as well as implying that he did not act out of faith. You may try to live a quite life (1 Thessalonians 4:11) and pursue holiness (Hebrews 12:14). Just as the pride of Adam and Eve thinking they could be like God lead them into sin, Cain’s pride starts him down a path that would end in misery. We can’t say for certain that the quality of Cain’s offering was inferior. 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