What is the significance and nature of Cain and Abel’s gifts? What was the basis of their acceptance or rejection? Gen. 4:1-6 v. 3 (AKJV) And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering to the LORD. v. 4 (AKJV) And Abel, he also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect to Abel and to his offering: v. 5 (AKJV) But to Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
It appears that Cain was definitely an over the top kind of character. These were people that were apparently in very close proximity of God in a way that we do not typically experience. Cain’s parents walked with God in the garden. Cain and Abel knew by some means that they were supposed to give an offering. The kind of offering may have been described as a blood sacrifice, if so Cain rebelled at that point. I feel this is clearly indicated by Heb. 11:4 which pints out that Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice than Cain without an attitude being mentioned.
This verse further points out that God gave testimony to Abel’s gift not his attitude which would probably read in a KJV as him giving out of the abundance of his heart, or some such. [Heb 11:4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. ] “The LXX translation suggests that the problem with Cain and his offering is an error in a ritual detail of the sacrifice. Is Cain thus found right in offering (i. e. doing so) but guilty of offering a sacrifice that is not divided properly? ”[1] Dr. Henry Morris states, “Adam and Eve had no doubt instructed their sons that this required a substitutionary sacrifice of innocent blood (Gen 3:21), Cain however chose to bring another type of offering on this occasion. ”[2]
They knew right away that God did or did not accept the offering. “Not only was the sacrifice bloodless, but it had already been cursed by God, therefore, Cain added insult to injury (see Gen 3:17. )”[3] The Bible says that God talked with Cain about his offering and his angry countenance. Ge 4:5 But to Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. ] This kind of experiencing God was taking place, yet Cain was offering an inappropriate sacrifice with definitely an inappropriate attitude. “Cain gave out of formalism (it was time and custom to give), whereas Abel gave the best – pure devout worship. ”[4] This kind of rebellion is extreme, even by today’s standards. This is a Judas maneuver. Judas hung out with the Lord from day to day but rose up against him in spite of seeing the very attributes of God in flesh, so it is with Cain.
This constitutes rebellion in the face of God. This attitude of rebellion and cavalier response is now combined with anger directed toward God. The same idea was presented to Eve in the garden. This idea that God was being unfair, is an attitude from his spiritual father Satan. Now Cain wants to sit on the throne and decide for himself what kind of offering is ok. Then to further attest to the attitude, it manifests itself in the act of first degree murder. [Joh 8:44 You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do.
He was a murderer from the beginning, and stayed not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. ] [1Jo 3:12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And why slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous. ] Finally after Cain has disrespected God by the inappropriate offering with an unyielding attitude, he now chooses a path opposite from the mercy God has just extended to him, by killing Abel.
Then to ice the cake of ill doing when God approaches Cain with a rhetorical question of his whereabouts, he responds like an unyielding juvenile delinquent. You can sense the pout on his lips as he says to his Creator “How do I know, I don’t keep up with him” as he responds with a defiant rhetorical question of his own in which he repudiates any responsibility for his brother. [Ge 4:9 And the LORD said to Cain, Where is Abel your brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper? The family of Cain exists today in a spiritual sense and is the underlying force behind every persecution of believers, rebellion against God, and humanistic driven religious system that wants to come to God on their terms with no respect for the terms that God has mapped out from the foundation of the world. By faith Abel offered the better sacrifice and it is the only way to reconcile to God. [Eph. 2: 8 (AV) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Eph. 9 Not of orks, lest any man should boast. ]
References
- Righteous Abel, Wicked Cain: Genesis 4:1-16 in the Masoretic Text, the Septuagint, and the New Testament, Joel N. Lohr, Catholic Biblical Quarterly; Jul2009, Vol. 71 Issue 3, p489
- The Defenders Study Bible, Commentary Notes, Dr. Henry Morris, 1995 World Publishing, p. 15
- Wilmington’s Complete Guide to Bible Knowledge, OT Survey, 1992 Tyndale House Publishers, p. 22
- Liberty Bible Commentary – OT, Jerry Fallwell II, Edward E. Hindson III, Michael Woodrow Kroll, p. 24
