The Offerings of Cain and Abel, Genesis 4:1-7

 

Genesis 4:1-2a

Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the Lord.” ² Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel… 

Cain is called the man acquired. (Cain, means: acquired).

It appears Adam and Eve thought Cain was the Seed, to crush the serpent’s head and reverse the curse. No pressure, sugar Cain, but you’re going to save the world.

The only explanation for Abel is, his brother.

Who’s that? Oh, don’t mind him, that’s just Cain’s brother. You know Cain, the Golden Boy, the Man, the Seed, the Savior, of the world.  

Along comes baby Abel. Wait. What? We already have one of those. Why do we need another one? What a waste. It’s said that’s what Abel means; waste.

He’s just the brother. Second fiddle. Second best.

Perhaps you know all too well how that feels. Always overlooked. Never the center; always on the outside, in the shadow, looking in.

THE OFFERINGS

Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. ³ And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. ⁴ Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat.

And in the process of time it came to pass, literally means, at the end of day.  Finally, at the end of the day.

By comparison and context, it appears Abel may have regularly brought the firstborn of the flock. Then, finally, in the end, one day, Cain showed up, and brought an offering.

Abel brought the first (the best) and the fat (all the trimmings). Later in the Bible we learn, the fat offering is as a sweet-smelling aroma to the Lord.

Eventually, Cain brought, an offering, not first, not fat, just, an offering.

Was it leftovers?

And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, ⁵ but He did not respect Cain and his offering.

Wait. Shouldn’t that say God respected Cain and his offering? After all isn’t Cain the Golden Boy?

Besides, Cain’s offering looked a whole lot nicer than Abel’s.

Picture a beautiful fruit basket compared to the bloody carcass of a slaughtered lamb.

Cain’s church is polished and perfect stained glass and steeple. Abel’s is blood and guts and messy people.

God looks more at the offerer, than the offering. More at the giver, than the gift.

“I’m quitting the Church,” she told the Pastor.

“Why?” the Pastor asked.

“Because, of the people. They’re on their phones; they talk out of turn; they’re disrespectful and rude. It makes me so mad, I go home angry.”

“I see” nodded the Pastor. “Will you do me a favor before you go?”

“Sure, I suppose. What?”

The Pastor filled a glass of water to the brim and asked her to walk around the Church one time, without spilling a drop.

She agreed, reluctantly.

When she returned the Pastor asked. “Were you bothered by people on their phones? Talking out of turn? Or being disrespectful or rude?”

She shook her head. “Well of course not. I was too focused on the water so I didn’t spill a drop.”

The Pastor smiled. “Where ever you go, if you’ll focus that much on, The Living Water, you won’t even notice the phones, the talking, the disrespect; the sinners, just like you.”

 

To obey is better than sacrifice, to listen better than the fat of rams. Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness, as idolatry. 1 Samuel 15:22-23.

And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.

⁶ So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? ⁷ If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”

Cain and Abel went to worship. One looked at God. The other at his brother. One got blessed. The other got angry.

Cain may have been the favored golden child. Maybe they piled on him too many unrealistic expectations. 

Abel may have been overlooked, perhaps he was criticized too much, encouraged too little.

The Truth is we're not told. And that tells us all we need to know. The circumstances of our past, (or present) are never license to sin.

God gives Cain the simple clear answer with no psycho-babble. Do well and be well accepted. Don't do well, sin lies at door to control you. You must overcome it.

Not long ago, the serpent lay curled next to our steps. The steps from the Florida room into the carport. The steps where the grandkids would play.

I opened the door and there it lay. Fifteen feet of venomous death, ready to strike (okay, maybe it was more like five feet; alright, four—or three. No less. Looked like fifteen, though.)

The day before, my neighbor had left a long-handled scraper (like a hoe with the blade bent straight). It was meant to be used on our driveway, but that’s another story.

The scraper would work perfect as a snake guillotine.

With the door open, from the top of the steps, with guillotine raised, I aimed right behind the serpent’s head and dropped the blade with all my might.

The monster thrashed, like lightning bolts this way and that. It was only a matter of seconds, but felt like forever. He seemed to go faster and fast, instead of deader and deader.

I pressed down harder, but that just made him madder. I tilted the guillotine just a fraction, and he shot out and spun like a hockey puck, and then in a flash was gone.

Perhaps crushing, rather than chopping off, the head, would’ve been more successful. Afterall, God said the Seed would crush the serpent’s head. Genesis 3:15.

He’s still out there somewhere, getting bigger.  

Only Jesus will be able to crush sin forever.

Until then, sin lies at the door. You must overcome it.

Submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee. James 4:7.

Let’s pray.

Lord Jesus, we bring You our offering. Yet, what can a mere mortal, offer a King? We give You our life. And even then, we need Your mercy and grace to help us live in a way that our offering is acceptable to You; our Lord, and Savior, Maker, and King.

We love You, forever.

Amen.

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