Some amount of time has elapsed since verse 2. We do not know what has transpired since Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden but their sons have now come to offer something in worship, to Jehovah God. “Offerings” could refer to plants as well as animals (cf. 1 Sam. 2:17, 29). How did they know they should offer? How did they know what to offer? How did they know when to offer? How did they know God would be pleased with what they offered? The account was not written to give us a theology of worship but it does give us a picture of the first act of worship. From our perspective, we know that God communicates His will to man so man can walk by faith (cf. 2 Cor. 5:7). We presume that God told Cain and Abel the specifics relative to worship; if not to them, then to Adam before them. This act of worship is not connected to sin nor its atonement. It probably is simply an act of thanksgiving.
It is likely that God showed His respect for Abel’s offering by sending fire directly from heaven to consume it (cf. Lev. 9:24; Judges 6:21; 1 Kings 18:38). Why did God accept Abel’s offering but reject Cain’s? Various suggestions have been given:
1. God prefers shepherds over gardeners (but, see 2:15).
2. God prefers animal sacrifices, that is, blood sacrifices.
3. God prefers, at least through Genesis, the younger son over the older son.
4. Abel’s attitude in the offering was appropriate, while Cain’s was not.
5. Abel offered the best of what he had (Lev. 1:3; 22:20-22; 2 Sam. 24:24).
Do cialis buy uk not demonstrate anger once these side effects take place. It is important to identify the cause of lowest price on levitra ED and work through the emotional condition, which surrounds ED. But it levitra generic vs is better to consult doctor if you are not comfortable walking to your local chemist to buy these. Testosterone replacement refers tadalafil cheapest online to the replacement of the hormones.
We have no reason to believe #1 is an option. While it is true that blood sacrifices will be a part of the Mosaic law, God also commanded grain and cereal offerings so #2 is not an option. At this point in man’s history, #3 is not an option either. There is no indication here or elsewhere that God wanted Abel over Cain to carry on the Messianic promise. We are left with options #4 and #5, and probably both. There does seem to be an emphasis on Abel offering the best he had, the fattest that he had. Offering God our best always shows a high level of trust in God, that He will replace what we offer or at least see to our needs (cf. Eph. 3:20). Of course, we also know that Abel offered by faith (Heb. 11:4) and faith comes only from hearing God’s word (Rom. 10:17).
It is sad to see that the first act of murder grew out of the first recorded act of worship. Cain was extremely angry with God’s choice and his demeanor grew sad, depressed, despondent. Just as He did with Adam and Eve, God appears on the scene and asks Cain a question designed to encourage Cain to do some self-examination. First, God informs Cain that if he changes his behavior and “does good” (a verb based on the adjective “good”), he will also be accepted. However, if he does not do good, bad consequences will result. Sin, personified, crouches at the door, the door of his heart and mind, ready to pounce. As always, God acknowledges the free will Cain has. Cain has the ability, and the responsibility, to master the sinful feelings and thoughts he has. The words “desire” and “rule” are both repeated from God’s punishment of Eve from 3:16. Observe how frequently “brother” is used in verses 8-11 (6 times), illustrating the heinousness of the crime. Will Cain make the right choice?
Contemporaries in the text – Clearly God gives Cain the opportunity, under God’s gentle correction, to humble his heart, repent, and change the direction of his thoughts and therefore, his behavior. The point to make here is that Cain was always in control of himself and could have stopped himself from further sin.
Moses’ contemporaries – Israel will be required to offer the best they had, their first fruits and the best, or first, of their animals (Deut. 26:1-11; Lev. 22:20-22), including their firstborn (Exo. 13:2, 12-15). God will identify Israel as His “firstborn” in Exodus 4:22. “Fat” was considered the best part of the sacrifice and it belonged to Jehovah (Lev. 3:16; Deut. 32:38).
Later Hebrew writers – David acknowledges that he must offer to God something that is valuable, not the scraps (2 Sam. 24:24). The prophets will also challenge Israel to give to God what is best (Mal. 1:6-14). The sage will also warn that our hearts can make worship void (Prov. 21:27).
NT writers – It is a fact of spiritual life that man cannot walk by faith (2 Cor. 5:7) unless he hears a word from God (Rom. 10:17). So we know that God communicated to Cain and Abel the parameters for their worship and Abel worshiped within those parameters while Cain did not (Heb. 11:4). James (1:13-15) pictures sin as growing from desires into disobedience, a growth we see reflected in Cain’s heart and behavior.
Paul Holland
