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What was wrong with Cain's sacrifice compared to Abel's -- a lesson for our dayThe first sacrifice, (physical death) seen in the Bible is by God himself, who out of necessity slain an animal in front of the only two humans alive. “Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them’ (Gen. 3:21). He dressed them (Heb. Labash) to dress, wear; to be fully clothed. Man’s first clothing was the work of God, (typifying garments of salvation and the righteousness we would receive from Christ who would also die for sin). The death of an animal and dressing them was a physical illustration of the effect of sin. Covering is likened to the Hebrew root word kaphar, which is the word for atonement, to cover, to cover over with pitch (as in Noah’s ark), to purge, to make reconciliation, to propitiate, to atone for sin. The blood is poured out as a sin-offering, as we see this latter incorporated in the sacrificial system given to Moses and Israel. “And in the process of time it came to pass. The Hebrew literally reads “at a specific appointed time.” There was a fixed time in which the offerings were to be offered. This can’t be a free will offering because it was a specified time (appointed time). As indicated, both (Cain and Abel) brought them at the same time and to a specific place, but there is no mention of an altar. Cain was the farmer, “Cain brought of the fruit of the ground as an offering. (The Hebrew word – minchah) In order to have a blood-sacrifice, Cain would have had to purchase a sheep or a goat or some animal from his brother, by trading his grain. “Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock.” It was a firstling, a firstborn; and it was a blood sacrifice and of the fat thereof, which is later taught as the best part (Lev. 3:16). We read that Abel’s sacrifice was of faith performing his spiritual duty. They both had the same knowledge but Cain’s offering was not of faith, while Abel’s offering was an act of faith in response to knowledge. He was obedient, and God makes it plain by accepting it. This knowledge of what they were to bring is seen by going back to the only example the Bible gives, when Adam and Eve were being clothed. We find later that it was not having blood that Cain’s offering was not in faith. This is shown by God, as He respected Abel’s faith, and had respect for Abel’s offering, because it was of what was required. Abel’s slain animal was accepted by God while Cain’s offering was not. The way of Cain (Jude 1:11) Jude explains is by having no rule over them, disobedience is the way of man. Those who refuse to bring the sacrifice which God asks, and instead bring what they want. More importantly, the blood sacrifice pointed to Christ, as the last sacrifice. “to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.” (Heb. 12:24) The author is referring to what Abel brought as a sacrifice, the blood sacrifice pointed to Christ, as the last sacrifice. Though Abel was murdered by his brother, his offering shows us the way of our sin being covered. You can’t bring a sacrifice that is not required and give it in faith thinking it will be accepted when you are not being obedient to the word, it is not faith. 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.” By faith, Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice. It clearly states his sacrifice was better then Cain’s. Also, we know the content of what Abel did is important, (bringing a blood sacrifice) as the following passages after this follow the same pattern and deals with the content of their works that their faith led them to do. Heb 11:7 “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.” Again, it follows the same pattern, it says by faith, followed by the person’s name. Then it goes on to explain the works (or occupation) God provided for them to do. Again the content of their works were important. If content is not important in Abel’s case, then it is not important in Noah’s, which means Noah could have chosen to build a house instead of an Ark (which is what the Lord instructed) and everything would have been fine. We read in Gen. 6:22 “Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did.” v. 8 “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.” Again, the emphasis on following instructions. Heb. 11:5: “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.” How did he please God? By following instructions. How do we follow instructions? Instructions from God must always be followed by faith/trust. If you don’t have faith in God’s instructions, how will you do what he asks you to? So the content was important, as we will also see here. Heb. 12:24: “And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.” Again, the focus is on the subject of blood, what we can also derive from this passage is that it was an offering, a sacrifice to cover sin. If this was not a sin offering, then the author of Hebrews would have no right to compare the sacrifice of Abel to the sacrifice Jesus made, because they would be dealing with two different things. Abel’s offering must have been an offering to cover sins, since Jesus’ sacrifice was cover sins. I Jn 3:12: “not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother's righteous.” His work is that he brought, the wrong offering. It was not just his faith, this is why the bible says Abel’s sacrifice was more excellent which made him righteous. Works Gr. ergon-1) business, employment, what anyone is occupied with, that which one undertakes to do, an enterprise, an undertaking 2) any product whatever, anything accomplished by hand, art, industry, or mind 3) an act, deed, thing done; the idea of working is emphasized in opposition to what is less than work Heb 11:4: “By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.” It was his sacrifice that was more excellent, God gave witness he was righteous because of his obedience in what he brought in the offering (gifts). Gods witness was that he was cleansed and his brother was not. Hebrews: By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain (Heb. 11:4); Christ’s blood that speaks better than that of Abel (Heb. 12:24). The emphasis is on the blood, not just his attitude. God rejected Cain because Cain had no faith, and his lack of faith showed in his works, what he offered. There was no blood involved. We later learn in Lev. 17:11: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.”In Gen.4:7, God warns Cain, and gives him instruction: "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." Notice the emphasis is on what he does, in the overall context it means to offer a proper sacrifice, to obey God’s command.’ sin: “And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it. " Meaning, the sin nature is there exerting itself to rule Cain. It will try to have dominion over him but God’s intention is that you rule over it, to master it.It is the same construct and sentiment conveyed in the New Testament Rom 6:14: “For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.” This was always God’s intention, but it could not be accomplished under law. So God gave us grace that we may have victory. Because Abel was made righteous by the sacrifice he brought, Cain was overwhelmed with jealousy, guilt and anger. Instead of killing an animal in sacrifice he killed his brother instead. Cain tried to make his own way by divorcing himself from God’s way and hardened his heart even more after the Lord encouraged him to do what is right. Gen 4:8 Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. Maybe he discussed what happened and didn’t like his brothers reaffirmation of what God said, it may or may not have been premeditated. God knows. And He asks a question to get Cain to confess. Cain becomes the first man to lie by answering God: I know not. And mockingly states: am I my brother’s keeper? Cain refused to acknowledge his act, just as he refused to bring the right sacrifice to have his sins covered. God says The voice of your brother’s blood cries unto me from the ground. This is the first mention of blood and it is mans and it cries out for vindication. The next time we see a sacrifice is with Noah - was a man selected by God to preserve the human race because God was moved to enforce punishment for their evil ways. We read in Gen. 6:9-10: “Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.” Not understanding about the coming flood, Noah is instructed to build a large boat on land and he does so by faith. We see the whole world destroyed by the flood sent by God; only Noah and his family survive with the animals. In Gen. 7:1-2: ‘Then the LORD said to Noah, ‘Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation.’ You shall take with you seven each of every clean animal, a male and his female; two each of animals that are unclean, a male and his female.’ There was the distinction of clean and unclean animals. (this would not be applied to eating them until after the flood). When Noah enters the ark he is told to bring seven of the clean animals (for his sacrifices). Each extra clean animal was for sacrifice. When the waters receded and the ark landed Gen. 8:18-20: “So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives with him. Every animal, every creeping thing, every bird, and whatever creeps on the earth, according to their families, went out of the ark. Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.” Noah empties the ark of the animals and first thing done is he sacrificed. God renews the covenant with Adam “So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.” (Gen 9:1) And makes a new covenant (Gen. 9:9-13) never to destroy all flesh by a flood again.V.12 “And God said: "This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: and rainbow is the sign of the covenant between God and the earth to this day. 2 Pet. 2:5: ‘God not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly This sacrifice continues with Job, Abraham , Moses until the final and ultimate one takes place. In light of learning what Jesus’ sacrifice was based on, the example the bible illustrates throughout its history of redemption we can now understand what is wrong today. If one does not stand in the gospel and have an active life of cleansing by the blood of Christ they have no fellowship with God. They turn to other ways within the construct of Christianity to continue their religiosity. One of the flaws of experiential/experimental Christianity to satisfy their longing for the fellowship; a communion that that the Holy Spirit was sent to fill. They refuse to surrender and lay down their lives, they give God the time when its convenient for them. Today it is about all one can get from the Father without considering the Son; what does God have for me is not the way to approach him through the blood of the Son. Being content or repentant is necessary but it is not part of the lifestyle in the modern church. The example of someone bringing a grain offering is relative to Cain and it was rejected. He had no faith, was of the evil one, and killed his brother. Those who choose to adhere to their own ways within the church always persecute those who have the faith. No ones heart is good, therefore your deeds are not good? Preachers that teach God is love and accepts all that we do, is false, and they make the wrong doctrine what the Bible teaches. Cain’s heart needed to be right, but ALSO the sacrifice had be right for it to be accepted by God, and Faith must accompany the sacrifice otherwise it become a ritual. It is both his lack of faith and the wrong sacrifice that led to God rejecting him 1 Cor. 15:1-3: “Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you-- unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.” “To stand in the gospel” Strong’s Concordance defines histemi as a prolonged form of a primary stao (stah'-o) (of the same meaning, and used for it in certain tenses); to stand (transitively or intransitively), used in various applications (literally or figuratively): KJV-- abide, appoint, bring, continue, covenant, establish, hold up, lay, present, set (up), stanch, stand (by, forth, still, up). Hold fast, or keep adhering to and practicing what you first received. Christianity focus is on our sin and changing the nature of man from disobedience to obedience, from slaves to sin to slaves of righteousness. Rom 6:13 “And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.” V19 I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.” Rom 12:1: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” One cannot do both at the same time; either one is gravitating toward God by adhering to his word or they are going in the opposite direction being influenced by the world. Though none of us are purified it is a matter of discipline, spiritual discipline. Any neutrality allows one to be influenced by the world that is fallen and is anti God. The last sacrifice came by God who became a man to remove us from the darkness that did not comprehend the light. Jesus said, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. "The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. "But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! (Mt. 6:21-23) The world is filling up with sin, Jesus drank the cup of wrath for us (Jn.18:11), what a sacrifice. We drink the cup of communion as a reminder of what He did for us. There is a cup of indignation coming to the whole world, let us not forget this. In the meantime let’s be encouraged to press on in times of confusion and distress and keep our eyes on the lord and what He is doing. Heb. 12:1-2: “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” (portions taken from the book “the Gospel - What is the way of salvation?”)
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