Topic(s): Bible Study, God's Will

Bob Prichard

Cain and Abel were the first two sons of Adam and Eve. “Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground” (Genesis 4:2). After a time, both sons came to offer sacrifices to God. “Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell” (Genesis 4:3-5). Both men brought sacrifices. Abel’s was acceptable to God, but Cain’s was not. In his anger over the event, Cain wound up murdering his brother.

What was wrong with Cain’s sacrifice? After all, he as a “tiller of the ground,” made an offering to the Lord. Was his not acceptable because his was not a blood offering, as was Abel’s, or is there another explanation?

Under the Levitical sacrifice system, introduced later by Moses, God required grain offerings, such as Cain must have offered. “And when any one offereth an oblation of a meal-offering unto Jehovah, his oblation shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense thereon” (Leviticus 2:1 ASV). “Meat offering” in the KJV translation simply means food offering. Since God required grain or meal sacrifices, under the law of Moses, it is unlikely that He would have earlier rejected Cain’s offering just because it was not a blood offering. Part of Cain’s problem likely was his attitude. He probably begrudged his giving, while Abel sacrificed willingly. God has always wanted each of His followers to be a “cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).

When God “had not respect” to Cain’s offering, He was still offering Cain the opportunity to correct his error. “And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him” (Genesis 4:6-7). God promised Cain that if he would do well, He would accept him. Unfortunately, he did not choose to do what God required. Since the sacrifices of Cain and Abel are the first ones mentioned in the Bible, God must have revealed to them what He wanted. “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” (Hebrews 11:4). God must have given instructions of what He required, so Cain’s sacrifice must have not been “by faith.”

We worship “by faith” when we worship exactly according to God’s will. We do not have the option of worshipping “our way,” the way we want to, instead of God’s way. “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). Man’s way is vain. “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:8-9)