Genesis 4:3-5 (HCSB) – In the course of time Cain presented some of the land’s produce as an offering to the LORD. And Abel also presented an offering — some of the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions. The LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, but He did not have regard for Cain and his offering. Cain was furious, and he looked despondent.
I have come across a perplexing assumption in some church circles throughout the years for as to why God held in higher esteem Abel’s offering over Cain’s. In such settings, the explanation for it was grounded in God’s sovereignty. In other words, according to them Abel’s offering was held in a higher regard because God just mysteriously liked Abel’s better than Cain’s… case closed.
I guess that could be the reason, but only if we read these verses in isolation; coupled with the assumption that a sovereign God sometimes just expresses His preference for one thing over another. After all, God does have that right. No?
But, I’m not convinced here.
What Lies Behind Abel’s Offerings
It seems that when we approach this text with what the Bible offers elsewhere, another possibility emerges:
Hebrews 11:4 (HCSB) – By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was approved as a righteous man, because God approved his gifts, and even though he is dead, he still speaks through his faith.
When you read this reference, which was written thousands of years later, we get more insight into what lies behind the offering given by Abel. He gave his gift to God by something that his brother did not…
FAITH
It makes sense that only two verses later the author of Hebrews says this:
Hebrews 11:6a (HCSB) – Now without faith it is impossible to please God…
Loyalty
There’s a great lesson to be learned here. Bottom line, God is looking for and pleased with people who are both loyal and faithful. This story in Genesis 4 is about two brothers who brought offerings to God, where one had faith and one did not, and that alone is the difference between to two. If it was something else, however, let’s say the nature of the offerings themselves (animal vs. plant), we would then have to ask:
Why would God then later contradict this precedent by including grain offerings as being a legitimate part of the future sacrificial system requirements for the Israelites as outlined in the next four books of the Pentateuch?
The fact is (as the prophet Hosea would later point out) the offerings themselves are really not what God desires…
Hosea 6:6 (HCSB) – For I desire loyalty and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
Back To Hebrews
The writer of the book of Hebrews would then continue on for 35 verses, listing many individuals throughout the timeline of history, who also after Abel… did great things.
What was the common denominator of them all?
The beginning of verse 39 gives the answer…
Hebrews 11:39a (HCSB) – All these were approved through their faith…
May we also be approved by our faith as well.
Godspeed, to the brethren!
Photo credit: “OT0104.Cain and Abel” by pcstratman is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/?ref=openverse.
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