In Genesis Cain and Abel both make sacrifices to God. Abel keeps sheep and he offers the fat of the firstlings of his flock, which pleases God. Cain is a tiller of the ground and offers the fruits of the ground and God is unimpressed with this.
Why is this? Is it simply because the fat of a sheep is worth more in richness than fruit or vegetables? Or is there more to it?
2007-10-17 18:39:54 · 31 answers · asked by ♫Erica♫ 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Cain served God - a little bit. Why was Cain's sacrifice unacceptable? He did not live by faith - trusting God!
God rejected Cain's offering not because the kind of offering was wrong, but because he was not right with God, a fact clearly demonstrated in the deliberate word order of verses 4 and 5: The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. God accepts Abel but not Cain. Abel came to God out of a broken and contrite heart. Cain's heart was not right. He did not have a genuine and proper relationship with God, as the next scene will go on to reveal (see vv. 7-16 and 1 John 3:12). Consequently, Abel's sacrifice pleased God, while Cain's did not. In short, Cain was simply going through the motions. He was "playing church".
asleep
2007-10-17 18:44:58 · answer #1 · answered by asleep 2 · 6⤊ 1⤋
Because, as any sheperd can tell you, it is far more difficult to raise sheep than crops. Abel's sacrifice was a demonstration that he beleived God to be more valuable to him than the best livestock which he had invested heavily in. On the other hand, Cain made a lesser sacrifice, giving up only vegtables (or fruit).
In short, Cain does not give up anything that he can't afford to lose, while Able gives the very best of his flock, on which he was probably dependent. Because the Bible puts an emphasis on Abel giving the firstlings of his flock, most scholars beleive this means that Cain kept the best of his crop for himself.
It is doubtful that God preffered meat to vegtables or vice versa. Instead, most beleive that it was the motivation and attitude that made Abel's sacrifice superior to his brother's.
2007-10-17 18:50:13 · answer #2 · answered by Gordon B 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cain and Abel, the sons of Adam and Eve, "in the course of time" brought offerings to the Lord (Genesis 4:3). Without doubt, they were doing this because God had revealed it to them. Some question, “How were Cain and Abel supposed to know what to sacrifice?” The answer is that God must have instructed them. It is clear that the offering was to be a substitutionary atonement, because we read in Hebrews 11:4, "By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did." When Abel came for worship, it was by faith that he brought his offering, "fat portions from some of the first-born of his flock" (Genesis 4:4). The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, and it was accepted.
His brother Cain brought "some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord" (Genesis 4:3). But on Cain and his offering the Lord did not look with favor. We do not know how He expressed His rejection, but it was evident. In Jude’s epistle, verse 11, we read, "They have taken the way of Cain," referring to lawless men. This may mean that they, like Cain, disobediently devised their own ways of worship; they did not come by faith. Cain’s offering, while acceptable in his own eyes, was not acceptable to the Lord. The result was that Cain became very angry, and later, in the field, he killed his brother Abel (Genesis 4:8).
2007-10-17 18:47:31 · answer #3 · answered by Freedom 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Bible is not very specific about this, but one can just discern that Cain heart was not set in God's ways; otherwise, Cain would have found a way to correct what was wrong with his sacrifice. Instead, he decided to take a burst anger and jealousy towards his brother and strike him death.
The sacrifices presented to God by Abel and by Cain is a perfect example that God only approves of one true way of worship and that all others are false. Cain was officially the founder of false religion.
2007-10-17 23:18:15 · answer #4 · answered by Aeon Enigma 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Cains heart was not that of Abel after all Cain slew Abel not the other way around.
Read Lev 17:11 and Hebrews 9:22
Then you will see Cains ofer was not proper, but Abel was, Cain tried to make HIS own rules instead of following Gods
Abel followed Gods rules.
2007-10-17 18:55:52 · answer #5 · answered by Darcy G 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First of all Abel took the time to give off the top to the Lord...in other words he gave the best of his sheep and the first of the best to the Lord..get it...
Cain on the other hand just picked out some fruit and did not think about giving the first fruits...he just to "SOME" fruit and gave it to the Lord...I guess he did this without thinking or without love in his heart....read the text...as you can see later...the Lord already knew what was in Cain's heart
2007-10-17 19:04:13 · answer #6 · answered by sweet_kitty_blue_eyes 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God preffered Abel's offering to Cain's; later in the Old Testament both animal and agricultural ifferings were accepted by God. Quite possibly, Cain's problem was his attitude. Cain certainly became instantly angry with God when things did not go his way.
If you continue reading on the Bible about offerings, offerings made were the best of their crops or livestocks for others.
2007-10-17 18:58:10 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Animal sacrifices were a representation of God sacrificing his son for the sake of the world. If Cain was commanded to do a specific sacrifice and then had the audacity to tell God that he wouldnt do it that way then it is showing a direct defiance to God and a lack of faith in the atonement.
Cain had a personal relationship with God, as close as pretty much any human can have, and he turned his back on Gods teachings. He proved that his heart was about as hard as a heart can get. This is the man that thought he could actually lie to God and get away with it.
2007-10-17 18:49:00 · answer #8 · answered by cadisneygirl 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
It was because it didn't involve blood! Blood was the token requirement for the sin sacrifice. What Cain should have done since he was a farmer and not a shepherd, was to barter some of his garden for a properly cared for sacrificial lamb and sacrifice it. There's no doubt Cain's garden bounty wasn't good, but it simply wasn't bought or covered with blood.
2007-10-18 06:08:55 · answer #9 · answered by bigvol662004 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My pastor explained this like this..... The animal sacrifice is what cain knew he was supposed to offer. Even though he was a "farmer" he still was supposed to offer the animal sacrifice. In the old testament there were different sacrifices and offerings for different reasons but it doesn't have to do with the "profession"of the person offering. Does that make sense?
2007-10-17 18:44:47 · answer #10 · answered by kristi p 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋