cain and his offering

[teagranny]

I am not sure if this is the right spot for this question.

Please talk to me about how Cain and Able knew they were to make an offering to the Lord?
Why wasn't Cain's offering acceptable?

I know the Lord made skins for Adam and Eve so I wonder if that was the first sacrifice and also the teaching of offering an animal/blood not vegetables.


thank you.

 

[Keachian]

I am not sure if this is the right spot for this question.

Please talk to me about how Cain and Able knew they were to make an offering to the Lord?
Why wasn't Cain's offering acceptable?

I know the Lord made skins for Adam and Eve so I wonder if that was the first sacrifice and also the teaching of offering an animal/blood not vegetables.


thank you.

Well, you appear to have already come to a conclusion, but let's run this down anyway.

"In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard."

Common theological understanding is that Cain did not bring of his firstfruits, in fact we see in Exodus that fruits are an acceptable and encouraged offering to God "The best of the firstfruits of your ground you shall bring to the house of the LORD your God."(Ex 34:26) so that's just as likely as what you propose.

In some ways you are right that we view the Lord's act of killing and skinning the animals to make clothes as a sacrifice, it is also very messianic in my opinion and points more to Christ who by his sacrifice clothes us in pure righteousness, not really a showing of sacrificial law, just as the sacrifices in the Law point us to Christ (Hebrews 10)

 

[Shane R]

There are two approachs to your question.
1) Cain's offering was unacceptable because it was not a blood sacrifice
2) Cain's offering was unacceptable because it was not his first-fruits - or it was less than his best

Essentially, either the offering was the wrong type or it was the wrong quality. I favor the second idea. Many non-blood sacrifices were offered under the Law, so I don't see any reason to think God did not have a purpose for such sacrifices under the Patriarchs.

 

[juvenissun]

I am not sure if this is the right spot for this question.

Please talk to me about how Cain and Able knew they were to make an offering to the Lord?
Why wasn't Cain's offering acceptable?

I know the Lord made skins for Adam and Eve so I wonder if that was the first sacrifice and also the teaching of offering an animal/blood not vegetables.


thank you.

The first one is interesting.

It is only a possibility. Cain and Abel make offerings because they learned it from their father, Adam.

But the question is not answered: Who told Adam that he should(?) give offering?

People had no need to make offering until God tells them so at a much later time. So, I don't have an answer to this one.

Of course, we can imagine: Adam missed the good life in the Garden, so he prayed with such a ritual to show his repentance. But I think there should be a more rigorous answer.

 

[teagranny]

Juven good point, God does instruct on making sacrifices later on so it does seem redundant if He had already showed an example.

Except perhaps the first time was just a simple one and then later He gave more detail.... wondering.

Shane, I can't believe I didn't see that before, Abel brought the first while Cain brought some, clearly not the first or best.
That must be it.

Progmonk,
How do you equate the meaning of wondering with the meaning of conclusion?
perhaps while you are checking these definitions you could also check condescension.

 

[miamited]

hi teagranny,

My understanding runs along similar lines as what juvenissun, has written. Surely, we can all understand that 2 or 3 pages of written text is not the full account of God's dealings with Adam and Eve or Cain and Abel. The Scriptures tell us that Adam walked with God and so, yes, I'm confident that there was a lot of information and conversation made with Adam, Eve, Cain and Abel and probably even others of the first generations that we are not privey to. The Scriptures also tell us that Enoch the seventh from Adam also walked with God and then God took him.

So, as to how Cain and Abel knew to make sacrifices I can only imagine that that was discussed in one of their conversations with God or them with Adam who had gotten it from God.

As to why Cain's sacrifice was unacceptable, yes, we also have to make some assumptions about that, but never should we not understand that whatever the reason it is a righteous one and God was right in denying Cain's sacrifice. One thing to consider that goes along with what has been mentioned here regarding the quality of the 'first' fruits or animal to be sacrificed is the sacrifices of Israel and of Jesus. Yes, throughout all of the Scriptures Israel was always commanded to make their sacrifice of the best of what they had, not just any or the overflow or the least, but their sacrifices were always to be the best. The passover lamb had to be a lamb without spot or blemish.

So, since we aren't privey to the actual conversation or command that led Cain and Abel to make sacrifices to the Lord we can't be absolutely sure what the failing in Cain's offering was. Another point is the heart of the one making the offering. The Scriptures speak of when we make an offering that we also must have a pure heart and the conversation between God and Cain after the fact of Abel's murder would seem to indicate that God knew that Cain's heart wasn't pure either. So, there's another possible reason that his sacrifice may not have been acceptable.

God bless you.
In Christ, Ted

 

[Keachian]

Progmonk,
How do you equate the meaning of wondering with the meaning of conclusion?
perhaps while you are checking these definitions you could also check condescension.

Sorry, must have missed "wondering" it was also not my intention to be condescending so I'm sorry that my response was taken that way

have a blessed day

 

[teagranny]

Ok Progmonk thank you.

Onward and upward.

 

[teagranny]

miamited, good points to remember in any discussion of scripture.