First murder: Cain and Abel

[Emmylouwho]

Genesis chapter 4.

And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord.

2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord.

4 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:

5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

6 And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?

7 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.

8 And 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 slew him.

This also seems to be the first recorded instance of strife between humans in biblical history.

From reading this passage, it seems to me that Cain was jealous of Abel because God made it clear that he preferred Abel’s offering of meat to Cain’s offering of vegetables.

My questions are myriad. I’ll start with: Why did God care if it was meat or vegetables? Why was a meat offering better than a veggie offering? There is no reason to think that neither offering came from their heartfelt desires to please Him. Why couldn’t He have praised them both for doing their best? Bear in mind, these are brand-spanking-new people! They’re not mind-readers!

 

[Justified Sinner]

Abel offered his by faith (Heb 11:4). Cain did not as implied by Hebrews 11:4. It's impossible to please God without faith (Heb 11:6). So you're right. I'm not sure veggies or animal mattered. However, offering by faith does.

 

[Emmylouwho]

Abel offered his by faith (Heb 11:4). Cain did not as implied by Hebrews 11:4. It's impossible to please God without faith (Heb 11:6). So you're right. I'm not sure veggies or animal mattered. However, offering by faith does.

Hebrews was written thousands of years after Cain killed Abel.

Abel offered his by faith (Heb 11:4). Cain did not as implied by Hebrews 11:4. It's impossible to please God without faith (Heb 11:6). So you're right. I'm not sure veggies or animal mattered. However, offering by faith does.

You quoted Hebrews 11:4:

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.

... which didn’t answer any of my questions. Why was Abel’s offering better than Cain’s?

In fact, God had no respect for Cain’s offering at all:

4 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:

5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

 

[Justified Sinner]

The New Testament interprets the Old Testament. Hebrews answered your question. Abel's was better because he offered it by faith.

 

[Emmylouwho]

The New Testament interprets the Old Testament. Hebrews answered your question. Abel's was better because he offered it by faith.

By faith of what?

 

[Justified Sinner]

Faith in God, loving and trusting Him. Abel recognized he was a sinner. That was the purpose of the offering. He believed God would be gracious and merciful to Him. Because he believed God, God accepted His gift. Notice I didn't say he believed God existed. He believed God was gracious and merciful.

 

[Justified Sinner]

Emmylouwho, this is the same means by which God accepts you. He's not looking at your good works. Quite frankly, you are with the rest of us. Our good works stink. He's pleased by your faith. And here's the good news. The faith He requires He gives to you (Eph 2:8-9).

 

[ewq1938]

You were expected to give the best of what you had to God. Abel did that, Cain did not.

 

[Emmylouwho]

Faith in God, loving and trusting Him. Abel recognized he was a sinner. That was the purpose of the offering. He believed God would be gracious and merciful to Him. Because he believed God, God accepted His gift. Notice I didn't say he believed God existed. He believed God was gracious and merciful.

Hebrews 11:4 doesn’t say that.

 

[Emmylouwho]

Hebrews 11:4 doesn’t say that.

You were expected to give the best of what you had to God. Abel did that, Cain did not.

Cain was a tiller. What could he give other than fruit from his field?

 

[Justified Sinner]

You are right. It doesn't say that. However, faith is a dependence on something. Faith recognizes our sin and depends on God's grace and mercy.

 

[ewq1938]

Cain was a tiller. What could he give other than fruit from his field?

As I said, the issue is that Cain did not give the best that he had. It has nothing to do with meat vs. vegetables.

 

[coffee4u]

... which didn’t answer any of my questions. Why was Abel’s offering better than Cain’s?

Because God saw his heart and how the offering was given. Nothing to do with the fact that he gave vegetables, he could have given meat and it still would have been rejected. Cain didn't give of his best and he didn't offer it in love but because he had to. God wasn't interested in the vegetables so much as he was in his attitude in which it was given. This is also why God tells him that sin is crouching at his door and that he needs to master it. But Cain didn't want to hear that, he wanted to do what he wanted and proceeded to do just that.
Just like when God called David. God told Samuel, “Don’t look at his appearance or how tall he is, because I have rejected him. God does not see as humans see. Humans look at outward appearances, but the LORD looks into the heart” 1 Samuel 16:7. God saw Cain's heart was full of hate and that's why his offering was rejected. He wasn't there to repent for his wrongdoings but to show he had done this pesky ritual he knew he needed to do. Maybe Adam told him to go do it and he had grumbled all the way like a petulant child, who knows, but we can know his heart was not right.

 

[Emmylouwho]

Because God saw his heart and how the offering was given. Nothing to do with the fact that he gave vegetables, he could have given meat and it still would have been rejected. Cain didn't give of his best and he didn't offer it in love but because he had to. God wasn't interested in the vegetables so much as he was in his attitude in which it was given. This is also why God tells him that sin is crouching at his door and that he needs to master it. But Cain didn't want to hear that, he wanted to do what he wanted and proceeded to do just that.
Just like when God called David. God told Samuel, “Don’t look at his appearance or how tall he is, because I have rejected him. God does not see as humans see. Humans look at outward appearances, but the LORD looks into the heart” 1 Samuel 16:7. God saw Cain's heart was full of hate and that's why his offering was rejected. He wasn't there to repent for his wrongdoings but to show he had done this pesky ritual he knew he needed to do. Maybe Adam told him to go do it and he had grumbled all the way like a petulant child, who knows, but we can know his heart was not right.

That seems like speculation. The Bible doesn’t actually say that.

 

[coffee4u]

Seems very clear to me.

5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

6 And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?

7 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.

He gave his offering while in sin and sin is born in the heart and mind. From there he went out and murdered his brother so sin had overtaken him. The only speculation was the last bit which is why I used the words 'maybe' and 'we can't know'. We can't know how he appeared we can only speculate on that. Fact was God saw his heart and his heart was not right.

 

[childeye 2]

Genesis chapter 4.

And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord.

2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord.

4 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:

5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

6 And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?

7 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.

8 And 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 slew him.

This also seems to be the first recorded instance of strife between humans in biblical history.

From reading this passage, it seems to me that Cain was jealous of Abel because God made it clear that he preferred Abel’s offering of meat to Cain’s offering of vegetables.

My questions are myriad. I’ll start with: Why did God care if it was meat or vegetables? Why was a meat offering better than a veggie offering? There is no reason to think that neither offering came from their heartfelt desires to please Him. Why couldn’t He have praised them both for doing their best? Bear in mind, these are brand-spanking-new people! They’re not mind-readers!

This is how I see it.

Every offering given to God is only given from what God provides in the first place. So this is why first fruits are so important. When we give of the best of what God has given to us as an offering, it is an offering showing a true thankfulness in acknowledging that all things belong to God. Such thankfulness is good for us, and so God is pleased to have provided for us.

Cain's offering was not about being thankful to God nor do I believe he was even seeking to please God. But rather for Cain it was more about appearances sake and showing he is a good person by giving something to God. Therefore it was about vanity for Cain and he therefore took it personally and became jealous of his brother.

If for Cain it had sincerely been about pleasing God and not about looking good for appearance sake, then I would think Cain would have rejoiced with his brother, surmising that at least God was pleased with Abel's offering. I also think his countenance would not have been turned to anger, but rather a sorrow or regret that his offering had fallen short. Such godly sorrow would have enabled him to hope so as to try and do better. But instead he was wroth, and in his anger he killed his brother because such is vanity.

 

[ewq1938]

That seems like speculation. The Bible doesn’t actually say that.

It actually does:

"unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect" That's because the offering was not good:

"If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?" Cain did not do well regarding his offering.

"Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain" Again because of the above.

 

[Emmylouwho]

Cain offered what he had. Genesis doesn’t say much, but it does note the that one had animals, one had fields. Genesis doesn’t say why god was displeased with Cain’s gift. Cain and Abel are his grandchildren, for heaven’s sake! They each presented him with the fruits of their labor. If your grandchildren gave you gifts, would you say, I like that one, but I don’t like that one?

 

[ewq1938]

Cain offered what he had. Genesis doesn’t say much, but it does note the that one had animals, one had fields. Genesis doesn’t say why god was displeased with Cain’s gift. Cain and Abel are his grandchildren, for heaven’s sake! They each presented him with the fruits of their labor. If your grandchildren gave you gifts, would you say, I like that one, but I don’t like that one?

Cain and Abel are not God's grandchildren and it is clear that Cain's offering was not good enough because he didn't do well regarding the offering. It means he kept the best for himself and gave God the leftovers.

 

[mmksparbud]

Genesis chapter 4.

And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord.

2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord.

4 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:

5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

6 And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?

7 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.

8 And 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 slew him.

This also seems to be the first recorded instance of strife between humans in biblical history.

From reading this passage, it seems to me that Cain was jealous of Abel because God made it clear that he preferred Abel’s offering of meat to Cain’s offering of vegetables.

My questions are myriad. I’ll start with: Why did God care if it was meat or vegetables? Why was a meat offering better than a veggie offering? There is no reason to think that neither offering came from their heartfelt desires to please Him. Why couldn’t He have praised them both for doing their best? Bear in mind, these are brand-spanking-new people! They’re not mind-readers!

Gen 4:7 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.

Obviously, bel did not do well---Abel knew what God wanted. God does not accuse anyone of sin without cause, in other words, they have to know that something is wrong, in order for them to know not to do it. Both Cain and Abel therefor, had been told what God wanted as an offering and it was to be a blood offering as it had to be one when their parents sinned and the first animal sacrifice took place. This set up the animal sacrifice which pointed to the Sacrificial Lamb--Jesus. So, no, vegetables, couldn't cut it. Cain disobeyed in what God asked for.