Cain – The Man God Did Not Respect
And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord… And the Lord…did not respect Cain and his offering. – Genesis 4:3-5
But then, what could be the reasons God accepted Abel’s offering, whereas Cain had both his person and his sacrifice rejected? While there have been many submissions on what might be responsible, the Bible does not expressly provide a detailed background on what led to what. However, there is a reason to draw a strong inference from the events leading to that point to help us know why Abel was accepted and Cain was rejected.
Let’s consider the passage below:
And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering… – Genesis 4:3-5 [Emphasis ours]
This passage helps to see that it was the extra effort that Abel put in that got him accepted by God, whereas indifference might have cost Cain so dearly as to have him rejected by God. This is because the Bible provides additional information about the kind of offering that Abel brought, the firstling and the fattest, there was no such descriptor to qualify Cain’s own sacrifice.
That suggests he probably just picked whatever came to hand for the sacrifice and was not deliberate in choosing the best and the premium of his harvest as his present to God. And because God is very choosy and rather discriminating (yes, you read that right, God is very picky) as to the kind of offering that is presented to Him, He refused to acknowledge both Cain and his offering.
Therefore, Cain went down on record as the first man to be rejected by God because he was rather random and carefree in the choice of sacrifice he offered to God, unlike his younger brother who went out of his way to pick the very best among his flock as presents to God. That is a mark of honor.
It is possible that many of us today may be falling guilty of the same mistake that Cain made by not being deliberate in the service we render to God. This is even more tricky in our days where we do not really offer tangibles such as animals and farm produce to God. Our time, our attention, our efforts, our money, and our priorities are the sacrifice that we mostly offer to God today. The big question is, what is the quality of these resources that you devote to God? Is the quality premium or questionable?
As far as God is concerned, there is no middle way. You are either pleasing or displeasing Him. The same applies to your service to Him, whether quality or poor. The offering that is acceptable to God is the one without blemish, that means it must be of the highest standard. Please take some time to read in detail the kind of offering God accepts here.
God has described Himself as a jealous God, which means He has sensibilities which can be gratified when pleased, or offended when His preferences are not met, ignored, or disregarded. May you not be reckoned as someone who displeases God.
Selah!
Also read:
- Men in the Bible: The Man God Did Not Respect (1)
- The Offering that God Accepts (2)
- The Vital Equation
- God Brought Me Through!
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