Cain and Abel: Two Ways to Worship God | Genesis 4 Reflection

 

CAIN AND ABEL: TWO VERY DIFFERENT WAYS OF WORSHIPING GOD

​Let's look at their story in Genesis 4:1-15:

​"And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord. And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. 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: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? 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. 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.

​And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper? And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand; When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth. And Cain said unto the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me. And the Lord said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him."

​Abel offered God the best of his flock (the firstborn), and God looked with favor on his offering, but He did not look with favor on Cain's offering. Cain certainly did not offer the first fruits of the land.

​Cain became extremely angry and downcast; Cain killed his brother Abel out of jealousy and resentment. When Cain feels rejected by God, an uncontrolled rage takes hold of him. This attitude led Cain into sin.

​Some commentators say that Cain, being the firstborn, felt that Abel was "stealing" divine favor or a special place before God, leading him to feel jealous over his position of primacy and the attention he felt he deserved.

​Personally, I think Cain chose to feed his sin instead of mastering it and amending his ways. Abel was not the problem—or rather, not his problem. The problem was that Cain did not want to accept divine correction.

​The attitude and faith with which each brother made his offering—and, of course, the quality of the offerings (first fruits vs. leftovers)—were so different that we should meditate on this before asking ourselves: Am I offering my heavenly Father my first fruits?