Genesis 4 - Offerings and Hatred

In Genesis 4 we see Adam and Eve following God's command to be fruitful and multiply. Eve was obviously ecstatic to bring her first son, Cain in the world. The first baby ever, Cain must have been well loved. Even so, we find in the chapter Cain acting in sin when his brother offered an acceptable offering to God and he did not.

We aren't given exact reasons why one offering was acceptable and one was not but rather than accepting personal responsibility and making things right between him and God, he killed his brother as if his shining example brought his offering down in the acceptability scale.

Before judging Cain for his actions consider how many times we ourselves have brought less than our best to God and justified ourselves by comparing ourselves to others. We may not have done our best but at least we did more than... You know how that ends.

The Lord judged Cain not in comparison to his brother but according to his own merit. Look at Gen 4:7 where God said "if you do what is right will you not be accepted?" This was God's counsel to Cain before the murder. Look within yourself and don't base your righteousness on the acts of others. Abel did not bring Cain's offering down, Cain did.

Furthermore, God warns Cain about the sin waiting to overcome Cain and prods him to take control. We all have our theories about what made Cain's offering unacceptable, but do you think that it might not have been as much the external offering itself but more The condition of Cain's heart? God saw the anger mounting in Cain's heart for his younger brother. Perhaps it had been there a while.

There is more in this chapter I will leave unpacked for now and I encourage you to post other lessons you take from this chapter but I want to move to the application.

APPLICATION:
What is the condition of your heart before God?

Have you given Him less than your best?

In bringing your offering to God what was your motive?

Was it anything less than adoration and worship?

Do you focus on the the outward acts of righteousness more than the only righteous one, Jesus Christ?

Abel's blood still speaks telling us to honor God with our lives and our substance not out of obligation but in love and worship of our Maker and in thankfulness to our Redeemer.

God issues the same warning to us all- sin crouches at our door but we must master it. We can choose not to sin and we must recognize our sinful motivations and repent quickly.

God judges us not in comparison to other sinners but in our relationship to Jesus Christ. He is our righteousness and the only means to peace with God.

Let's pray: Father, we confess that we have sinned before you and we are not worthy of your mercy but we look to it nonetheless. Reveal to us our hidden sins and help us to confess them and repent of them. Only Jesus' offering can truly cleanse us, so please look upon us through the blood of Jesus and restore our fellowship with you. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ - amen