1. Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.” 2 And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. 3 In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, 4 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, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. 6 The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it. 8 Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.
Genesis 4:1-8
Why did God favor Abel and his offering, but not Cain and his offering? Is God partial?
Since Cain was willing to offer gifts to God, why was God not pleased with his offering?
By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain
Hebrews 11:4
What did Abel believe?
It turns out that faith comes from hearing, and hearing comes from the word of God. Is our faith based on God’s word or on our feelings and standards?
Both Cain and Abel were the sons of Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve must have told their sons about their sins and were driven out of the Garden of Eden by God, but God provided them with leather garments obtained by slaughtering livestock. God’s redemption has long been revealed to man, and God will prepare a lamb for man to make atonement. Abel chose to offer the flock to the mountain because he understood that God was willing to offer free salvation to atone for their sins so that people could return to God by grace!
Cain also heard that the earth was cursed because of sin and that people must toil all the time before getting food from the earth. But he still chose to take the produce of the land as offerings to God. Even after man sinned, he still relied on his own efforts to reap the harvest and used his own ways to please God. He did not put his mind to God’s pleasure!
Through Abel’s faith, though he died, he still speaks.
Abel’s faith is to pay attention to God’s words and understand God’s heart! Pleasing God is the center of everything in his life. Many Christians today still live under their own legalism! They don’t understand that we can’t please God without faith! God doesn’t ask us to do much, but He likes us to merely go back to Him and love Him simply as a child. It’s like the child in the bosom of the father!
Heavenly Father! Please teach me to let go of the spirit of my own legalism and not to measure my position in your heart by my good works. Teach me to love you with confidence and live in Christ Jesus!
Without faith, it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
Hebrews 11:6
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