Why was Cain’s offering rejected
Discussion
51 comments
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Just to simplify it……. He didn’t give God his best. He kept that for himself and just gave God whatever.
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It was explained to me that the actual gift isn’t the issue. It was the attitude in which it was given.
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Should have been Folgers all along. It’s the best part of waking up!
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It was a heart problem
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This is a good questions and these earlier comments are inaccurate. I encourage each of you to look at it again. Just a few verses back from Cain and Ables offerings you will see that Adam and Eve were covered by skins. God has already sacrificed an animal to cover the sins of man. The reason Cain’s offering was not accepted and Ables was is because Cain tried to appease God with his own abilities rather than meet Gods requirements. This is setting man on the course to accept Jesus Christ. No doubt many more examples of God’s perfect Devine nature to be revealed.
Edit: blood is was and will always be the atonement for sin.
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It’s the foreshadowing of coming of Jesus Christ who will die on the cross for forgiveness of sin of mankind, and nothing will pleased God that is from us, not good works, not wealth, not beauty, nor wisdom, nor anything in this word, but through faith alone on the Lamb of God that was slain. Worthy is the Lamb!
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Because life is in the blood, Leviticus 17:11. A blood sacrifice would always be required to atone for sin until the sacrifice of the perfect Lamb of God made all other sacrifices unnecessary.
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The same reason why Abraham’s was. It was going to have to cost someone’s life. There is no forgiveness without the shedding of blood
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Because there was a prescribed sacrifice, a lamb that prefigured our saviour, cain bought the fruits of his own hands signifying a rejection of Christ for his own works.
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You can try and complicate it however you want to or try and describe a physical deed or misdeed. But what people fail to realize is just like salvation isn’t based on works the rejection of Cain sacrifice wasn’t based on his physical sacrifice it was a heart issue.
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According to the book of Hebrew, Abel gave his offering with faith, while Cain is without, base on my stand, it’s a mattet of faith. Whenever we will serve God, give something to God, He is looking at every heart, seeking for each faith.
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After it was all over we see that Cain had bitterness in his heart.
But before we see God had set a standard for sacrifice in the offering he made to cover Adam and Eve sins. It required the life in the blood from an animal to cover sins.
Even if Cain did not have any animals in his farming he could’ve used the vegetables he had to buy some from Able and then offer the proper sacrifice.
The fact that he gave an illegitimate sacrifice to the Lord may indicate rebellion in his attitude.
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Implicitly he was saying look what I have done. Abel was saying look what He has done for me. Just my opinion.
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The problem is we try to put God in this small box. Our brain can not begin to process everything. God is all knowing, has unlimited power, and is everywhere. He knows us before we are even born. He knows us each so well he knows the numbers of hair on our head. He knew Cains heart and his intentions. He also knew Cain would murder Abel. God hates evil/sin.
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Because he didn’t give up his firstfruits, meaning, he didn’t sacrifice the best thing he had to offer. He just offered up something worthless that didn’t mean that much to him. More importantly, he didn’t give to God out of love and humility toward God. There was nothing heartfelt about it. He just gave something for the sake of giving something. Remember, if you were to give away something that you don’t want or need anymore, then it’s not much of a sacrifice, is it?
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It was work related. While Abels was l lamb.
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Human ways are rejected by GOD and that is a principle in the bible..
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Rabbinical tradition, though non-canonical, explains it well in the Targums:
In the Targums posted below. The serpent mentality of iniquity shines forth from the mouth of Cain when he argues and then kills Able:
“”And Kain said to Habel his brother, Come, and let us two go forth into the field. And it was that when they two had gone forth into the field, ➡️Kain answered and said to Habel, I perceive that the world was created in goodness, but it is not governed (or conducted) according to the fruit of good works, for there is respect to persons in judgment;⬅️ therefore it is that thy offering was accepted, and mine not accepted with good will.
Habel answered and said to Kain, In goodness was the world created, and according to the fruit of good works is it governed; and there is no respect of persons in judgment; but because the fruits of my works were better than thine, my oblation, before thine, hath been accepted with good will.
➡️ Kain answered and said to Habel, There is neither judgment nor Judge, nor another world; nor will good reward be given to the righteous, nor vengeance be taken of the wicked.⬅️
And Habel answered and said to Kain, There is a judgment, and there is a Judge; and there is another world, and a good reward given to the righteous, and vengeance taken of the wicked. And because of these words they had contention upon the face of the field; and Kain arose against Habel his brother, and drave a stone into his forehead, and killed him.””
— The Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan Ben Uzziel, On the Pentateuch With The Fragments of the Jerusalem Targum From the Chaldee
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There was no death atonement in his offering.
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Faith… See hebrews 11
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Simple. Cain presented his offering from the ground whom God had cursed. It was actually a great insult to the Lord. Yet, the Lord gave him the chance to do the right thing, but he refused because he was too proud and too angry to recant.
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His offering was so-so. He didn’t give his best to God and God deserves our best! He didn’t give his first fruits to God.
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Good question. I wondered on this too. To me the key is this: In Gen 4:3 it says that Cain brought SOME of the fruits of the soil, and in 4:4 it says that Abel brought FAT PORTIONS from some of the FIRST BORN of his flock…. This indicates that Abel gave the ‘first fruits’ (which is the first born) and a generous amount to God, meaning that God came first in his life, but that Cain did not give the first fruits nor a generous amount, which also indicates God did not come first. It would probably be different if Cain brought the first and best of his crops, along with fat portions….. Further, in verse 6-7, God said to Cain: “Why are you so angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?…” So this indicates too that Cain did not do what was right with the offering.
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Because it didn’t come from his heart- Abel’s offering included a blood sacrifice, that showed God that Abel’s offering was pure like his heart.
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Abel offered the lamb as instructed by God per His specifications showing respect, submission and a heart that is open to instruction. Cain thought himself better to be able to decide what God should want through his works in the ground. It was all about what Cain’s opinion was and not at all about what God asked for and/or required. The pride of man will get you every time.
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Because he didn’t give his best, but compulsion
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It didn’t contain blood!
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Because it was not represent the Blood
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Cain’s represented works and Abel’s represented faith.
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No remission of sin without shedding of blood!
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Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. — although not said, must have been instructed that the blood sacrifice was required. Ultimately pointing forward to Christ’s sacrifice.
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Cain offered the fruit of the ground his own labor or works, not good enough able offed a blood sacrifice in remembrance of the skins that clothed his parents after they sinned. abels sacrifice pointed to the cross that is why it was accepted. Cain’s pointed to himself and his own labor or works. that is why it was not accepted.
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Good question, like it?
I think it was an issue with Cains heart. He witheld from God his best instead of trusting what God could do with his all he gave him leftovers. We all tend to do this. -
To simply explain, God required an offering of faith and blood. Cain’s offering was neither. His offering resembled “works”. He gave an offering to say he did it, but nothing about it was from a heart of love towards God.
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Cain wanted to worship God his way. God required a sin offering which required blood, not grain. We must worship God the way He requires
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very likely he gave the dregs rather than the good stuff
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Able gave from his FIRST fruits. Cain did not.
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Abel’s sacrifice was the first fruit – indicating that to Abel God came first.
Cain did not bring the first fruit. Meaning Cain was self centered and only gave out of compulsion. -
Because it was just “some” fruit from the ground, not the best, or first fruits like Abel’s first born or the flock.
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It wasn’t the first and best of what he had to offer. This is a possible reason.
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Cains offering was lame. He didnt care about what he brought before the Lord.
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It wasn’t the bests of his crops. It wasn’t the firstfruits of the ground…
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Abel’s offering was acceptable (Heb.11:4), not just because it was an animal, nor just because it was the very best of what he had, nor even that it was the culmination of a zealous heart for God.; but, because it was in every way obediently given according to what God must have revealed. Cain disdaining the divine intruction, just brought what he wanted to bring: some of his crop. in addition, God knows the Heart of those who worship Him.(1John 3:10-12)
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There are 2 alters. 1 sacrifice represents what man does for God (works), The other represents what God does for man (Grace).
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Cain’s curse was also turned to blessing. The ground would no longer produce, therefore he had to “trust” God.
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Cain’s sacrifice was one of the works of his hands. In other words, “……. look what I have done Lord, to warrant favor from you. Aren’t I deserving of your forgiveness and grace?” The resounding answer was NO! Abel’s sacrifice was one of “…. Look Lord, I know I deserve judgement and damnation, but you have provided a way of escaping your judgement and damnation by providing a substitutional sacrifice, thank you Lord!”
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Many comments, some excellent.
I didn’t get to all; but didn’t see anything near ….
Realize that Adam had told his sons many times of the sacrifice that God had performed many years ago. I can imagine Adam performing similar sacrifices in honor of what God had done to cover Adam and Eve’s sin/mistake, to cover their nakedness before God. And Adam would have explained how without the spilling of blood and a life a sacrifice is not worthy of God; and what HE had done.
L&P -
Hebrews 11.4
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. -
That sounds good, but Cain’s offering was bloodless. Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin. Heb 9:22. Cain’s offering was one of works, and Abel’s, one of faith.
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I was trying to stay true the question as presented, at the same time avoiding related questions such as, Why was Abel’s offering accepted, or Why was Abel’s offering, not just better than Cain’s, but considered a more excellent sacrifice (Heb 11:4).
The Lord did not respect Cain, and He did not respect Cain’s offering. Yet, when the Lord counselled Cain (Gen 4:7) the Lord only addressed in essence Cain’s heart and didn’t seem to place any emphasis on Cain’s offering. Why?
My paraphrase of Gen 4:7 (KJV) is the Lord is telling Cain that if Cain himself does well (yatab in Heb = to be good, be pleasing, be well, be glad); then Cain would be accepted (implied).
Thus, If Cain’s heart were in the right place, then he’d likely be open to receive as much counsel from God regarding why the Lord didn’t respect his offering, and what would be needed in order to receive a sufficient offering from Cain by faith.
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