Genesis 4:1-5--Cain, Abel, and Their Sacrifices

Genesis 4:1-5
World English Bible

4 The man knew Eve his wife. She conceived, and gave birth to Cain, and said, “I have gotten a man with Yahweh’s help.” 2 Again she gave birth, to Cain’s brother Abel. Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 3 As time passed, Cain brought an offering to Yahweh from the fruit of the ground. 4 Abel also brought some of the firstborn of his flock and of its fat. Yahweh respected Abel and his offering, 5 but he didn’t respect Cain and his offering. Cain was very angry, and the expression on his face fell.

---

​​Daily Readings for this week

• Day 1: Genesis 4:1-5
• Day 2: Genesis 4:6-8
• Day 3: Genesis 4:9-12
• Day 4: Genesis 4:13-16
• Day 5: Genesis 4:17-26
• Day 6: Psalm 75 

It did not take very long for things to go from bad to worse.  Last week we left Adam and Eve being exiled from the Garden of Eden, but even in the midst of that judgment, there was hope.  We were told that Eve would have a male child who would one day crush the head of the serpent.  This at least points to a figurative destruction of his kingdom if not a literal death for him and his followers.

We come into today's passage with anticipation that we are going to turn the page and see that prophecy revealed (Adam and Eve clearly had the same expectation).  Eve understood the importance of a male offspring and declares, "I have gotten a man with the LORD's help," so the child was named Cain, which means, "acquired" or "possessed."  Eve thought that she acquired or possessed the very one that was promised in Genesis 3.  We'll see later in this chapter that Cain did not live up to those expectations.

Eve conceived again and gave birth to another son, and  and at first he only seems to be known as "Cain's brother."  We know him as Abel, but it would seem that name is meant to foreshadow something you and I already may know--that his life was but a breath that passes by too quickly (it carries the connotation of vanity or emptiness as well).

Abel is introduced first as a shepherd, a keeper of the sheep.  Cain is introduced as one who tilled the ground--a farmer.  Two very important professions.  After some amount of time (it is not clear how much), the boys both desired to bring sacrifices to the LORD.  Though the reason for their sacrifices is unclear, the wording is chosen carefully that Cain brought "some of" the fruit of the ground and Abel brought the firstborn of the flock along with their fat portions as a sacrifice to the LORD (these were the "best" portions, but the people did not eat them, they belonged to the LORD).

It would appear from these descriptions that Cain brought something of little or no value to him, but Abel brought something that cost him a great deal and showed his faith in the LORD to provide something even better if he sacrificed the best that he had to offer to the LORD, because the LORD was worthy of nothing less than his best.  There is something else notably different here, and it has to do with the kind of sacrifice that was being offered--especially if this was to be an offering for atonement or the remission of sin.  We only have one example so far of a sacrifice to provide such atonement and it was a blood sacrifice of animals so that Adam and Eve could be clothed with their skins to cover their nakedness.  We have seen no other kind of sacrifice at this point, so I don't think it's fair to read ahead in the Law and say "But eventually, God commands the people to give of the firstfruits of their produce."  I think the text is pretty clear that is not what Cain is doing.  It is careful to say that Abel offered the firstborn of the flock while it mentions that Cain simply offered some of his produce (it doesn't even say that it was fresh produce).

The LORD respected Abel's offering not only because it was of a different kind and quality, but, more importantly, because of the posture of Abel's heart compared to Cain's.  The LORD does not hide why Abel's sacrifice was accepted and Cain's was not.

Cain's response is one of anger and jealousy.  He is starting down a bad and dark path, and we'll see the LORD try to intervene and call him back, but Cain has made his mind up that the LORD will have to accept him and whatever he has to offer if there is no one else to compare him to (Cain is convinced like many of us that it's about being better than the man standing next to you, and if there is no man standing next to him, then he will be the best man standing there and God will have to accept him).  This is not how it works!  God sees Cain's heart and is not impressed.  Even if Cain had offered really amazing fruit that was the best he had to offer from his field, his sacrifice was unacceptable because of his heart condition.  God is showing His people that worship of Him is not simply performative.  It's not like the worship of the pagan gods and goddesses that the people were used to where you brought gifts to the gods (to the priests of those gods) and they had to be happy with whatever you brought and that you bought favor with the gods as long as you said the right things and performed the right ceremonies.  That is not how it works with the LORD.  He is unimpressed with our self-serving performances (that is all they are).He can look straight at the heart of the matter and can address what a person is thinking and feeling.  We'll get to his conversation with Cain that is quite merciful, but Cain does not listen to the LORD's instruction, reproof, or warning.