Abel’s sacrifice, doing things God’s way!

Cain and Abel were brothers and between brothers, there is usually a measure of sibling rivalry. They must have been taught at some point to honor God by bringing him an offering and they were probably comparing their efforts as they prepared their sacrifice. Abel “brought an offering – fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock” (Genesis 4:4) and gave it to God.

Abel had a heart of gratitude and generosity towards God for His provision. His offering represented that appreciation. The sacrifice also had a substitutionary atoning element as it was presented. It was a sacrifice for sins committed.

Hebrews 10:4 tells us “By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.” Abel gave his best to God in faith; he held nothing back. His focus was on making sure he was in right standing with God and less on what he was losing by making the sacrifice.

Abel’s heart was right towards God. He understood that faith is what pleases God and as he offered to God, it was from a place of faith. His actions were based on purity of motive, obedience and faith toward God.

Cain on the other hand, ‘brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering.’ He had no sense of faith in his offering. There is a sense that Cain’s heart was about obligation. His heart focus was more on what he had to lose. His heart was full of rebellion and disobedience towards God’s requirements. As a result God was not pleased with his offering.

Jude 1:11 says “Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion.” The way of Cain, described by Jude, shows that Cain’s heart was set on greed and rebellion. Of course the other thing about his sacrifice is that it represented the curse God had pronounced on humanity.

Genesis 3:17 says “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil, you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground since from it you were taken.”

Cain’s offering of ‘fruits of the soil’ represented the fruit of struggling and toiling, by the sweat of his brow under the curse which was on the ground. It represented trusting in human effort and pointed to the human predisposition of trying to achieve God’s righteousness in our strength, by human effort or by our own works or goodness.

God was not pleased with Cain’s sacrifice and, at that point, what was really in Cain’s heart began to boil up in hatred for his brother. Cain had been trying to do things his own way and he was in competition with his brother. When he saw that God was pleased with Abel’s sacrifice and not his sacrifice, he was filled with unholy rage and anger towards him.

Joseph experienced similar treatment in Genesis 37:4 “When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.” Abel was killed by his brother; Joseph was thrown into a pit and left for dead. Those who have impure motives, with no fear of God in their hearts, will ultimately become tools and instruments of the devil’s handiwork.

And still to this day things have not changed. Those who have made the decision to follow Jesus, and gain righteousness through His sacrifice, can expect a similar kind of persecution. Jesus said in Matthew 5:11-12 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Unfortunately this can happen in family situations. Jesus said in Matthew 10:34-36 “”Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn “‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law – a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.'”

Here Jesus is referring to the division that faith in His finished work will cause, even in family situations. He was warning His believers that then, and in the future, there will be a demonic uprising of this kind, against His righteousness and favor, on those who believe. Of course Jesus is the Prince of peace but He is saying that even in close family relationships, there will be a dividing line between those who choose to do things God’s way and those who choose to do things their own way.

Abel’s sacrifice represents the shedding of blood. Blood is an agent of purification and pointed to Christ’s atoning, cleansing blood for all humanity. His giving of the first fruits (and his best) represents God’s giving of His best in Jesus. Romans 8:32 tells us “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all–how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”

Abel did not withhold and gave his best; but Cain withheld, and gave from an unwilling heart. Cain’s story is similar to the story of Ananias and Sapphira who, due to greed in their hearts, conspired together to withhold some of the proceeds from the sale of their property towards the work of the Church.

Peter said in Acts 5:3-4 “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land. Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”

Ananias and Sapphira died as a result of their decision and ultimately it was not so much about the sacrifice they made, as it is was the condition of their hearts when they made it. Today I would like to encourage you to continue to place your faith solely in Christ’s finished work. Righteousness achieved through faith in Christ’s sacrifice is the only thing which is pleasing to God.

Paul wrote to the Galatians “Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? (Galatians 3:3) We don’t want to be those who begin in faith in Christ’s finished work and in the power of the Holy Spirit and end up in the flesh, trying to do things through our own human effort to please God. (Galatians 3:3)

Maybe today you are experiencing persecution from those who, like Cain, are not offering sacrifices that are pleasing to God. I encourage you to rejoice. I know it’s not always easy to do, but I want to remind you that as you pay this kind of price to follow Jesus, and experience persecution for His sake, there are great rewards in store for you, and that’s something to get really excited about!

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