The offering
by Steve Janke
12-16-2010
Why did God recognize Abel's offering and not Cain's offering?
- Mankind were vegetarians back then (Gen 3:18, 9:3)
- Cain looked at himself and his family and saw that their sustenance was plant as food.
- Cain offered God their own sustenance, as if to say we give back to you what you have given us. Nobel in our eyes it was.
- Cain offered something that was used in sin. Vegetation. Had he forgot? Maybe.
- Abel wanted to copy his older brother, but he remembered the fall. Why use something that separated God and mankind? Or at least something in the same genre.
- Abel looked toward God. Why remind God of man's disobedience?
- Abel brought something that was not touched by mankind to eat or put into the body. (God emulated with future commands)
- By faith he was hoping this would please God too (Heb. 11:4). Perhaps more than Cain's offering.
- He offered a stupid animal much like us comparatively (implied sheep), perhaps symbolically. (God emulated with future commands)
- Abel offered the first born: meaning they would have to wait for another born to get the wool and get the oil for warmth.
- God covered man (of sin, shame) with animal skins, animals were sacrificed to cover man, (Gen 3:20) and most likely with fur on it. Abel typified Gen (1:27) “man was created in God's image” by copying God first action, the first sacrifice.
- Abel must have been pretty smart.