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Introduction
Obedience in Sacrifice and True Worship
There was an important incident in Genesis 4 that gave us a
correct perspective of who our God is and what He rightly
required of us. It is about the account of 2 brothers and
their sacrifices before Jehovah and His response to them.
Adam and Eve's first two children were sons: Cain and Abel.
Scripture tells us about these sons’ occupations: one was a
herdsman while the other was a gardener. By searching
Scripture carefully we notice that Adam was involved in both
occupations (Gen 2:15 & 3:17-19; 2:19-20 & 3:21). His sons
merely divided this work among themselves, each taking a
branch of their father's work. And there is nothing wrong
with that ‘in the course of time’, that is, Cain and Abel
both brought an offering to the Lord (Gen 4:3-4). Cain
brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the
LORD and Abel brought sacrifices from some of the
firstborn of his flock; and there is a great spiritual
difference between the two of them before God.
In the Westminster Confession of faith under Of Religious
Worship, and the Sabbath Day, it says:
I. The light of nature shows that there is a God, who has
lordship and sovereignty over all, is good, and does good
unto all, and is therefore to be feared, loved, praised,
called upon, trusted in, and served, with all the heart, and
with all the soul, and with all the might But the acceptable
way of worshipping the true God is instituted by Himself,
and so limited by His own revealed will, that He may not be
worshipped according to the imaginations and devices of men,
or the suggestions of Satan, under any visible
representation, or any other way not prescribed in the holy
Scripture.
Genesis 4:5 says, “But unto Cain and to his offering he
had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his
countenance fell.” It is properly assumed by
theologians that the Lord made His divine instructions for
acceptable sacrifices known to Cain and Abel through their
parents in Adam and Eve or that the Lord spoke directly to
Cain and Abel thereby and clearly indicated why He accepted
Abel's offering and rejected Cain's for he violated the
regulative principle of worship.
The Sovereignty of God and Faithlessness of Cain
Why did God not accept Cain's offering? The reason is that
Cain did not have true biblical faith (Heb 11:4); neither
did he bring the specific offering in worship which God
commanded him to bring. In other words, Cain manifested his
unbelief by adding to the instituted worship of God. Cain
was defiant and wrong ("There is a way which seemeth
right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death”
Prov 14:12). The text says, "The Lord respected (i.e.
looked with favour upon) Abel and his offering, but He did
not respect (or look with favour upon) Cain and his
offering" (Gen 4:4-5). An angry attitude on Cain's part
is mentioned after Cain's offering was not accepted by God,
but not before. Furthermore, in verse 7 when God warns Cain
concerning his anger, God admonishes him, "If you do
well, will you not be accepted?" The implication
is that he acted contrary to God's command in bringing his
offering in worship, and that he did not bring his offering
by faith (the same thing is inferred in Hebrews 11:4 and 1
John 3:11-12 where the act or sacrifice of Cain is noted).
The fact that Abel acted in faith (as taught in Hebrews
11:4) necessarily implies that God must have given specific
instruction as to the acceptable sacrifice that God required
in worship. Abel obeyed the command of God, Cain added to
the command of God in holy worship. Cain added something of
his own invention to the worship of God, and neither he nor
his offering was acceptable before God. True worship is
never a matter of preference or human creativity. Worship is
always a matter of God’s requirement and compliance to it.
Like Cain, many churches today believe they have
discretionary power to introduce acts, dancing,
tongue-speaking, healing, so-called prophetic utterances,
man-centred entertainment and jarring instruments, magic
shows and ceremonies of mere human preference into the
sacred worship of God which is an abomination to God (Jn
4:22-24;1 Cor 14:40; 1 Chron 16:29). Beware of committing
this grievous sin of Cain that is often repeated today.
Genuine devotion for God
There was a difference in Cain's heart as compared to
Abel's. This is seen already in the gifts that are offered.
Scripture says Abel brought fat portions from some of the
firstborn (firstlings) of his flock (v. 4). Abel offered the
fattest first-born of his flock. He offered to the Lord the
first and the best of his flock. Cain, on the other hand,
brought “the fruits of the ground as an offering to the
Lord” (v. 3). Scripture indicates to us here that Cain
was not serious at all about obeying God with what he
brought to the Lord. He brought to the Lord the fruit of the
garden that was his own idea but not a blood sacrifice. Abel
brought a choice blood offering of a animal sacrifice to the
Lord according to His commandments whereas Cain did not.
With an offering without blood, there is no remission of
sins (Heb 9:22).
The story of Cain and Abel reminds me that God always wants
us to give Him our best according to His will. Abel gave his
best to God. Abel's gift shows the sincerity of his devotion
to the Lord that it comes from the depths of his heart; that
it is complete, well-meant and real. Abel truly desired to
please the Lord.
God Himself indicates the true condition of Cain's heart (v.
7). Things were not right between Cain and his God. The
words of Proverbs 21:27 apply to Cain: that the sacrifice of
the wicked was detestable to God. Cain was disobedient and
God dislikes it. So the Lord could not accept his offering.
It becomes clear that Cain, unlike Abel, did not really give
his heart to the Lord. He offered something to the Lord half
heartedly and according to his own whims and fancies, and
this was a great offence to the thrice holy and Almighty
Lord.
Consider what 1 John 3:12 which says, “Not as Cain, who
was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore
slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his
brother's righteous” and Hebrews 11:4 which says, “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.” The bloodless offering of a wicked
Cain is not acceptable to the Lord whereas the God-honouring
offering of a righteous Abel is.
Application
What does this mean for us today? Our offerings are
unacceptable to the Lord if they are not offered to Him out
of true faith and a repentant heart and according to what is
stipulated in His word. If we lead a wicked life the Lord
does not accept our offerings and service.
With what shall we come before the LORD and bow down before
the exalted God? We are to come before Him with a broken and
contrite heart and we need to offer ourselves, our whole
body as a living sacrifice to Him in total surrender.
Let us also be reminded of the words of King David in Psalm
51 which says, “Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward
parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know
wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me,
and I shall be whiter than snow.” What God wants
is lasting and genuine repentance of sins and obedience;
that is giving God our best!
Remember what 1 Samuel 15:22-23 says, “And Samuel said,
Hath the LORD as great
delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the
voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the
sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and
idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD,
he hath also rejected thee from being king.”
What the Lord wants from us is total obedience. He wants us
to walk in His ways. He wants us to serve Him in all of
life. He wants us to give Him our soul in worship and
service, and the offering of ourselves and our lives to Him
in full self denial and sacrifice.
Conclusion
Let us give God our best. Let us first offer our hearts of
submission to God. Give of ourselves to God, repent and
confess our sins and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and
Saviour. Let us return to our Creator God and offer our
hearts to seek Christ as our personal God and Saviour today,
and He will accept us as His redeemed children. |
