Have you ever wondered why God rejected Cain’s sacrifice and accepted Abel’s? It wasn’t just because He preferred beef to vegetables! The first thing you need to understand is what kind of sacrifice He required of them. Once you understand that, you’ll know why He rejected Cain’s sacrifice.
The only sacrifice or offering revealed to them at the time by God was the sin offering. You’ll discover as you study the Old Testament that more offerings developed as the Spirit of God showed them the way. So, the time came when they could take anything out of a joyful spirit and present to God and He would accept it. But on this occasion, the sacrifice the Lord asked of them was a sin offering, because at the time, there was no other sacrifice revealed.
Remember, in the Old Testament, only a blood sacrifice atoned for sin. Paul also tells us in the New Testament that without the shedding of blood there’s no remission of sins (Hebrews 9:22). You just couldn’t bring crops from your farm as a sin offering, even if they were the best crops around. But that was what Cain did. He brought his crops for a sin sacrifice and God rejected it but still showed him what to do. He said, “…sin (that is, the sin offering) lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire…” (Genesis 4:7). God was saying to Cain, “Hey, go get that lamb lying by the door and use it for your sin offering!” But Cain wouldn’t. He was offended because his sacrifice was rejected and his brother’s accepted, and he went out from God’s presence with an evil heart.
Don’t be like Cain. Why would you want to do something for God that He wouldn’t accept? Whatever you’re bringing before the Lord today, find out the rules guiding your kind of offering and stick to them so your sacrifice will be acceptable to Him.
