The recent Your Loveworld Session reminds me of Cain and Abel Sacrifice.
You know Pastor explained about God’s choice to ‘love and hate’ and then these guys offering flashed my mind.
I’d like to show you a few things, before that you should read Genesis 4:1-7
Contrary to many opinion, God may not have asked for offerings so it’s difficult to know what kind of offering that was asked. The word translated Offering there is the Hebrew word Original: מנחה ; Transliterated as minchâh meaning Gift or Tribute.
Some say it was a sin offering but the bible doesn’t tells us so. A portion where Sin-Offering came up is in Exodus 29:36 And thou shalt offer every day a bullock for a sin offering for atonement: It’s from the Hebrew Word חטּאה
Transliteration: chaṭṭâ’âh chaṭṭâ’th
These are two different words in the Hebrew Lexicon.
So it’s possible to say that these two gave freewill offering to God. Remember, your offering is a symbol of worship and Man was created for that purpose.
Now this two gave their offerings to God, The Bible notes the quality of Abel’s sacrifice- the firstborn of his flock and of the fat portions; but doesn’t give that of Cain’s. However, this doesn’t give you right to swallow the picture your 100-Bible-stories-and-I gave you. The picture often painted is that Cain’s sacrifice was spoilt, rotten and stuff but the truth is it could be otherwise. However we know the quality wasn’t as good as Abel’s.
I like how the KJV puts it… And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: note but unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect… Why do you think this happened?
Simply put, Abel’s sacrifice showed the future and God’s plan and righteousness. His Sacrifice showed Jesus. He was the Lamb to be slain for Man’s transgressions.
Jesus was the first born of God’s flock and God’s best. That was what Abel sacrifice showed that impressed God. This was what propelled God’s respect to his sacrifice.
Hebrew 11:4 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
It’s also notable to note that Cain sacrifice was ‘excellent’ but not respected. The passage above says Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice. So why wasn’t his sacrifice respected?
His sacrifice had no picture; no vision or pointer. It was just ‘regular and random’ also we add the fact that he brought fruits from a cursed ground. This is why probably God didn’t respect it.
You know, The Bible didn’t tell us God talked to Abel. For all it’s worth, God must have been staring deeply at Abel’s sacrifice then he noticed Cain’s depressed face. Actually that’s what the word ‘Respect’ in the Hebrew connotes but God tried talking to Cain about his dejected countenance and warned him about sin encroaching his heart.
I guess we all know what later happened of him.
Now this shouldn’t make you think I’m showing empathy for Cain. I’m just showing you something you probably didn’t know.
Additional tip.
Did you know it was a burnt offering that appeased God to lift the curse that was on the earth?
Man was not cursed in the garden of Eden. Genesis 3:17 says
And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
The person who offered this sacrifice was Noah.
Genesis 8:20 And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
21 And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake;
So no more curses… But why do people still suffer?
Anyways, that’s it for this episode. Till I come your way breaking the norm, stay blessed!🤗
Young Vibe 