Why was Cain's Offering Rejected?

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kip-s

Guest
#1
#1
In Genesis 4, we read the story of Cain and Abel, where Cain's offering was rejected while Abel's was accepted. There are often two discrepancies that go along with this story when people try to explain the reason for Can's rejection and Abel's acceptance. Now the question is this:

Why was Cain's offering rejected? Was it because:
1. It was not his first fruits and he did not present it with the right attitude? or
2. It was not a blood sacrifice? or
3. Any other reason?

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I hope we all learn from this. I intend to close this thread in on week or so. However, my decision is dependent on how it goes.
 
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crosspreacher

Guest
#2
#2
It is because cain was of the son of devil whereas Abel was son of God. Cain had no revelation but Abel had the revelation. Then by revelation, Abel offered the sacrifice.
 
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Abbe

Guest
#3
#3
God rejected Cain's offering because it was not a blood sacrifice, only blood will do, none other.( Christ , the lamb of God, that takes away all sin)has to be blood.( any way thats what I think)
 
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EzellCooper

Guest
#4
#4
I believe it was because Abel's offerings were sincere, while Cain's offerings were like a daily chore to him. Something to be noted, was that Abel payed close attention to what sheep or lam he gave to God, he made close measures to make sure his offering was the best he could give, and nothing less. He made sure there were no spots, diseases and anything that could make it less in value.

Abel, on the other hand was very lazy when he gave his offerings to God, just plucked a few crops and called it a day, hence God would not accept his half done offering.
 
willfollowsGod

willfollowsGod

Senior Member
#5
Apr 14, 2011
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#5
EzellCooper said:
I believe it was because Abel's offerings were sincere, while Cain's offerings were like a daily chore to him. Something to be noted, was that Abel payed close attention to what sheep or lam he gave to God, he made close measures to make sure his offering was the best he could give, and nothing less. He made sure there were no spots, diseases and anything that could make it less in value.

Abel, on the other hand was very lazy when he gave his offerings to God, just plucked a few crops and called it a day, hence God would not accept his half done offering.
Click to expand...
In the second paragraph, you meant to say Cain not Abel.
 
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Abiding

Guest
#6
#6
Attitude was a major part we know that from the peptalk God gave him

Also his obedience was not done in Faith, Hebrews tells us that.

In otherwords he didnt "give a rip"
 
willfollowsGod

willfollowsGod

Senior Member
#7
Apr 14, 2011
1,515
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#7
As for the rest, you are on the right track. Cain's offering was not accepted because he brought some of the fruits of the soil, but not the best ones without anything that would devalue it. Secondly, the attitude of Cain's heart, was just give the fruits whatever their condition and get back to work. Abel on the other hand gave some of his flock, the best parts of it and made sure it would not have had any disease or anything that was wrong with it. So it would make sense, that his offering was not accepted and not because it was not a blood sacrifice but because of the quality of the crops and the heart that was connected to giving those crops.
 
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Abiding

Guest
#8
#8
oh i forgot to mention what he didnt give a rip about......"redemption"
which was why he was sacrificing.
without faith its impossible to please God.

Although the typology is interesting and it doesnt say he gave more than an offerring
im not sure we can say that was it.....the firstfruits biz.

But we do know he didnt have faith and had an attitude so bad God had a talk with him
So since he could have given firstfruits without faith and a good attitude
we cant say the lack of firstfruits if that was the case was the reason his sacrifice wasnt accepted
 
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twofeet

Guest
#9
#9
When Adam sinned God also cursed the ground from which he was made from. Cain then gave God an offering from the ground.......ohhhhh...not a good move!
 
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Abiding

Guest
#10
#10
twofeet said:
When Adam sinned God also cursed the ground from which he was made from. Cain then gave God an offering from the ground.......ohhhhh...not a good move!
Click to expand...
Yes more cool typology. But, cain was to give from the ground. That was his to sacrifice.
So giving a sacrifice from the ground in reality was not the reason his sacrifice wasnt received.
Isreal used things from the ground in the offerings and sacrifices.

It was his heart.
 
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eternally-gratefull

Guest
#11
#11
Abel offered what God used as a teaching tool, like much of the OT.. An innocent without spot slain.

Cain offered Human good. The fruit of his labor or works..

Cain acted like most legalists do, he was angry God rejected the fruit of his works. Like the pharisees, who were angry at Christ and had him killed because he taught God rejects human works for salvation.. And like many we see today who get angry when they are told works will not save you.. Just the shed blood of an innocent can save you.
 
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EzellCooper

Guest
#12
#12
*facepalm* I knew as I wrote that, I'd get them mixed up at least once.
 
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twofeet

Guest
#13
#13
Abiding said:
Yes more cool typology. But, cain was to give from the ground. That was his to sacrifice.
So giving a sacrifice from the ground in reality was not the reason his sacrifice wasnt received.
Isreal used things from the ground in the offerings and sacrifices.

It was his heart.
Click to expand...
Your probly right Abiding....but I still think its bit dodgy to give God something from what He just cursed. Cant imagine wat was going on in Cains heart with that one
 
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Abiding

Guest
#14
#14
eternally-gratefull said:
Abel offered what God used as a teaching tool, like much of the OT.. An innocent without spot slain.

Cain offered Human good. The fruit of his labor or works..

Cain acted like most legalists do, he was angry God rejected the fruit of his works. Like the pharisees, who were angry at Christ and had him killed because he taught God rejects human works for salvation.. And like many we see today who get angry when they are told works will not save you.. Just the shed blood of an innocent can save you.
Click to expand...
Although i do respect the typology in the text and you have brought it out very well
And every bit of it is true and the gospel is truly learned in all the depths of the passage.

Above all that tho abel also had alot of work tending to his flock.
And the main issue is then twofold for us to learn.

but cain would NOT have been right sacrificing abels sheep.
he was to sacrifice his fruits so the problem was not in what he sacrificed but how he did it which was not in faith,
 
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Abiding

Guest
#15
#15
twofeet said:
Your probly right Abiding....but I still think its bit dodgy to give God something from what He just cursed. Cant imagine wat was going on in Cains heart with that one
Click to expand...
Ya i see your point, but remember that witto sheepy was eating cursed food from the ground.
I think we need to see at least 2 lessons the immediate, and the type/shadow

for instance able was a type of messiah, ill let you guess who the scapegoat was
 
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HEIsRiSen

Senior Member
#16
Feb 4, 2013
487
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#16
Right, they both offered their firstlings, or else it wouldn't say 'he also' (Abel) as it does. The structure implies that Cain first offered his firstlings.

Genesis 4:3-5

King James Version (KJV)

[SUP]3 [/SUP]And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord.

[SUP]4 [/SUP]And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering:

[SUP]5 [/SUP]But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
 
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Abiding

Guest
#17
#17
The Wave Sheaf Offering was a very important offerring
ill let you run with that.
 
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Abiding

Guest
#18
#18
HEIsRiSen said:
Right, they both offered their firstlings, or else it wouldn't say 'he also' (Abel) as it does. The structure implies that Cain first offered his firstlings.

Genesis 4:3-5

King James Version (KJV)

[SUP]3 [/SUP]And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord.

[SUP]4 [/SUP]And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering:

[SUP]5 [/SUP]But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
Click to expand...
With offerrings from the ground..you have the firstfruits and then you have the harvest.
So with cain He did it according to the time of year it was just like Israel did. Thats
why even tho there is the type buried in the story. Id say the reason Cains offerring
not being firstfruits or a lamb is not at all the point.

thats why im glad we have two sources to find out more
1 Gods talk to cain
2 hebrews says he didnt have faith
 
Bookends

Bookends

Senior Member
#19
Aug 28, 2012
4,225
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#19
His heart wasn't in it. His offering was a superficial one. But I believe it goes deeper then that. The illustration given, the offering that was accepted was one of blood, which points to Christ and that there is no remission of sins without a blood sacrifice. Why? I guess God wanted to demonstrate His love by dieing for us.

Hebrews 9:22
His heart wasn't in it. His offering was a superficial one. But I believe it goes deeper then that. The illustration given, the offering that was accepted was one of blood, which points to Christ and that there is no remission of sins without a blood sacrifice.
 
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eternally-gratefull

Guest
#20
#20
Abiding said:
Although i do respect the typology in the text and you have brought it out very well
And every bit of it is true and the gospel is truly learned in all the depths of the passage.

Above all that tho abel also had alot of work tending to his flock.
And the main issue is then twofold for us to learn.

but cain would NOT have been right sacrificing abels sheep.
he was to sacrifice his fruits so the problem was not in what he sacrificed but how he did it which was not in faith,
Click to expand...
Maybe, But I am sure Abel shared his meat and Cain shared his veggies. If Cain would have asked abel for a sheep to do Gods will. I am sure cain would have offered.. Not all jews were sheppards. they had to get their sacraficial sheep from somewhere
 
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