Genesis 4:2-5 - What was Wrong with Cain's Sacrifice?

Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. –Genesis 4:2-5

Why exactly Cain'a offering was rejected by God is considered an open question, but it is clearly about worship. Therefore let's go back to before that to see how God instituted offering in worship. At first man walked with God and heard his word directly. Worship was a part of everyday life. They were continually clothed with God's righteousness.

And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. -Genesis 2:25

However, after the fall, they were no longer clothed with God's glory, so they tried to cover themselves with plants, which are perishable.

Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. –Genesis 3:7

God showed that blood sacrifices are needed to cover up our unrighteousness by killing animals in the garden for clothing.

And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them. –Genesis 3:21

The Bible does not actually say specifically whether such sacrifices had been commanded by God, or whether the practice arose merely as a spontaneous expression of thanksgiving and worship. If it was the latter, however, it is difficult to understand why God would not have been as pleased with an offering of Cain’s fruits as with an offering of Abel’s slain lamb. It seems more likely that God did give instructions, and that Cain had disobeyed. The entire occurrence can only be really understood in the context of an original revelation by God regarding the necessity of substitutionary sacrifice as a prerequisite to approaching God. Such revelation was most likely given at the time God provided coats of skins for Adam and Eve, and then banished them from his presence, providing, however, a specific means by which they could still commune with Him at certain times, on the basis of a similar sacrifice.

If this is the case, then Cain made up his own worship by offering his fruit. This speaks against making up our own worship, but also is speaking against "offering your own fruit." When we try to offer Him the fruit of our labor and he also rejects it.

What are the alternatives as to why God rejected the sacrifice? Poor quality? Nowhere does it say that. He gave what he had.

The heart of the person making it? The Bible does not say that. Cain brought an offering, in the course of time, of his own volition. Also, he was surprised, angry, sad and ashamed that it was not accepted, so it does not appear that he brought it just to fulfill a duty, but because he wanted to.

Hebrews tells us it was Able's sacrifice itself that was more acceptable to God. Cain did bring the Lord an offering as was mad when it was not accepted, so he must have had good intentions. Also, not just any offering, but a sacrifice, since it was part of his crop, which was his livelihood.

By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. –Hebrews 11:4

Just before that, the author of Hebrews talks about sacrifices and how only blood atones for sin. 

Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. –Hebrews 9:22

The Hebrew word used for “offering” in Genesis, minchah, can also be translated “sacrifice” or “meat offering” according to Brown–Driver–Briggs, and is used elsewhere to refer to meat offerings [e.g., Leviticus 7:37; 14:21; 23:18]).

The New Covenant

 

My previous post was on the Old Covenant, so naturally, this one is on the new covenant. The Lord's timing in instituting the Lord's Supper is most significant. He selected the night of the Passover meal as the setting for this action. The Passover festival commemorated God's deliverance of His people from a prideful Pharaoh and recounted how God had provided a means to spare the firstborn sons of the Israelites as the angel of death passed over the land slaying every firstborn son. A lamb was to be slain in each household and its blood sprinkled upon the doorpost. When the angel saw the blood, he would "pass over."

This blood of the lamb redeemed the life of the firstborn even as it was a part of that action by which God led the children of Israel to freedom. This great deliverance of the past was to point Israel to that future deliverance which would be won by the Lamb of God--the Messiah (Is. 53; 1 Cor. 5:7).

Jesus' selection of the Passover, therefore, clothes the institution of the Lord's Supper with Israel's history. In fact, as Christ now distributes His own body and blood, God's redemptive purpose in Israel achieves its fulfillment and goal. The blood of the New Testament (Matt. 26:28; Jer. 31:31; 1 Cor. 11:25) now replaces that of the Old (Ex. 24:8). Christ's sacrifice on Golgotha for the sins of all people is the final and complete sacrifice (Heb. 8-10). Through His death for sin, all people may now be free from sin's curse and may live for God (Rom. 2 - 3).

Jesus is the 8th covenant, with the number 8 representing new beginnings.
(1) Covenant with Adam [Genesis 1:28-30; 2:15-17; Hosea 6:7].
(2) Noah and the earth [Genesis 6:18; 9:9-17; Sirach 44:17-18].
(3) Abraham [Genesis 12:3; 15:1-18; 18:18; 22:18; Sirach 44:19-20].
(4) Sinai Covenant [Exodus 19-24; 34:10, 27, 28; Deuteronomy 5:2-3].
(5) Aaron and Sons high priestly covenant [Exodus 40:15; Leviticus 2:13; Numbers 18:19; Sirach 45:7; Jeremiah 33:21].
(6) Phinehas: perpetual priesthood [Numbers 25:11-15; Sirach 45:24].
(7) David and descendants [2 Samuel 7:11; 23:5; Sirach 45:25].
(8) Jesus the Priest-King of the New Covenant

The Old Covenant

In Genesis 15, where God made the covenant with Abraham, there is some imagery from Abrahams vision/dream that needs to be explained. In covenants in those days, it was customary to take the animals mentioned, cut them in half and have both parties walk through their blood in the middle of them. This signified that if either side broke their commitment, that is what would be done to them. The Bible is clear throughout the Old Testament, that only blood can atone for sin. That is why there was always an animal sacrifice for a sin offering. In a covenant like this one, someone must die for breaking the contract. Since all of Israel broke the contract, all of Israel should die. That would be justice and completely fair.

However, it is important to note in this account that only God walked through the blood through the middle of the animal halves and he did it twice, once as a smoking fire pot and once as a burning torch. This signified God saying, if either one of us breaks the contract, here's what you can do to me. Here God is promising to take the punishment for the sins of Abraham's descendants when they break their covenant with them. As we know, Israel did end up killing God, in Jesus.
I have mentioned in previous posts that individuals from the Old Testament, as well as Israel as a whole are “type” for Jesus, but looking at it the other way, Jesus' life mimics the time of Israel. He came out of Egypt, out of the sea in baptism, like parting the red sea, 40 days/years in the wilderness. Jesus is also Israel, because Jesus is God’s son, just like God said that Israel was his son (Exodus 4:22). However, unlike Israel (and in the place of Israel), Jesus keeps the law perfectly. Jesus fulfills the Old Abrahamic Covenant. Jesus was a substitute for us and paid for our sins, but Jesus is also a substitute for Israel, taking the punishment for breaking the OT covenant, as promised when the covenant was first made.

Book Review/Summary - Not a Tame God: Christ in the Writings of C.S. Lewis (Steven P. Mueller)



Steven Mueller does a very thorough job of going through all of the C.S. Lewis' writings and examining his discussion and view of Christ and Christology. Overall the book is a little tedious and dry to read straight through, but it does have a ton of information. There are some inconsistencies that are pointed out, such as when Lewis many times claims to not like different theories of the atonement, but then uses them and even comes up with own. There are also times when Lewis' language is imprecise and misread as unorthodox, but this book gives a great view of Lewis' view of Christology, which is orthodox.

I personally found it more enjoyable to skip through reading about the books I am interested in. I think that it would be fun to read the individual sections before re-reading his books.

Material and Formal Principles

The material principle, is what matters. The formal principle is the form in which the material principle is delivered.  Here is an awesome summary of the material and formal principles for various denominations:

Goodbye

Death is a subject that I have not touched on too much directly to date, but it is part of life and part of faith. A while ago, at a sermon during a funeral, I heard something that stuck with me. It is okay to be sad and mourn the death of a loved one. Death was not a part of God's original plan. Also, death is described as the enemy in the Bible. Jesus' death and resurrection defeated that enemy, but it is still a reality at present until the last day. Even Jesus cried when his friend Lazarus died. About a year ago Chad Louis' had a blog post here, listing 6 things not to say at his funeral, where two of them touched on this very topic.

1. He was a good man (we are forgiven sinners)
2. My name (talk about Jesus)
3. God now has another angel (heaven is not de-humanizing)
4. We are here to celebrate life, not mourn death
5. He would not want us to cry
6. What's in the coffin is just a shell, or not really that person (our bodies will be resurrected)

The song Goodbye, by Plankeye.

It's difficult to say goodbye after only one life

The rain will fall down replenishing all of our broken dreams
And this burning tree that's withering will bloom again
Would you believe

Goodbye, walk away it's time to say goodbye
Goodbye, walk away it's time to say goodbye

Now all that's left are pictures on the wall
Memories and stories that are told
The more often told the bigger they get
Create a legacy, lest we forget

Goodbye, walk away it's time to say goodbye
No longer can I hold onto this defeated change in heart
It's time to sing "fare thee well" to life as we know it
My voice it will be still

Something woke me up in the midst of dream and fantasy
Halfway there but He always fills my cup
And He lifts me up
Oh how He lifts me up

Goodbye, walk away it's time to say goodbye
I never took the time to stop and realize
That death takes many forms
Even while alive