Cain and Abel - Gen 4:1-16

The original Korean text: http://blog.naver.com/stevision/50025326375

 

Cain is the first murderer of mankind, in the Bible, and Abel is the victim. Cain and Abel were two sons of Adam, the father of mankind. one day the two worshiped God, giving offerings to him. Cain offered the fruit of the ground, and Abel the firstlings of his flock. And the Lord had regard for Abel's offering, but not for Cain's offering. So Cain was very angry, and killed Abel in the field.

 

The New Testament says God accepted Abel's offering because he offered it by faith. Therefore, we can conclude that Cain's offering was rejected because he offered it without faith. New Testament reporter seems to be saying that Abel's sacrifice of blood of sheep was the offering of faith.

 

However we need to consider a more fundamental point. Did God reject Cain's offering just because Cain gave God the grain? If God hadn't liked the grain as offering, he already might have forbidden them to bring grain. And given that the specific rituals about the offerings were prescribed in the books after Genesis, we can say that God's rejection was not due to the kind of the sacrifice but due to the bad attitude of Cain's faith. What does Cain's faith lack?

 

Cain neither feared God nor loved his brother. When God saw his bad mind and rebuked him, his true self manifested itself. In other words, Cain defied God's rebuke, and, being indignant, killed his younger brother brutally. Cain had not feared God and had been ruthless, so God didn't accept his (a wicked man's) offerings. The Bible says that many people only walk on the yard of the temple and return home (without meeting God). This means that a man of evil heart vainly go to the temple to worship God without repenting his sins. God turns his face from him. This is like the rejection of Cain's offerings. God receives him who worships God by true faith. The true faith is a heart that loves God and man.

 

Of course, Abel also might have had sins. However, God rebuked only the older brother Cain. He scolded Cain frist, because he was the elder brother and didn't show a good attitude of life. But the older brother Cain, when rebuked by God, did not control his heart and committed a greater sin. If he, when reproached by God, had sought forgiveness from God humbly, God would have praised him highly, thinking, 'Indeed, you are an elder brother! You are the better one!'

 

We all have both Cain's mind and Abel's mind. Some aspects of our faith are good but others are not. As for good aspects, God accepts and praises us as Abel. But God rebukes a Cain in us. We should not show the same attitude as Cain then. God gives us greater consolation and blessing when we acknowledge our mistakes and seek forgiveness. Is there anyone in the world who has matured without being chastised?