And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.
Genesis 4:3-5
This is the second of two stand-alone topical blog posts on Genesis 4. The first was about worship. This one is about giving. Cain and Abel each offered a sacrifice as an integral component of worship. While we do not offer animal or grain sacrifices in our worship, we give (money) as an act of worship.
One of the big questions often asked of this passage is what was the difference between the sacrifices the brothers offered? More importantly, why did God respect Abel’s sacrifice and not Cain’s? The usual answer given is that Abel offered an animal (blood) sacrifice while Cain offered a grain sacrifice. Though that fact is true, I do not think this is the correct answer. Why?
There was nothing revealed at that point in the biblical narrative requiring blood sacrifices. Much later in the Bible when the Mosaic law was given, there was provision for grain sacrifices. So what made Abel’s offering acceptable and Cain’s unacceptable? This is where we need to apply the principle of asking Scripture to interpret Scripture. Hebrews 11 serves as a New Testament commentary on numerous Old Testament passages. Consider Hebrews 11:4:
By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks. (Emphasis added.)
The difference was that Abel offered his sacrifice “by faith.” Abel was trusting God. Cain apparently was not. How are we to give “by faith,” trusting God? 2 Corinthians 8:1-3 provides a principle of what it means to give “by faith.”
Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality [generosity]. For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing…
Paul pointed the Corinthians to the Macedonians as an example of how to give “by faith.” The Macedonians did not give out of their abundance. They were poor, yet they gave. How? “According to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing.” They generously gave sacrificially, and sacrificial giving requires faith—faith that God would supply their needs even though they generously gave sacrificially. Additionally, the Macedonians “freely willing” to give, eagerly, not grudgingly.
An application for us regarding giving: Let us generously give sacrificially—in a way that costs us, forcing us to trust God to provide for us. And let us give eagerly, never grudgingly. It is a matter of faith, and “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6).