Men of Faith: Abel

A lamb in grass

Genesis 4:4 -"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."

Faith Is Important To God

There are many great stories of faith in the bible that are shared simply for the purpose of revealing how important it is to God that we put our trust in Him. In these stories, He clearly demonstrates the difference between trusting in Him and trusting in ourselves, circumstances, or even others . I am introducing a new series called Men of Faith where over the next few weeks I will share with you some of the people who exemplified pristine and unwavering faith in God and how they were blessed because their faith. I will begin with a look into the Faith of Abel who offered a more acceptable gift to God than his brother Cain.

Firstlings

As the story is told we learn that God was pleased with Abel’s offering, but not so pleased with his brother Cain’s offering. Cain was a farmer and offered his crop. Abel was a shepherd and offered the firstling of his flock. They both offered. So why was one offering accepted and the other rejected? My first thought was that perhaps Cain didn’t give from his best crop but rather from a weakened or not well grown version. In other words, he did not give of his best crop. However, as I read over the verses again, I realized the wording was slightly different between the brothers. “Cain brought of the fruit of the ground. But Abel brought of the firstlings of his flock.”

God has always encouraged us as Christians to put Him first in our lives. There are many scriptures. This one, however, I believe is most familiar. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God…” (Matthew 6:33) He wants to be the One we rely on for everything we need and not our own abilities. When we put God first, He can propel us further than we could ever go on our own and with much less stress and worry. Cain possibly did not think of God first to offer in thanksgiving but possibly gave his offering later after he had enjoyed of his harvest. Whereas Abel gave of his firstlings before he himself partook of his blessings, putting God first.

Bad Offerings

Some would argue that Cain's offer may not have been accepted because it was not a goodly offering like Abel's fleshly offering. The bible does not specifically say that Abel gave a better offering than that of Cain's. Nor does it say that Cain gave a bad offering, if such a thing even exists. In retrospect, it does say that sin lieth at the door of Cain’s offering, possibly meaning that he did not put God first or he had ulterior motives for the offering. Nothing is hidden from God. He knew what was in Abel's and Cain’s hearts just as He knows what is in our hearts today. God knows what each of us has. He knows what we are capable of and what we are able to give. He is not a God that He would ask of us something that is impossible for us to give. Like the story of the widow who gave her last two mites in( Mark 12: 41). Jesus explained to his disciples how she gave the most valuable gift of anyone even though everyone gave more in monetary value. (Mark 12: 43-44) God does encourage us, however, to honor Him first and foremost in all things, and in doing so, He will bless us accordingly. I believe this is the difference between Abel’s offering and Cain’s offering. Abel's heart was in a place where he wanted to continually please God and so this was reflected his actions.

Thank you for reading! Please come again!

I pray that you make the Lord first and foremost in your giving before all else, whether it’s money, time, or studying the word.

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