Jump Start # 3975
Genesis 4:5 “but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell.”
Cain and Abel—the first siblings on the planet. Both brought offerings to God. Abel’s was accepted and Cain’s was not. Hebrews tells us that “by faith Abel offered a better sacrifice.” Faith is shaped by what God says. Some think that Cain had a bad attitude. Others believe that Cain’s offering wasn’t a real sacrifice. Picking fruit and vegetables doesn’t kill the plant. More produce usually follows. Killing a lamb, as Abel did, involved blood, death and was truly giving something up. However one paints the picture, God liked Abel’s sacrifice and He rejected Cain’s.
Immediately, this ought to tell us that God is not so desperate for our affection that He will accept anything and everything in worship. The modern church has long lost the story of Cain. The music suits the crowd. The preaching suits the crowd. The atmosphere suits the crowd. Does anything suit the Lord?
Tucked in the following verses shows us the wonderful grace of God. The Lord didn’t abandon Cain. He didn’t tell Cain to go figure it out. God wasn’t through with Cain. He doesn’t walk away from Cain. Four things take place:
First, God approaches Cain and tells him to do well (7). The Lord is giving Cain a second chance. If you do well, your countenance will be lifted. Do what is right, is what God is saying. It sure seems like the Lord was allowing Cain to make another offering.
Second, God warns Cain about what might happen (7). If you don’t do what is right, sin is crouching at your door. Notice the language. The Lord doesn’t say, “Sin is in Africa.” No. Sin is right at your door. It’s close. It’s about to come into your house.
Third, God tells Cain that he must master sin (7). If you don’t master it, then you will be mastered. It takes effort, will and determination. It’s not too late. You don’t have to go down this road. You can do better.
Fourth, God asks Cain about Abel. The Lord knew. He wasn’t on a fact finding mission. He was giving Cain the opportunity to confess. Sin had mastered him. He not only had not worshipped correctly, but he had not listened to the Lord. His life had spiraled out of control. Rather than becoming broken, Cain dodges the issue and acts as if he doesn’t know what happened.
All through this journey, God was with Cain. He was trying to get him to make the right choices. He was giving him things to consider. He warned him about where the wrong choices would take him. And, much so often, in a study of Cain, we focus upon the mistakes he made and we fail to see the wonderful grace of God sprinkled all through this story. God would not save Cain without his cooperation and faith. As long as he continued to ignore God, Cain’s life would become darker and darker.
And, through all of this, we ought to see our journey as well. God allows you to dance around the idols, offer strange fire, preach a different Gospel and run with the wolves of error as far as your little heart will take you. Oh, it can seem so exciting and fun. It can be the greatest worship you have ever experienced. But if the Lord has no regard for it, not only is it in vain, but it opens the door to the sins crouching right outside. Pride. Shallow thinking. Selfishness. Twisted theology. Any and all of these will wreck and destroy what we are offering the Lord. Yet, even here, we find God’s wonderful grace. He pleads with us to do well. He warns us what will happen if we don’t. He assures us that we can overcome the sin that we are heading to. And, He is willing to take us back if we will but follow Him.
What a remarkable God. What a God of love and grace. He’s there trying to help us. If only, we would listen.
Roger