A Question to Ponder...Cain & Abel

[Diplomat]

OK...I am not quite in the work mood, so here is a question I have wondered about and wanted to hear the perspective of others on. (BTW, I think I finally came upon a (non-religious) explanation that makes sense.)

Why was Abel's offering accepted, and Cain's rejected?

[Dailybread]

Re: A Question to Ponder...Cain & Abel

Originally posted by CEW:
[qb] OK...I am not quite in the work mood, so here is a question I have wondered about and wanted to hear the perspective of others on. (BTW, I think I finally came upon a (non-religious) explanation that makes sense.)

Why was Abel's offering accepted, and Cain's rejected? [/qb]

Abel gave it out of obedience, Cain did it out of follow fashion. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Diplomat]

Re: A Question to Ponder...Cain & Abel

DB: Abel was offering out of obedience to what?

[Dailybread]

Re: A Question to Ponder...Cain & Abel

Originally posted by CEW:
[qb] DB: Abel was offering out of obedience to what? [/qb]

The prompting of God on his heart [img]/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

[Diplomat]

Re: A Question to Ponder...Cain & Abel

Dailybread: I think you have to give this one just a bit more thought [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] .

[Dailybread]

Re: A Question to Ponder...Cain & Abel

Originally posted by CEW:
[qb] Dailybread: I think you have to give this one just a bit more thought [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] . [/qb]

Ok here goes another try....
Because Cain brought it with ought against his brother. God told him to make right but if he did not then he would fall into sin. Had he left his offering and went and made right with his brother. His offering would've been accepted. Several days later they were in the field and he killed his brother.

[Diplomat]

Re: A Question to Ponder...Cain & Abel

DB: I have never heard that one before. I have read this story several times - as I am sure you and others may have - yet though we know Cain killed Abel, the reason for the sacrifice rejection was not made quite clear. I think if you read the story again, slowly, and bearing in mind the events before as it related to Adam & Eve, you would perhaps start to see why [img]/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

[Dailybread]

Re: A Question to Ponder...Cain & Abel

Originally posted by CEW:
[qb] DB: I have never heard that one before. I have read this story several times - as I am sure you and others may have - yet though we know Cain killed Abel, the reason for the sacrifice rejection was not made quite clear. I think if you read the story again, slowly, and bearing in mind the events before as it related to Adam & Eve, you would perhaps start to see why [img]/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img] [/qb]

Genesis 4:. 3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. 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:

does the answer lie in the above verses?

[Diplomat]

Re: A Question to Ponder...Cain & Abel

DB: The way I see it, the answer does lie in the verses you refer to, but it requires some deductive reasoning, based on previous events, to come up with a plausible answer.

I am thinking that if an unbeliever asked this question - or even another believer for that matter - we should be able to provide an answer that made sense. This is why it had previously provoked my thinking.

[Dailybread]

Re: A Question to Ponder...Cain & Abel

Originally posted by Dailybread:
[qb]

Originally posted by CEW:
[qb] DB: I have never heard that one before. I have read this story several times - as I am sure you and others may have - yet though we know Cain killed Abel, the reason for the sacrifice rejection was not made quite clear. I think if you read the story again, slowly, and bearing in mind the events before as it related to Adam & Eve, you would perhaps start to see why [img]/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img] [/qb]

Genesis 4:. 3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. 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:

does the answer lie in the above verses? [/qb]

Ok, unless someone else works it out don't give the answer... I will ponder this in my heart for a while.

[Guest]

Re: A Question to Ponder...Cain & Abel

(((CEW))) can I join I promise to behave?

[Diplomat]

Re: A Question to Ponder...Cain & Abel

Originally posted by Jedi l:
[qb] (((CEW))) can I join I promise to behave? [/qb]

I am holding you to your promise [img]/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] .

[Guest]

Re: A Question to Ponder...Cain & Abel

What an awesome story and I have been wanting to look into this for the longest time. But I am going to wait for you. Tell me why do you think that God rejected his sacrifice? I think it had to do with the fact that it was not a blood sacrifice.

edited to add: Or because it was not the choice fruits of his crops (Cain's that is) [img]/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

[Dailybread]

Re: A Question to Ponder...Cain & Abel

Does it have anything to do with the sheding of blood ? In every offering offered to God there had to be blood shed. Cain tended the ground so there was no way for him to have fat to offer (no blood shed).

[Diplomat]

Re: A Question to Ponder...Cain & Abel

Well, let me share with you what I came across sometime ago and you can join in with your thoughts. I do not have the article on hand so I am going from memory.

You may recall that after Adam & Eve sinned, God cursed the ground and Adam would have to work it for it to produce. Cain's offering came out of that cursed ground. In addition, it was the fruit of his own efforts, and in God's scheme of things, nothing we can do on our own can make us justified in His sight, so Cain's sacrifice was rejected.

Abel on the other hand offered "the firstlings of his flock". It is true that he had to shed blood, and this was very indicative of what we have come to know since. That without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins. You may also recall that when Adam & Eve sinned, God "sacrificed" animals and covered them with the skin. The shedding of blood was somewhat futuristic of what Christ would eventually do, and as such, was deemed acceptable by God.

Makes a lot of sense to me.

Edited for typo...thanks DB