Cain Applied

The first sin recorded in the Bible, the Original Sin, is the story of Adam ad Eve in Eden eating a forbidden fruit and being cursed for it with a severed relationship of separation from the Lord.  The orignal sin is easily definable, if not caricatured; however, the second sin, regarding Cain and Abel, is sometimes neglected.

Genesis 4:1-16, the story of Cain and Abel is chronicled.  At the onset, a short synopsis is in order.  Eve, by Adam, conceives Cain and then Abel.  Abel is a shepherd and Cain a farmer.  At some point, both brothers bring an offering to the Lord, Cain brings grain and Abel brings the firstborn of his flock and the fat portions.  God favors the offering of Abel to the neglect of Cain's.  Cain becomes jealous and, although warned by the Lord of sin's lurking, in his envy kills his brother.  After killing him, the Lord confronts Cain and, after he is shamed for his crime, casts him out of His presence.

This story is both difficult and dense, but there are a couple major points that need to be addressed.  The first is the offering itself.  Much speculation can and has been made about why the Lord favored Abel's offering over Cain's, but what is clear is that it was.  There are basically two notable reasons for God favoring Abel's offering.

The first is the cost.  Sheep were not cheap.  To offer the firstborn and the fatty portions indicates that Abel was sincerely sacrificing the best he had to offer.  Grain, on the other hand, is  less costly.  The wording also denotes that Cain's offering was more token and flippant than humble and sincere.  The second and more important note, in regards to the reason for the Lord favoring Abel, is in the state of Cain's heart.

God has never been interested in the quality or quantity of the sacrifice, He is most concerned with the state of the heart (Psa. 40:6-8; 51:16).  Judging by the soberness of God's warning to Cain, it is clear that Cain's offering was not worshipful as much as it was obligatory.  This is the opposite of what God desires of His children.  He wants generous and loving offerers of praise.  When our posture in offering is not as such, we run the risk of sin.

The other point to be made in this dialogue is in reference to God's response to Cain's sin.  Following Abel's murder, God curses Cain with the most dramatic of alienations: from the ground and from God.  Although Cain's curse is severe, it is also coupled with provision.  Cain will be marked so as to live a long life.  In this, we can see that God, even in Cain's punishment, is protecting him.  This is both remarkable and sad.  Cain had to live with the weight of his sin being the thorn that would continually wound him throughout his life; however, even in this, God proves Himself faithful and true.

In conclusion, the story of Cain and Abel is the first example of intentional human-to-human sin.  That being said, God shows that the horizontal sins have nearly equally dire consequences to the vertical, human-to-God, sins.  Therefore, let us be conscious for two things that might take root in our hearts.  The first is the sincerity and character of our offerings to the Lord.  If we are not sincere and humble in our devotion, we are in danger.  The second point is that when God, by the speaking of the Holy Spirit, warns us of the pernicious nature of our hearts, we need to take heed lest we fall into the danger of sin.  Let us then look to the example of Cain as a warning to us all.