Blood

I find it immensely fascinating studying the Old Testament 'atonement'. God had shown Adam and Eve that an "atonement" required the shedding of innocent blood to provide a "covering" for the guilty. Those who "worshiped" (that is literally, "bowed down" to God's will) in this way acknowledged their own guilt and helplessness, as well as their trust in God alone for complete salvation and provision. I cannot fathom anything in this process that would appeal to the physical or esthetic or mental appetites of man, at least, not when contrasted with Satan's appeal to Eve. Therefore, it would require the complete subjugation of our human pride to the will of God. Not easy to do then and not easy to do today.

The great division of humanity is perfectly illustrated in Cain and Abel. One's attitude of heart toward the matter of approaching and knowing God actually determines his destiny in eternity. If we willingly accept God's Word, approaching Him solely on the basis of faith in God's provision, through the shed blood of the Redeemer, God's Lamb, then we are restored to God's presence and fellowship. But if a person continues to distort and reject God's Word, relying on his/her own personal merits to earn salvation, he is then in effect interposing his own will in place of God's. He is presuming to be "as gods, knowing good and evil," and consequently becomes of the serpent's seed.

I see Cain being the first in a long line of the serpent's seed (1 John 3:12). Whereas Abel was truly in the household of faith. Abel is the first mentioned in the "hall of faith" in Hebrews 11. He is called righteous.

I see both occupations of the two brothers as being honorable. Cain would be providing the food while Abel provided for their clothing and for the required sacrifices. Man was not authorized until after the flood to use animals for food (Gen 1:29; 2:16; 3:19; 9:3).

I would imagine that Cain would have purchased from Abel a sheep for his own sacrifice. It seems likely to me that Cain probably went a long time outwardly obeying but eventually there arrived the time when his heart spewed forth with his rebellion. I see a careless unconcern for the will of God, and probably a spirit of pride in what he could produce from the ground despite God's curse on the ground. At any rate, his heart was obviously not right before the Lord which caused God to reject his gift.

Can you imagine the pride and and resentment that must have been festering in his heart for so long? The resentment wasn't directed at only God but to Abel also.

In spite of Cain's bitter anger, God graciously promised that he would still be accepted if only Cain would "do well" (in other words, obey God). But if he continued in rebellion "sin is crouching at the door." This is the first time "sin" is used in Scripture.

God, of course, went seeking Cain and questioned him. The question was designed to elicit from Cain a confession. Yet Cain boldly questioned God and then lied. Imagine...Abel was the first inhabitant of Sheol, where he would await the coming of the Savior. When God had sought out Adam after his sin, Adam had responded in confession and repentance, but not Cain. He compounded his wickedness by blatantly lying to God and challenging His right even to question him. Can you just see how long cherished sin hardens a person's heart and perverts his senses?

Cain was forever "driven out from the presence of the Lord"; and likewise, all those who do not obey the gospel of Christ will "be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power" (2 Thessalonians 1:9).

"When I'm honest with myself, I can't keep up the illusion that I'm really a pretty good person. Deep down, coursing through my soul, are the same currents of jealousy and resentment and bitterness and rebellion that surfaced in the life of Cain. The currents flow all throughout our human family, deadly and deep---currents as old as Eden and as thick as blood. And sometimes they bubble to the surace when we least expect it." Oh how true this is. Thank goodness for the blood of Christ!!!