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[Nickel Olson]

Why didn't God appreciate Cain's offering? And why did Cain kill Abel?

The story of Cain and Abel has come up a few times in some videos I've been watching by a psychologist. I decided to read it and was really surprised at how short it is.

Anyway, I'm having a hard time learning anything from it since it is only a paragraph long and nothing is really offered in the way of reasoning through the decisions that were made by God or Cain.

So I'm curious what your thoughts are on this story. My biggest question is why didn't God appreciate Cain's offering, but he appreciated Abel's?

[Matthew]

The reason is in the description: "In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock."

So while Cain brought God an offering out of the entirety of his harvest, Abel brought an offering from his firstborn flock. Abel offered something up to God first, then decided what to do with the rest of his flock. Cain should have made an offering to God immediately after his first harvest, then trust in God that he could live off the remainder. Abel showed an inherent faith in God; Cain did not.

And why did Cain kill Abel? Cain was simply jealous that God showed favor to Abel, but not him. He was angry and ashamed, and he took it out on his brother, rather than admit his own fault.

[FIW]

Adam and Eve sinned by taking/touching the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This action was a rejection of what God had instructed them to do, thus in simple terms, they didn’t respect God’s wishes and/or His guidance. Therefore, they and their descendants would be cursed! They would now begin to decide for themselves; what was good and what wasn’t. This type of human attitude is highly susceptible to influences, from adversarial forces.

So, along comes Cain and Abel and it’s obvious that they had some understandings about who God is. This is clear, because they both wanted to offer God something from their labors. But, it seems, they didn’t ask God; what was appropriate! They both just decided for themselves; what would be the right offering to give. Thus, an example was needed. Hence, humans were not going to be permitted to offer whatever they pleased and in a way they wanted to. Yes, it’s obvious that they could do what they wanted, but it would not be accepted by God. Which, is what occurred with Cain.

This event was used to begin the record of how God wanted offerings to be presented to Him, not by the decisions of humans, but by God, Himself. Yet, it should be noted, that Abel was not favored in this situation. He was just fortunate to be the keeper of the flocks. It would seem reasonable; that if Cain (being the first born) knew that God only wanted an animal as an offering, he would have done so.

When we review Leviticus some of the offerings of the soil are included. So, it is clear that the issue was not about animals verses crops.

Then, what is the example that God is trying to tell us through this event? It is; that only God can decide: what is good and what isn’t. This is a reality that has plagued mankind since its inception.

[jimwalton]

You're right that the story is told with surprising economy. Some background is always helpful.

1. Since the previous chapter recorded Adam & Eve's sin, it makes sense that a story will follow that elaborates on the theme of sin, rebelling against God, and an act of disobedience.

2. There is no hint that God has commanded sacrifice (let alone a blood sacrifice), but since both men bring a sacrifice, we might be warranted in assuming that the narrator hasn't told us everything that transpired before this.

3. The occupations of the men explains their offerings. Abel brings a sacrifice from the flocks, and Cain brings a sacrifice from the produce of the ground.

4. The offerings aren't depicted as addressing sin or seeking atonement, but only as gifts to God. They appear to be intended to express gratitude to God for His blessings.

There is specific mention that Abel brought the first fruits (the firstborn, Gn. 4.4), but that is not mentioned with Cain. Cain seems to have brought "some of the fruits of the soil." That could be one clue. He's bringing a less-than-the-best gift to honor deity, which is not honoring. Other than that, there doesn't seem to be an obviously distinction between the two offerings. A fruit or vegetable offering is neither superior nor inferior to an animal one.

Cain's sin seems to be in his attitude, as the conversation that follows implies. When God approaches him, instead of acting with some desire to please, he gets angry and "downcast," seemingly self-righteous or arrogant. It seems he was trying to approach God on his own terms.
The Lord treats him gently and tries to persuade him to a more appropriate course. "If you do what is right, you will be accepted." Cain must have known what that "right" was, and what he had done that was inappropriate. God warns him, as He did Adam & Eve, that a rebellious choice will end badly. Just as with Adam and Eve, responding rightly was possible. We discover that Cain was unrepentant, unloving, uncaring, rebellious and murderous. Obviously God could see his heart, and that's where the problem was. We also see that he is jealous and hateful, and that's why he killed Abel. We see here the second step of rebellion, spilling over into rage and murder, and there will be growing epidemic of corruption and violence in the next few chapters. The story is in a sequence from the first act of rebellion (Gn. 3.1-7) to wholesale depravity (Gn. 6.5, 11-12).