Introduction
A man on his deathbed called his preacher, his doctor, and his lawyer to visit him. “I have $30,000 left in the bank, and I want to take it all with me when I die. So, I’m giving each of you an envelope with $10,000 cash in it. At my funeral, I want each of you to come and put your envelope in my coffin.” The man died, and each of the three did what he asked. Later in the week, they met up with each other to talk about the experience. The preacher said, “I’m sure that if he’d thought about it more, brother Smith would have wanted to help out with the new church organ. So I took $2,000 out of the envelope and put $8,000 in the coffin.” The doctor confessed, “Well, he complimented me on the care I provided him when he was ill, and I knew he’d want to help fund my new clinic, so I took $5,000 out and deposited $5,000 in the coffin.” The lawyer said, “I did better than both of you. I took the $8,000 you left, preacher, and I took the $5,000 you left, doctor. I also kept my $10,000. But to be fair, I left behind in the coffin a check for the $30,000.”
So as some of you know, I coach cheerleading. Long story of how this all came about, but I've coached for a number of years now. Currently, I coach at Village Christian Academy. One of the things I'm known for saying to my cheerleaders when they improve on something I'm coaching them on is, "That’s much gooder." It always gets a reaction. “What? Gooder ain't a word. You mean that's much better?" Like it always makes an impression. And it’s meant to. I say gooder for three reasons: 1. Its encouragement. 2. It brings a moment of levity to what could have been an intense moment of coaching. 3. Most importantly, it makes a memory of the moment so that, hopefully, they will remember the instruction or correction I have given them. It's a little psychology to hopefully impress on their minds what they learned. It's a way to enforce retention. I'm trying to get them to do their best as cheerleaders.
Have you ever received a gift and thought to yourself, How much effort went into this? Sometimes we receive gifts we don’t really like. Some of those gifts we end up regifting to others. In fact, US News & World Report did an article about the do’s and don’ts of regifting. Don’t “regift within the family.” Do “package it prettily.” The point is sometimes we receive what we do not want. And we give what we really don’t want. We do this to God too. Instead of putting our thought and heart into what we offer him, we often give him half-hearted gifts.
In Genesis 4, a man named Cain decided to give God something he really didn’t want, and it cost him dearly. His brother, on the other hand, gave his best, which introduces us to the concept of first-fruit offerings.
Genesis 4:1-12 (ESV - English Standard Version)
1Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, "I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord."
2And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground.
3In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground,
4and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering,
5but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell.
6The Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen?
7If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it."
8Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.
9Then the Lord said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" He said, "I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?"
10And the Lord said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground.
11And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.
12When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth."
Scripture Explanation
Verses 1-2
These are straightforward verses that give us the lineage coming from Adam and Eve's family. Can and Able are their sons. Cain was a farmer, Able a herdsman.
Verses 3-6
Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground: Earlier fruit referred to the fruit of the trees in the garden. Here, the fruit of the ground refers to “some produce.”
Abel brought the firstborn of his flock, which means the first lamb born. And of their fat portions: fat portions refers to “the choicest or best.” It conveys the thought of the highly prized parts of the animal. It's a sacrifice. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering: had regard for translates from Hebrew “to look at,” which in this context is “to look at with favor” or “to look favorably on."
But for Cain and his offering, he had no regard: but marks a strong contrast between God’s acceptance of Abel and his rejection of Cain. Interpreters offer many reasons why God may have rejected Cain’s offering; however, this narrator is silent on this matter. We don't know at this point.
So Cain was very angry. Angry translates to a word whose verb form means to burn. In English, it is similar to saying, “he became inflamed with anger.” The reason for Cain’s heated reaction was that God rejected him and his offering. Cain is apparently envious of his brother’s acceptance, but the story does not reveal how Cain knew about that.
The Lord said is followed by two questions, and so will often need to be expressed as “The Lord asked Cain.” However, these questions may be taken as rhetorical, and in that case “said” may be more appropriate. Why are you angry, and why has your countenance fallen?
Verse 7
This verse is difficult to interpret. The questions in verse 6 show that the Lord does not approve of Cain’s reaction, and so he goes on to advise Cain on what he should do. If you do well means “If you behave, conduct yourself in the right way.” Will you not be accepted? The first part of the verse appears to give Cain a warning that it is up to him to mend his ways. The second part seems to give the alternative of what will happen if he fails to correct his attitude.
The second part of the verse begins with the alternative if you do not do well, and the reader expects a word to follow that balances with “lifting up” in the first part. However, no such word follows in Hebrew. Instead, there is the figurative expression that sin is crouching at the door … if you do what is wrong, then sin is ready to destroy you.” “Sin is like an animal crouching behind the door wanting to dominate you.” But you must master it: that is, “you must overcome sin,” “you must rule over it,” “you must not let sin rule you.” So you can't claim God has a problem with Cain, as He is actually telling Cain how to live a life pleasing to God.
Verse 8
It's assumed that Cain killed Able over the offering, but our author doesn’t say that. It's possible that Cain killed Able over his anger about the offering, but the possibility exists that what Cain said to Abel had nothing to do with the situation arising from the offerings. Rose up against means “attacked, assaulted.” It does not mean that Cain was sitting or lying down before he attacked. Killed him translates as a term that means to cause the death of someone and to do it with evil intent and by violent means.
Verse 9
Then the Lord said to Cain: “Where is Abel, your brother?” is a question similar to the question God asked Adam in the garden, “Where are you?” Both acts of disobedience are thus tied together, indicating that Cain’s murderous act had its beginnings in the sin of his father. Cain replies falsely, unlike his father, who admitted his sin, Cain adds to his condemnation by lying. He attempts to elude the question and absolve himself of responsibility by his question, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” The purpose of Cain's question is not to get information, but rather to make a negative statement: “I am not my brother’s keeper.” Ironically, Adam was appointed “keeper” of the garden in Genesis 2, but here the issue involves responsibility for another human being, which Cain incorrectly believes he's not.
Verses 10-12
The Lord’s rhetorical question, What have you done, is similar in wording and intent to the question put to Eve in Genesis 3. The question is really demanding that Cain explain his behavior. "Listen! Your brother is dead. His blood flowed onto the ground, and now it is calling out." God's question is meant to emphasize the destruction of his actions, similar to the rhetorical question of Eve. And like the serpent earlier in Genesis, Cain is placed under a curse; this is the first occasion in Scripture where a human is cursed. This curse indicates the gravity of his crime against God and creation. Cain’s culpability is emphasized by the direct accusation “from your own hand.” You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, meaning that (1) Cain will have no place or home of his own; (2) he will be a “traveler,” always on the move; (3) he will keep going round and round, in his life.
TODAY’S KEY TRUTH
Giving God our best is a reflection of our Heart for Him & our heart for our fellow man.
The offerings of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4 are some of the first recorded offerings to God. Cain brought God fruit from the ground, while Abel brought him an offering from his flock. God was pleased with Abel’s offering. Why? Did God prefer animal sacrifice over a plant? God's instructions to Cain were about his heart, not his offering. God was addressing Cain’s attitude toward giving, as evidenced by the conversation he has with God in verses 6–7, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?” It's about his heart, not his gift. He was trying to get into the heart of Cain and reason with him concerning the attitude of his heart and the foothold to sin he was allowing to grow. If Cain could clearly see where his heart was wrong, there was still a chance to get it right. God was giving him time to confess and make it right before it was too late, but Cain refused.
Hebrews 11:4 seems to reinforce the idea that Cain’s attitude was a major concern: “By faith, Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith, he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith, Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.” Cain gave half-heartedly, while Abel was happy about giving to God. After God responded differently to the gifts, and Cain did not appreciate the correction, it became even more evident that Cain’s heart wasn’t in the right place. God’s response toward Cain and Abel, therefore, was not due to the nature of the gift per se, whether it was grain or animal, but the heart of the giver. Able's gift was “gooder” because he gave from a heart that wanted to give God his best.
Based on the translation you read, this is the first time the term “First fruits/firstborn” is used in the discussion of an offering. Offering firstfruits means offering to God our very best without hesitation or regret. This includes our finances, time, gifts, and whatever he asks from us. First fruits are about choosing Him first. First fruits are referring to our hearts because a heart for God wants to give from their best, their first, while a heart like Cain's is giving from the leftover.
More important than the amount or the type of gift is the heart behind the gift. God wants us to share from our resources, but he wants us to do so cheerfully. In 2 Corinthians 9:7, Paul emphasizes the importance of our attitude in giving. “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” The heart behind our offering is what God focuses on.
Giving God our best is a reflection of our Heart for Him & our heart for our fellow man.
Our offerings to God reveal our hearts. Normally, when we think of giving to God, we consider it merely as a matter of our giving of money to God through the local church. While the giving of tithes and offerings is important, it is secondary. The Bible makes much about giving because it is a reflection of our hearts.
At the heart of every true act of giving, every work of ministry, every acceptable act of worship is the heart, a heart close to God. First, there must be a full commitment of ourselves—spirit, soul, and body—to the Lord. We must trust Him not only for salvation but also for the direction of our lives. It must be a commitment without reserve.
As Sir Walter Raleigh was about to be executed, he was asked which way he preferred to lay his head on the block. He replied, “So the heart be right, it is no matter which way the head lies.” Every thought, affection, and desire must be given over to God’s direction. The more completely we trust, the more surely God will guide us. Giving is about our heart seeking the heart of the Lord.
Our giving not only reveals our heart toward God, it reveals our heart toward our fellow man. When we give to God, it's not that God needs our resources to make it. It's His already. It's to impact the lives of others. Giving to God is also about our heart to others.
God already knew the answer when He asked Cain, “Where’s Able?” God asked that question to preemptively answer Cain’s response: “Am I my brother’s keeper?” From the story of Cain & Able to the Good Samaritan to Jesus on the cross to the Great Commission, God has repeatedly & consistently said, “Yes, you are.“ We are our brother's keeper.
We are called to impact this lost and hurting world. We called to help those struggling, hurting, lost, hungry, and dying. We are called to think of others more highly than ourselves. When our heart is aligned with God's, we give our best because we know God can use it to impact this world. When our heart seeks God, we seek to join God on His mission to save and redeem humanity.
Philosopher Alfred North Whitehead once said that the wise man is the man who plants shade trees he will never sit under. Most of us will never make a headline, have a building named for us, or leave our tracks in time as if in concrete. Most of us will live and die, and our tracks will be erased, like those of people walking at low tide whose footprints are washed away quickly by high tide.
Yet, there is one way to make a difference & leave a legacy: Align our hearts with God & give Him our best. Join God in His mission to save & redeem humanity. God expects us to be good stewards of all he has given us and to show our love for him by offering our first and our best to him. Giving God our best is a reflection of our relationship with him; if we don’t think much of him and what he has done, we are probably not going to give easily or generously.
Giving God our best is a reflection of our Heart for Him & our heart for our fellow man.
In Luke, Jesus said, “Give to others, and God will give to you. Indeed, you will receive a full measure, a generous helping, poured into your hands—all that you can hold. The measure you use for others is the one that God will use for you.”
Jesus was the most radical teacher of all time. So much so that the religious establishments felt threatened by Jesus and plotted against him until he was crucified. The level of commitment and devotion that Jesus called for was unheard of and rejected by many. ‘Love your enemy. Blessed are the meek and mournful. Turn the other cheek. Whoever loses his life gains it. Your sins are forgiven. It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ All of his teachings were considered radical to the religious establishment and to the culture because Jesus always focused on your heart. Giving our best is a reflection of our hearts.
Too often, we make contributions of our time, our talents, and our tithe, but it's from a heart that gives God what's left instead of what's best. We choose to demonstrate love with the minimum, if at all. But if our heart is focused on God, our offerings to God become “gooder.”
We regularly describe Jesus’ act on the cross as a sacrifice. We call it that because it was a demonstration of God’s heart. Able sacrificed his best. We sacrifice for those we love. What have we sacrificed in our schedules, our abilities, our feelings, and in our worldly goods? What have we given up or lost for God? The best or what's left? We often give as a contribution so that we can meet the minimum and still focus on our own comfort. Jesus’ death on the cross was anything but comfortable. But the cross showed His heart for you. He gave His best for you.
When we give our best to God, it shows our heart for Him & our fellow man. Giving God our best is a reflection of our Heart for Him & our heart for our fellow man. May our hearts be that of Able's.
Giving God our best is a reflection of our Heart for Him & our heart for our fellow man.