Abel was a feeder of sheep, working and living for God. Moreover, by faith he presented to God a sacrifice with the shedding of blood as an offering and was accepted by God. He presented the firstlings of his flock and their fat, and God had regard for him and his offering (Gen. 4:2, 4). He did not present his sacrifice according to his concept, thought, or way, but according to God’s way of redemption. He knew that he had been born of fallen parents and that he was evil, sinful, and defiled in the eyes of God. He needed an offering with the shedding of blood in order to satisfy the requirement of God’s righteousness. Hence, he offered the firstlings of his flock and their fat. When he offered the fat, the sacrifice was killed and the blood was shed. The shedding of blood was for his redemption, and the burning of fat was for God’s satisfaction. Thus, by offering to God the sacrifice with the shedding of blood, he was accepted by God.
Cain was presumptuous in that he forsook God’s way of redemption and presented produce without the shedding of blood as an offering to God. Hence, he was rejected by God (Gen. 4:3, 5). Like Abel, he was born of fallen parents and he was sinful, evil, and defiled. Adam and Eve must have told Cain how they fell and how God covered them with the skins of the sacrifice. However, Cain forsook God’s way of redemption and refused God’s method. According to his own idea and opinion, he offered produce without the shedding of blood. Thus, his offering was an insult to God and an abomination. Therefore, God rejected it.
When Cain saw that God was pleased with Abel but not with him, he became jealous and very angry and his countenance fell. Then he even rose up against Abel his brother and killed him (Gen. 4:5, 8). In the beginning Cain worshipped God; then he became jealous, angry, and hateful, and eventually he committed murder. He even lied to God and was arrogant (Gen. 4:9). As a result, he was cast out of the presence of God (Gen. 4:14, 16) and produced a culture that corrupted his descendants and that was judged by God. This was a culture without God. It included building a city for self-existence, inventing cattle-raising for making a living, inventing music for self-amusement, and inventing weapons for self-defense (Gen. 4:17, 20-22). Eventually, in the generation of Noah this culture had developed to such an extent that the entire world was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth. Hence, they were judged by God with the flood.
In the Old Testament, after man’s creation, God made the first covenant with man; after man’s fall He came to the place of fallen man to seek and to call fallen man. It was with such a man who transgressed God’s prohibition, who had sin and death, who had the knowledge of good and evil, and who knew his nakedness and made skirts of leaves to cover the shame, that God made the second covenant with man. In this covenant God cursed the serpent, restricting it so that it would creep only on the earth and that it would eat dust during its entire life. He also promised that the seed of the woman, Christ, would come to bruise the serpent’s head, that is, to cause Satan’s death. Finally, He required the woman to suffer in childbearing and to be ruled by the husband, and He required the man to labor and sweat until he should return to the ground so that fallen man, being restricted by suffering, would have security and protection and would turn to God to receive deliverance through the seed of the woman. Eventually, Adam believed in what was promised in God’s covenant and called his wife Eve, meaning “living” or “life.” By faith he also had the hope of life. Then God made coats of skins for them that fallen sinners, having been justified by God through Christ, might be accepted by God and have fellowship with Him. By faith Abel received God’s way of redemption, offering the sacrifice with the shedding of blood and being accepted by God. However, Cain refused God’s way of redemption, offering produce without the shedding of blood. Rejected by God, he killed Abel his brother and was cast out of the presence of God, producing a culture that corrupted his descendants and that was judged by God.