Genesis 4:2-8

Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. ³ In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. ⁴ And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, ⁵ but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

⁶ Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? ⁷ If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”

⁸ Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.”^[d] While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

As a child, we learn about this story in Sunday school class. At face value, it seems to depict the first murder and has themes of jealousy and anger. I remember thinking as a child that I couldn’t imagine how angry Cain would have had to be and how innocent Abel was. Abel did nothing to his brother, but Cain despised his brother for his success. Over the years, I haven’t thought much about this story other than at the surface level. However, I was reading and debating much in my own mind about faith vs. works and I believe that the Holy Spirit reminded me of this Cain and Abel story. As I got to read it again I realized the sacrifices that both brothers made to the Lord. Abel was a shepherd and gave God a blood sacrifice of his floc, presumably, a sheep or lamb. Cain gave to the Lord a sacrifice of fruit from the ground because Cain was a farmer of sorts. There are a couple points I want to make about the symbolic nature of the sacrifices and how that fits into this faith vs works debate. Let me say first, I believe that we are saved by faith which leads us to good works.

1. A lamb is symbolic of Jesus, a blood sacrifice is also symbolic of Jesus dying on the cross.
2. Cain’s sacrifice was of fruit. Fruit is symbolic to our good works.
3. We can conclude a theory as being that Abel relied on what God had provided him. A lamb/sheep symbolic of Jesus. While Cain believed that his fruit (works) would cause him to get in the Lord’s favor.

There are many theories as to why God did not accept Cains sacrifice like he did Abel. I believe God is telling us something symbolically and inspired this story to be written. When we read the Bible, we must look at it symbolically as well as literal. God is the most creative Author and no one could ever write a book like His. Thank the Lord that we are part of this Book by following Jesus. We will analyze the topic of Faith vs Works in future posts.