Offer your best

Cain and Abel brought offering to God

Genesis 4:3-5

In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell.

Subject: Why did God not accept Cain’s offering but accept Abel’s?

Complement: God did not accept Cain’s offering because he did not honor God with the first fruit.

The verse starts, “in the course of time,” apparently, there were sometimes had passed since Cain and Abel started their occupations. Cain brought the offering of the fruit of the ground to God. The Bible says it was just “the fruit of the ground” and doesn’t say the first fruit of the ground. On the order hand, Abel brought the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. The Bible doesn’t state the quantity of fruits brought by Cain. Would it be worth more or less than the offering of Abel? We don’t know, but I don’t think it matter. It is not the size of offering, but the matter of the heart.

Cain did not honor God with his first fruit, and Abel honored God with his firstborn of the flock. Do we honor God with our first fruit or firstborn of the flock? When we get our check, do we think of God first? God or mammon? Also, give with honor and not with duty. If you give offering out of duty, but your heart doesn’t desire to give, then it is actually meaningless.