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Unfortunately scripture does not clearly spell out why Cain's offering was not accepted by God. We do know that under the Mosaic law, sacrifices of both animals and grain were required. Since scripture is silent in this area, there may be room for honest debate among believers as to why one sacrifice was accepted and the other was not.
One very strong possibility is that God had revealed to Adam, Eve and their children that at least certain sacrifices were to be the blood sacrifice of an animal. Clearly, God did expect Cain to know what a proper sacrifice was (Gen. 4:7) It could be strongly argued that God's statement that Cain's sacrifice would be accepted if Cain did well, and not accepted if Cain did not do well means that Cain must of had knowledge of what is and is not acceptable to God and that God was holding him responsible for that knowledge. How else would anyone know what God expected unless God had revealed that information? So there is one strong possibility, God had clearly made his will known, and Cain was in clear disobedience.
There is a possibility that we are missing the forest for the trees here. The real issue may have nothing to do with animal vs. grain offerings at all. One recurring theme in scripture is that God wants our best, we are to bring our "first fruits" to Him, not our leftovers or the portions which nobody else wants. (Doesn't the quality of the gift reflect the degree of our love?)
Look at Gen. 4:4. Abel brought the "firstlings" or "fatty" portions from his herds. There is no indication of quality or "firstfruit" relative to Cain's offering. It is entirely possible that Cain's problem was not that he brought fruit or produce, but that he simply brought "some" fruit, not necessarily the first or the best. The difference is the intent of the heart or the degree of love or devotion. This is consistent with statements by God later in the Old Testament that He despises offerings which are of inferior quality (Malachi 1:7-9) or made with an impure heart (Hosea 8:12-13). We have further insight into Cain's heart in his reaction. Instead of wanting to please and obey God, Cain got mad and lashed out against his brother. He felt no remorse before God ("Am I my brother's keeper?") and instead of seeking God, he complained about the severity of his punishment and worried about his own safety.
The condition of Cain's heart and his attitude toward God may very well be the sin of Cain and the reason his sacrifice was not accepted. Not a not matter of vegetables vs sheep, but love and obedience for God vs. rebellion. |
