Add To Heart Week 1 The Only Person of Our Worship

 

WORD

3 In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground,

4 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,

5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. GEN 4:3-5

In this passage, we see Cain and his younger brother, Abel, giving their offering to God. They knew that they were giving an offering to the Almighty God who created everything, and that giving an offering meant honoring him and thanking him for his blessing. Since Cain worked the ground, he brought the fruit of the ground as an offering. On the other hand, Abel, a keeper of sheep, brought the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. We see from this passage that God was pleased with Abel’s offering, but displeased with Cain’s. Today, we will learn two things about giving to God and how we can apply them to our lives.

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1 Our giving is an expression of worship to God.

3 In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground,

Of the fruit of the ground—Of the worst fruits (Bereishit Rabbah 22:5); there is an Aggadah which says that it was linseed (Midrash Tanchuma, Bereshit 9).

4 and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions . . . GEN 4:3-4

Zevachim 116a:14

The Gemara explains the two opinions: What is the reasoning of the one who says that the descendants of Noah sacrificed peace offerings? As it is written: “And Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions” (Gen 4:4). Abel, like all Gentiles, is categorized as a descendant of Noah. The verse emphasizes that the fat was sacrificed. The Gemara analyzes: What is an item, i.e., an offering, the fat of which is sacrificed upon the altar, but that is not sacrificed in its entirety upon the altar? You must say: This is the peace offering, the meat of which is consumed.

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The offerings Cain and Abel brought were an outward expression of their true attitude toward God. While Cain brought the Lord simply an offering, or according to some translations, some of the fruits of the soil, Abel gave the first and best parts of what he had to the Lord. Cain brought whatever he could and gave it to God as an offering. In contrast, Abel did not give randomly; he offered the most important and the most valuable of his flock. In this way, he worshiped God as his source of provision. When we give our first and best to God, we humbly acknowledge that everything we have comes from him, and he deserves all our worship. How do you give your first and best to God?

2 God looks at our hearts when we give.

4 And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering,

And . . . had regard—Fire descended from heaven and consumed his offering.

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Had regard—And he had regard; similarly in the next verse “and his offering he had no regard.” Similarly (Exo 5:9), “and let them not turn.” Similarly (Job 14:6), “look away from him.”

5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. GEN 4:4-5

And Moses was very angry and said to the Lord, “Do not respect their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them, and I have not harmed one of them.” NUM 16:15

Moses was very angry—He was very grieved.

Do not respect their offering—According to its plain sense the meaning is: “Do not respect the frankincense which they will offer before you tomorrow.” The Midrashic explanation is: He said, “I know that they have a portion in the continual offerings of the community; let not even this their portion be accepted favourably before you—let the fire leave it and not consume it” (Midrash Tanchuma, Korach 7).

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I have not taken one donkey from them—Even when I went from Midian to Egypt and placed my wife and my sons on one donkey, and I surely ought afterwards to have taken the price of that donkey from their money, yet I took only from my own (Midrash Tanchuma, Korach 7). Onkelos renders it as שְׁחָרִית. In Aramaic a forced levy made by the king is so called, viz., שַׁחְוַור (cf. Rashi on Bava Batra 47a).

God responded not to what was offered before him, but to the hearts of those giving the offering. Heb 11:4 says that by faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain. He was in faith that the God who blessed the work of his hands would continue to be faithful to provide, even when he gave his first and his best. God had regard for Abel and his offering, and his faith pleased God. In the same way, God sees our hearts when we give in faith to him, trusting that he will continue to be faithful to take care of us and bless us. According to Heb 11:6, why does faith please God? Do you think God would see faith in you when you give, like Abel? How have you expressed your faith in God through your giving?

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By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. HEB 11:4

And the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground.” GEN 4:10

Sanhedrin 37a:11

The court tells them: You should know that cases of capital law are not like cases of monetary law. In cases of monetary law, a person who testifies falsely, causing money to be given to the wrong party, can give the money to the proper owner and his sin is atoned for. In cases of capital law, if one testifies falsely, the blood of the accused and the blood of his offspring that he did not merit to produce are ascribed to the witness’s testimony until eternity.

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. HEB 11:6

And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them?” NUM 14:11

How long—Until when.

Despise me—Heb. יְנַאֲצֻנִי, anger me.

In spite of all the signs—In spite of all the signs that I have done for them they ought to have believed that I possess the ability to fulfill my promise.