Reading through the account of Cain and Abel’s offering to the Lord reveals the terrible and destructive power of an offense that is allowed to fester.
“When they grew up, Abel became a shepherd, while Cain cultivated the ground. When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the Lord. Abel also brought a gift—the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The Lord accepted Abel and his gift, but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected” (Genesis 4:4-5).
Animal sacrifice was not unknown in Cain’s family. It was the Lord who killed animals and used their skins to cover Adam and Eve. Some believe this was the first evidence of what would become the sacrifice of Jesus. John the Baptist said, Look! The Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world!” (John 1:29).
The anger Cain manifested at the time of sacrifice had to land on something already in Cain’s heart. Many have wondered what happened to make Cain so angry that he killed his brother. I am speculating here, but perhaps it was some offense that was already in Cain’s heart against his brother. He allowed it to remain and fester and grow. It would be a stretch to think the rejection of his sacrifice would lead to an act of murder, especially after the Lord told Cain he could still do what was right.
The Lord warned Cain about his unchecked emotions, “Why are you so angry?” the Lord asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.” (vs. 6-7).
It was a hard heart that caused Cain to murder his brother. Doing what was right required that Cain soften his heart and offer an animal sacrifice from the herds of his brother. Going to his brother to ask for one of his lambs was too much for Cain.
As a result of Cain’s unchecked anger, he murdered his brother: “One day Cain suggested to his brother, ‘Let’s go out into the fields.’ And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother, Abel, and killed him” (vs. 8).
A hard heart will lead us to do things we would never imagine possible when our hearts were still tender to the Lord. We must control the impulses of a hard heart. The Lord said to Cain that there was still time to do what was right: “You must subdue it and be its master.”
The only way to subdue and master the responses of a hard heart is to confess it as a sin and allow the sacrifice of Christ to subdue our impulse to sin further and do things we would not imagine we would do when our hearts were still tender and willing to do whatever the Lord asked of us.
Ouch! , but thank you. I realize that my heart is hard in too many ways, then follows justification. To take thoughts captive is a battlefield I’m in all day long, but I know it’s worth it!