Accepted or Rejected?

Genesis 4:1-8

4:1 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, "I have acquired a man from the Lord."

2 Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

 3 And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord.

4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering,

5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.

6 So the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?

7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it."

8 Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.

Introduction:

            The Genesis of civilization is filled with narratives of human interaction with the divine.  In these encounters we find the precedent for how people of low estate such as we are should approach and interact with the Holy.  In the opening act of the human drama, a worship narrative that is often recounted but possibly not explored fully is acted out.  The characters and the setting have been impacted by the recent fall and they both are now groping and grasping for a reunion with The Almighty. 

            The first attempts to approach God are chronicled in the passage of text that we read on today.  There is no mention in the preceding verses of any instructions given by God as to how He desired to be worshipped or how sacrifice should be made.  There seems to be knowledge on the part of Cain and Abel of sacrifice, worship, and the requisite of God.  An innate sense of how to worship or that worship is even necessary seems to be a part of their human nature or human construct.  This narrative helps the readers to see that there is a definite design and desire of God as it pertains to sacrifice and giving to Him. 

            As we examine the text today we will discover some of the basic principles of sacrifice and giving as prescribed by the Lord.  There are definite patterns and principles that are discernable in the story before us.  We will take time to inspect the account, discover those truths that challenge us to give sacrificially and with the right motives.  How we manage the opportunities that God gives us to sow into the kingdom will determine his approval or rejection of our offering.  This is the question at hand, is our sacrifice accepted or rejected? 

I.                   What kind of relationship do we have with the Lord?

a.       There are two basic types of relationships demonstrated in the text (verses 1-2)

                                                                          i.      Relationships of Acquisition

                                                                        ii.      Reciprocal, symbiotic relationships

b.      Cain means “acquire” (verse 1)

                                                                          i.      He was created with nobility and maleness.  He should have possessed the qualities of dignity, strength, and social standing.  (Ish = man from the Lord)

1.      God had things in mind concerning us when He created us

2.      There is a higher purpose and more noble existence for each of us. 

3.      He had been given what he needed to be approved by God but he had not tapped into it. 

                                                                        ii.      Instead of graciousness, he seemed to be “cheap”, and in direct contrast to the qualities of a “man from the Lord”.

1.      The text reveals Cain’s offering as substandard and rejected by God.

a.       To respect (sha’ah) in Hebrew, means “to admire”, or “to look to for help”

b.      It was not a worthy offering in two ways;

                                                                                                                                                  i.      The capacity of the giver

                                                                                                                                                ii.      The person to whom it was being given

2.      God not only rejected Cain’s offering but also Cain himself.  (verse 5)

a.       The quality of the gift reflected the quality of the giver!

b.      God assessed Cain through the rubric of his propensity, willingness, ability to give.

                                                                      iii.      The whole of his existence seems to be one of acquisition.

1.      Those who live for gain and acquisition will ultimately be rejected by God.

2.      Life was not designed by God to funnel all of its resources, benefits, and blessings into a reservoir but rather into the river of life which continues to flow from place to place irrigating many other places.

c.       Abel means “breath”.

                                                                          i.      Breath is a life giving reality.

1.      When man was created God gave his breath in order for him to live.

2.      We must see ourselves as ones who are commissioned to give life rather than takers or drainers of life. 

                                                                        ii.      Breathing requires an inward-outward exchange with the surroundings and the atmosphere.

1.      Abel understood that as God had given sheep, he had to reciprocate and give a worthy portion back in sacrifice.

a.       This required tending and caring for the sheep to be offered

b.      This further required death and separation from the sheep.

2.      His offering was accepted and celebrated by God.

                                                                      iii.      In the economy of God there should be a symbiosis or reciprocity between humans and the almighty. 

1.      Cain did not seem to strike that delicate balance

2.      Abel understood that he had a significant role to play in the fulfillment of divine purpose in the earth. 

II.                Why did God reject his gift?

a.       Cain’s attitude

                                                                          i.      He had an attitude with God for rejecting his sacrifice though he had not done the best that he could do.

                                                                        ii.      His attitude was obvious in that God questioned him concerning his anger and his countenance.

b.      What Cain did in his “financial” life caused some of his rejection.

                                                                          i.      What you and I do is a major factor in whether God either accepts or rejects our sacrifice.  It is the difference between a lives favored by God or a life lived only in the  margins or in self sustenance.

                                                                        ii.      When God accepts us and our gifts our lives open up to totally new possibilities. 

c.       Listed below are some things that rob from us offering unto God an acceptable sacrifice. 

                                                                          i.      This information was given as a survey on the blog.

                                                                        ii.      Though everyone did not respond, it is a representation or a poll of the larger congregation here at Total Grace. 

d.      When we “do” our financial lives better we will gain acceptance by God.

                                                                          i.      Acceptance of our sacrifices

                                                                        ii.      Acceptance of us as givers