009A - Why was Cain’s offering refused or rejected or not favored by God Yahweh? (Genesis 4:1-26)



Please Read Full Chapter of Genesis Chapter 4 Verses 1 To 26

Genesis 4: 3, 4, 5 (WEB)
 3 As time passed, it happened that Cain brought an offering to Yahweh from the fruit of the ground. 4 Abel also brought some of the firstborn of his flock and of its fat. Yahweh respected Abel and his offering, 5 but he didn't respect Cain and his offering. 
Keywords or Key points to FOCUS on

1.     As time passed.
2.     Fruit of the ground.
3.     Firstborn of his flock and of its fat.

Three (3) important keywords over there that will throw lots of light on that situation between two brothers that is Cain and Abel.

The above translation of Gen:4, 3,4,5 is from World English Bible, which is a 1997 revision of the American Standard Version of the Holy Bible, first published in 1901.

Let’s look at other Parallel translations of the same text.

1.     As time passed.

Ø  In the course of time. (NIV)
Ø  When it was time for the harvest, (NLT)
Ø  And in process of time it came to pass, (KJV)
Ø  One day, (CEV)
Ø  After some time (GNT)
Ø  Later (GWT)
Ø  And it came to be, in the course of time (ISR)
Ø  At the designated time (NET)
Ø  And in ketz yamim it came to pass, (OJB)
Ø  And after the boundary of time marking the beginning of the hot season it came to pass (TLT)
Ø  And it came to pass after many days, (Douay-Rheims Bible)
Ø  And it cometh to pass at the end of days (Young’s Literal Translation)

Hebrew Words

Strong's
Hebrew
English
Morphology
וַֽיְהִ֖י
way-hî
And it came to pass
מִקֵּ֣ץ
miq-qê
in the course
יָמִ֑ים
yā-mîm;
of time

This is the first instance, in the Holy Scriptures, of the Hebrew word קץ, Strongs H7093. This word, per Scripture usage, pertains to the beginning of things, that is, not to the end of things.

Genesis 4: 3 (TLT) The Tree of Life Time version of the Holy Scriptures.
And after the boundary of time marking the beginning of the hot season it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.

TLT comment: Cf. the aviv and HagHaOmer, the sacrifice of the wave offering, which is also the time when the lambs are being delivered. Cf. also the common Swedish expression re age: “vårar,” i.e. so many springs. Notice also the similarity between “vår” (spring) and ”år” (year.)

IMPORTANT CONNECTION IN THE NEXT FEW VERSES
Genesis 5:3
3 Adam lived one hundred thirty years, and became the father of a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.

CONCLUSION on Key Point 1.

(3, 4) In process of time.Heb., at the end of days: not at the end of a week, or a year, or of harvest-time, but of a long indefinite period, shown by the age of Adam at the birth of Seth to have been something less than 130 years.

Also note that in Verse 26 of Genesis Chapter 4, the Bible first mentions that the people began calling on the name of Yahweh for the very first time. So the calling of on the name of Yahweh started at the BIRTH OF SETH and not at the time of Cain and Abel’s offering.

So from the above, one can safely conclude, that Cain and Abel’s offering was after some due passage of time or delay and not at the very first harvest, as please note it takes some time for cattle to get pregnant and give birth to the very FIRST BORN of their animal kind.

2.     Fruit of the Ground.

As Cain and Abel were growing into Adulthood as by now each one of them had chosen their individual paths or careers so to say. Cain the Farmer of the ground. Abel the Shepherd of the flock.

By now, their parents must have explained to them in sufficient detail about how they disobeyed God Yahweh and ate from the Forbidden Tree of Knowledge of Good and Bad. In this connection they must have even communicated to both Cain and Abel the First Prophecy that God Yahweh uttered in the Garden of Eden before expelling them from there. - Genesis 3:15

15 I will put enmity between you and the woman,
 and between your offspring and her offspring.
He will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel."




PLEASE ALSO NOTE
That God Yahweh was still directly communicating with the First Family, even outside the Garden of Eden. – Genesis 4: 19 – 15. God did not desert or abandon Cain and Abel outside the Garden of Eden. He was always there to give them guidance and answers. – Genesis 4:6

 6 Yahweh said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why has the expression of your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will it not be lifted up? If you don't do well, sin crouches at the door. Its desire is for you, but you are to rule over it."

We can clearly see above, that much ahead and in sufficient advance at the time of the offering itself, God Yahweh LOVINGLY WARNS Cain that Sin is CROUCHING at his door.

A little bit on the word CROUCHING
God Yahweh compares Sin to be Crouching like a Wild Animal (Leopard or Tiger or Snake). Just before an attack, a Leopard CROUCHES its body and tightens its body backwards into a smaller shape to hide and at the appropriate time to SPRING and attack its enemy. Similarly even Snakes COIL OR CROUCH its full body into a spring like small shape to bounce forward and launch an attack. Here God Yahweh compared SIN Crouching like a Wild Animal.



God Yahweh gives Cain a Chance to Regret and Repent and ask humbly for assistance or help. He could have simply asked God Yahweh as to why his Offering was not accepted and then he could have done a re-offering with a change of heart, mind and circumstances.

Cain had the capability to BACK ANSWER Yahweh by Questioning the Creator of the Universe back with a taunting Question, Yahweh said to Cain, "Where is Abel, your brother?" He said,   "I don't know. Am I my brother's keeper?"

Surely before this incident of the First Murder of Humankind, God Yahweh must have been regularly communicating and guiding both Cain and Abel. Yahweh must be explaining what kind of faith is acceptable to him and what is not. – Hebrews 11:5

PLEASE NOTE IT WAS NOT A SIN OFFERING. IT WAS JUST A PLAIN OFFERING TO GOD.

Now let’s get back to a small incident in the Garden of Eden. (Since God Yahweh noted it down in his Bible, actually nothing, not even a small word or incident is small. Everything is very important, that’s why God Yahweh inspired it to be in the Bible.)




On eating the Fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Bad, the very first decision taken by Adam and Eve, (right or wrong let’s see) was that they decided that certain private body parts of theirs such as the Breasts and Vagina and Penis area, they together on their own judgment now decided and came to an immediate conclusion that it was something bad or something to be ashamed off. So they gathered LEAVES OF PLANTS OR TREES and stitched ORGANIC GARMENTS for themselves to hide their nakedness.

Genesis 3:7
The eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked. They sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.



SIN as we all know now, denotes the act or state of missing the mark; the original sense of New Testament Greek μαρτία hamartia "sin", is failure, being in error, missing the mark, ...

Both Adam and Eve showed that both of them now with the ability of deciding what is good and what is bad were not capable of choosing or deciding accurately. They MISSED THE MARK OF PERFECTION. They decided wrongly that they were NAKED. So now when God Yahweh approached them, TO HIDE THEIR SIN, THEY MADE A COVERING OR CLOTHES MADE UP OF LEAVES AND PLANTS TO HIDE THEIR NAKEDNESS. – Genesis 3:7

God Yahweh the First Tailor
21 Yahweh God made coats of skins for Adam and for his wife, and clothed them.




VERY IMPORTANT

It was not acceptable and permissible and possible according to God Yahweh, that LEAVES OR PLANTS could be an accurate SIN COVERING for the sins of the FLESHLY Adam and Eve. In his divine wisdom he FORESHADOWED THE PERFECT HUMAN SACRIFICE OF HIS SON YAHSHUA for all of humankind’s sin including Adam and Eve too. Hence God Yahweh kills or sacrifices some animal to make COATS OF SKINS for Adam and Eve to wear as a COVERING FOR THEI SIN. 

The above story must have been duly told and repeated to their children that is Cain and Abel by both Adam and Eve.

So even though it was just a plain offering and NOT a Sin offering, Still Abel out of his good Intelligence or Wisdom or Remembering his communication with Yahweh or Recollecting the above Story of how God Yahweh made Animal Skins clothing for Adam and Eve to COVER THEIR SINS. So out of Faith, Abel thought out of his own convictions that offering an animal or blood sacrifice will be appreciated by God Yahweh. There was no need of an animal sacrifice. BUT by this, Abel was communicating to his God Yahweh that he understands and appreciates that God with provide a perfect Sin Offering in the future for all of their sins.

ABOUT CAINS OFFERING OF FRUIT OF THE GROUND

Please note in Verse 3 of Chapter 4 of Genesis, God just mentions that Cain gave an offering. No mention that it was of FIRST FRUITS. No mention of BEST FRUITS. Nothing. Just an Offering of Fruit of the Ground.

The Owner of everything in this Universe is actually the Creator. God Yahweh created everything on this Planet Earth. He is not in need of things of the earth. The offering of Cain and Abel was in effect an OFFERING OF THANKS GIVING AND GIVING GRATITUDE to God Yahweh for blessing the work and effort of their hands. – Numbers 18:13

There was nothing wrong in offering God the produce that one has grown. God even accepts grains and fruits of the fields. Ex 13:11-16; Num 3:45-4818:13-19

CAINS INTENT OR HEART WAS NOT GOOD WITH THE OFFERING OF THE FRUIT OF THE GROUND.
We are expressly told in Hebrews 11:4 that Abel’s was the more excellent sacrifice, because offered “in faith.” It was the state of their hearts that made the difference; though, as the result of unbelief, Cain’s may have been a scanty present of common produce, and not of first-fruits, while Abel brought “firstlings, and of the fat thereof,” the choicest portion. Abel may also have shown a deeper faith in the promised Deliverer by offering an animal sacrifice. 

3.     Firstborn of his flock and of its fat.

Numbers 18:15

15 Everything that opens the womb, of all flesh which they offer to Yahweh, both of man and animal shall be yours:




The Three Major Categories of Offerings to Yahweh
Types of offerings
1. Tribute Offerings/
Vassal payments 

(compulsory)
Ex 13:11-16;
Num 3:45-4818:13-19
2. Sanctuary endowments
(voluntary offerings)
Ex 25:1-235:4-52936:3Ezra 7:168:28-30
3. Altar-sacrifices
(voluntary and compulsory)
Lev chapters 1-71623
Reason
Owed for services rendered by God to His people
To support God's Sanctuary
Liturgical service and covenant continuation
Gifts / Offerer
First fruits of animals, sons, and harvest* presented to God by individuals.
Any gift for the Sanctuary presented by the people
Offerings to God made by individuals or presented by the priests for the whole community
Purpose
For the maintenance of the ministerial priesthood
Used by the priests for the Sanctuary and liturgical services
1.      To provide for communal and personal expiation of sins.
2.      To reestablish communion with God through a sacred meal.
Categories
A. first produce of the harvest
    1. grains
    2. fruits

B. animals from the herd and flock
    1. clean
    2. unclean

C. first-born sons redeemed by a redemption tax
Bloodless offerings
    1. grain
    2. olive oil
    3. wine
    4. money
    5. anything of value
A. Bleeding sacrifices from 5 kinds of animals:
1.      Daily communal Tamid whole burnt offering (2 male lambs)
2.      Sabbath sacrifice (2 male lambs)
3.      Individual gift whole burnt offerings according to wealth: male from herd or flock, or turtle dove and pigeon, or wheat flour
4.      Individual sin offering (animal designated according to wealth/status)
5.      Individual sin of reparation offering (ram and restoration plus 1/5th of the value)
6.      Communion offering (male or female from flock or herd)
7.      Feast day compulsory and communal offerings (designated according to the feast)
B. Bloodless sacrifices:
1.      five classes of wheat flour / unleavened bread offerings
2.      wine
3.      incense
4.      olive oil
5.      salt
Who received
Priests and Levites
Priests on behalf of the Sanctuary
God or shared with God in a sacred meal

14 He shall offer from it as his offering, an offering made by fire to Yahweh; the fat that covers the innards, and all the fat that is on the innards, 15 and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the loins, and the cover on the liver, with the kidneys, he shall take away. 16 The priest shall burn them on the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire, for a pleasant aroma; all the fat is Yahweh's. 17 "'It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwellings, that you shall eat neither fat nor blood.'"

What a BIG and STRIKING Coincidence or Chance or Luck that Abel decided (we do not know how and why he decided this) to offer all the FATS of the animal to God Yahweh. This is WAY LONG BACK IN TIME before the Ceremonial laws of Food Offerings was given to the Israelites.


ANOTHER POINT OF INTEREST ADDED RECENTLY:

Cain saw that his brother Abel's sacrifice was accepted and his sacrifice was not. So by now, Cain has definitely realized that Yahweh appreciated an animal's blood sacrifice. Instead of correcting and reverting himself to offering a repeat second animal sacrifice, he starts plotting or planning to murder his brother. 8Cain said to Abel, his brother, "Let's go into the field." (Genesis 4:8). By killing his brother in cold blood and by spilling Abel's innocent blood on the land or the fields, he in bloodshot anger made the whole field or earth into an altar and in total rebellion or retaliation into an illegal altar by offering blood sacrifice of a human being and not an animal this time. It was like Cain saying through his act or crime. "So Yahweh you like animal blood sacrifices, okay. So now I offer you something better than an animal." That's why in Genesis it is recorded as, "10Yahweh said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries to me from the ground. (Genesis 4:10)


SO TO CONCLUDE IN BRIEF

God Yahweh looks at both the CONTENT of the Offering and MORE IMPORTANTLY at the INTENT OF THE OFFERING. Rather at the HEART (Intent) of the Person making the Offering. Cain’s offering failed on many grounds. It was not the First Fruits of his produce. It was not the Best of his produce. He saw his brother Abel offering something different and better, but he did not take suggestions or guidance either from Brother or God and did not make Timely Corrections or Changes in his offering to God Yahweh. How we know this? If you do well, will it not be lifted up? – Genesis 4: 7. So according to God Yahweh, Abel did not do well in his offering.




By faith, Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he had testimony given to him that he was righteous, God testifying with respect to his gifts; and through it he, being dead, still speaks. Hebrews 11:4