The story of Cain and Abel is the first insight we receive into the human condition after the banishment from the garden. It explores a major archetypal source of conflict inherent in fallen humanity.
In this article, we will explore the question, “Why did God reject Cain’s offering?”, the choices that were present after his rejection, and the consequences of those choices.
Narrative
The story begins with the telling of the first birth in the history of humanity. Eve gives birth to Cain (the firstborn) and Abel. Then we are told about what they do for a living. Cain was a farmer, and Abel was a shepherd.
In due time, both bring their sacrifice to the Lord, each from their work.
This sort of sacrifice has to do with bringing the first fruits of one’s labor. It was significant especially in primitive cultures, but also in advanced societies. Whether the means of obtaining subsistence was farming, fishing, gathering, or hunting does not matter.
The sacrifice is a way of acknowledging and thanking the giver of subsistence and a means of securing assurance for the future. It is presented in different ways: burning, throwing down, laying out, and more.
Why Did God Reject Cain’s Offering?
The story leaves us wondering, Why did God reject Cain’s offering while accepting Abel’s? The approval or rejection of one’s sacrifice is not observed immediately. It is not, as some imagined, that the smoke of the sacrifice turned in some direction showing approval or disapproval. Rather, in due time, the fruit of Abel’s work was blessed, but Cain’s work was not looked upon with favor. Abel prospered; Cain did not.
Although there was specificity in Abel’s sacrifice (Abel brought the best parts from the best choice animal), we are not told that Cain’s was lacking. Therefore, we cannot be sure of the reason for the rejection of Cain’s sacrifice.
This question highlights the theme of inequity that prevails in the world. Resources that are essential for one’s thriving are distributed unequally. Some are born in times of peace, others in times of war; some in the poorest regions, others in the most prosperous. The differences in advantages that set a person up for success are many, and often only a small minority possess them at the same time.
In addition to being at a disadvantage, people’s work to better their situation often fails.
This story is an investigation of one typical and destructive reaction to this reality. For most of the story, Abel is in the background. He does not even speak, unless we count his blood crying out to God. This emphasis on Cain reveals the problem the story is dealing with.
After Cain’s failure to accomplish what he set out to do, we glimpse his reaction to what he thought was unfair treatment. He was “very angry, and his face was downcast.”
God, seeing Cain’s reaction, asks the reason for his fallen face. He says, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?”
God’s response reveals there is still an opportunity to do better, to sacrifice again. But if Cain persists in mourning his disadvantages, he will be vulnerable to sin, a force of evil that will show him how to protest against life and against God.
Sin
Personification of concepts is common in the Bible. It is a literary device used to make the abstract relatable. It also reveals the nature of the thing being discussed. Some personifications in the Bible include: Death and the Grave as hungry (Habakkuk 2:5), Wisdom as a woman (Proverbs 1:20–21), or Creation rejoicing (Psalm 96:12).
Here, sin is depicted as a savage animal that circles and ambushes those who are not careful. All throughout the Bible, the savage animal could be a spiritual force or a person who has invited in the spiritual force crouching at the door.
In 1 Peter 5:8, the devil is portrayed as a roaring lion that prowls around seeking someone to devour. In the book of Daniel, hybrid creatures depict kingdoms that are influenced by spiritual evil forces. Serpents and dragons in Genesis and Revelation also point to spiritual forces that are out to destroy God’s good creation.
In the Psalms, wicked people are depicted as the hands doing evil’s bidding. These people are described as waiting for the perfect opportunity to do the worst evil: to harm the righteous, the poor, and the defenseless (see Psalm 10:8–10; 17:12; 35:7–8; 140:4–5).
In the New Testament, the Gospel writers pick up the imagery of Psalm 22, of bulls that encircle and lions that tear their prey, and apply it to the people in Jerusalem—the Pharisees and the chief priests who mocked and ridiculed Jesus. The people who surrounded Jesus were acting on behalf of evil, thinking they were opposing one.
God tells Cain that he could rule over his temptations. In fact, he only had two choices in front of him: to try to do better, or, if he fostered resentment against his brother, to open the door for evil to creep into his heart.
But Cain could not accept a God who authored inequity. He took his brother out into the field and attacked and killed him.
Jacob and Esau
This story finds its parallel in the brothers Jacob and Esau. Here Jacob conspires with his mother to deceive his nearly blind father, Isaac. He appears to be Esau and takes the inheritance that does not belong to him. Then he runs to a distant land in fear of his brother. After many years, when he returns home as instructed by God, he is still weary that his brother might want to settle old scores, so he makes preparations.
“But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him.” Even though the story follows Jacob, during the time they were separated, Esau did not succumb to his temptations as Cain did but ruled over the beast.
His inheritance, which legally belonged to him as the firstborn, was taken from him. He was angry and wept bitterly as he realized what Jacob had done. But he did not dwell on what was taken from him; instead, he focused on what he could do to better his situation.
So, when he finally met his brother, he was happy to see him. And it is seen that God blessed him also (see Genesis 32:9).
