Genesis - Chapter 4

The story for today links with the idea which was developed in Chapter 3 which we considered yesterday - the shedding of blood and the death of an animal.

Adam's two sons - Cain and Abel - knew God.  They knew they should make offerings to the Lord.  One son, Cain, offered the fruit of the soil - crops that he had grown.  An offering which represented his toil.  This offering was not acceptable as we can never approach God on the basis of our own efforts.

Abel offered the firstborn of his flock - again an offering of a sacrificial lamb, with the shedding of innocent blood and the death of the lamb.  This was acceptable, because it was a symbol of the only way to reconcile man with God - the death of Jesus, on the cross - the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

And so in verses 4 and 5 it says "The Lord looked with favour on Abel and his offering.  But on Cain and his offering he did not look with favour."

There is only one way to keep close to God, and that is to accept for ourselves the offering of Jesus life as a sacrifice for us.  We can never achieve it by relying on our own works.