The dead one lived, the living one was dead . . .

I used to wonder why Abel’s offering to God was acceptable to God but Cain’s was not. Some thought it was the nature of the offering, but the Bible does not condemn what Cain offered, even though animal sacrifices were the norm. However, yesterday’s devotional helped me see beyond the visible.

By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. (Hebrews 11:4)

Yesterday reminded me that God commended the saints of old for their faith. Whatever they did that was motivated by faith in Him pleased God. This chapter in Hebrews states it plainly:

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)

Cain’s motivation is not spelled out but I know that I can offer things to God without faith. Instead, my attitude can be more like, “Look what I did” or “If I do this God will bless me” or some other urge to look good to others or to persuade God to do something I want Him to do. That is not faith.

Today, MacArthur writes about how the character of a person’s life will determine the legacy left to others. He quotes Bible scholar James Moffatt who wrote: “Death is never the last word in the life of a … man. When a man leaves this world, be he righteous or unrighteous, he leaves something in the world. He may leave something that will grow and spread like a cancer or a poison, or he may leave something like the fragrance of perfume or a blossom of beauty that permeates the atmosphere with blessing.”

This showed up in those two sons of Adam and Eve. Cain was an unrighteous man who sought to please God by his own efforts but God rejected him, not because of what he offered as a sacrifice but for the reason he offered it. However, Abel worshiped God in true faith and God accepted him and his offering.

The outcome put Cain In a jealous rage and he murdered his brother, leaving the legacy of what happens to anyone who tries to please God by anything but faith. As Scripture says, “without faith, this is impossible.” Cain tried and failed. Millions since him have tried and failed.

Abel, on the other hand, was the first man of faith. As today’s passage says, he died but his blood spoke from the ground and his life proclaims the central message of redemption: righteousness is by faith alone.

PRAY: Oh Jesus, as I age, I think about what I will leave to those who knew me, to my family and others. My prayer is that they will see in me the faith you give and how that faith has changed my life. May I listen to You and do what You say, not be motivated by sinful and fleshy desires like Cain, but a desire to always glorify You.

PONDER: Genesis 4:1–16 and 1 John 3:11–12 tell what happened in this story. Rejecting faith led to a never-ending battle with sin — sin that desired to rule Cain’s life, and to have a hard and lonely life. Think about how I can leave others with a different legacy than that the surviving brother left. He was dead to God and everlasting life yet his brother who was dead was very much eternally alive.