He was more concerned with gaining and possessing, so he gave a lesser gift.Ĭain hid, while Abel risked the more vulnerable option of trusting. Of the produce that he grew, he was withholding something, mistrusting God and trusting instead in the produce to provide what was needed. Abel was giving God his best-the really good stuff-but I think there’s more to this story than just sheep. Abel most likely came to love his sheep, especially the firstborn. When Abel chose to give God the fat from his firstborn sheep, he gave God something that was very close to his heart. Means “breath,” “vapor,” or “gentle breeze.” What does it mean that the need to possess can choke out breath? What does it mean that the need to gain something will sometimes overpower those who are gentle? Cain’s name means “possession” or “to gain,” while God seemed to see something in Cain’s offering that was different from Abel’s. It seems unlikely that it was about fruits and vegetables versus meat. There’s some debate about why God rejected Cain’s offering while accepting Abel’s. Is this how God will treat people from now on? So God considered both offerings, and God approved of Abel’s but not of Cain’s.
Abel, on the other hand, brought “fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock”. When it came time to bring sacrifices to God, Cain brought “some of the fruits of the soil” as an offering. We can’t expect that it will be resolved in a single conversation.Ĭain worked the soil, growing fruits and vegetables. This is comforting, in an odd way, isn’t it? When a brother murders a brother, even in the Bible, When a question like this is raised in the Scriptures and there’s no answer, a long conversation about it will take place, one that spans many generations, many stories, and much conflict. “Where is your brother?” God had asked him.Ĭain winced as he remembered his answer, which he had also tried to bury, but like his recurring nightmare, it didn’t stay buried because something deep within wouldn’t allow it.