The Offering of Cain

Friday 11 August
READ: Gen 4: 3 – 15
MORE LESSON: Heb. 11: 4

Cain and Abel were brothers; born of the same parents. They both offered sacrifices to God. The offering of Abel was accepted while that of Cain was rejected. When Cain's offering was rejected, he became very angry. If God rejects a man's offering, anger should not be the next thing; rather he should find out why his offering was not accepted and make amends. God even told Cain that he had a second chance to get it right and become accepted, If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? Gen 4:7 (NIV). However, like many people today, when Cain was corrected, he became angry and reacted against God instead of making amends.
Obviously Cain wanted to glorify himself by his offering and not to glorify God. If he really wanted to glorify God, he would have gone the extra mile to seek to know what God wanted when God rejected what he brought. It is when a man wants to glorify himself that he takes things personal when not approved. If you really sing to glorify God, why do you feel slighted that you are not chosen to lead a song? If you preach to glorify God, why do you get angry that the people didn't clap for you as much as they clapped for the other preacher in a meeting. A man who is out to glorify God with his offering is not after the praise of men.
Cain's offering was not accepted and so he was 'very wroth' (verse 5 KJV). 'Very wroth' is an advanced stage of anger. Cain was so angry that even God's attempt to pacify him was turned down, he refused God's warning and advice and he killed his brother. Cain became the first murderer in creation, and so he was damned.
Cain merely brought an offering to God but he ended up becoming damned for it. Men have brought offering to God and they lived because of it while some did and they died because of it. The difference is the heart; when a man brings offering to God, it must be brought on God's terms and to God's glory. It is when men want to offer to God on their own terms and to their own glory that they are destroyed for it. The offering of Cain is the offering done with a selfish intention. It is like the offering of a man who gives to church and thinks he has earned the right to start controlling the pastor. It is the service done to flaunt self and promote personal agenda rather than God's agenda. Today, you must pray to God to purify your heart and intention so that you may offer to God in righteousness (Mal. 3: 3).

Prayer/Action
* Pray that your life will be an offering of continual praise to God, in Jesus’ name.
* Pray that your offerings and sacrifices will be acceptable to God, in Jesus’ name.
* Ask that by the mercy of God you will know what He requires of you and walk in it, in Jesus’ name.

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER
This month I shall not live in ill health, I shall not waste my resources on sickness, I shall prosper in my body even as my soul prospers, in the name of Jesus.