When God later confronts Cain, the language suggests that Cain knew what to do and just didnвЂ™t do it.

He believed God had the authority to determine the path of life. What does вЂњoffered in faithвЂќ mean? It appears to simply mean that Abel followed instructions. The Lord accepted Abel's offering, which was offered in faith (Hebrews 11:4), but He rejected Cain's offering (Genesis 4:4вЂ“5).

So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. 4 And Abel also brought an offering-fat portionsВ from some of the firstborn of his flock.В TheВ LordВ looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. The story picks up in Genesis when Cain offered vegetables to the Lord as his way of worshiping (Genesis 4:3) and Abel offered animals from his flock (Genesis 4:4).ДЈ In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offeringВ to theВ Lord. Because names were associated with character, many rabbis speculated that this vain and empty Abel was trying to undermine Cain and get what belonged to the first born. It doesnвЂ™t help that CainвЂ™s name means вЂњgottenвЂќ вЂ“ вЂњIвЂ™ve gotten a manвЂќ says Eve, a man who will be the serpent crusher God promised - while AbelвЂ™s name means вЂњvanity, vain, meaningless, empty.вЂќ In Ecclesiastes, when Solomon says вЂњall is vanity,вЂќ AbelвЂ™s name and the word for vanity are derived from that word. The rabbis speculate that there was tension between them for a variety of reasons. It contains a warning вЂ“ the way of Cain вЂ“ but in the telling you will see that God also reveals the way of Life.Д¬ain (Genesis 4) was the firstborn of Adam and Eve, brother вЂ“ perhaps twin brother вЂ“ of Abel.Д¬ain followed in his fatherвЂ™s footsteps and became a farmer Abel tended flocks. вЂњWoe to them! They have taken the way of Cain В they have rushed for profit into BalaamвЂ™s error В they have been destroyed in KorahвЂ™s rebellion.вЂќ

Cain and abel sermon