Abel and Cain
Faith has always been the mark of those who desire to live righteously. Men and women from the dawn of time have either had faith that God is the creator - that He alone brings order from chaos - and that He will keep His promises, or they haven’t. Belief isn’t the same as faith.
Consider the first example the Hebrew writer mentions - these brothers who at the very beginning of human history have very different reactions to God. No doubt, both Cain and Abel believed in God. Cain believed. The Lord spoke directly to him in Genesis 4:6-7. Belief isn’t an issue.
Why was Abel’s sacrifice accepted and Cain’s wasn’t? The bible does not give any reason other than Abel’s sacrifice was given “by faith,” and by necessary inference, we come to the conclusion that Cain’s was not.
Many times the explanation given is that Cain did not offer an animal sacrifice. That could be true, but it’s never stated in the scripture. We know that animal sacrifices are going to be required later, but we are speculating, and I believe, off the mark if we think that is why Cain’s sacrifice was rejected.
A more interesting question to consider is how we react when God says no. When we focus on the quality of the gift or the gift itself, we miss the point. Cain is angry - he knows that God has rejected his offering. God comes to him and tells him that if he does what is right, he will be accepted just as Abel is. Cain should be able to overcome his anger before it overcomes him. The power is in Cain’s hands; he gets to decide what happens next. The Lord tells Cain that sin lies at the door and wants to rule over him. Cain has a warning…he just doesn’t want to hear it.
A snake was in the garden, and now sin is at the door. What is Cain to do? At the end of verse 7, God tells Cain that he must be the master of sin. The only other option is that sin will be the master of Cain.
Of course, we know that sin did, in fact, rule Cain. Tragically, the first murder ever recorded is due to a disagreement over religious practices between two men who serve the same God. His parents fell out of an idyllic relationship with God, and now Cain falls out of a loving relationship with his brother.
Cain feels no responsibility “to keep” Abel, and as a result, he is cast out and ends up dwelling in the land of Nod.
I’m aware that it’s really Abel who is the subject of verse 4 of Hebrews 11; however, the story of his faith is necessarily entangled with Cain’s cautionary tale.
Abel’s sacrifice was “more excellent” than Cain’s - not because of its content or quality, necessarily, but because it was offered “by faith.”
Romans 10:17 tells us that “faith comes by hearing the word of God.” Therefore, whatever Abel offered, it was what God had commanded, and it was offered in the way that God had ordained. We know that “obedience is better than sacrifice” (1 Sam 15:22), and so we must conclude that Abel’s sacrifice was offered by an obedient heart that longed to be pleasing to God.
Both brothers believed, but only Abel’s faith is commended. And because of his faith, even though he was murdered, Abel continues to encourage faith in others - speaking to us even today.