Abel’s Excellent Sacrifice

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«By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain.» Heb. II:4. Abel grasped the great principles of redemption. He saw himself a sinner, and he saw sin, and its penalty death, standing between his soul and communion with God. He brought the slain victim, the sacrificed life, thus acknowledging the claims of the law that had been transgressed. Through the shed blood he looked to the future sacrifice, Christ dying on the cross of Calvary; and trusting in the atonement that was there to be made, he had the witness that he was righteous, and his offering accepted.

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Cain had the same opportunity of learning and accepting these truths as had Abel. He was not the victim of an arbitrary purpose. One brother was not elected to be accepted of God, and the other to be rejected. Abel chose faith and obedience; Cain, unbelief and rebellion. Here the whole matter rested.

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Cain and Abel represent two classes that will exist in the world till the close of time. One class avail themselves of the appointed sacrifice for sin; the other venture to depend upon their own merits; theirs is a sacrifice without the virtue of divine mediation, and thus it is not able to bring man into favour with God. It is only through the merits of Jesus that our transgressions can be pardoned. Those who feel no need of the blood of Christ, who feel that without divine grace they can by their own works secure the approval of God, are making the same mistake as did Cain. If they do not accept the cleansing blood, they are under condemnation. There is no other provision made whereby they can be released from the thraldom of sin.

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The class of worshippers who follow the example of Cain includes by far the greater portion of the world; for nearly every false religion has been based on the same principle,-that man can depend upon his own efforts for salvation. It is claimed by some that the human race is in need, not of redemption, but of development,-that it can refine, elevate, and regenerate itself. As Cain thought to secure the divine favour by an offering that lacked the blood of a sacrifice, so do these expect to exalt humanity to the divine standard, independent of the atonement. The history of Cain shows what must be the result. It shows what man will become apart from Christ. Humanity has no power to regenerate itself. It does not tend upward, toward the divine, but downward, toward the satanic. Christ is our only hope. «There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.» «Neither is there salvation in any other.» Acts 4:12.

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True faith, which relies wholly upon Christ, will be manifested by obedience to all the requirements of God. From Adam’s day to the present time the great controversy has been concerning obedience to God’s law. In all ages there have been those who claimed a right to the favour of God even while they were disregarding some of His commands. But the Scriptures declare that by works is «faith made perfect;» and that, without the works of obedience, faith «is dead.» James 2:22,17. He that professes to know God, «and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.» I John 2:4.

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Cain’s Unreasonable Anger

When Cain saw that his offering was rejected, he was angry with the Lord and with Abel; he was angry that God did not accept man’s substitute in place of the sacrifice divinely ordained, and angry with his brother for choosing to obey God instead of joining in rebellion against Him. Notwithstanding Cain’s disregard of the divine command, God did not leave him to himself; but He condescended to reason with the man who had shown himself so unreasonable. And the Lord said unto Cain, «Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. Gen. 4:6,7. The choice lay with Cain himself. If he would trust to the merits of the promised Saviour, and would obey God’s requirements, he would enjoy His favour. But should he persist in unbelief and transgression, he would have no ground for complaint because he was rejected by the Lord.

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Abel’s offering had been accepted; but this was because he had done in every particular as God required him to do. If Cain would correct his error, he would not be deprived of his birthright: Abel would not only love him as his brother, but, as the younger, would be subject to him. Thus the Lord declared to Cain, «Unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.»

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Cain hated and killed his brother, not for any wrong that Abel had done, but «because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.» I John 3:12. So in all ages the wicked have hated those who were better than themselves. Abel’s life of obedience and unswerving faith was to Cain a perpetual reproof. «Every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.» John 3:20. «All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.» 2 Tim. 3:12. The brighter the heavenly light that is reflected from the character of God’s faithful servants, the more clearly the sins of the ungodly are revealed, and the more determined will be their efforts to destroy those who disturb their peace. —