Both Cain and Abel were religious people.  We can read in Genesis 4 that they both even worshiped the same God.  Cain was a monotheist.  I think I can safely speculate in saying that Adam and Eve talked and talked and talked ad infinitum, ad nauseum, about sin and the fall, warning after warning after warning, so that they would be given thorough, sufficient knowledge of God, Who He was and His expectations for them.

Cain could and probably would put on his instagram feed, “God follower.”  Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7:21-23, the now familiar words:

21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

“I never knew you:  depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”  1 John 3 says that the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest by whether they do the righteousness of God, and in 1 John 3, Cain did not love his brother.  He killed him, why?  Verse 12, “Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.”  It’s not him that saith, Lord, Lord.  Cain could say, Lord, Lord, as well as almost anyone, but he did not do the will of Jesus’ Father.  Someone, who isn’t following Christ, isn’t a “Christ follower,” when He doesn’t do the will of the Father.  Jesus did the will of the Father in every single instance, so if someone is following Christ, He is also following the Father.

Cain and Abel both brought offerings for God.  However, God judged both of them and their offerings and He rejected one and received the other.  God doesn’t accept all worship or every worshiper.  Hebrews 11:4 comments:  “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts.”

Abel’s sacrifice was more excellent than Cain’s.  Righteous people give God as a lifestyle what He wants.  The “gifts” of Abel were these sacrifices that He gave God, according to what God said.

What was wrong with Cain’s?  Many would say that Cain’s was the religion of human achievement, a salvation by works.  No passage specifically says that, even though I wouldn’t argue with it.  It makes sense.  However, we have enough by just saying what the text says.

Abel brought the firstlings of his flock, and or even the fat, meaning that it was the first and the best of what he had.  That’s what it says.   Cain also brought God the fruits of the ground “in process of time” (Gen 4:3).  Easily one could contrast “firstlings” with “process of time.”  It took time before Cain came with his offering for the crops to be finished with the process.  God waited on Cain rather than Cain waiting on God.  Verse 4 says “the LORD had respect unto Abel and his offering.”  The LORD respected both the worshiper and his offering.  Then in verse 5, “unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect.”

There is no doubt that God was for both Cain and Abel.  The problem was that Cain was not for God.  God wasn’t a hostage for Cain, but bear with me, because like with many apostates, and Cain represents  all apostates, he attempted to hold God hostage.  I’m not saying anyone can hold God hostage, but they try to, like children do so with their parents.  Cain was going to believe and act like he wanted, and God was expected to accept his belief and behavior.  When God did not, Cain was angry with Him, not with himself, and then pouting over it (verse 5).  People are self-deceived into thinking that if they behave down in the dumps or crest-fallen, they can get what they want.

The modern counterfeit alternative to the truth of God’s disrespecting an offering is that God, contradicting Genesis 4, instead accepts offerings as a matter of His grace.  He “redeems” the offering. He takes the offering the false worshiper wants to bring and He turns it by His grace into an acceptable offering.  There is no biblical basis for this view of redemption.  It is a lie.  It is deception in the category of Satan telling Eve, “Ye shall not surely die” (Gen 3:4).  What God does when He really redeems is turn a repentant false worshiper into a true one, who then brings God what God wants, not what he wants anymore.

God doesn’t receive worship with this above corrupted view of redemption.  People may be saying God is being worshiped, but He isn’t getting what He wants.  With this perverted notion, it doesn’t even matter if He gets what He wants, because anything He doesn’t want will be said to be accepted, because He redeemed it.  The point of worship is lost, just so the unredeemed Cain figure can be respected like he wants, even though that’s not even true either.

In Genesis 4:6-7, “the LORD” asked Cain:

Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?  If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?

Three questions.  All three are rhetorical.

The first two questions would require a longer answer, but they are rhetorical, because the answer is obvious.  The last question has the answer of a simple, “Yes.”

God uses questions a lot in the Bible.  Jesus used them much, as recorded in the gospels.  They are powerful, but to the wrong person, they can also be infuriating.  In the next verse (v. 8), Cain murders his brother, Abel.

Cain was angry.  Then God asked those three questions and Cain was even more angry.

Cain wasn’t being respected by God.  He wanted acceptance from God and he wasn’t getting that.  God was willing to respect Cain.  He was willing to accept him.  If he had only done well.  He didn’t.

God did right in not respecting or accepting Cain.  It wasn’t God’s fault that Cain was angry or his countenance was fallen.  When someone doesn’t do well, or how we would say it today, when he hasn’t done good or he has done something bad, he shouldn’t be respected or accepted for that.  These are basics in life still.

If behavior is rewarded it will recur.  Bad behavior if respected or accepted will recur.  Cain should have answered in his head, “I’m wroth because I’m not being accepted or respected for doing something bad or not doing something good.”  Then, “My countenance is fallen (I’m moping) because I’m not being accepted or respected for doing something bad or not doing something good.”  And then last, “Yes, I would have been accepted if I had done well or not done bad, by bringing an acceptable or respectable offering.”

Much of the anger in the streets is over a lack of respect or acceptance.  In between the anger is discouragement or depression accompanied by alcohol and other “self-medication.”  Young people are seeking for respect and acceptance and they’re not getting what they want, what they think they deserve, so in various ways they damage, afflict, hurt, strike, and destroy.

What young people need to know is that they have the respect and acceptance of God if they do well.  That starts by believing like Abel did.  Abel got respect by faith.  He was accepted by faith.  Cain wanted to do what he wanted and also be respected and accepted, but it really doesn’t work that way, at least not with God.  It really shouldn’t work that way either, because it is bad for an individual and for all of society when it does.

God’s Son, Jesus Christ, got acceptance from the Father.  He gave Him a name which was above every name.  He said, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased.

Someone can get angry and down and depressed until he gets the respect and acceptance he thinks he deserves.  Maybe he or she will get it.  It won’t be good if he or she does.  It will just result in more bad behavior.  God wants to accept you.  He wants to receive you.  He wants to respect you.  God is good.

What Cain deserved for killing his brother was death.  God was merciful to Cain, but still, Cain said (verse 13):  “My punishment is greater than I can bear.”  Still thinking about himself.  Cain’s focus was on himself.  His respect.  His acceptance.  It should have been, am I doing what God wants me to do?  That’s the way to true acceptance and true respect. 

God’s three questions continue to be three really good questions to ask.