The Feed Mill

Daily Reading: Genesis 4-7

Today’s Devotional: Genesis 4:1-7

Cain and Abel’s sacrifice

Abel the second born was a keeper of sheep.

Cain the first born was a tiller of the ground.

Cain brought an offering of his labor of the “fruit of the ground”

Gen3:17-19

The ground brought forth fruit because of man’s work.

Abel brought an offering of the “first born of his flock”.

Gen3:21

Give us a picture of how God clothes man from our sin, guilt, shame, and moral failure.

When it comes to Cain and Abel’s sacrifice our minds should go directly back to the context of the objects being sacrificed.

And only a few sentences earlier God tells us of the objects being sacrificed.

Remember in Genesis 3:17-19 Fruit of the Ground was to be brought forth by man’s works.

And in Genesis 3:21 God offered up a blood sacrifice for Adam and Eve to be clothed in from their sin, shame, and moral defeat before God.

Further examination of Leviticus chapters 1-7 we see that God does accept sacrifices of the fruit of the ground, or God does allow us to play an active role once we come to relationship with Him. But that is never how we approach God, through our works and our deeds.

Leviticus 17 The sanctity of blood is very important to God, because it is a picture for us of our acceptance in the sacrifice for one and for all, the Blood of Jesus Christ.

Genesis 1:6-7 God then tells Cain that he is at grave risk of sinning because of his anger, that the works of his flesh were not accepted.

The blood sacrifice of Jesus upon the Cross is an offense to our flesh because nothing we do can bring us to acceptance in and with God. This is what Paul in Galatians 5 and Peter in 1 Peter 2 meant that the cross is an offense.

And what happened is Cain’s pride ruled over him, and death was the by product. Death is always a by product of our flesh and pride.

Genesis 3:21 But all we have to do is the same as Adam and Eve did, just accept the sacrifice God has made and be clothed with His righteousness.

Instead of allowing our pride to rule us, bring the Blood of Jesus into all of our situations and relationships this year. Let the Blood of Jesus guide and direct your thoughts and interactions with others, situations, and circumstances throughout the New Year. With God’s eternal plan of Salvation always on our mind we are then reminded of the Power of God that lives inside of every Christian which gives the power to rule over sin because the Power of the Holy Spirit has conquered sin and death once and for all.