And the LORD respected Abel and his offering,

but He did not respect Cain and his offering, and Cain was very angry (Genesis 4:4,5). Able was a keeper of sheep, and he had brought the firstborn of his flock.  Cain was a tiller of the ground,  and he had brought the fruit of the ground (verses 2-4). So both had brought forth from the labour of their hands, and God's rejection raises many questions. What made the men and their offerings acceptable or not? Was it fair of God to do this? Is God fair, is He just?  Have you ever been angry with God (I have)? How do we deal with rejection, disappointment and loss?

Let's get one thing straight, life is not fair, and if rewards and punishments are in this life only, then God is not just. The psalmist wrestles with this question “I was envious of the boastful, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” It had almost cause him to slip and take offence (against God). That is  “until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood their end” (Psalm 73:2, 3, 17). The other thing, is that I have always wondered how I would react if I  lost a child. I know how I would want to react, but I know myself well enough to know that I can be overwhelmed by my emotions.

The Bible is its own best interpreter, and we read in Hebrews 11:4, that it was “by faith that Abel brought God a better offering than Cain.   By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings.” Certainly God would know what was going in in Cain's heart. Elsewhere we read of backsliding Israel “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, but their heart is far from Me” (Isaiah 29:13). The heart of the matter is the heart. And we are commanded to keep our “heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23). The heart is where the issues begin. Jesus tells us that things like  murder, adultery, fornication, theft etc., all start in the heart as evil thoughts (Matthew 15:9).

And “man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).  We don't know exactly what was going on in Cain's heart, but it was not good, and it did indeed lead to murder (verse 8). God knows the end from the beginning, and for Him to accept Cain's offering would have been to enable Him in his sinful thoughts. Instead He uses the occasion to warn him, and to point out that it is still possible to remedy the situation (verse 7).

In times of frustration I often picture myself with God's arms around me,  and me pummeling His chest with my fists. I know I am wrong, but I also know that God who is love, is big enough to deal with my temper tantrums.  And it always ends well,  with my surrender and His forgiveness (1 John 4:16; 1:9).

Lord Jesus, if this life is all there was, You would not be just! But this life is not all there is (John 3:16), and the greatest injustice ever was You,  the spotless lamb of God,  crucified (1 Peter 1:19). You did for us Lord, the just for the unjust,  so that You could bring us to God (1 Peter  3:18). I'm forever grateful Lord,  that You came to seek and save the lost, like me (Luke 19:10). In Your precious Name Amen