Mission advances only through sacrifice. Think about that for a minute. What mission ever existed and was successful without sacrifice? What have you accomplished in life or for the Lord that did not involve sacrifice? The scripture calls us to this reality for the glory of God and the joy of our soul. The fourth chapter of Genesis shows that God’s mission continues but the quality of sacrifice matters to this end.
This mission of God seemed to be thwarted by the deception of the serpent in the garden. While we see the warring that God said would exist between the two seed played out in Cain murdering Abel, there is something more here. It was Abel’s sacrifice - his acceptable sacrifice - that gave place for the enmity of Cain to be unleashed in murder. Cain's response to Abel was the exact response of the serpent to Eve; he was a murderer just like his father, the devil (see John 8:44). The drama continues and the warring of the seed of Satan contends against the seed of the woman because Abel presented an honorable sacrifice to God.
3 In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, 4 and Abel
also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for
Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry,
and his face fell. When our sacrifice is honorable to the Lord it will unearth, empower, and invite
opposition from the seed of Satan (Genesis 4:3–5)
Whose we are is always connected to the quality of our sacrifice. The Lord rejected Cain's sacrifice because it was superficial and did not reflect the honor that was due the Lord. Note that Cain is said to have brought an offering from the ground while Abel's was a firstborn from his flock. What is also present here, but not so evident, is that Abel's offering was of the best kind. In other words, Abel's offering reflected the honor due to the Lord in that he gave the best of his increase, whereas Cain merely gave an offering from the fruit of the ground. The difference is one of honor and indifference.
What we see is that the Lord views our sacrifice as an exposition of our heart for Him and who we are, therefore, is always evidenced in the quality of our sacrifice for Him. The truth is that any sacrifice that man would give to the Lord, Abel's included, would never be sufficient to please the Lord but, nonetheless, a sacrifice needed to happen. Pictured in the actions between Cain and Able we see the shadow of what God will do to accomplish our reconciliation.
Many deceptive sacrifices would be, and are, offered by the seed of Satan (Cain's and others) but only the sacrifice that comes from the line of the seed of the woman (Abel) would be acceptable. Therefore, the Apostle Paul wrote in Galatians, "Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ" (Galatians 3:16).
Christ is the fulfillment of the seed of the woman, able to cleanse man of their sin and eliminate the enmity between us and the Lord. Jesus is the promised seed (Galatians 3:16) only because He offered a sacrifice that was pleasing to the Lord, as Paul states three verses earlier: "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree” (Galatians 3:13). The offering of Abel was accepted because it shadowed the act of Christ on the cross. It was sacrificial and a denial of self while Cain's was indifferent to personal loss. Like Ananias and Sapphira gave and, at the same time, withheld for personal gain (Acts 5), the same was reflected in the Cain's offering. He gave but it was not his best because his heart was bent towards self. Abel's offering pictures what is necessary for the mission of God to move forward: personal sacrifice.
While Christ has offered the ultimate sacrifice that has reconciled believers to God, there remains the necessity of sacrifice for the advancement of the gospel mission. The Apostle Paul wrote, "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship" (Romans 12:1). We offer our lives as sacrifices not to receive mercy but because of the mercy of God. Thus, our sacrifice is the embodiment of the death of Christ in our lives (2 Corinthians 4:10).
The essence of the redemptive historical application of Genesis 4:1-5 is this: when we choose to live like Christ and advance the mission of God, we will unearth and upset the seed of Satan. His primary focus was to thwart the mission of God, but the cross is proof that he failed. Yet, he remains intent on keeping unbelievers blind to the beauty of the sacrifice of Jesus for their sin (2 Corinthians 4:4-6). He will do this by disturbing the witness of saints through the assault of suffering, pain, fear, earthly distractions, racial division, etc. There are many who are lost who are needing our sacrifice (Colossians 1:24).
Do not, therefore, be afraid to offer your life as an offering to the Lord. Willingly embody the death of Jesus (the cross) since, according to Christ, the cross is the only way to advance the mission of God in your life and get you home "And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me" (Luke 9:23).
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