Why did God not accept Cain's offering?

Answer 1

And also there are pacific offerings Type-burnt offering-(lev-1:1-17)(6:8-13) Purpose-Atonement for sin in general, enabling an unholy people to approach a Holy God-Offering Unblemished bull; male sheep or goat; male or femal dove/pigeon The birds depended upon a person wealth. This were refer to later times. Type-Grain offering-(2:1-16)(6:14-23) Purpose An expression of Thanksgiving and didication to God- Offering Flour or grain Type-Peace offering-(3:1-17)(7:11-38) Purpose-An expression of gratitude and desire for fellowship with God Type-Sin offering-(4:1-5,13)(6:24-30) Purpose Atonement for unintentional sins of weakness or carelessness-Offering-Unblemished bull or female goat Type-Guilt-Trespass Offering-(5:14)(6:7)(7:1-10)-Purpose Atonement for specific sins, injured persons compensated for the loss-Offering Unblemished ram Any offering without blood would not be exceptable!!!!!!!!!! Hope This Helps. 1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.

2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.

4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:

5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

6 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?

7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. Gen 4:1-7 (KJV)

Answer 2

He rejected Cain's offering because he did not give him the best he had harvested and he did not give the offering with all his love for GOD. Martin Henry explains this furthur in his Commentary on Genesis 4:3-5:-

...God had respect to Abel and to his offering, and showed his acceptance of it, probably by fire from heaven; but to Cain and his offering he had not respect. We are sure there was a good reason for this difference; ...

1. There was a difference in the characters of the persons offering. Cain was a wicked man, led a bad life, under the reigning power of the world and the flesh; and therefore his sacrifice was an abomination to the Lord (Pro_15:8), a vain oblation, Isa_1:13.

God had no respect to Cain himself, and therefore no respect to his offering, as the manner of the expression intimates.

But Abel was a righteous man; he is called righteous Abel (Mat_23:35); his heart was upright and his life was pious; he was one of those whom God's countenance beholds (Psa_11:7) and whose prayer is therefore his delight, Pro_15:8. God had respect to him as a holy man, and therefore to his offering as a holy offering. The tree must be good, else the fruit cannot be pleasing to the heart-searching God.

2. There was a difference in the offerings they brought. It is expressly said (Heb_11:4), Abel's was a more excellent sacrifice than Cain's:

either

(1.) In the nature of it. Cain's was only a sacrifice of acknowledgment offered to the Creator; the meat-offerings of the fruit of the ground were no more,...But Abel brought a sacrifice of atonement, the blood whereof was shed in order to remission, thereby owning himself a sinner, deprecating God's wrath, and imploring his favour in a Mediator.

Or,

(2.) In the qualities of the offering. Cain brought of the fruit of the ground, any thing that came next to hand, what he had not occasion for himself or what was not marketable. But Abel was curious in the choice of his offering: not the lame, nor the lean, nor the refuse, but the firstlings of the flock - the best he had, and the fat thereof - the best of those best. ... It is fit that he who is the first and best should have the first and best of our time, strength, and service.

3. The great difference was this, that Abel offered in faith, and Cain did not. There was a difference in the principle upon which they went. Abel offered with an eye to God's will as his rule, and God's glory as his end, and in dependence upon the promise of a Redeemer; but Cain did what he did only for company's sake, or to save his credit, not in faith, and so it turned into sin to him. Abel was a penitent believer, like the publican that went away justified: Cain was unhumbled; his confidence was within himself; he was like the Pharisee who glorified himself, but was not so much as justified before God.

Answer 3

Answer 1

Let us deal with Able's offering first. Able gave an offering of a lamb which was all white. It was to represent Christ who was also unspotted. In offering the lamb as a sacrifice it was symbolic of Christ's sacrifice. Where as Cain offered only the fruits of the ground which was not acceptable to the Lord. Cain could have had an unspotted lamb as a gift from Able, but he listened to the promptings of Satan and made an unworthy offering. Only by the shedding of blood could a sacrifice be made.

Answer 2

Biblical scholars often say that God refused Cain's offering because of his sins.

Just like we read later in this story.

Genesis 4:3-6

"At the designated time Cain brought some of the fruit of the ground for an offering to the Lord. But Abel brought some of the firstborn of his flock - even the fattest of them. And the Lord was pleased with Abel and his offering, but with Cain and his offering he was not pleased. So Cain became very angry, and his expression was downcast. Then the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry, and why is your expression downcast? Is it not true that if you do what is right, you will be fine? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door. It desires to dominate you, but you must subdue it."

Also, lets emphasize that God is speaking with Cain. He gives him another chance, shows him what is wrong in his behavior. God doesn't speak with Abel, which means that He makes a first step towards sinners. Cain could listen to God and give good offering another time but he has chosen otherwise.

Answer 3

It wasn't the best it could be meaning that he did not put enough effort into the offering

Answer 4

Cain's offering was firstly "of the fruit of the ground" that was cursed (Genesis 3:17) and and secondly, it had no blood "And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission." - Hebrews 9:22