We see here in Cain and Abel the separating of man. All mankind came from Adam, but how different are his offspring. Saints and sinners. Godly and wicked. The children of God and the children of the wicked one. The world and the church. 

 

This is where the first murder occurs. It happened between brothers. Abel kept flocks while Cain was a worker of the field. Remember this was after the fall and there would be weeds and thorns. Keeping the flocks could be dangerous at times because of now wild animals, but it would have been a lot less work than trying to raise crops. This could have been some of the reason for jealousy.

 

Abel in his solitude, as he tended the flocks, had time to devote himself to and converse with God. As did Moses and David.

 

It is interesting to note that while Abel offered a blood sacrifice, pointing to the blood sacrifice of Jesus, the death of Abel brought demanded vengeance (the curse and the mark) from God. The death of Jesus brought mercy.

                                                                                                                  

 

As important as it is, the sacrifice isn't the most important aspect for us to accept. It is the heart of the one offering the sacrifice. In all of our actions, we should aim for God's acceptance. We do well if we attain this, but our worship is in vain if we miss it.

 

Abel offered in faith, and Cain did not. There is a difference in the principle upon which they offered their sacrifices. 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 his sake, or to earn him credit, not in faith, and so it turned into sin to him. Abel was a humble 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.

 

Don't we sometimes do the same? Offering sacrifices to build ourselves up. To let others see how "godly" we are.