Reflections on Genesis 4:5

But on Cain and his offering he did not look with favour. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast

This particular verse stands out to me for a couple of reasons.  The first reason is that I used to question why Cain’s sacrifice wasn’t as favourable as Abel’s.  But having been in various bible study groups discussing the subject in the recent past, and having dissected it down, I do wonder if it was Cain’s choice of crop that he had chosen to sacrifice. 

Abel chose the fattest which was pleasing to God, but no great detail was mentioned as to the quality of produce that Cain had chosen, which tells me that perhaps Cain didn’t choose the best or the first of the crop.  Perhaps he even chose the parts of the crop that would be decided as inedible, or less pleasing to the eye.  That’s one thing, I guess, we’ll never know for sure.

Another angle is that Cain was insincere in his offering which is also possibly why God looked down on his sacrifice, as God sees in our hearts and knows our thoughts.

The other reason this stands out for me is that I’m reminded of my own childhood.  If I felt put out that someone received more praise than myself, yes, I would get upset, perhaps sulk and maybe occasionally throw a tantrum about it.  Rather than grow and learn from the experience, I’d be too self absorbed in the fact that my own work was rejected.  It wasn’t until my 20s, and similar scenes happened, that I began to realise that it wasn’t about me personally, and I needed to ask as to how I can improve or rectify the situation.

By comparison, Cain remained angry and “was downcast” as the verse said.  It saddens me to think that rather than grow from that experience and learn from it, he chose to take it out on Abel.

This teaches me a lot about the two brothers as well.  No doubt Adam and Eve told their sons about the garden and their misdeeds which is why they are no longer there, and the sons seem to have looked at it from two different angles.  Abel must have been awe-inspired by this story, realising how powerful that God is, probably grateful that God didn’t destroy his parents as punishment, and so showed respect as he offered his sacrifice.

Cain must have been upset that he never got to witness this beautiful place that his parents talked about and although he loved his parents, he must have been so angry at God for casting them out, so rather than hold him in high esteem, he would have been sullen, and perhaps only offered a sacrifice because his parents possibly told him to, and his respect for them meant that he obeyed their instructions, even if, perhaps, thinking little of God.  I guess that’s just one thing we’ll never really know.

How fortunate we are though, to have the chance to learn from Cain’s mistakes, and rather than blame others for our misdeeds, acknowledge that we are fallible and there is room for improvement within us to grow and become a better version of ourselves.