IDEA: The story of Cain and Abel raises questions for us that we see in life.

Text: "By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks" (Hebrews 11:4).

PURPOSE: To help listeners realize that the Bible deliberately raises questions that we are forced to think about.

The writer of the letter to the Hebrews writes about Abel and Cain. "By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks" (Hebrews 11:4).

What is he referring to?

Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, "I have acquired a man from the LORD." Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. So the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it." Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose against Abel his brother and killed him. Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" And he said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?" And [God] said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground" Genesis 4:1-10).

I. What are the similarities between Cain and Abel?

Both came from the same parents. It was not a factor of heredity in God's acceptance of Abel's sacrifice and not Cain's.

Both entered an elemental line of work: one was a farmer, the other a shepherd. Both lines of work were honorable.

Both brothers came to an altar, apparently at the same time, and performed a religious act of worship.

Both brought the best offerings from their own areas of work. One brought his produce and the other the best sheep in his flock.

II. Without any explanation we are told that "The Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering He had no regard." Does that shock you a bit?

Do you find yourself asking, "What's going on here? Was there some good reason why Cain's offering didn't suit God and Abel's did?" We search in vain for some clear basis of judgment in the text of Genesis.

Westermann believed that this story demonstrates that God is inscrutable. God does whatever He wants and who knows why?

Doesn't it seem that some people seem to have no "luck" at all? Everything goes wrong for them. Their kids get in with the wrong crowd. At school they always study the wrong material for the exam. In business they invest in the wrong products at the wrong time. When they invest in the market, it goes down.

Other people seem to get all the breaks. Their children get all "A"s. The boys make the football or the debate teams or the girls are soccer players or cheerleaders at high school. They never have serious dental work, and their speculative investments turn out right.

Is this story telling us that God is capricious, that He does what He pleases to whomever He pleases with no observable reason at all? He could have just as easily approved Cain's sacrifice and rejected Abel's.

Does that explanation satisfy you?

Do you think the author of Genesis wasn't aware of the questions this story raises?