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The Way Of Cain
by Chip Brogden
"Woe unto them! They have gone in the way of Cain..." (Jude
11a)
From the beginning of recorded history we find two paths,
two principles of relating to the Lord. There is the way of
Cain, and there is the way of Abel.
Cain was the firstborn son of Adam and Eve. Abel was the
younger brother of Cain. Scripture tells us that Cain
tilled the ground, while Abel shepherded sheep. One day the
two brothers bring an offering to the Lord. Cain brought
some of the fruit of his crops. Abel brought the firstlings
of his flock - one translation says, "Abel brought several
choice lambs from the best of his flock" (Genesis 4:4a,
NLT).
Both were brothers. Both gave an offering to the Lord.
Outwardly speaking everything seemed fine. But the Bible
says that "the Lord accepted Abel and his offering, but the
Lord did not accept Cain and rejected his offering" (Genesis
4:4b,5a).
At first glance the Lord's decision to accept Abel and
reject Cain seems rather arbitrary. Both worshipped the
Lord, and both brought the Lord a sacrifice. What makes one
acceptable and the other unacceptable?
Hebrews says, "By faith Abel offered unto God a more
excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness
that he was righteous" (11:4a). The difference is very
subtle, but if we are very careful and studious, we can find
the difference in the language used to describe each
offering. Cain gave "of the fruit of the ground", while
Abel brought "the firstlings of his flock, and the fat
thereof."
What made Abel's sacrifice more excellent than Cain's?
Simply put, Cain gave "[some] of the fruit": a portion set
aside from the rest of the crop, but not the best, or the
first; Abel, on the other hand, gave the "firstfruits",
selecting the firstborn from the best of the flock. Cain
gave what was leftover, while Abel brought the Lord's
portion first.
Such a small distinction, but the hearts of men are revealed
in small things such as this.
In Genesis the Lord had given no command for making an
offering to Him. Men were free to give, or not give, as
they saw fit in those days. But the principle of giving God
the first and the best is clearly presented later in the
Mosaic Law: "You shall not delay to offer the first of your
ripe fruits, and of your wine. The firstborn of your sons
shall belong to Me, as well as the firstborn of your oxen
and sheep" (Exodus 22:29,30a).
Abel did not need a law for worship, because he had a heart
for worship. Similarly, Abel did not need a law for giving,
because he had a heart for giving. Laws are for those who
have no heart motivation, no Spirit and Truth, who have to
be guided by rules and regulations, institutions and
organizations. Abel loved the Lord, and the Law of Love
told Abel what needed to be done.
Now does God really need crops, wine, oxen and sheep? Of
course not. Everything belongs to the Lord. The principle
here is that by giving Him the first, and the best, we
acknowledge His Lordship over all that we have - realizing
that "a man can have nothing unless he receives it from
heaven" (John 3:27). God requires 100%, not 10%.
The issue is not "to tithe, or not to tithe". We are
looking at the heart, not the numbers. The Pharisees tithed
and they were rotten to the core. Legalistically setting
aside a percentage every week like a miserly old Scrooge
does not get to the heart of things. The crux of the matter
is, "Am I wholly submitted to God? Do I realize He owns me
and everything I have? Does He have the preeminence in me,
the first place? Or is He second place?" This cannot be
measured in dollars or percentages. Either He is Lord OF
all, or He is not Lord AT all.
Now the way of Cain is all about religious sacrifice, doing
one's duty, begrudgingly giving to God whatever suits us,
all the while retaining Self as the center. All is for Self - bringing the offering, making the sacrifice, going through
the motions, keeping up appearances, and pointing to these
"evidences" as proof that we are doing God's work.
But the way of Cain goes beyond the mere failure to render
to the Lord the things that belong to the Lord. Evil is not
limited to something bad or immoral; evil is the natural,
inevitable result of acting in the best interest of Self.
It may be good, but it is good for me, pleasing to me, able
to make me wise, able to make me like God, it meets my
needs, and so on. Self, for all its seeking, is never
satisfied, is never content, is never at peace, is always
wandering - and wondering.
What was Cain's reaction to the Lord when his sacrifice was
rejected? Was it, "I have sinned against heaven, and
against You"? Was it, "Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit in me"? Was it, "Search me and
know me, teach me and lead me in Your ways, that I may know
what truly pleases You"? Did he go to Abel and say, "My
brother, you have something in your relationship with God
that I lack. Let me learn of you so that I, too, can know
how to worship God in Spirit and Truth"?
No. The Bible says, "Cain was very angry, and his face
became dark with rage." Confronted with his own unreality
and religious pretense, Cain did not choose repentance and
reformation, he chose anger and self-justification. Rather
than be adjusted to God's Purpose and God's Will, Cain
decided he knew better than the Lord knew. Cain wanted God
to be adjusted to him, not the other way around. He wanted
to recreate God in his own image, and reinvent God as a
matter of his personal convenience. He was not serving God,
but serving his own idea of who he thought God is. His
sacrifice ought to be accepted; therefore, he thought, the
Lord is wrong, and Abel is wrong - but not me!
The Lord, however, did not adjust Himself to Cain, nor did
He allow Himself to be manipulated by Cain's vain
imagination. "Why are you so angry?" God asked. "If you
do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you
persist in following your own way, remember that Sin follows
Self! It desires to master you, but you must master it
instead" (Genesis 4:7, paraphrased).
Cain ignored the warning. He could not change God's mind,
and he would not change his own mind. So he did what most
religiously blind men do - he carefully planned the murder
of his little brother Abel, lured him into a field, and
killed him in cold blood. All this to eliminate the threat
to his own ego.
Ever since, the children of the Flesh have hated the
children of the Spirit. Ishmael mocked Isaac, Saul
persecuted David, the religious leadership condemned Jesus
and had Him crucified. Love has grown cold, and no one
wants to be their brother's keeper. John the apostle
writes:
"This is the message that you heard from the beginning, that
we should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that
wicked one, and killed his brother. And why did he kill him?
Because his own works were evil, and his brother's
righteous. Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you"
(I John 11-13).
And to clarify, John explains that "the world" is not
limited to lost sinners, but includes those who call
themselves brothers when they are anything but. The
greatest threat to the simplicity of Christ is not some
wicked sinner out in the world, but the religious men and
women who are following the way of Cain, people from within
our own ranks:
"Some godless people have wormed their way in among you...
these people mock and curse the things they do not
understand. Like animals, they do whatever their instincts
tell them, and they bring about their own destruction.How
terrible it will be for them! For they follow the evil
example of Cain, who killed his brother. Like Balaam, they
will do anything for money. And like Korah, they will perish
because of their rebellion." (Jude 4,10,11 NLT).
Those who follow the way of Cain will find that the ground
is cursed. It will not produce anything for them. They
will never be fruitful. They will never be satisfied. They
will wander the earth and will never know the genuine
presence of the Lord. But Cain remains stubborn, even
complaining about God's judgment: "My punishment is more
than I can bear (Genesis 4:13). The flesh justifies itself
at every turn.
So much for Cain. What if you are Abel? Is there any
practical advice for you?
First, do not let Cain prevent you or distract you from
giving your first and your best to God. If you get focused
on Cain your face will grow dark with anger and you will
eventually become just like him. Love the Lord your God
with all your heart, soul, mind, body and strength. Be
recklessly devoted to Him, and let Cain go his own way.
Second, do not let Cain lure you into a field with wonderful
promises, cries for help, or offers of friendship. He has
an ulterior motive. Look for the mark in his flesh and stay
away from him (cf. Genesis 4:15). Do not go to him, but let
him come to you.
Third, if Cain attacks, do not resist. Realize your love
for God makes you a threat, as well as a target. Also
realize that God did not prevent Cain from killing Abel,
even though Abel was righteous. This only means that death
is not the end, but the beginning. So become a living
sacrifice, let the blood and water flow. This is the work
of the Cross. Do not fear the shedding of your own blood,
only fear shedding the blood of another. Cain will receive
his own reward, and you will receive yours. Those who lose
their life for His sake will find their life.
My Father, our failure to love one another, our failure
to be our brother's keeper, is a grievous sin that shows we
are following the way of Cain. We ask Your forgiveness.
Instead, make us sons and daughters of Abel that we may know
what is pleasing and acceptable in Your sight. Amen.
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