Acceptable Offering

Posted by Christina Scovone on Sunday, January 2, 2011

King James Daily Bible Study: Acceptable Offering
Date: Sunday January 02, 2011
Chapters: Genesis 4-6
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://www.imfollowingjesus.com/bible-january-2
Details of Today's Reading: The birth of Cain and Abel, the first offerings to God, Cain kills Able, Seth is born, the generations of Adam to Noah, God repents of His work, God commands Noah to build an ark.

Hello My Friend/Guest,
The word offering is defined as, to present for acceptance or rejection, to propose or put forward for consideration. The Bible says, “And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” - Mark 12:33. While God is a forgiving God nothing pleases Him more than the offering of yourself to Him, not out of obligation, but from the heart. Anybody can give anything to God, but it is how you present it to Him that makes it acceptable or rejectable.

Adam and Eve had two sons, Cain and Able, Cain was the tiller of the land, he harvested the crops, while Able took care of all the cattle, animals, etc. “And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. 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: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? 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. And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.” - Genesis 4:3-8.

You would think that since Cain was the first born of God's first creation that he would want to honor God and put Him first in his life? However, that was not the case and the reason why God did not respect his offering. Of course, Cain wanted Gods recognition, but he was not willing to make an effort to show that and the result was pure jealousy that led to Cain murdering his own brother. The truth is this, God will not respect anyone's offering if they are not giving it wholeheartedly. One day as Jesus was watching people cast valuables into a treasury box for the temple He noticed a poor woman place the little that she had in the box. “And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.” - Mark 12:43,44. It is not what we give that is pleasing to God, it's how we give it.

While it is in our nature to want revenge upon those whom harm us or our loved ones, God does not want us to take things in our own hands. In fact, when Cain heard of the punishment that God gave Him he wanted to die, but God did not give him that satisfaction. “And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand; When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth. And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me. And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him. And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.” - Genesis 4:11-16.

Cain complains not of his sin, but of his punishment. It shows great hardness of heart to be more concerned about our sufferings than our sins. By this he was here condemned, to disgrace and reproach, and to the disquietment and horror in his own mind. His own guilty conscience should haunt him where ever he went. God's intentions are not to see anyone suffer, but repent, had Cain repented instead of hiding his face from God I am sure He would have forgiven him, but Cain refused and had to live with the guilt and shame of killing his brother until the day he died. “there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” -Luke 15:10.

Cain begins the genealogy of what is known as the sons of man. The genealogy of the sons of God however, continued through Adam and Eve's third son Seth, who would become the lineage of seed where Jesus would be born into. When God saw His people mixing with the children of man and all the corruption that was taking place He was so angry that He wanted to destroy the earth. “And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose...And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.” - Genesis 6:1,2,5,6.

God repents too, to repent means to feel sorry for or feel regret, God regretted that He even created man and wanted to end it all. However, something changed His mind, He saw one family that did not mix in with the world and were faithful to Him. “And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth...But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee.” - Genesis 6:13,18.

One man's heart changed God's mind, although we are born with a sin nature, that does not excuse us from sins that we knowingly commit and suffering the consequences of it. The physical, mental, and spiritual consequences of sin are astounding and are eternally irreversible with one and only one exception, the blood of Christ. In Noah's days they did not have the blood of Christ to save them from their sins and to keep them from being destroyed. Christ gave His heart and gave His life for the human race, without Him no amount of giving or work for God will matter. The most acceptable offering we can give God is accepting the gift that God has given us through the sacrifice of His Son. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” - Romans 6:23.

Jesus Christ Revealed: Jesus us revealed through Abel's blood sacrifice, Christ is the true Lamb of God that became the blood sacrifice for all. “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:” -I Peter 1:18,19.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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