The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. And Abel also brought an offering - fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man.” Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Bible Story of Cain and AbelĪdam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. In this article, we will discuss this significance in detail to shed light on the importance of these two characters in our Christian lives. However, their significance in terms of a more profound understanding of these two characters is not widely known. Yet the correct response is to stay true to your mission and do what is right, for following the alternative path is to fall victim, or slave, to your vices.Cain and Abel were the first two sons of Adam and Eve and their account is a famous Bible story that is commonly associated with the story of brothers, obedience, and disobedience of God’s instructions and the implications of murder. We all experience unfair outcomes for other people or feel as if our sacrifices for others are not acknowledged, similar to how God did not acknowledge Cain’s sacrifice. We all endure challenges in our daily goals and missions. Cain’s true colors shine through when he is faced with a bit of strife and overcome with the vice of envy over his brother. Despite its brevity, when uncovered, it provides the wisdom that still persists to this day. This story, from likely thousands of years ago, still rings true today. The Lord never states that Cain’s offering was wrong or not enough, thus perhaps it was a challenge to test Cain’s faith and character. The Lord implies that Cain “will be accepted” if he just does what is right. The Lord offers Cain the wisdom that he must be the master over his depression and anger, or it will consume him. But you must subdue it and be its master.” But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. “Why do you look so dejected? You will be accepted if you do what is right. “Why are you so angry?” the Lord asked Cain. And this is the same message God feeds to Cain: Following a moment like this, we as humans can become dejected like Cain, or we can continue to act with the same positive intentions, work ethic, and spirit. I feel as if this is how Cain is receiving the Lord’s denial of his offering. We all have had days where we feel as if the laws of nature are working against us, despite whether our intentions, work ethic, and spirit are all in accordance and aligned towards achieving our goal, but still some higher power is stopping us from reaching it. Whether or not you believe in a God, or a higher power influencing your life and the lives around you, the moral of the story can be understood. Looking through Cains’ eyes, this cruelty from the Lord seems to me as a representation of the cruelty of nature. He watched as his brother, with seemingly the same type of offering, was accepted by the Lord while he was left with nothing. Why would the Lord accept his brother, Abel’s gift, but not his own? I can only imagine the self-doubt, angst, and lack of confidence the Lord’s unapproved must have bestowed upon Cain. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected.”Ĭain’s anger seems justifiable. The Lord accepted Abel and his gift, but he did not accept Cain and his gift. Abel also brought a gift– the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock. “When it was time for harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the Lord. Cain “cultivates the earth” and Abel was a “shepherd.” The story follows as such: They are the first brothers in the history of mankind. doing what is wrong in the sense of moral action.Ĭain and Abel are brothers. Although many binaries can be examined, I will look at the idea of doing what is right vs.
The very nature of the title is binary by the use of two brothers. The life of the story of Cain and Abel is a representation of several binaries.
For example, the story of Cain and Abel is only sixteen lines, however, its implicit meaning gives it life. Some of the most famous and crucial stories that form the foundation of the Bible are found in Genesis- they are also extremely short. I feel as if this is particularly true in the book of Genesis.
The Bible is full of stories that on the surface may seem theatrical and entertaining, yet in entertaining these stories further, a new interpretation is uncovered.