The story of Cain and Abel is another familiar passage of scripture. Adam and Eve’s two sons were the first generation born outside of paradise and thus the first born into sin. One might think sin wouldn’t have had much time to do much damage, as there wasn’t really anyone around except Adam and Eve. But its corruption immediately took root in the heart of mankind, which was catastrophically demonstrated by Cain and Abel.
Cain and Abel had different walks of life. They were brothers but led very different lifestyles. Cain was a farmer while Abel was a shepherd. Being children of the same upbringing–having parents who literally walked with God– it’s no wonder they both thought to present offerings of their profits to the Lord. But how they did it was very different.
Verse 4 says Cain presented “some of the land’s produce” as his offering. The next verse describes how Abel selected “some of the firstborn of his flock,” a premium selection, to present to God as his offering. The level of detail used to describe Abel’s offering makes Cain’s offering look like more of an afterthought or an act of obligation. Abel’s offering reflected a heartfelt act of honor to God, whereas Cain didn’t seem to have his heart in his giving at all.
It comes as no surprise then that Abel’s offering was pleasing to God, but Cain’s was rejected. Cain’s response to his rejected offering revealed the condition of his heart: he led his brother away to kill him out of jealousy. Again we see sin running its course and resulting in death; this time the death of an innocent, God-fearing man. Why? Because Cain’s heart was corrupt. He did not reverence God the way he should have and, as a result, sin was able to creep in and take root in his heart. The heart is a sacred thing–it is what both God and the devil vie for in each one of us. Consider this verse:
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
Proverbs 4:23, NIV
If we don’t protect ourselves against sin, temptation, or anything else the devil may try to entice us with, our hearts will be lead away from God without us even realizing it. And because everything we do and say comes as a direct result of what’s in our hearts, we’ll find ourselves leading lives that don’t in any way reflect or bring honor to God if we’re not careful.
That’s another reason why standards are good for us. They help us guard our hearts against things that might lead us even ever so subtly away from God and take us down a path of words, actions, or decisions we would never otherwise choose.
[…] learned in Genesis 4 that it’s what’s in your heart that counts. The New Testament confirms: your heart is the determinant of your actions, words, and ultimately, […]