OUR BEST OFFERING
Don Barrett
Genesis
4:3-7 (NIV) Abel brought the fat portions of some of the first born of his
flock to God as a sacrifice. What he
brought was his best showing that he honored God above all and that his heart (attitude)
was right. The Lord looked down with
favor on Abel and also on the offering of Abel.
Cain,
however, brought some of the fruits
of the soil as an offering. The word
does not say that he brought the best or the first but only some.
The fault was not that his offering came from the soil (grain offerings
were mentioned with approval in Leviticus Ch. 2). The fault was in the lack of honor shown to
the Lord, the reluctance to give the best in offering, the willingness to cheat
the Lord of his rightful portion.
When
neither Cain nor his offering found approval with the Lord, Cain became angry
and his face was downcast. He was not
repentant toward the Lord and did not seek to make right that which was wrong. His response was as selfish as his offering
had been. This confirmed that his heart
was not right.
Even yet
the Lord sought to correct Cain. Why
are you angry? Why is your face downcast? asked the Lord. In other words, No one has done you
wrong. You have no reason to be
offended. The fault is not with me nor
with Abel but with you, Cain.
Furthermore, If you do what is right (give your best with a willing heart),
will
you not be accepted? Notice
that the priority of acceptance is first the individual and then the
offering.
However,
there is an alternative and that alternative carries with it certain grave
consequences. But if you do not do what is
right, sin is crouching at your door;
To choose the attitude of Cain is to leave oneself open to the temptations
of sin sin that is eager to rush in and fill the void created by not putting
God first. The best way to avoid being
overcome by sin is to make sure that the Lord has first place. It (sin) desires to have you, but you must
master it. Sin can not be just ignored. One must actively defeat (master) sin or be
consumed by it. Jesus overcame sin once
and for all. It is though Jesus that we
too can master the sin that crouches at our door and desires to have us.
Romans
6:11-14 (NIV) In the same way (as Jesus), count yourselves dead to sin but alive to
God in Christ Jesus. Therefore, do not
let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Just as the Lord told Cain, so are we
told that we must master and control sin in our life.
Do not offer the parts
of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves
to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts
of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. We are to offer ourselves to God in the same way that Abel
offered his best to the Lord with thanksgiving.
Let us not offer half-heartedly as did Cain.
For sin shall not be
your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.
Thank God for Jesus. Had it not
been for Jesus we would yet be tormented by sin but he defeated sin by making
the ultimate sacrifice of atonement, his own life.
These
thoughts are summarized in verse 16. Dont
you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves
(servants), you are slaves to the one whom you obey whether you are slaves to
sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? We must choose one or the other. If we do not make ourselves slaves to
obedience, if we do not offer ourselves as Abel offered his best, if we do not
do what is right, then sin crouches at our door.
Is it too
much for God to expect us to give our best to him? Not just our money nor just our time nor just
our efforts but the best and first of everything that we have. Remember, all blessings come from God so
anything and everything we give to him he first gave to us. But there is a better reason yet to give our
best to God.
Jesus said,
Greater
love has no one than this, that he lay down his life
for his friends. (John
God gave
his best; He gave his only begotten Son.
Jesus gave his best; he gave all that he could.
LORD, help
me to give my very best to you.
Keep the
fellowship pure.
Don B.