Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in his heart, "I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. While the earth remains, seed time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease." Genesis 8:20-22 ESV
The first action recorded after Noah exits the ark is the building of an altar. He offers burnt offerings from all the clean animals and birds. It says, "the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma" and after this states that He will never again curse the ground or strike down every living creature. God was pleased with Noah's sacrifice and I have often heard and been taught that this was solely because of blood and the same reason Cain's sacrifice was unacceptable. I believe there is more to it than just blood vs. vegetables in the instance of Cain and Abel.
The blood offering, as part of the old covenant, offers an image of the new covenant. Man is dead in his trespasses and sin. Sin brings death. The sacrifice of animals does not take away the sins of the world, but points to the Lamb of God, who only can atone for the sins of all those who believe.
It was stated earlier in Genesis that Cain brings fruits from the ground, but Abel brings the first born of his flock, the best, and that God respected His offering but did not respect Cain's. I don't think God was belittling Cain's occupation, and I can't find where it tells us that Cain defied God by not offering a blood sacrifice, but I see in the different translations what amounts to the fruit of the ground, not the first or the best. I am speculating some here because of other passages of scripture, but please, be sure I am not discounting what I have been taught. Adam and Eve were given animal skins as a covering and Abel offered an animal sacrifice that was pleasing to God; these offer an important picture of God's ultimate plan of redemption. If it was a commanded sin offering that was suppose to be in blood then he openly disobeyed on that level too, but I believe, that even if Cain would have offered an animal sacrifice, it would not have been pleasing to God.
By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks. Hebrews 11:4 NKJV
There is more than just the act of killing an animal. Abel was a shepherd, and it is difficult for us in this time, thousands of years later, living under the New Covenant of grace, to relate to this individual and the significance of his sacrifice. Sheep would be his livelihood. Abel giving the best of his flock and not holding them back for future breeding stock or towards his own stores would defy material logic. Unless, it was an act of faith based on obedience to God, and showing faith not in Abel's material resources which he could see, but rather in the God who created all we do see and do not yet see. Abel trusted God, and gave from the heart.
Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; My ears you have opened. Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require. Then I said, "Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is written of me. I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart." Psalm 40: 6-8 NKJV
David is not doing away with the sacrifice, nor is he making light of the command or the representation. It is the matter of the heart and not only the act of obedience but the desire to obey.
Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. 1Samuel 15:22 NKJV
Noah and Abel were not born righteous, righteousness was accounted to them through faith. Faith opposes pride; I no longer do good things because I am a "good" person; I do good things by faith in the Lamb of God.
The first action recorded after Noah exits the ark is the building of an altar. He offers burnt offerings from all the clean animals and birds. It says, "the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma" and after this states that He will never again curse the ground or strike down every living creature. God was pleased with Noah's sacrifice and I have often heard and been taught that this was solely because of blood and the same reason Cain's sacrifice was unacceptable. I believe there is more to it than just blood vs. vegetables in the instance of Cain and Abel.
The blood offering, as part of the old covenant, offers an image of the new covenant. Man is dead in his trespasses and sin. Sin brings death. The sacrifice of animals does not take away the sins of the world, but points to the Lamb of God, who only can atone for the sins of all those who believe.
It was stated earlier in Genesis that Cain brings fruits from the ground, but Abel brings the first born of his flock, the best, and that God respected His offering but did not respect Cain's. I don't think God was belittling Cain's occupation, and I can't find where it tells us that Cain defied God by not offering a blood sacrifice, but I see in the different translations what amounts to the fruit of the ground, not the first or the best. I am speculating some here because of other passages of scripture, but please, be sure I am not discounting what I have been taught. Adam and Eve were given animal skins as a covering and Abel offered an animal sacrifice that was pleasing to God; these offer an important picture of God's ultimate plan of redemption. If it was a commanded sin offering that was suppose to be in blood then he openly disobeyed on that level too, but I believe, that even if Cain would have offered an animal sacrifice, it would not have been pleasing to God.
By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks. Hebrews 11:4 NKJV
There is more than just the act of killing an animal. Abel was a shepherd, and it is difficult for us in this time, thousands of years later, living under the New Covenant of grace, to relate to this individual and the significance of his sacrifice. Sheep would be his livelihood. Abel giving the best of his flock and not holding them back for future breeding stock or towards his own stores would defy material logic. Unless, it was an act of faith based on obedience to God, and showing faith not in Abel's material resources which he could see, but rather in the God who created all we do see and do not yet see. Abel trusted God, and gave from the heart.
Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; My ears you have opened. Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require. Then I said, "Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is written of me. I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart." Psalm 40: 6-8 NKJV
David is not doing away with the sacrifice, nor is he making light of the command or the representation. It is the matter of the heart and not only the act of obedience but the desire to obey.
Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. 1Samuel 15:22 NKJV
Noah and Abel were not born righteous, righteousness was accounted to them through faith. Faith opposes pride; I no longer do good things because I am a "good" person; I do good things by faith in the Lamb of God.
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