Day 4 | Abel

After leaving the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve settled down to raise a family. Adam and Eve and their children, Cain and Abel, worshiped God together.

Abel worshiped God not with an animal sacrifice, but with a right attitude, having faith that God’s promise of a Savior is true. Genesis doesn’t say that outright, but we know from other places in the Bible that God looks at the heart, and that a relationship with God always relies on faith.

Genesis also doesn’t tell us why Cain’s offering was rejected; the jealousy and anger Cain felt was probably there all along, so much so that he killed his brother, a human being who was valuable to God.

God gave Cain his punishment, and Cain wailed, “It is too much.” God said, “Not so.” He put a mark on Cain so that no one would kill him, another human being valuable to God. Even now, after committing murder, God loved Cain. Preserving his life gave him a chance to repent. This wasn’t designed to make Cain miserable but to eventually restore his relationship with God.

As it is with all of us. As long as we live, there is always hope, and God has given us his Son to repair the relationship we’ve broken with our disobedience. Cain’s story shows us anything can be forgiven.

Prayer: Dear God, thank you for loving me. I want to have a friendship with you, and I know there is nothing I can do to make that happen. But you already did, when Jesus died on the cross and rose again from the dead. Thank you. Amen.