We continue our five-part series, focusing on the lives of Cain and Abel in three regards: wheat and chaff, human relationships, and the devil’s temptation. 

WHEAT AND CHAFF

From the outside, Cain, the firstborn, was a farmer, and his brother, Abel, was a shepherd. They both offered sacrifices to God. Like Cain and Abel, we have siblings. We work at our jobs and run our businesses. We go to church on Sundays, give offerings, and pay tithe. We have the “husk” portion of our lives. We need this outer shell to form a full crop, inside and out. However, if this peripheral element constitutes the entirety of our lives, we are nothing more than chaff, and Jesus says He will burn up “the chaff with unquenchable fire.” 

What is the inner life that must complement the outer life? How do we nurture the seed inside the shell to become wheat? Whatever jobs we have or businesses we run, the sacrifices and offerings we make must be according to His proclaimed covenant. It must be according to His will. We may think more is better when we make offerings. More people… more money… more everything. We might think packing a church with hundreds of thousands of people will please God more. We participate in elaborate gospel endeavors without thinking about what God wants. We forget to examine our will and motivation behind these “sacrifices.” Cain brought some fruits of the soil, and Abel brought fat portions from his flock’s firstborn. Whatever the reason God accepted and rejected the other, we must adhere to God’s will when offering sacrifices.  

HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS

There are two forces at work in this relationship: a God-centered and a human-centered disposition. Abel is God-centered, meaning he puts God at the center of all things. He is God-centric. Cain is human-centered, meaning he puts man at the center of all things. He is human-centric. These two forces are constantly at war. In the relationship between Cain and Abel, we learn that brotherly love or any love for that matter, should never transcend God’s truth. When your brother, sister, wife, husband, mother, or father acts in a human-centric manner, you should never let your familial ties cloud your judgment. You should never compromise the truth! And when a God-centric person and a human-centric person clash, the human-centric person is usually stronger in worldly terms. Cain murders Abel in the fields. But in Hebrews 12, Abel’s blood is compared to the blood of Jesus. “… to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.” If you stand with God, you will be persecuted and maligned. We must not be afraid of threats and the eventual solitude of standing with God. Regardless of who stands against us, we must remain God-centric to the end. 

 DEVIL’S TEMPTATION

The devil tempts us with jealousy. The devil tempts Cain by saying, “How unfair of God to accept Abel’s sacrifice but not yours.” When we feel jealous, recognize the devil has already entered our hearts. Be wary. On the other hand, Abel was free of jealousy. Galatians 5:1 says, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Christ has set us free. When we live God-centric lives, we experience true freedom when we stand by Truth, even if it results in our siblings or spouses turning against us. Never let jealousy into your hearts! Stand firm, and do not be burdened by sin! 

Summary

From the story of Cain and Abel

1. We have familial relationships, jobs, and make offerings to the church. 
2. While doing these things, make offerings and do gospel endeavors according to God’s will. 
3. Be God-centered, not human-centered. 
4. Do not let the devil tempt you with jealousy. Live free for Christ has set us free. 

https://soundcloud.com/yhpaik/1988-9-18-cain-abel-mixdown