God’s Word for You

Genesis 4:4-5 The faith of Abel

by Pastor Timothy Smith on Wednesday, September 30, 2026

4 But Abel brought some of the firstborn of his flock (some of the best ones). The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but he did not look with favor on Cain and his offering. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

Abel’s offering was from the flocks he herded. Usually this word means sheep or goats in the Bible (Genesis 13:11; cp. Genesis 32:7, “flocks and herds and camels as well”). But Abel also chose some of the “best ones” (Hebrew “fat portions”). Just as the offering itself was a foreshadowing of Christ’s sacrifice for our sin, Abel chose “what is excellent or praiseworthy” (Philippians 4:8) to show the excellence and praiseworthiness of Christ our atoning sacrifice. For “the Righteous One is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2).

It was not only Abel’s offering that was favored by God, it was Abel himself. Notice that in each case, the man is mentioned first, and then his offering. It was Abel’s faith that was acceptable to God, and therefore his offering. It was not that a lamb is better than a sheaf of wheat. The Targums (Hebrew commentaries from ancient times) are disappointing here, because they take the form of the sacrifice to be the problem, the outward work, instead of the faith of the man. Hebrews 11:4 says, “By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.”

How did God show that he was pleased with Abel’s offering? The Scripture does not say. I cannot fault Luther’s opinion that “it is likely that it was fire sent from heaven which encompassed and consumed the sacrifice before the eyes of all” (LW 1:252). For it would especially have been strange for Cain and Abel to have made these offerings in private, with no one else around. It would have been strange if Cain’s young wife was not there, and we can well imagine that Adam and Eve were also present, along with all of the brothers and sisters who were born up to that time.

So Abel’s offering was accepted because Abel’s faith was accepted. He believed that God is good and merciful, and he made an offering to thank God for his good gifts.

But God did not accept Cain’s gift because Cain did not have a faith that trusted in God. Here we see that faith consists in more than mere knowledge of God. Cain indeed spoke with God face to face as we will see in verses 6-15. But like Satan, he did not love God or trust him to give only good gifts.

With this division we see the first division of the church, just as Jesus points out in the Gospel, that the true church is blessed with “the prophets and wise men and teachers (some of whom men will kill and crucify and more), beginning with the blood of righteous Abel” (Matthew 23:34-35). But “the way of Cain” is the way of rebellion (Jude 1:11), for “Cain belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother” (1 John 3:12). His is the church that, as Luther says, “is the church in name but in reality is nothing but a hypocritical and bloodthirsty church.” The church of Abel, however, “is without influence, forsaken, and exposed to suffering and the cross, and which in the sight of the world is truly ‘Abel,’ that is, vanity and nothing” (LW 1:252), for that is the meaning of the name “Abel.” But God does not judge the true church because it is small or despised. “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

This response to his offering made Cain angry. When man’s response to anything God does is anger, man must beware. For if man makes God angry, man has certainly sinned (Psalm 78:59). But God is incapable of sin (Matthew 19:17), therefore when man is angry with God, man is still at fault in some way, and is sinning, because he misunderstands or misinterprets God’s holy will and unchanging goodness.

Unless the person first pleases God with faith in God, the works of that person (actions, words, or even thoughts) will never please God. For man does not please God except by faith in Christ. The Father’s favor rests on Christ (Matthew 3:17), therefore anyone who is outside of Christ cannot please God.

In his Smalcald Articles (1537), Dr. Luther summarized the chief article of true Christian faith: “Jesus Christ, our God and Lord, ‘was put to death for our trespasses and raised again for our justification’ (Romans 4:25). He alone is ‘the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world’ (John 1:29). ‘God has laid upon him the iniquities of us all’ (Isaiah 53:6). Moreover, ‘all have sinned’ and ‘they are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, by his blood’ (Romans 3:23-25).” This is the faith that justifies us, trusting in Jesus for our forgiveness and in Jesus alone. This was the faith of Abel our brother. Treasure this faith, and share it with your own brothers and sisters and everyone you love.

In Christ,
Pastor Timothy Smith

 

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