Too Often Like Cain

The story of Cain and Able is found in Genesis 4. Cain and Abel of course were the first two sons of Adam and Eve.
Genesis 4:2-16

"Abel kept flocks and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." Now Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out to the field." And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" "I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's keeper?" The LORD said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground. Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth." Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is more than I can bear. Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me." But the LORD said to him, "Not so; if anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven times over." Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. So Cain went out from the LORD's presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden."

There are several things that I find interesting in this passage. First of all, what went wrong? There are many speculations, but just from the text itself it states that Cain, "brought some of the fruits," but yet we see that Abel, "brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock." Abel's was the best of the best, in which we know he gave to the Lord by faith in Hebrews 11:4. Second, Cain did not do what was right to please the Lord, yet the thought of being outside of God's presence was unbearable. That seems kind of contradictory. We can't have it both ways. I know too often in my own life I am not obedient yet I also don't want to face the consequences. Too often I'm just like Cain, wanting to cover up my sin instead of seeking forgiveness and repentence. However, I shall continue to strive to be more like Abel who was obedient from the start and was honored in the hall of faith where it is written, "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." For our goal should be to live by faith so that we will be found to be righteous and blameless before Christ Jesus.