Revisiting the Past: Children’s Stories Today (Part I)

Sermon Title: Revisiting the Past: Children’s Stories Today—En-Abel Our Faith

Good News Statement: God enables us to live by faith

Summary: By Faith, Abel offered a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain did. But what does that mean? What made the sacrifice more acceptable? And what can that mean for us?

Preached: Sunday, June 02, 2024 at Dogwood Prairie and Seed Chapel UMC

Pastor Daniel G. Skelton, M.Div.

 

Scripture (NRSV): Mark 4:35-41 Today’s scripture reading comes from the famous children’s story regarding Cain and Abel. This story teaches us about the power of sin, but it also teaches us that we are called to give to God what God deserves. Let’s read Genesis Chapter Four, Verses One thru Sixteen. May the hearing and reading of this scripture add understanding and meaning to your life.

The Examples of Abel, Enoch, and Noah (Hebrews 11:4)

⁴ By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain’s. Through this he received approval as righteous, God himself giving approval to his gifts; he died, but through his faith he still speaks.

Cain Murders Abel (Genesis 4:1-16)

4 Now the man knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have produced a man with the help of the Lord.” ² Next she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a tiller of the ground. ³ In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, ⁴ and Abel for his part brought of the firstlings of his flock, their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, ⁵ but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. ⁶ The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your countenance fallen? ⁷ If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it.”

⁸ Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out to the field.” And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. ⁹ Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” ¹⁰ And the Lord said, “What have you done? Listen, your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground! ¹¹ And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. ¹² When you till the ground, it will no longer yield to you its strength; you will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.” ¹³ Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear! ¹⁴ Today you have driven me away from the soil, and I shall be hidden from your face; I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and anyone who meets me may kill me.” ¹⁵ Then the Lord said to him, “Not so! Whoever kills Cain will suffer a sevenfold vengeance.” And the Lord put a mark on Cain, so that no one who came upon him would kill him. ¹⁶ Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

This is the Word of God for the People of God; And all God’s people said, “Thanks be to God.”

 

Introduction:

Do you remember the first Bible story you were taught as a child? Were you taught about Adam and Eve? Did you read the accounts of Noah, the Ark, and the Great Flood? Were you in fascination of Daniel in the Lion’s Den? Were you caught up in the love story of Samson and Delilah? Did you ever find yourself wanting a technicolor coat like Joseph? Did you want to march around Jericho or use a sling-shot to take down giants? Did you want to build a basket and float down a river like Moses? Maybe you were curious about a tower that went by the name “Tower of Babel”? Perhaps, it was the story of Jonah and a whale that inspired you to dive into the Word of God? Or was it the story of Jesus feeding five-thousand people on the shores of Galilee with only two little fish and five loaves of bread? If you can’t remember the first Bible story you were taught as a child, maybe you have a favorite Bible Story that has helped you deepen your faith and strengthen your trust in God.

If you are trying to remember some of those famous Bible Stories you may have learned or heard about as a child, let me jog your memory of a few. According to Dr. Oliver Tearle of Loughborough University, here are the top twelve stories of the Bible that many people have been raised on: “Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah’s Ark and the Flood, The Tower of Babel, Moses in a basket, Moses parting the Red Sea, David and Goliath, Samson and Delilah, Daniel in the Lions’ Den, Jonah and the Whale, The Nativity Scene, The Raising of Lazarus, and the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus.” There are many, many, more stories that probably come to mind, but these are the twelve most popular Bible stories that most of us can remember learning as a child. But, what do the stories of back then teach us today? When was the last time you revisited the first stories of your faith?

Over the span of the next few months—June, July, and August—we are going to explore some of these early childhood Bible Stories. As we explore these stories, each of you will be encouraged to think about the first time you heard that story and what that story means to you today. Dr. Tearle notes, in his article titled 12 of the Best Stories from the Bible Everyone Should Know, “The Bible contains many well-known stories, but how much do we know about them? And what are the best Bible stories everyone should know? Many people, even those raised in countries where Sunday school and religious assemblies are a mainstay of many children’s education, may find they’ve misremembered, or got the wrong impression about, some of the iconic tales from the Bible.”

So, what do you remember about some of those “iconic tales” from the Bible; and what about them today can help deepen your faith and strengthen your trust in God as you strive to be the disciple and church Jesus needs you and us to be? We begin our journey by revisiting the story of Cain and Abel…

Body:

You know, it’s odd—we all seem to know the story about Cain and Abel. But Cain gets more press from Scripture than Abel does. Cain is mentioned in 18 verses but Abel only gets 11 verses. But the press that Cain gets is all bad press—for example: He’s a bad man; He’s an angry man; He’s a murderer. God tells us in I John 3:12 “Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brothers were righteous.”

Cain’s actions were evil? Here in First John we’re told Cain’s evil actions led him to murder his brother. In other words, Cain’s evil actions didn’t start with murdering his brother. His evil actions came even before the murder of Abel. Let me offer you a summary of the story of Cain and Abel from that of two Children’s Bibles: The Classic Children’s Bible Storybook and The Biggest Story Bible Storybook.

 

Movement One: Cain and Abel Back Then…

The Classic Children’s Bible Storybook, edited by Linda Taylor, summarizes the story of Cain and Abel like this: “Adam and Eve had two sons, Cain and Abel. In those days people presented offerings or sacrifices to God. They piled up stones, one upon the other, and burned their offerings on the altar. This pleased God. Cain and Abel presented their offerings to God in this way.

Abel loved God and gave Him the best of his lambs. Cain, however, did not offer his best and God rejected his gift. Cain did not truly love God. Cain became jealous because Abel’s offering pleased God, unlike his own. He became angry and sulked. God asked Cain, ‘Why are you so angry?’ He reminded Cain that if he did what was right, his offering would be accepted. And if he refuses to do what is right, sin will be waiting for him….

Cain was very angry. He could not bear it that God accepted Abel’s offering and not his own. So he was mad at Abel instead, as if it was Abel’s fault that he loved God…. Cain suggested to Abel that they go to the fields, where he spoke to him and probably told him how angry he was and that he thought God liked Abel better. But these brothers were not merely having words; Cain began to argue with Abel, and then he killed him….

God spoke to Cain a second time. He asked him, ‘Where is your brother?’, and Cain answered quite rudely, ‘I don’t know…. Am I my brother’s keeper?’ Of course, God knew that Cain had murdered his brother. But Cain was not sorry. No, he felt no remorse. So God punished Cain with a course, and Cain moved far away and lived in a very dry and desolate country where life was harsh.”[1]

Now, The Biggest Story Bible Storybook, written by Kevin DeYoung, offers a similar summary of Cain and Abel, but also makes some interesting observations. DeYoung wrote, “Adam and Eve had a son, Cain, who worked the ground. And they had another son who watched sheep. His name was Abel. One day, Cain brought an offering to the Lord from his crops, and Abel brought an offering from his animals. God was pleased with Abel’s sheep because it was offered in faith. But God was not happy with Cain’s offering. This made Cain angry. So God said something like, ‘Get a grip, Cain. Sin is knocking at your door. And if you invite this evil into your heart, it’s going to take over everything.’

And that’s what happened. Cain turned from God’s words and then turned on his brother. When they were both in the field, Cain rose up against Abel and killed him. The first murder. And another curse. God told Cain his crops wouldn’t grow like they used to, and while God promised to protect him, Cain was driven from his home just like this parents had been.”[2]

In DeYoung’s summary of Cain and Abel, we learn that this was the first murder to take place after creation; we learn that Cain was working the grounds like his father, Adam; we learn that Cain was driven out of his home land just like Adam and Eve were driven out of the Garden of Eden after they sinned; and we learn that, even though God was upset with Cain, He promised to protect him. When I first heard the story of Cain and Abel, I wasn’t told about what we learned from DeYoung. Instead, probably like most of you, I learned that I must not allow sin to get a grip on me, that I must listen to God, and that sin—evil and bad things and stuff—is constantly knocking on the door of my heart and once I open that door, “sin is going to take over everything.”[3]

The story of Cain and Abel, as a child, is about listening to God and doing one’s best to avoid sin; but also realizing that God will protect us when life gets tough or unfair or stressful or frustrating or even overwhelming. These are all great lessons that we need to remember each and every day of our life; but don’t get me wrong when I say that there is more to the story of Cain and Able then just sin. So, what is the meaning of the story of Cain and Abel outside of sin?

 

Movement Two: The Meaning of Cain and Abel…

Some people believe that Cain knew he had to offer an animal sacrifice and—because Cain refused to obey God—that’s what made his actions evil. The only problem is… that’s not what the story says: Genesis 4:2-5 tells us: “Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a tiller of the ground. In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel for his part brought of the firstlings of his flock, their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.”

Do you read anything in there about God ASKING for an animal sacrifice? No. In fact, Abel is a keeper of sheep, so he brings a sheep; and Cain is a worker of the ground, so he brings crops. Each of them brings what they’ve raised to give to God. So, if each of them brought what they’d raised as a sacrifice, why would God accept Abel’s gift and reject Cain’s? I don’t know but, if the problem isn’t with the gift, then it’s got to be with the giver.

Down through Israel’s history, God repeatedly rejected sacrifices from Israelites because there was something wrong with the giver, and not because of the gift. In Isaiah 1:11 and 16-17 God says, “I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls or of lambs or of goats….[Instead] wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove your evil deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do good; seek justice; rescue the oppressed; defend the orphan; plead for the widow.”[4] The problem (for Israel) wasn’t with the gifts. The problem was with the giver. God was telling them: “Clean yourself up… then bring your offering” but they weren’t listening.

Jesus said essentially the same thing. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said “If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:23-24). The problem wasn’t with the gift. The problem was with the giver.

Now, the Bible doesn’t say what was wrong with Cain… but we have a hint. The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it” (Genesis 4:6-7). Cain’s sacrifice was rejected (at least in part) because of a heart condition. The giver wasn’t right with God. Cain’s heart wasn’t right before God. And so we’re told in Genesis 4:5 “(God) had no regard for Cain and his offering.” But Abel’s heart was right before God: “the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering” (Gen. 4:4).

So, what was it that made Abel’s heart right before God? Hebrews 11:2 tells us it was his faith in God. “Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval…. By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain’s. Through this he received approval as righteous, God himself giving approval to his gifts; he died, but through his faith he still speaks” (Hebrews 11:2 and 4).

So, let’s think about this for a minute: If Abel’s sacrifice had been rejected, what do you think Abel would have done? Well, I think he would have tried harder the next time. In fact, that’s what God tried to get Cain to do. God told Cain: “If you do well, will you not be accepted?” (Genesis 4:7). You see, faith was the real difference between Cain and Abel. Cain’s sacrifice was all about him, not about faith in God. Cain’s sacrifice wasn’t a sacrifice of faith because God wasn’t the object—Cain was. And so, when his offering was rejected, Cain got angry. “How dare God reject my offering!” is what Cain was probably screaming at the top of his lungs. I’m sure you have said something similar in your life: “How dare God not answer my prayers? How dare God ignore my promise to Him if he gets me through this challenge? How dare God allow the Cubs to win and the Cardinals to lose? How dare God not fix my truck or tractor when I need them? How dare God not give me a hole-in-one? How dare God put people in my life who disagree with me? How dare God tell me I have to work to maintain my faith? How dare God….” We have all been a “Cain” in our life: putting ourselves first and God and others second. Thinking about Abel, I don’t think Abel would have responded like that if his offering had failed. Abel was a man driven by faith in God—by a desire to please God no matter what it cost. And that’s what we should be like. Our faith should drive us to try to please God… no matter the cost![5]

Now, there’s another thing about Abel, he didn’t do all that much. Noah built an Ark and saved God’s creation from the flood; Moses went down into Egypt and led God’s people out of captivity; Joshua led Israel into the Promised Land and conquered the mighty city of Jericho; David faced Goliath and built a mighty kingdom for God. Great men of faith, doing mighty deeds of faith. But what does Abel do? He just makes an offering. No nations are built, no giants are defeated, and no city walls destroyed. Abel just makes an offering. And then, he gets top billing! He’s the head-liner. When Hebrews 11 tells us of the great men and women of faith, God mentions Abel first! Why? Because God and the world have two different ways of judging greatness. The world judges greatness by deeds. The world believes that how great a person is depends on how much they’ve accomplished. But God doesn’t judge greatness that way. God judges our greatness by the size of our faith, not by the size of our accomplishments. That’s why Hebrews 11:6 tells us “without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek him.”

Hebrews 11:6 tells us two things: First, without faith you can’t please God; and second, faith means that you not only BELIEVE that God exists, but you believe God rewards those who seek Him! Did you catch that – they seek Him because they believe He will reward them. You know, Jesus said something like this in Matthew 6:33 “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” That’s faith! Faith is when you seek God because you know He appreciates that. You don’t have to do something great; you don’t have to do mighty deeds or accomplish great things; you just have to seek to please Him and to give to him what he deserves from a faithful heart.

 

Movement Three: Cain and Abel Today…

Embedded in the story of Cain and Abel—yes is a lesson about what could happen when we open our heart to sin—is an awareness to see where our faith is and what we are willing to give to God to deepen our faith and whether or not we are willing to do the work to maintain our faith.

Think of it this way: Have you ever been to a little league baseball game? At that young age they’re still trying to figure things out. But once in a while a child will step up to bat in the proper batting position, stands right, holds the bat right, and gives it all they got. They SWING … and miss. And you know what the parents do? They shout “GREAT SWING, YOU’LL GET IT NEXT TIME” because it doesn’t matter to them whether they actually hit the ball or not. What matters is that they keep trying. The point is the child tried and they tried with all their might.

That’s what God is looking for—someone who will swing for the fences, even when they miss because they gave it all they had. All God wanted Cain to do was give all that he had, to give with his heart, to know that God was willing to let him try again; but Cain was too self-conceded to hear God’s voice.

Here’s another example: Jesus took His disciples to the Temple and watched as people put their offerings into the offering box. Mark 12:41-44 tells us, “He sat down opposite the treasury and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury….” It wasn’t the size of her offering that impressed Jesus. It was the size of her faith and her love for God. That’s what God was trying to get us to see when He put Abel first in the Hall of Faith because it was the size of Abel’s faith that God wanted us to focus on: faith that Cain lacked.

In addition to giving to God through acts of faith, there’s something about Abel’s offering that God wanted us to see. Hebrews 11:4 says that “Through (Abel’s) faith, though he died, he still speaks.” Abel still speaks? So what was it that Abel said in his sacrifice that God wanted us to hear? First, what did Abel sacrifice? Abel sacrificed a lamb. When John the Baptist saw Jesus, he said “Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Abel offers God something in which God offers us to remove our sins: a lamb, the Lamb of God.

Second, Abel raised sheep so his family could be clothed with its skin. The Bible teaches us that before the Flood, humans were vegetarians (Genesis 9:3). They didn’t eat meat. So, the only reason to raise sheep was for clothing. The New Testament teaches us that Jesus’ righteousness covers our sins. Galatians 3:27 notes, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” When we stand before the throne of God, we’ll not be dressed in our personal righteousness as Cain would have been, because Isaiah 64:6 tells us “all our righteousness’s are as filthy rags.” Who wants to stand before God in filthy rags when we can stand before God wearing the righteousness of Christ… because we “put on Christ.” Abel sacrificed to God what God clothes us with: the righteousness of Christ.

Third, Abel sacrificed the lamb. It had to die in order to be offered to God. Jesus came to die… He came to be our sacrifice for sin. As 1 Peter 2:24 tells us (Jesus) “bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” Abel sacrifices to God what God gave us so that we may be healed.

Fourth, Abel sacrificed the firstborn of his flock. Colossians 1:18 tells us that Jesus was “the firstborn from the dead.” Jesus was the first to rise from the grave to live forever. So, why is that important? Since Jesus rose from the dead, we know we can rise also. That’s what baptism is trying to teach us: we are buried with Him, and then we rise with Him. We imitate the first one (Jesus) to rise to immortality and it’s by His resurrection that we have the promise of resurrection. Abel sacrifices to God what God promises through his Son—a new life.

The point in sharing this with you is to help you make the connection that what takes place in the Old Testament is leading us toward a new life in Jesus Christ: a new beginning, a new way of living, a new faith that is not about us but about Jesus Christ. It’s through the giver that the gift of sacrifice is either seen as selfish or self-less. Abel, through the sacrifice of a lamb, demonstrated the type of faith that we need have to follow Christ and to avoid sin. Unlike Cain who thought he was giving his best, Abel gave his best because what he offered to God as means of faith came from his heart.

 

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the story of Cain and Abel—although a story about creation’s first murder, a story that makes us consider what Adam and Eve could have been feeling knowing that one of their sons was killed and the other son fleeing to another country, and a story that teaches us about the devastating outcomes of letting sin into our heart—is a story that should provoke us to think about our faith, and how God, at times, is more concerned about the giver than the gift.

Abel gave from a selfless heart, but Cain gave from a selfish heart. God takes note of what you offer Him: how you pray, what you pray for, if your heart is made right, what you carry with you into to church, what you leave at the entrance of the church, whether or not you are a follower beyond Sunday mornings, and whether or not you are okay with the faith you have or if you need to strengthen your faith. What and how we give to God matters.

As a child, the story of Cain and Abel was certainly a story about sin and how God does not appreciate it when we cause harm to others. Today, the story is still about sin, but it’s about deepening our faith in Christ so that when we do give to God—through our sacrifices, service, and gifts—we do so from the heart. God notices the offering, but it He is more concerned with the one who is doing the offering. It’s time to take to heart what DeYoung said when summarizing this story, “Sin is knocking at your door. And if you invite this evil into your heart, it’s going to take over everything” including your faith and willingness to give to God what God deserves. Are you giving to God what he deserves or what you think He deserves? Let it be so…

 

Closing Prayer:

Dear God, deepen and strengthen our faith as we give to you what you deserve. Help us to close our heart to sin, but keep it open to your grace and love. Remind us to not let sin take over everything, but instead lean on you when anger and frustration creeps into our life. In your name we pray, Amen.

Benediction:

Where is your faith? What are you giving to God that informs God that you need Him in your life? May the Lord bless you and keep you; May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; and May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26). In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, go forth seeking a deeper and stronger faith. And all God’s people said, Amen. Amen. Amen.

 

 

[1] Linda Taylor, The Classic Children’s Bible Storybook, 2011, Bill Noller International Publishing: San Dimas, CA. pg. 27-28.

[2] Kevin DeYoung, The Biggest Story Bible Storybook, 2021, Crossway Publishing: Wheaton, IL. pg. 30-33.

[3] Ibid. Kevin DeYoung, pg. 32.

[4] “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”

[5] Someone once said that “Real worship is thirsty land crying out for rain” (D. Bradley) Real worship is focused on God and pleasing Him.