Cain and his brother Abel each brought a gift to God. Cain brought the best of his crops. Abel brought the best of his flocks. God was not pleased with Cain’s gift but was pleased with Abel’s gift. Cain was therefore jealous of Abel and decided to kill his brother. God then punished Cain for his actions.

This is a story I have heard since I was young. The obvious lesson is “thou shall not murder.” However, the circumstances around the gifts which each brother brought has a much deeper lesson about our relationship with God. At first glance, it can seem that God is being overly harsh in his treatment of Cain (before he murders Abel). Why is he so particular about the gift? He brought the best of what he had. Shouldn’t that be honored? However, I want to suggest that issue is not about the gift.

Genesis recounts: “Now 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. And Abel also brought an offering—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 (Genesis 4:2-5 NIV)”.

Let’s go back one chapter to Genesis 3. When sin entered the world, 3 curses were given. One to the snake, one to Eve, and one to Adam. The curse to Adam says “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field (Genesis 3:17, 18 NIV).” Remember in the garden that Adam and Eve ate freely from all the variety of plants and trees that God had placed there. Adam was charged with the task of tending God’s garden, but it is still very clear that all of the wonderful things there came from God. But now, after sin, all those things are obtained through “painful toil.” This is the problem with Cain’s gift. It is not merely that it didn’t match God’s preference. Cain was bringing a gift resulting from the curse – in essence bring the works of his own hands. Josephus’ commentary on Cain and Able expands this idea. He says:

“Now Cain brought the fruits of the earth, and of his husbandry; but Abel brought milk, and the first-fruits of his flocks: but God was more delighted with the latter oblation, when he was honored with what grew naturally of its own accord, than he was with what was the invention of a covetous man, and gotten by forcing the ground (“The Antiquities of the Jews”, book 1, chapter 2).

Early in the chapter, Josephus contrasts Cain and Abel and says they were “…pleased with different courses of life.” Abel, he says, was a lover of righteousness and excelled in virtue. Cain, he says, was wicked and “…was wholly intent on getting.” This is the problem. This is the problem of sin. It causes us to look at our own desires and accomplishments rather than fixing our gaze on God. Romans describes this when it says they “…worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised (Romans 1:25 NIV)”. And Isaiah says “They bow down to the work of their hands, to what their fingers have made (Isaiah 2:8 NIV).” But no! This is not mean to be. Humanity has demonstrated over the last several thousand years what happens we celebrate our own works over God’s. Later in Isaiah, the solution is found. “Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand (Isaiah 64:8 NIV).” Who’s works and who’s hands? Ours? NO! God’s.

While listening to the radio this morning, Rich Mullins song “Creed” was playing (look up the lyrics if you have not heard it). It makes a number of statements of belief but the part that struck me was in the chorus:

“I did not make it
no it is making me.
It is the very truth of God
not the invention of any man.”

I like the idea that God is making me, not me making me.

One final passage of scripture.

“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:4-10 NIV)”

God seeks to give us everything we need to honor him in this world and immeasurably more in the next. There’s no need to bring our own accomplishments to him to impress him. He loves us right now. Right here. Let him be the potter. Let it be HIS hands at work.