Message: God wants my first fruits, not just my contribution. He wants my best, and to be first. When I don’t put him first and give him my best I end up tossing him leftovers as if I am appeasing him, or paying him off like a creditor that I owe. I had always wondered why God loved Abel’s offering and despised Cain’s until I read it more closely. Abel gave some of the firstborn of his flock, and their fat portions. (firstborn has an even deeper meaning in the context of those days. The firstborn had the inheritance which was a double portion so it was the most valuable). Cain gave “some of the land’s produce”. Abel’s offering was a sacrifice, while Cain’s was an obligation. When the Lord rejected his and accepted his brother’s he was despondent and the Lord warned him in that moment “if you do not do what is right sin is crouching at the door. It’s desire is for you, but you must rule over it.” The sin was not his subpar offering. It was the attitude behind his subpar offering that caused the sin to grow. Jealousy was conceived in him initially, but when he didn’t heed God’s warning the jealousy ruled him and took over until he murdered his brother.
Command: Listen to the warnings of God, and stop minimizing the issues.
Warning: “If you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door.” Sin will overtake me if I refuse to obey God’s voice.
Promise: If I do obey the voice God, sin will not rule me.
Application: I see this is so many directions. One is the condition of my heart when I give God my best. I don’t have any regret or any room for jealousy when I have fully given my best to God. My heart is at peace and I am not concerned about anyone else. When I don’t give my best I become jealous and critical of others. If I allow jealousy and criticism to come in, sin crouches at my door. “It’s desire is for you but you must rule over it”. This is a powerful statement because it shows the appetite of sin desiring to pursue me. If I squash it and fail to feed it, I starve it to death. If I give in to it even a little, it’s appetite grows and becomes a larger beast that becomes stronger, and more increasingly difficult to starve.
