"AN ETERNAL COVENANT"

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 accept?
But if you do not do what is right, sin
crouching at your door; it desires to have
you, but you must master it"
                                             Genesis 4:5-7


I HAVE ALWAYS been fascinated with the
story of Cain and Abel, the first two sons
of Adam and Eve. They may have been
twins. The Bible says that Eve conceived
once and delivered twice.
Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she
conceived and bore Cain, and said, "I have
acquire a man from the Lord," Then she
bore again, this time his brother Abel
( Gen. 4: 1-2).
They may have looked alike, but they chose
two different occupations.
   Now Abel was a keeper of the sheep, but
Cain was a tiller of the ground (Gen. 4-2)
After what their parent had experienced, it
was only natural that the children were
taught the principle of presenting gifts to
the Lord.
   And in the process of time it came to pass
that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of
the ground to the Lotd. Abel also brought of
the firstborn of his flock and of their fat
(Gen. 4:3-4)
Scripture records that "the Lord respected
Abel and his offering, (Gen. 4:4-5).
What was the difference? Why did God
accept one offering and reject the others?
The answer is found in Hebrew 11:4.
    By faith Abel  offered to God a more
excellent sacrifice than Cain, through
which he obtained witness that he was
righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and
through it he being dead still speaks.
It was "by faith" that Abel offered a blood
sacrifice to the Lord. We know that "faith
comes by hearing" (Rom.10:17$, so it's
reasonable to assume the two sons knew
the power of the blood because their
parents shared their experience in the
garden.
  How did Abel know to offer a blood
sacrifice? I believe Adam and Eve told
their sons what God expected. I believe
God gave a revelation of the blood
covenant to the first man and woman
when He sacrifice animals to atone for
their sin and clothed them with skins that
may have been wet with blood
(Gen.3:21). It was a sign of the
redemption and deliverance that was
to come. No doubt Eve wondered,
"Which one of my sons will bruise the
serpent's head? (Gen3:15)
 Both sons knew that God demanded a
Blood covenant. That is why Gid ask
will you not be accept" (Gen. 4:6-7,NIV).
Cain knew what was right, but he didn't
do it. Instead he offered a gift of vege-
tation, and Hod refused it.
    Abel, however, was obedient to Lord.
By faith he offered an animal sacrifice
the "first fruits" of his flock. The substitute
Blood wass by Abel from a heart of love
and trust. He was teaching out to be in
Covenant with the Lord.
Cain offered a gift, but it was not what
God required. There is a great difference
Between presenting what the Lord demands
and merely giving a present.