The Sons: Made For Giving

Chapter Three

For many years I have witnessed leaders in the Body of Christ mislead and even extort the substance of innocent, believing and unsuspecting members of our Faith. On the other hand, I have also witnessed the covetousness of saints regarding giving to the work of the Lord. For this cause we need to understand the mind of God in this matter.

THE OFFERING

In order to really see the heart of our Lord relative to our giving to the ministry, we must go back to the beginning, the schoolmaster. Let us take a look at the first offering ever offered to the Lord.

Genesis 4:2-7

2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.

4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:

5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

6 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?

7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

As we review the story of Cain and Abel we must be sure not to speculate, but rather stay with that which is written.

1. We know that Cain was a tiller of the soil, while his brother Abel was a shepherd.

2. They each brought an offering to the Lord taken from the substance they possessed.

3. The Lord received Abel’s offering, but had no respect for that which Cain offered. Here we must consider that there must have been some response from God that assured the acceptance or rejection of the offering. We are not told what that act was, but are assured that it was clear to both that one was received and the other rejected. This was also made apparent in the conversation the Lord held with Cain after the ceremony.

4. Cain was angry and his countenance had fallen. The Lord’s explanation for his disposition was that sin lies at his door.

This is the first time we see the word offering in the Bible. It would be fruitful for us to discover what the term meant to the Father.

OFFERING: OT:4503

minchah (min-khaw'); from an unused root meaning to apportion, i.e. bestow; a donation; tribute; specifically a sacrificial offering (voluntary):- gift, oblation, (meat) offering, present, sacrifice.

(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary.

Each of these men brought an offering to Jehovah. This had to be a ceremony of some sort that dictated a response from God. Furthermore, this ceremony strongly suggests that bringing an offering was a form of worship. Therefore, the “minchah” or offering serves at least three purposes:

a. The expression of gratitude

b. To effect reconciliation with the Lord

c. It accompanies worship

This presenting of the offering to the Lord is the first account of any form of worship recorded in the scriptures. Each of the men approached the Lord with an oblation or gift taken from among their own substance. The Lord’s response to these offerings establishes the character of the giver, as well as, that which is given.

Many including myself, have suggested that the reason the Lord did not receive Cain’s offering was due to the nature of the offering itself, the school of thought being that he did not offer the sacrifice of blood. But as I stated in the beginning, we must remain within the boundaries of the scriptures. Keep in mind that the Father allowed all that He wanted us to understand about this matter to be recorded.

Genesis 4:4-5

4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:

5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

Look at the character of Abel’s offering. He offered the firstlings or the first that were born of his flock to the Lord. He also offered the best of the herd, not the weak and scrawny. Thus, the Lord had respect for him and the offering. It is profitable to note that the character of the offering reflected the disposition of the giver’s heart toward God.

Notice that the next verse begins, “But unto Cain and his offering . . . ” This suggests that there was a distinct difference in the two offerings as well as the two men. It is accurate to note here that the Lord definitely had no respect for Cain’s offering as the scripture implies that in comparison to Abel it was not his best. He gave of his substance but he did not give of the best he had.

Another significant characterization is noted by the Apostle Paul thousands of years later.

Hebrews 11:4

By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

Paul informs us that the difference in the two men and their offerings is that Abel gave by Faith. His character was confirmed by the character of his offering and afforded him righteousness in the sight of God. This also confirms that the offering was also used in effecting reconciliation with God and was vital in the worship of God.

Note also that the offerings were brought to the Lord. The offerings received by the Lord were also consumed by Him. Once offered, the gift belongs to the Lord. It is His to do with as He pleases. Therefore, all that is offered to Him must be first loosed from the heart and mind of the giver. Then the heart of the giver must be placed within the offering. When the scripture speaks of the Lord loving a cheerful giver, that cheer or joy must be from within the heart caused by an eagerness to express gratitude, effect reconciliation and complete worship. We must examine the character of our offerings because they most certainly reflect the character of our soul.