DEAR children, we have had several talks about Adam and Eve and of things that took place in the garden of Eden; let us now have a little talk about some of Adam and Eve’s children and about some things that happened outside of the garden of Eden.
Adam and Eve called their first child Cain, and the second child that God gave to them, they called Abel. As these boys grew up to be men they had to learn to work, for when Adam sinned God had told him that in the sweat of his face he should eat bread until he returned to the ground. And from that day to this, man has had to labor and toil.
Cain and Abel did not choose the same kind of work. Cain’s work was to dig up the ground and plant it and get fruit from it; and Abel’s work was to feed the sheep and take care of them.
After a time, both these men—for I think they had by this time grown to be men— brought an offering to God. Perhaps they thought that God would not punish them for their sins if they took Him a nice present; for I have no doubt they felt that they were sinners, and people like to atone for their sins if they can.
Now, as there is a lesson of great importance in the offerings that Cain and Abel took to God, I hope you will listen well, while I try to point it out to you.
Gain brought for his offering some of the fruit of the ground which he had been cultivating. I suppose it looked very fine, for he would wish to bring the finest of what he had when making an offering to the Lord. Abel took his offering from the lambs of his flock, and I think he took the best of them, too.
But God did not accept both of their offerings; He was pleased with Abel’s offering, but not with Cain’s. There is a little verse in the ninth chapter of Hebrews which shows us why God could not accept Cain’s offering; it is this:—
“Without shedding of blood is no remission;” that means that sins cannot be put away unless blood is shed, for sin deserves to be punished with death. God says “the wages of sin is death.”
When Abel killed the lamb and offered it to God, it showed that he himself deserved to die, because he was a sinner. The lamb that was offered, pointed to the Lamb of God who long after died upon the cross to save sinners; and it is through His precious blood that there is forgiveness of sins for those who believe in Jesus.
Many little boys and girls, and many grown people, too, think their good works will take them to heaven, but they will not. Such offerings are no more pleasing to God than Cain’s offering was, for in these good works there is no shedding of blood. And God cannot accept the good works of a sinner. But Jesus gave Himself an offering to God for sin, and this perfect offering was well-pleasing to God. And if you believe in Jesus your sins are forever put away from God’s sight.
TO BE CONTINUED.
ML 11/05/1899