Part 4 of 5 –
God’s Gift for Man’s Fall From Innocence:
Early on in human history Adam had been created in
innocence – originally without sin. But, we know that Adam and Eve’s fell from
innocence, they were deceived by the Serpent – they were deceived to think they
could be “as God” by eating of the
Tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil. With the eating thereof, mankind fell
from innocence to independence from God. Mankind is born into the world with the
mindset that he can make his own way – but it is NOT the way of the Lord.
Immediately upon Adam and Eves fall from innocence, God intervened to make a way back for man, to be rendered innocent. God saw their nakedness and He must have killed an innocent animal, which no doubt had its blood shed in the process. The skins of that innocent animal were used to cover the newly revealed nakedness of Adam and Eve. This was the first incidence of the shedding of innocent blood to cover the sins of man. Of course this all points to the day when the shed blood of the innocent “Lamb of God” would come to take away “the sins of the world” – Jesus’ blood and life was to be offered upon the cross for the sins of all humanity.
With that, it becomes clear that the story of what God did in shedding the blood of an innocent in the presence of Adam and Eve no doubt was passed onto Adam and Eve’s sons, Cain and Able. We read of Cain and Able making offerings to God; Able made an offering of innocent blood, while Cain offered the fruit of the earth, vegetables.
Cain, who killed his brother, as typical of all fallen humanity, refused to make a proper blood sacrifice; he offered vegetables as the fruit of the earth, man’s realm, rather than innocent blood which is a type or figure of the innocent Royal blood of Jesus yet to come. With that, Cain was essentially saying – “No thank you, for the gift of innocent blood to cover my sins. I’d rather do it my way.”
Hebrews 11:4
(NIV) By faith Abel offered God a better (innocent
blood) sacrifice than Cain did (who offerred
vegetables). By faith he was commended as a righteous
man, when God spoke well of his
offerings (of innocent blood).
And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.
1 John 3:12 (NIV)
Do not be like
Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did
he murder him? Because his own actions
were evil and his brother's were righteous.
Leviticus 17:11
(AMP)For the life (the animal soul) is in the
blood, and I have given it for
you upon the altar to make atonement
(reparation) for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement
(reparation), by reason of the life [which it
represents].
Hebrews 9:22b (AMP) … without the shedding of blood there is neither release from sin and its guilt nor the remission of the due and merited punishment for sins.
Cain's is to prevailing attitude of fallen mankind today.
You see, mankind seems to do what is right in their own eyes – ignoring God’s words.
Judges 17:6 (KJV) In those days … every man did that which was right in his own
eyes. Tragically, even in our society today, people are still rejecting
the God’s Gift of Jesus offered for the sins of the world, saying, “No
thank you, we’ll go our own way.” We see this in that the US Supreme
Court ruled a display of the Ten Commandment could not remain in an
More and more today, our nation is being molded by what
is “inclusive,” culturally acceptable, and politically correct. So as to be
inclusive many may say, “Well. Jesus
might be one way, but we must recognize that it’s not the only way.” Or, “Yes, that is one religion, but there are
many great religions in the world, and we must be tolerant and accepting of all
of them.” But we must recognize that what is really being said is, “No
thank you God, we’ll find our own way of finding heaven…if it really exists.” Or, “Maybe we can mix all the religions together
and make a unified belief that everybody can
accept.”
