6/1/25 Weekly Bible Lesson: Gift Giving that Matters

Background of Text — When God created the heavens and the earth, He planted a garden and placed the man whom He had formed within it (Genesis 2:8). In ancient religions, men would form idols out of wood, stone, or metal, but God formed His own image out of the dirt, breathed life into him, and gave him dominion and authority over creation. 

Adam, the first man, was unable to find a suitable helper, so the LORD God gifted Him with Eve, formed from man’s rib (Genesis 2:22), together reflecting the image of God (Genesis 1:26). Deceived by the serpent into sin, Adam, Eve, and Satan were cursed and cast out of the garden to cultivate the ground from which he was taken (Genesis 3:23). Today we consider the gifts offered by their offspring so that we know how to please God. 

Verses 4:1-5 — It’s easy to be drawn to the gifts offered by Cain and Abel, but first observe the many gifts given by God! In Genesis 2-3, God gifted man with breath, with dominion, with a wife, and with mercy despite His sin. Within marriage, God has given the gift of sexual intimacy, and as was the case with Adam and Eve, this gift can multiply into the gift of a child. God’s grace extends far beyond Eden. 

Eve was present when the serpent was told, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel” (Genesis 3:15). Eve’s offspring would crush the serpent, and her firstborn’s name suggests she may have thought Cain would be the one to do it. Cain’s name can mean, “acquisition,” “spear,” or “possession,” It’s as though she was declaring, “I have the one who will crush the serpent!” Meanwhile, Abel’s birth account is brief, fitting for a man whose name meant, “breath,” “vanity,” or “vapor.”  

What makes a gift a good gift? Scattered throughout my office are drawings and crafts given to me by my sons. Though they would be trash to any other, they are my treasures, each one reminding me of precious memories and the joy of their adolescence. Cain and Abel brought an offering to the LORD in accord with their labor—a firstling of the flock from the shepherd Abel, and  fruit from the tiller of the ground Cain.  

Though steak is always better than a salad, God’s disregard for Cain’s offering rested not in Cain’s fruit but in Cain’s faith. The author of Hebrews tells us, “By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks” (Hebrews 11:4). Abel’s parents had been sent out from the garden, but he trusted God and desired to please him. Abel’s offering came long before the Law was given to Israel regarding acceptable sacrifices, and yet his gift reveals a profound faith — he gave God the first and the finest. 

While Abel desired to please God, Cain simply went through the ritual. His offering was not of faith, but of formality, like one who sits in a pew every Sunday because he thinks that is what God desires of him, failing to see God desires the heart behind the habits. God never separates the gift from the giver. 

Verses 4:6-8 — It’s hard to hide our hearts from those closest to us. Often our faces betray us! Even outside of the garden God occasionally met with man face to face, and Cain’s face had fallen. Eventually, every disciple of Jesus will receive rebuke. How one responds to discipline reveals the heart. Cain, given the gift of discipline, refused to heed God’s counsel. Rather than mastering the sin that desired to consume him, Cain conspired to murder his brother, staining the soil he was called to steward with Abel’s blood. Sin had been lurking, just like Satan, who prowls like a lion seeking to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Perhaps Cain thought he was striking down Abel, but there was a greater Adversary present. Cain, like his parents, had been deceived. 

Verses 4:9-16 — How fascinating that God, who knows everything, asks questions! He inquired of Adam after eating the fruit, and he calls out for Cain after murdering his brother. Of all the gifts God has given, confession is one we would often wish to return unopened. However, it is the very means by which healing and repentance begins. 

Why would God later make murder a capital offense but sentence Cain to life as a nomad? Men were only sentenced to death in Israel if the crime had two or more witnesses. Abel’s blood cried out, but no one else could. Some suggest since God had not declared murder a capital crime, He was gracious in His punishment. Nevertheless, Cain was cursed but marked out that his life would be preserved. 

Discussion questions: Share the many small gifts God has given you that often go overlooked. What are some warning signs that your worship may not be pleasing to God? Jesus was “one sacrifice, for all” (Hebrews 10:14). What offerings does God still desire from us?