Genesis 4: 2-5
So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the Lord of the first fruit of the ground. And Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and for his offering; but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell.
So you can't get blood from a turnip!
God showed very clearly from the very beginning with Adam and Eve that death was necessary to give them clothing to cover their nakedness, their sin.
God was teaching us even that early in our human existence that blood had to be shed, that we deserve death because of sin. So Cain was taught this by his parents, but he expected that his own works, his vegetables, should be enough, that he was good enough and didn't deserve death. But God talked to him, and told him that he was very close to being overcome by sin, and that he would need to fight to overcome it.
It seems that some of us have a hard time admitting our culpability, and others of us don't seem to have a problem admitting when we're wrong. Abel seems to be in the latter group, and Cain in the former. He may have wondered why it was so "easy" for Abel to offer the "correct" sacrifice, when he worked just as hard as his brother did, even harder.
People today face the same dilemma. One person works and slaves and can't seem to get ahead, and another person just sits in an office, or does something else where he never has to break a sweat, and he rakes in the riches. It just doesn't seem fair, does it?
So we need to learn that life in this world isn't "fair." Fair would be everyone getting the same outcome, regardless of the effort put in; it would be that the baby gets the same steak as Dad, or that Dad has to eat pablum. God is not "fair," He is Just.
Those who put their trust in this world's benefits will find in the end that they will not do them any good in the long run, and they don't even satisfy in this life. But putting our trust in the Sacrifice of the Lamb of God to not just cover but take away all our sinfulness, and learning God's ways of living in this world can bring us this world's benefits, bringing the credit for our success to God.
So just working hard is not the key to success, it's working smart, according to the ways God designed this world to work, trusting Him and giving Him the glory.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
