“By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was approved as a righteous man, because God approved his gifts, and even though he is dead, he still speaks through his faith.” Hebrews 11:4 CSB
Rabbinic teaching aligns with what the author is highlighting about Abel’s offering. They teach that Abel offered the best from his flock; he gave as an offering the fat of the lamb. Whereas Cain did not give the first or best fruits but gave the fruits, he did not desire. Whether you want to believe this fact as accurate or not is indifferent, as the Bible highlights that Abel offered a better sacrifice. For an offering to be better, it must have had more value. As we dig into the works and fruits of faith, this foundation is vital.
If you read the whole Bible, there is an unarguable fact that a part of walking with God is using the resources given to you by God to bless God. Whether you look at it as your first fruits, supporting the poor in the community or building the temple, the Old and New Testament shows that giving is an essential part of faith in God. The question I want for you to think about today is, do you give in your abundance or do you give in your heart’s desire? What do I mean by this? When you give away money, time or resources in the name of serving or loving God, do you do it because you have an excess of those things? For example, when you give money into an offering box, do you provide the leftover change in your possession, or do you share something in faith, believing God will provide what you need? When you go to pray, do you give Him the best time in your day, or do you give Him those spare few minutes you have in-between tasks? When you stop to worship Him, do you worship Him only or do you multi-task and do it while driving?
The point the author of the letter and I are trying to highlight is; true faith in God will lead to you bringing better sacrifices. Better sacrifices are always given in faith because they cost you something substantial (for example, the first fruits of the harvest, as you are then trusting God to bring a second wave of fruits), and you know that God will provide for you again. If it is your time, you give solely to Him the best because you trust that His Spirit will sustain and multiply the rest of the time left to do the works He has placed before you.
Do you understand now? True faith in God will bring you to give God the best of everything you have freely and lovingly. If you are giving God your leftovers, scraps, and the remnants of your day, then your faith will not have you being approved, or your gifts will not be accepted. If you do not like what I just said, go take it up with the Man who is the living Word of God.
I challenge you to give God the best of what you have in faith and see what He does in your walk with Him.
