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Commentary on "Worship in Genesis: Two Classes of Worshipers"
Day 3: Monday, June 27, 2011 - Worship Outside of Eden
Overview
In today’s lesson the assumption is made that the account in Genesis 4:1-7 provides us with “the first recorded story of a worship service”.
In the course of time Cain presented some of the land’s produce as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also presented ⌊an offering⌋—some of the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions. The Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but He did not have regard for Cain and his offering. Cain was furious, and he looked despondent. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you furious? And why do you look despondent? If you do what is right, won’t you be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.” (Gen 4:3-7 HCSB)
To worship means to show ‘reverence and adoration’. A worship service would be the setting in which a person or a group of worshipers show ‘reverence and adoration’ by the expression of their words, attitude and deeds. The foundation of worship desired by God is expressed by the command; “Thou shall have no other gods before me”.
Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. (Heb 12:28-29 ESV)
Observations
As we study this passage carefully we see that Cain brought an ‘offering’ while Abel brought ‘the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions’ which was accepted by God and we will soon learn was a sacrifice that must precede our approach to God.
If the account in Genesis 4:1-7 is to be considered a worship service then Cain certainly missed the mark totally. As we search scripture, we learn that Abel brought his offering by faith. In today’s commentary we will develop the theme that an acceptable sacrifice that covers our sins must precede our approach to God if we are to worship him with ‘the faith of Abel’.
The following verse, when taken in conjunction of other parts of scripture, teaches that sin must be ‘covered’ to hide our nakedness and ‘fig leaves’ will not suffice. Our understanding is that sin must be ‘covered’ (sin’s penalty paid) by the death of an innocent sacrifice who is perfect to qualify as our propitiation. Remember, the consequence of disobedience to God’s command is death and only a perfect sinless sacrifice could die for our sins and come back from the grave, Gen. 2:16-17, 1 Cor. 15:1-20.
The Lord God made clothing out of skins for Adam and his wife, and He clothed them. (Gen 3:21 HCSB)
An interesting place to study the topic of what is an acceptable sacrifice to God when we approach and worship him is presented in Hebrews chapter ten.
Since the law has ⌊only⌋ a shadow of the good things to come, and not the actual form of those realities, it can never perfect the worshipers by the same sacrifices they continually offer year after year. (Heb 10:1 HCSB)
Worshipers must be without sin otherwise they must have their sins covered before they approach God. The law, meaning the Mosaic Law and all associated with it including the blood animal sacrifices, was nothing more than a ‘shadow’ that pointed to a reality which was the True Sacrifice.
After He says above, You did not want or delight in sacrifices and offerings, whole burnt offerings and sin offerings (which are offered according to the law ), He then says, See, I have come to do Your will. He takes away the first to establish the second. By this will ⌊of God⌋, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once and for all. (Heb 10:8-10 HCSB)
All the blood animal sacrifices, including when God covered the nakedness of Adam and Eve with animal skins, presented a ‘shadow’ that was meant to point towards the true sacrifice, Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. But, not until we come to the fulfillment in the New Testament account could we have understood why God rejected Cain’s offering but accepted what Able brought before him.
And then there are the words written by the Apostle Peter:
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:9 HCSB)
Summary
- Since the account in Genesis tells us virtually nothing about what worshiping God was like before sin entered into the world other than that they could talk directly with God it is more productive for us to consider, as sinners, what is needed for our relationship with God to be restored.
- In order for any person to worship God, we must understand that without a suitable sacrifice offered as payment for our sin we cannot approach our Creator. In The Old Testament tabernacle, the animal sacrifice was brought before God in the outer court yard and offered as sin’s covering before entry into the tent of meeting was made by the priest who acted as mediator for the repentant sinner before a holy God.
- With the sacrifice of the blood of Jesus Christ as our Savior, Lord and High Priest along with his gift of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we now have direct access into the Holy of Holies and the direct worship of God. As such we are now declared to be members of a royal priesthood.
- This direct worship by Christians has been true of the family of God, those who are members of the church the Body of Christ, for all of the history of the Christian faith because our Savior has been seated at the right hand of God for the better part of two thousand years. Since there is no holier place to be than at the side of God the Father we are compelled to conclude that nothing special happened in heaven in 1844.
Copyright 2011 BibleStudiesForAdventists.com. All rights reserved. Revised June 26, 2011. This website is published by Life Assurance Ministries, Glendale, Arizona, USA, the publisher of Proclamation! Magazine. Contact email: BibleStudiesForAdventists@gmail.com.
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