Cain’s Substitute

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 8, 1872

Cain’s Substitute.

How passing strange it was that the first-born of the human race became a murderer; and that his victim should have been his own brother; and, if possible, stranger still, it came concerning the law of their God, of religious variance, and because his victim was true and himself false to God’s commandments. Since the time of that horrid event, the same terrible tragedy has in various forms and for similar reasons been repeated a million times.

There is an untold lesson in the brief history of Cain the world would do well, even yet, to consider. God in his wisdom had determined that no sin could be atoned for without the shedding of blood, and this he doubtless communicated to Adam and his sons. Abel respected God’s wisdom as authority, and was pleased to secure his favor and his approbation in the way he proposed to grant it. He therefore brought a lamb from his flock to the altar, and God manifested his pleasure by lighting the altar with celestial fire. But Cain, like thousands that follow his example, reasoned, perhaps, thus: “God has said a lamb; but then it matters little. What is the difference? There is no salvation in a lamb. There is just as much virtue in one sacrifice as another. It is nothing but a simple ordinance, an outward sign of an inward state. I am willing to risk it.” Yes, and he did risk it; but God would not risk it. But if Cain had offered his substitute in faith, some one may ask, would he not have been accepted at the altar? No; and besides, Cain could not offer a thing in faith which God had never commanded to be done. Nor can any other man. It is willful presumption, not faith, that brings what God has not commanded to his altars. Obedience consists in doing just what God has declared to be his will.

“But Cain offered his flour instead of a lamb.” Yes, and the “instead” was the willful, foolish part of the whole affair. All human substitutes for divine laws are miserable insults to divine authority, and forever must remain so. The Lord said to the disobedient and crest-fallen Cain: “Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?” Cain did not do well, because he did not do the thing required. Cain’s offering was doubly defective; it lacked obedience and faith; and either was enough to insure its rejection. But we learn another important lesson from this primeval tragedy, namely: Who have the world’s persecutors been, and will continue to be? Men that take the gospel from the lips of Christ, and are satisfied to preach and practice it just as he delivered it, can never persecute their fellow-men. Like Cain, they must first reject the law of God and substitute their own will; and then give them civil power and they will make first-class persecutors. This is human nature. We must be delivered from this present evil world according to the will of God. The gospel contains that will. Reject any part of the gospel and you reject a part of God’s will. Cain set aside one requirement, and failed. We may fail by doing a like thing.—Golden Censer.