Question 1:

Why did God not accept Cain’s crop gift?  It says that Abel gave the best of the best and it doesn’t say that about Cain so that is my assumption…that Cain didn’t give enough or didn’t give his best??

Pastor Mark’s Response:
The issue was and is never an issue of how much, the type or even the quality of the gift to God, but the attitude of the heart in which it is given. If Cain decides to give a “lesser than perfect offering” then that reflects the attitude of his heart.  If Cain decides to give the best and greatest gift of the two, but does it with bitterness, then that still reflects the attitude of the heart.  The missing element for Cain was he did not possess a heart of gratitude and humility, thus his actual sacrificial gifts would have reflected that.  Our God is all about the heart. (1Sam.16:7; Prov. 17:3; 21:2; Jer.17:10; Mark 7:20-23; Prov.4:23 

Question 2:
Are the years it talks about equivalent to our years?  Were they really 900+ years old?

Pastor Mark Response:
Yes they did.  By the plan and grace of God man lived longer in those days.  It is as literal in years as creation was in days.  The population of the earth was still in the making and only because it was ordained that man live longer could the ultimate plan of redemption take place.  By the time the psalmist wrote that man’s life is 70 or 80 years (Ps.90:10), full propagation of the earth was in high gear and mankind could now look forward to the Messiah. Could you imagine if we all lived to 900 year and when confronted with the gospel of repentance and self-denial to become a disciple of Christ(Luke 14)?  We would all say, “Oh well, I have 8 to 9 hundred years to make that decision – no thanks.”


Question 3:
Why all the ancestory throughout the Bible?  Some people really get into geneology and that’s not really me.  It’s important where everyone comes from but 14+14+14 generations seems crazy.  Did nothing happen to those previous generations that was important to mention in the Bible…or will we learn about those people later??

Pastor Mark Response:
The genealogy was and has always been important to the Jews.  It proves spiritual linage and God used it to verify the line of His people, as well as the Messiah to come. The early genealogies are equally important and your assumption may be right about those given that are important and our understanding later, but the most important issues would be that the Bible interprets reality and truth perfectly and God left all the proper genealogies for us redemptively. We do know that there is really only one race – Adam’s humanity.  We all came from Adam and the colors and cultures were a genealogical blending in time from Shem, Ham, and Japheth as the Lord allowed, (each are described as a different color).  The only redemptive reason for genealogies in any level of accuracy is to announce and/or to prove Jesus.