After Adam and Eve disobeyed God and realized their nakedness, they sewed together fig leaves to make coverings for themselves and then hid among the trees.

Nevertheless, the attempt to cover their shame was futile. The Lord confronted them with their sin and judged them accordingly. The cost of their transgression was high. The consequences they would suffer—along with all of their descendants who were to come after them—would bring pain, suffering, travail, and death. But the greatest tragedy above all was separation from God. They could do nothing to eliminate their sin or lift the Lord’s judgment from themselves.

However, in His mercy, the Lord provided them with a path whereby they could return to Him by having their sin covered, but not without judgment.

For every action, there is a reaction, and for every deed, a just reward, whether it is good or evil. The Lord knew their only hope was for a Redeemer to come forward who was willing to take their sins upon himself and, in their place, receive their punishment. Only then could they be restored.

The Lord also knew it was not possible that anyone could be worthy but Himself. Therefore, He appointed a time that He would offer Himself in their stead and in the place of their descendants who were to come after.

However, God, being spirit and not flesh, cannot die. It was imperative that He take upon Himself a form that could. It was determined He would come clothed in the body of corruptible flesh.

As for Adam and his wife, the Lord shed blood to make coats of skin to cover them—signifying that redemption could only come by way of death and the shedding of blood.

Thereafter, men began offering animal sacrifices, shedding their blood and burning their flesh on an altar pointing to the promise of the Anointed One’s coming. He would be the one to offer his own blood as the final and perfect sacrifice, once and for all.

Eve conceived and bore Cain, and later she conceived and bore his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

Both Cain and Abel brought offerings to the Lord. Cain brought fruits from the ground, while Abel brought the firstborn of his flock to sacrifice. However, the Lord had respect for Abel and his offering, but He rejected Cain’s bloodless offering, for which reason Cain became enraged, and later he slew his brother.

Cain’s bloodless offering was rejected. It was a sacrifice of his choice, a product of the earth, whether it was his best or not.

To the contrary, Abel’s sacrifice was the one specified by God—not one produced from the dirt, but one that represented the flesh returning back to the dust—representing the death of sin. Thus, the Lord honored the obedience of Abel and rejected the sacrifice of Cain.

“For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.” (Leviticus 17:11)

Cain was the firstborn, just as Israel is considered the firstborn among nations chosen by the Lord. Israel The law of sacrifices, which required blood, was given to Israel and pointed to the sacrifice of the Messiah.

By offering blood sacrifices with a spirit of repentance, sins were covered. When men’s hearts were hardened to sin, they ceased from being remorseful; their offerings became routine, and the sacrifices became meaningless in the eyes of God—even an abomination.

The prophet Samuel declared to King Saul, “Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams” (1 Sam. 15:22).

Like Saul, many devout followers of religion seek righteousness through their own works. Their offerings are worldly, like Cain’s, not what God prescribed. Redemption requires the shedding of blood; sin dwells in the flesh; it must be put to death. Transgressions are not balanced out or canceled by good deeds. Deeds done as obligations on a checklist are not equal to the righteousness of God.

Righteousness is walking in the spirit of God. If we walk in our own way while imitating the works of God, our works are not life-giving; we make ourselves deceivers.

Obedience to faith by seeking his will, coming to it, and then obeying it. It is not a ritual or institution. Fulfilling your own desires by offering what you have decided to give to God, while believing it is accepted, even though He would have something else, is not obedience to faith.

We have a relationship with God when we hear his voice and obey it. Inventing “good” while not following the goodness of God is a most deceitful act. It is the sacrifice of Cain. Many will say in day of judgment, “Lord, have we not done many works in your name?” —to whom he will reply, “I never knew you.” Righteousness is obedience to the Lord.