5. Why did God favor Abel's sacrifice instead of Cain's?

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Why did God favor Abel's sacrifice instead of Cain's?

There are different opinions on why God favored Abel’s sacrifice instead of Cain’s. Some possible reasons are:

• Abel offered his sacrifice in faith, while Cain did not. Hebrews 11:4 says that Abel’s sacrifice was better than Cain’s because he had faith in God1. Cain’s sacrifice may have been done out of duty or obligation, without trusting God or honoring Him.
• Abel offered the best of his flock, while Cain offered some of his produce. Genesis 4:4 says that Abel brought the fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock, which implies that he gave God the most valuable and excellent part of his animals2. Cain, on the other hand, brought some of the fruits of the soil, which may not have been the finest or the firstfruits of his harvest3.
• Abel offered an animal sacrifice, while Cain offered a plant sacrifice. Some scholars suggest that God preferred animal sacrifices over plant sacrifices because they symbolized the shedding of blood for the atonement of sins4. God had already shown this by making garments of skin for Adam and Eve after they sinned in Genesis 3:21. Cain’s sacrifice may have been unacceptable because it did not involve blood or life.

These are some of the possible explanations for why God favored Abel’s sacrifice instead of Cain’s. However, the Bible does not explicitly state the reason, and it may have been more about the attitude and the heart of the offerer than the type or the quality of the offering. The important thing is to worship God with sincerity, gratitude, and obedience, as He desires. 

하나님은 왜 가인의 제사 대신 아벨의 제사를 선호하셨을까요?

하나님께서 가인의 제사 대신 아벨의 제사를 선호하신 이유에 대해서는 여러 가지 의견이 있습니다. 몇 가지 가능한 이유는 다음과 같습니다:

아벨은 믿음으로 제사를 드렸지만 가인은 그렇지 않았기 때문입니다. 히브리서 11장 4절은 아벨의 제사가 가인의 제사보다 더 좋았던 것은 아벨이 하나님을 믿었기 때문이라고 말합니다1. 가인의 제사는 하나님을 신뢰하거나 하나님을 공경하지 않고 의무나 의무감으로 드렸을 수 있습니다.
아벨은 자신의 양떼 중 가장 좋은 것을 드렸고, 가인은 자신의 소산 중 일부를 드렸습니다. 창세기 4장 4절에 따르면 아벨은 양떼의 장자 중 일부에서 기름진 부분을 가져왔는데, 이는 아벨이 자신의 동물 중 가장 귀하고 우수한 부분을 하나님께 드렸다는 것을 의미합니다2. 반면에 가인은 땅의 소산 중 일부를 가져왔는데, 이는 그가 수확한 것 중 가장 좋거나 첫 열매는 아니었을 수 있습니다3.
아벨은 동물 제사를 드렸고 가인은 식물 제사를 드렸습니다. 일부 학자들은 하나님께서 식물 제사보다 동물 제사를 선호하셨다고 주장하는데, 이는 동물 제사가 죄의 속죄를 위한 피 흘림을 상징하기 때문이라고 합니다4. 하나님은 이미 창세기 3장 21절에서 아담과 하와가 죄를 지은 후 가죽옷을 만들어 입히심으로 이를 보여주셨습니다. 가인의 희생은 피나 생명을 수반하지 않았기 때문에 받아들여지지 않았을 수 있습니다.
이는 하나님께서 가인의 제사 대신 아벨의 제사를 선호하신 이유에 대한 몇 가지 가능한 설명입니다. 그러나 성경은 그 이유를 명시적으로 언급하지 않고 있으며, 제물의 종류나 질보다는 제물을 드리는 사람의 태도와 마음이 더 중요했을 수 있습니다. 중요한 것은 하나님께서 원하시는 대로 성실과 감사, 순종으로 예배하는 것입니다.

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