Christine came in at the end of breakfast looking rather sulky. “Nobody is going to tell me what to do!” she declared, “I’ll do what I like!”

The   family sat there taken aback at this outburst. After all, Father had only said it would be a good idea for everyone to eat their breakfast together before going off to work.   Christine may have been only boarding there, but she knew what was expected of   her.

This is just like Cain that we read about in the Bible. Cain was the  eldest son of Adam and Eve. He had been brought up knowing the story of the Garden of Eden and how his parents had   disobeyed God. He knew that disobedience had planted the seeds of death in every person born since then, including himself.

Cain knew very well what sort of sacrifice God  wanted. He had been told many times that sin brings death, and that a lamb had to be killed as a sacrifice. But Cain was rebellious. He didn’t like animals; his forte was gardening. So he brought his best vegetables and fruit . Surely this would please God! Yes, he wanted  to offer God a sacrifice, but he was going to do it his way. No-one was going to   tell  him any different!

But Abel who loved his flock, was prepared to offer one of his best lambs as his sacrifice. It was a beautiful little lamb and Abel wanted to give God his very best. The Bible tells us that God was pleased with Abel’s sacrifice, but he was not pleased   with Cain’s.

Somehow   the boys knew God’s feelings in this matter, and Cain was very sulky. Why was  God not pleased with his sacrifice?  His vegetables  were just as good as Abel’s lamb, they were beautiful!

But Cain had clean missed the point. Later in the Bible, we are told that to obey God is better  than all the sacrifices offered our way!

You can read about these things in the Bible in Genesis 4:1-7; 1 Samuel  15:22-23