'By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain,
by which he obtained witness that he was righteous,
God testifying of his gifts:
and by it he being dead yet speaketh.'
(Hebrews 11:4)
Hello
@CoreIssue
It is not speculation to believe what God said concerning Abel in the verse above, that by faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain. It is not speculation to consider the offering of Cain, in the light of this, and judge, that it was because his offering was not offered by faith that it was rejected.
* For Abel to offer an offering by faith, he had to have heard what God required, for faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. God must have spoken, even though His words are not recorded, in order for Abel to act by faith in accordance with God's known will .
* Cain, must also have heard to have brought an offering at all: the fact that it was not accepted, indicates he did not believe God, but chose an offering of his own devising. Therefore it was not a sacrifice born of faith in the known will of God, and was consequently rejected.
" This is not assumption, but deduction, based on the evidence provided in Hebrews 11:4, and the record of Genesis 4.
In Christ Jesus
Chris