Why was Cain's offering rejected by God?

I mean, what god wants broccoli?

Cain could have traded some of his agriculture goods for a sacrifice that was acceptable to God.

Cain was of that wicked one, a lost man with no faith.....he would have never offered an acceptable sacrifice and or offering........

Ok who is going to break it to these guys?

Blessings
Bill

Thanks. I appreciate that you are really digging into this.
This is the sort of in-depth discussion I was hoping to see on this.

I find the inferences in the passage interesting.
It seems that offerings to the Lord from someone's occupation were common.
And that the one making the offering would know whether God found it acceptable or not.
In the case of Cain, God even took time to talk to him about it.

None of this was headline news. It seems to me that the big deal was Cain murdering his brother.
This story has little to do with offerings. And there was no law except the law on human conscience. IMHO

Romans 2:14-15
(Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.)

Romans 5:13
To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law.

I don't think that was the problem.
The text tells us that he didn't give his best, or put little effort into it.

The God that created broccoli?

Jude 1:11 is speaking to Cain killing his brother

I respectfully disagree

Actually, Jude compares all false teachers to the three listed in Jude.....

One offered works
One did it for financial gain
One attempted to Usurp the man God has chosen to lead

I agree, the poster I replied to was tying Jude 1:11 to Cain's offering. Cain hated his brother, a fatal error today as well.

Yes, if only he'd sauteed the veggies in some olive oil, garlic, salt, and Italian seasoning we'd have a whole new narrative. And Bible! Instead he got Chopped.

I do kinda wish Moses had written a bit more to explain that situation in Genesis.

Why did abel keep sheep but cain tilled the ground. Were they both supposed to keep sheep. Maybe Cain didnt want to keep sheep. Note that Cain asked 'am I my brothers keeper?'

Also note that God created adam so he could till the ground...in Genesis 2:5 that was Adams job God gave him to do.

While this may be true, there is much more to the acceptability of Abel's offering.

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. (Heb 11:4).

Abel was justified by grace through faith, and in faith he offered a sacrifice which represented the finished work of Christ. Hence a more excellent sacrifice than Cain.

We can bring our best to God but unless we first believe and acknowledge that God gave his best for us in the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, it will avail nothing.

There can be no doubt that Adam, Eve, Cain, and Abel had all been taught by God that a sinless substitute was necessary to atone for their sins. Until the coming of Christ, the blood of clean animals made an atonement for sin. But it could only COVER sins until the Lamb of God took away the sin of the world.

Agree that the blood sacrifice was necessary before the cross. No sacrifice, no justification. After the cross, no work whatsoever on man’s part.

That's what they did. Just like today. We have plumbers and electricians and bakers and butchers. It's what we do.
Plumbers don't bake, electricians don't do electrical work, butchers don't do electrical work.

… Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. - Gen.4:2

Yes heard like those in Hebrews 6, heard but did not mix faith or believe God in what they did hear.Better things accompany salvation the mercy by which we can believe or mix faith in what is heard.

For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.Hebrew 4;2

The it being the hearing of faith the gift of God, not of our own selves.

On what basis do you make such a claim? No doubt?
Furthermore, there is no indication in the text that the offerings that Cain and Abel brought were sin offerings.

In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. - Gen.4:3

You disagree that the text tells us that he didn't give his best, or put little effort into it?
What in the text makes you disagree? Or do you prefer the safe pasture of the standard explanation?

There is nothing in the Gen.4 text to support that view.