Genesis 4.4 describes Abel also brought a gift—the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock.
The LORD accepted Abel and his gift.
The first religious service recorded was of the first two brothers born on earth bringing their offerings to God. God rejected the offerings of the first brother but accepted the offerings of the second brother. This account is immensely instructive on the nature and ways of God considering it occurs on page 5 of His story without any indication that He had previously prescribed certain requirements for worship of Him.
The clear message from this story is that there is a right way to worship God and a wrong way.
God defines what is acceptable to Him not humanity. The first brother offered to God what he thought was acceptable but it was rejected. The second brother also offered to God what he thought would be acceptable and indeed it was. The difference in the offerings wasn’t the kind but the quality.
There are many religions in the world all offering various means for worshipping God but only one way is acceptable to Him. God has taken the time to live on the earth with us prescribing for us the means to please Him through the teachings of Jesus Who is the God/Man. His ways are clearly recorded for our observance in the Christian Bible.
The first brother was angry with God for not accepting his offering. He took out his anger upon his brother by murdering him. Certainly many wars have been fought with religious motivations, Islam through its various factions is engaging such today. This reality doesn’t show the folly of religion but the arrogance of humanity that we will not submit to the will of God preferring God submit to the whim of man.
God has no plans to change His ways to appease us but gives us a lifetime to change our ways in order to appease Him so that when we do pass from this life to His presence we can receive pardon for our disobedience and welcome into His eternal dwelling place to be with all those who have loved God from all time and all places.
How do we appease God? Follow Jesus the Lord.
