Peace to you, my dear brother. Truly. And thank you for your... kind tone. Truly. I "hear" you.
The scriptures don't actually say that god told them to bring an offering. But for some reason they both did. Why they did is an insignificant point.
The "Law"... which was not written on STONE or PAPER... required it. That is why Noah did it... Abraham did it... Jacob did it... why Isaac was willing to BE it... all before it was written on stone at Sinai. Dear one, the the reason the Law was written on STONE... was not to make the LAW manifest... but to make SIN... manifest. The Law already existed; yet, the people were acting like they didn't know what Law WAS... so... God wrote it down for them.
However, they were SUPPOSED to be LIKE Noah, Abraham, et al., having the Law written on their HEARTS... receiving it from generation to generation ORALLY.
Deuteronomy 6:4, 5
But while in Egypt... this "inculcation" had been left off, so that they came to love the laws of EGYPT more. Thus, when the people showed themselves to be lawLESS... God... wrote it down for them. Why? So that they would know what sin WAS... and not "sin" against God or one another... while forgiving those who DID "sin" against them.
When something is "manifest" is becomes evident... apparent... TO THE SENSES. Thus, since the people conducted themselves as a people WITHOUT Law... God brought the Law... "into existence"... by means of making it obvious, clear, plain... SHOWN. Prior to that time, the Law was supposed to be in the HEART of the people. Just as it again is supposed to be today. It did not NEED to be written down on stone tablets, because it was SUPPOSED to be written... on HEARTS. But Israel heart(s)... were HARD. So, the Law was written... on something... hard.
The real crux of the discussion was that one offering was accepted and the other rejected. The question is: Why? We don't know.
Teejay, we DO know. All we have to DO... is look at the "written" law (that on stone tablets and as that which is to be on the hearts and stated by Christ) to know the RULES of offering:
1. Under the Law Covenant, the Law on STONE, the one making the offering had to be CLEAN... on the OUTSIDE... and so, the priests had to WASH first, BEFORE making such offering. This involved washing in the molten sea of water adjacent to the altar.
2. Under the NEW Covenant, the Law that existed BEFORE Abraham, the one making the offering had to be CLEAN... on the INSIDE... so they, too, had to "wash"... in the blood of the Lamb. This involved washing in the LIVING WATER... holy spirit... which is the "blood" of the Lamb.
3. Under the Law Covenant, if the priest was unclean, he could actually die at the hand of God due to making such an offering, for the offering itself was rendered unclean. By means of profaning the Law Covenant, his blood... was on his own hands. For something unclean touching something clean, renders the clean thing unclean. And an unclean... unHOLY... sacrifice... is unacceptable to JAH... a "holy" God.
4. Under the NEW Covenant, which existed BEFORE Abraham, one was granted a WARNING... so as to seek to BECOME clean... and if such one CHOSE not to listen, then such one's "blood" was on his OWN head... and thus, his death, his own responsibility. By means of his not LISTENING... he would have profaned the Covenant between him and God.
However, BOTH Covenants called for something that could stop the death of the violator at ANY time: mercy.
And it was by means of God's MERCY... that Cain was NOT killed. It was the SAME mercy that saved Moses, who killed an Egyptian... David, who killed Uzziah, after sleeping with his wife and getting her pregnant... Mannesseh, who was a mean tyrant... Nebuchanezzar, who worshipped idols and tried to get the young Hebrews to do so... Saul of Tarsus, who persecuted christians, even dragging them from their homes and having them stoned... and Peter, who denied the Christ THREE times.
Indeed, whenEVER He was called upon to show it (and indeed, Cain asked for it, saying that the sentence given him was more than he could bear)... God... showed mercy. Why? Because MERCY... is superior... to both sacrifice... AND judgment. It is WEIGHTIER.
Matthew 23:23; Matthew 9:13; Romans 9:15; James 2:13
Since what's written doesn't elaborate, we can only assume.
What's written DOES elaborate, Teejay. However, you:
1. Have not been told/taught that it does, by earthling man; and, therefore,
2. Have not read the Law RIGHT, but as they have told/taught you; and, therefore,
3. Proceed with WRONG assumptions.
You assume in god's favor. Being a parent myself, I don't.
I assume... nothing. I asked. Which YOU could have done, too, and I am at a loss as to why you still have NOT... but wish to lean upon your OWN understanding. You want to "know the deep things of God," dear Teejay? Then WHY NOT ASK GOD? I know, I know... you and others will say that you have: "Dear God, why this and why that."
But... you completely DISREGARD God... when He says that in order to hear HIM... it is His SON to whom you must listen... and you totally disrespect that Son... by saying that he doesn't even speak. He does. They do. You, however, and others... are just determined... to do it... YOUR way. And then you wonder WHY... it doesn't work.
HEAR, dear Teejay... and get the SENSE of it: NO ONE comes to the Father... except THROUGH... the Son. ANYONE who tries to climb up some other place... is a THIEF... and a plunderer. CHRIST is the "Door"... the "narrow gate" through whom we must enter... and there is NO other "Way".
The Door is OPEN, dear one... to YOU... and to ALL who are wishing, and thirsting... and HEARING. ASK for ears to hear. ASK for eyes to see. And then... PUT FAITH in what you hear and see! Otherwise... QUIT asking... because withOUT FAITH... it is impossible to please Him well... and such one should not supposed that he or she will receive ANYTHING.
Hear... Teejay... and get the sense of it. IF... you are truly wanting to.
I bid you peace.
A slave of Christ,
SJ
