Cost of the sacrifice

Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.
Genesis 4:2-5

Where is your heart when you give to the Lord? Have you examined yourself to see if what you are giving is something you could live without, of it’s really something of great value of which you are giving. The issue between Cain and Abel’s sacrifice had more to do with the issue of those two brothers than it did with what they were giving. The cost is what matters.

Later in Scripture during the days of King David we see the aged King seeking land to build a sacrifice on to the Lord. When someone offers to just give David some land, the king responds that he cannot give to the Lord something which cost him nothing. This is the key to our understanding of sacrifice, it is a matter of the heart.

Abel brought the firstborn of his flock which is typically the promise of more animals and more livelihood ahead. He gave to the Lord knowing He could trust the Lord to provide for him again with more animals. Cain brought something from his produce which cost him nothing because there was more from where it came. Again it was about the heart and the cost. What is of greatest of value to you is the very thing we should be willing to give away first.