Genesis 4:2-5 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

Respect and acceptance is the issue here. God did not demand a sacrifice of Cain and Abel. It is not clear why Cain and Abel thought it was necessary. We can second guess motive until we exhaust every aspect and we will still not know the truth. I will not offer up a suggestion.

What is known is that the actions of Abel were respected. Why respect was shown might very well be in the issue of emulation. God provided a sacrifice of blood, Abel provided a sacrifice of blood. Respect to Abel’s sacrifice is telling us that emulation of God’s actions is respected.

Romans 11:14 If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.

Emulation unto salvation is at the heart of God’s respect of Abel’s sacrifice because it pointed at the good shepherd, Jesus Christ, the lamb, Jesus Christ, and the spilt blood of Jesus Christ. The issues of emulation are at the forefront of service in Christ Jesus.

John 5:19, 8:38 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.

Emulate.

Genesis 2:16-17 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Genesis 5:5 And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.

Since God cannot lie, what death did Adam die on the day Adam ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil?

Genesis 3:23 Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

Being separated from God is spiritual death. That death came that day to Adam and Eve. It is that death that was forewarned. It is that death that reigned until a cure could be found. Man, with his desires of life only concerns himself with a physical death and every time man thinks about death or sees death, the only consideration he makes is of a physical death.

Romans 5:14, 17, 21 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Man, in the selfishness of his sin nature, only concerns himself with a physical death whereas God weeps over a death that led to separation from His creation.

Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

The second death is a permanent separation from God and should be our primary concern.