I often wonder what was Cain's rejected offering. We are only told that it was of the "fruit of the ground". I'm sure it was a very pretty offering with all the fruit in a very attractive arrangement. I'm sure he labored laboriously to till, sow, water, weed, prune and harvest. Once harvested, I'm sure he picked the best fruits in the land, put it in a beautiful arrangement, and made his offering. I do realize that his offering represent works and that there was no remission of sin because there was no shedding of blood. But what was in the basket? Maybe a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds? I wonder what made up the "fruit of the ground".
Much has been said about Joseph being a type of Christ. Less has been said about Joseph's older brother, Judah, being a type of Christ.
In Genesis 43 we have the story of Judah offering himself as surety for Benjamin (thus, Judah was a type of Christ being a surety for us.) Judah persuaded his dad to let Benjamin travel with them and Jacob sent his sons back to Egypt with Benjamin, double money, and a gift: a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds...the best fruits in the land. Gen 43:11. I'm sure it was a very beautiful arrangement, the best he had to offer.
When they got to Joseph's house, they entered with their gift, the best fruits of the land. Joseph doesn't seem to even acknowledge the gift and he commanded his men to slaughter cattle. I wonder what was going through their minds when they heard the command to have an animal slaughtered. I wonder if they thought of an earlier day when they slaughtered an animal just to dip Joseph coat into the blood, to deceive their father.
The brothers then had their feet washed, and they sat at the table to eat in the presence of Joseph. Eat what? The animal that was slain? No. To eat bread.
What does all this have to do with the tabernacle? They entered the house, like one would enter the tabernacle. Cattle were slaughtered like animals that were slaughtered at the door of the tabernacle, at the altar of burnt offering. The priest frequently washed their feet at the laver while in service. And once a week, in the Holy Place, the priest were to eat the bread of presence in the presence of the Lord (standing at the table of shewbread).
Shedding of blood was for the atonement of sins, foot washing was a type of sanctification, and eating bread at a table means fellowship.
Have you come to God with the best you can offer? Is it pretty? Neatly arranged? The best fruits of your labor? Or are you trusting solely in the shed blood of Jesus? If you are trusting Jesus and Jesus alone, how's your fellowship? How's your feet?
Wash me, and make me thus Thine own,
Wash me, and mine Thou art,
Wash me, but not my feet alone,
My hands, my head, my heart. -- Charles Wesley
