Genesis 4: 1 - 7 LXX
"And Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and brought forth Cain and said, I have gained a man through God. And she again bore his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And it was so after some time that Cain brought of the fruits of the earth a sacrifice to the Lord. And Abel also brought of the first born of his sheep and of his fatlings, and God looked upon Abel and his gifts, but Cain and his sacrifices he regarded not, and Cain was exceedingly sorrowful and his countenance fell. And the Lord God said to Cain, Why art thou become very sorrowful and why is thy countenance fallen? Hast thou not sinned if thou hast brought it rightly, but not rightly divided it? be still, to thee shall be his submission, and thou shalt rule over him."
Contrast
4:3 "Cain brought of the fruits of the earth . . ." with
4:4 " Abel also brought of the first born of his sheep and of his fatlings"
Cain brought some of the fruits of the earth that he cultivated. He did not bring the FIRST FRUITS that the ground yielded to him.
In contrast, Abel brought of the FIRST BORN of his sheep AND FIRST BORN of his fatlings.
Cain has not brought his sacrifice rightly.
Hence the question from the LORD:
4:7 "Hast thou not sinned if thou hast brought it rightly, but not rightly divided it? . . ."
Although the Torah was given through Moses much later in the book of Exodus through Deuteronomy, one must note that Mankind lived in the Presence of God Almighty in the early days of Creation. It is not unexpected that Cain and Abel were aware of the Godly practice of consecration the first-fruits of their harvests or the first-born of their livestock in sacrifice to the LORD.
In fact, it was necessary for such Godly practices to be written down as commandments in the Torah of Moses many centuries later because the descendants of Abraham no longer had the privilege of "walking and talking" directly to God as in the days of Cain and Abel. They only had a pillar of cloud to lead their camp by day, and a pillar of fire by night. And only Moses, and subsequently the sanctified priests were allowed to enter into the presence of God on the mountain where the Torah was given, and in the most Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle.
Consecration of First-fruits
One may understand the words, "but not rightly divided it . . ." to mean that Cain had failed to divide his harvest of crops into FIRST FRUITS and other fruits. In other words, he had failed to set aside the first yield from his harvest to be consecrated to the LORD.
We read in Numbers 18: 12-13, that the LORD has given to the priests the firstfruits of everything from the land that the people of Israel consecrated to the LORD
"I give you all the freshest olive oil and all the finest new wine and grain that the Israelites give to the LORD as their firstfruits. 13The firstfruits of everything in their land that they bring to the LORD will belong to you. Every ceremonially clean person in your household may eat them."
The LXX renders this passage as follows:
"Every first-offering of oil, and every first-offering of wine, their first-fruits of corn, whatsoever they may give to the Lord, to thee have I given them. All the first-fruits that are in their land, whatsoever they shall offer to the Lord, shall be thine: every clean person in thy house shall eat them."
Redemption of first-born son
Later, in Exodus 13:2, the LORD commanded that every first born child and first born animal belongs to the LORD
"Sanctify to me every first-born, first produced, opening every womb among the children of Israel both of man and beast: it is mine" LXX
In Numbers 18: 14-17 it is further stated that,
"Every devoted thing among the children of Israel shall be thine. And every thing that opens the womb of all flesh, whatsoever they bring to the Lord, whether man or beast, shall be thine: only the first-born of men shall be surely redeemed, and thou shalt redeem the first-born of unclean cattle. And the redemption of them shall be from a month old; their valuation of five shekels—it is twenty oboli according to the holy shekel. But thou shalt not redeem the first-born of calves and the first-born of sheep and the first-born of goats; they are holy: and thou shalt pour their blood upon the altar, and thou shalt offer the fat as a burnt-offering for a smell of sweet savour to the Lord."
(cf Exodus 13: 12-14, 34: 19-20)
While first born of clean animals such as calves, sheep and goats are sacrificed on the altar at the Tabernacle as a burnt offering, the first born son in each family is to be redeemed from the LORD by a payment of five shekels to the priests. Interestingly, the first born of unclean cattle, which are not fit to be consecrated as sacrifice to the LORD, are also to be redeemed likewise.
Sacrifices after completion of childbirth purification
Leviticus 12: 1-8 LXX - burnt offering and sin offering after the 40 or 80 days of purification after childbirth, two turtle doves or two young pigeons in place of a lamb if she is poor.
"And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, and thou shalt say to them, Whatsoever woman shall have conceived and born a male child shall be unclean seven days, she shall be unclean according to the days of separation for her monthly courses. And on the eighth day she shall circumcise the flesh of his foreskin. And for thirty-three days she shall continue in her unclean blood; she shall touch nothing holy, and shall not enter the sanctuary, until the days of her purification be fulfilled. But if she should have born a female child, then she shall be unclean twice seven days, according to the time of her monthly courses; and for sixty-six days shall she remain in her unclean blood. And when the days of her purification shall have been fulfilled for a son or a daughter, she shall bring a lamb of a year old without blemish for a whole-burnt-offering, and a young pigeon or turtle-dove for a sin-offering to the door of the tabernacle of witness, to the priest. And he shall present it before the Lord, and the priest shall make atonement for her, and shall purge her from the fountain of her blood; this is the law of her who bears a male or a female. And if she cannot afford a lamb, then shall she take two turtle-doves or two young pigeons, one for a whole-burnt-offering, and one for a sin-offering; and the priest shall make atonement for her, and she shall be purified. . . ."
Mary presented her child at the temple
The account in Luke 2: 21-24, of Mary presenting the child Iesous at the temple is a record of her keeping BOTH the commandments: that of redeeming her first born son as commanded in Numbers 18, and also of making offerings after her 40 days of childbirth purification were over. While the offering of a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons is mentioned in this gospel account, the payment of 5 shekels (2 ounces) of silver as the redemption price is not mentioned by Luke.
Luke 2: 21-24 YLT
21 And when eight days were fulfilled to circumcise the child, then was his name called Jesus, having been so called by the messenger before his being conceived in the womb.
22 And when the days of their purification were fulfilled, according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem, to present to the Lord,
23 as it hath been written in the Law of the Lord, -- `Every male opening a womb shall be called holy to the Lord,`
24 and to give a sacrifice, according to that said in the Law of the Lord, `A pair of turtle-doves, or two young pigeons.`
