In Proverbs, chapter fifteen, verses eight through nine, only those who are upright and strive to follow God’s ways are accepted by Him. The theme verses, “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight. The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the LORD: but he loveth him that followeth after righteousness.”
The sacrifice of the wicked is in Genesis four. Cain was a tiller of the ground, as in verse two, and brought an offering unto the Lord. “But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell,” from verse five.
“And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? And why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door,” from verses six through to the first part of seven.
At this point, Cain had not done anything wrong to the public yet, but God had already known that sin lieth at the door. The Lord knew the kind of heart Cain had and still let him know his position. The approach later led him to slay his righteous brother Abel, as in verse eight.
The sacrifice of the wicked is not accepting the righteous ways of the Lord and following the ways of the world. God pictures sin as the tempting force or power that, like a wild beast or demon, is ready to attack or devour. Yet God and His grace also give human beings the capacity to overcome and resist sin by submitting to His Word. It is their choice whether they will yield to sin or conquer it. Those who submit: sacrifice themselves to wickedness.