Sin

 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it."
Genesis 4:7 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/gen.4.7.ESV

I've heard two differing interpretations of this verse. One is that God is picturing sin as a lamb. According to this view, this is what Cain should have offered to God.

The other view is that God is making sin out to be a wild beast that wants to destroy Cain. The contrary desire to Cain could be a predators desire to kill him. Otherwise it could be the lamb's wish not to be killed by him.

The word for sin here could just as well be translated 'sin offering', which lends itself to the lamb theory, although maybe the truth is a synthesis of the two. Sin could be described as a wolf in sheep's clothing, that looks all innocent, but would destroy us if we didn't rule over it.

There's a battle within us between our sinful desires and our conscientious desire to do what's right. We must allow the latter to win, or else be destroyed. Maybe Cain could have offered crops if his attitude was right- there were crop offerings in the old testament. Yet without the shedding of the Lamb of God's blood, there is no forgiveness of sins.

'Good Shepherd of our souls, may we trust in the Lamb of God for our salvation. Forgive us for so often excusing and indulging in sin, in Jesus' name we pray, amen'

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