By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did.
By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings.
And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead. (Hebrews 11:4)
Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain.She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man.” Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.
Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.
Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”
Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”
“I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”
The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. (Genesis 4:1-9)
Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain.She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man.” Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.
Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.
Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”
Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”
“I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”
The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. (Genesis 4:1-9)
And
as you look to the right, the first portrait you will see is of Abel, the second
son of Adam and Eve. His story is told in the first nine verses of Genesis 4.
What I notice in that when Cain was born, Eve made a comment that was noted in
Scripture. When Abel was born, she didn’t. It’s possible that she pinned her
hopes for the promised one who would crush the serpent’s head on Cain. Abel was
an “also ran.” We often have great expectations for the first born.
The boys grew and one day, one normal day in a cursed world, Cain and Abel brought sacrifices to God. Cain’s was fruit, Abel’s was fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. And when Cain’s sacrifice was not accepted, he got mad and killed the competition.
And that tells us all we know about Abel. He was born, he grew up tending livestock. He offered an acceptable sacrifice. He died. I don’t want to speculate or add to what’s clear. I love the sparseness of the picture. He was born. He grew up. He did his job. He made a sacrifice – a sufficient sacrifice, but apparently nothing spectacular. He died.
This is a picture of faith I think I might be able to emulate. Nothing fancy. Nothing too big. Just do my job, be obedient but not conspicuous in sacrifice, and die. I like to dream of something more awe-inspiring, but that’s not the picture God paints as His first exhibit of faith.
The other thing I love about this passage is that it tells us that Abel still speaks even thought he is dead. On the one hand, that is about leaving a legacy. On the other, it is about the power of literature, and the power of the Word. I know my words aren’t inspired like the words of Scripture are, but they are the only legacy I’m likely to have. I would love to still have a voice after I die. Abel makes it clear that I can. It can even be a small voice, but that’s enough for me to be included in the Hall of Faith.
The boys grew and one day, one normal day in a cursed world, Cain and Abel brought sacrifices to God. Cain’s was fruit, Abel’s was fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. And when Cain’s sacrifice was not accepted, he got mad and killed the competition.
And that tells us all we know about Abel. He was born, he grew up tending livestock. He offered an acceptable sacrifice. He died. I don’t want to speculate or add to what’s clear. I love the sparseness of the picture. He was born. He grew up. He did his job. He made a sacrifice – a sufficient sacrifice, but apparently nothing spectacular. He died.
This is a picture of faith I think I might be able to emulate. Nothing fancy. Nothing too big. Just do my job, be obedient but not conspicuous in sacrifice, and die. I like to dream of something more awe-inspiring, but that’s not the picture God paints as His first exhibit of faith.
The other thing I love about this passage is that it tells us that Abel still speaks even thought he is dead. On the one hand, that is about leaving a legacy. On the other, it is about the power of literature, and the power of the Word. I know my words aren’t inspired like the words of Scripture are, but they are the only legacy I’m likely to have. I would love to still have a voice after I die. Abel makes it clear that I can. It can even be a small voice, but that’s enough for me to be included in the Hall of Faith.
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