Abel: A Righteous Shepherd
Hebrews 11 is one of the most well-known chapters in the Bible. Known as the “Hall of Faith,” it is filled with examples of men and women who remained faithful to the Lord. By His grace they achieved amazing things and now stand as an example for us as we walk with the Lord. In this blog series we will explore the lives of these people of faith and see what their stories can teach us.
In this post we turn to the life of Abel, the first person mentioned by name in Hebrews 11.
Abel’s Place in Scripture
Abel’s story is found in Genesis 4. He was the second son of Adam and Eve and the first shepherd recorded in the Bible (v. 2). When he and his brother, Cain, brought sacrifices to the Lord Abel brought the first fruit of his flocks. God was pleased with Abel’s offering but not with Cain’s, resulting in his anger toward Abel. Cain was warned about this anger but ultimately ignored the warnings and killed his own brother. This was the first murder in our fallen world, and Abel’s blood cried to the Lord from the ground as evidence of this terrible crime (v. 10).
While the recorded life of Abel is very short he is mentioned in several other passages of Scripture. 1 John 3:12 contrasts the actions of Cain and Abel. While Cain belonged to the evil one, leading to Abel’s murder, Abel was righteous in God’s eyes because of the posture of his heart. In Hebrews 12:24 Christ is the mediator of the new covenant, and His blood sprinkled for us speaks a better word than Abel’s did. These mentions are both unique when considering the short passage detailing his life, and though his story takes up less than a chapter of Scripture it is clear that the Lord inspired the passages in Hebrews and 1 John for our benefit and instruction.
Abel’s Place in Hebrews 11
Similar to the account of his life, Abel’s mention in Hebrews 11 is short but impactful. Hebrews 11:4 says, “By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.”
What was special about Abel’s sacrifice? According to Genesis 4, it was the first fruits of his flocks, and if we were to examine Exodus and Leviticus we would see that God required the Israelites to sacrifice animals for their sins. However, anyone could bring the first and best that they have and not be accepted by the Lord, as we see with Cain’s offering of his crops. So what made Abel’s offering acceptable? Perhaps it was not the offering itself but the state of Abel’s heart. Bringing the first and best of his flock was a sacrifice, not only to the Lord but from his possessions. It was an animal that was valuable to him. Yet it seems that he did not offer it grudgingly but willingly, eager to please the Lord. His actions showed his trust in the Lord to sustain him for each day of his life. As a result, God accepted his sacrifice and commended him as righteous. The act of offering did not count toward righteousness but rather the attitude with which he offered.
The verse also says, “Through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.” We already examined two passages where Abel is mentioned as a comparison, both with Cain and with Christ. Through the inspiration of the Spirit, these passages were written for the encouragement of believers. Abel’s life was very short, yet it has had an impact on many who have read the Scriptures and heard his story.
Abel’s Place Today
What can be learned from the story of Abel so many years after it took place? With so little written about him and so much time having passed since he lived it would be easy to spend little time considering what we might learn. However, there are a few application points we can make, as we have begun to see earlier in this post.
Abel’s life reminds us to be faithful in all things, great or small. It can be easy to fall into the mundane of everyday life; the things we do, such as chores or devotions, can become predictable and boring after a time. We look forward to larger points in our lives, such as opportunities for ministry, and we do these things faithfully. But the Lord has called us to faithfulness in all things. Just as Abel did, we might have to sacrifice something valuable to us. Our time, our possessions, and our talents might best serve our families, and it can hurt to give those things up. But when we are faithful to serve the Lord in the mundane, everyday things, we are giving ourselves as living sacrifices to Him (Romans 12:1). And, as illustrated in the arable of the Talents in Matthew 25, the Lord rewards His faithful with more opportunities to be faithful, and ultimately with eternal life.
In addition, it is the Lord who commends us as righteous. Though Abel offered the sacrifice it was not his works that changed his standing before the Lord. Instead, God saw the faith of Abel and in His grace made a sinner righteous. The same is true for us today. It is only by trusting in the Lord Jesus that we are justified in God’s eyes (Romans 10:9). Our works follow as an expression of our love for the Lord and gratefulness for His goodness. Instead of earning our salvation they are evidence that we belong to the Lord and are living for His glory.
When you think of the life and example of Abel, remember the faithfulness of our God. While our faithfulness is marred by our sin nature, He will sustain and sanctify us until He brings us home to heaven. May we remain committed to following the Lord as we remember the example of Abel.
Written by NBB Alumna Rachael English
