Scripture Reading: Gen. 4:1-24
Ⅰ
Abel cared only for God's purpose, not for his own existence:
A
Cain was a tiller, a server, of the ground that he might earn a living for himself, whereas Abel was a tender, a feeder, of sheep that he might have an offering to present to God—Gen. 4:2.
B
Before the flood man was permitted to eat only vegetables and fruits, not meat (1:29; cf. 9:3); thus, Abel's tending of sheep was his working not to produce food for his living but to provide offerings for God's satisfaction—cf. Heb. 10:5-10.
Ⅱ
Abel not only knew God but also took God's way of worshipping God according to God's divine revelation, not according to his concept:
A
Abel's faith came from hearing the word of the gospel from his parents; therefore, what Abel did came out of revelation—Heb. 11:4; Rom. 10:14, 17.
B
According to God's foreordained redemption, Abel offered to God the firstlings of his flock, with the shedding of blood for his redemption, the burning of the fat for God's satisfaction, and the covering of the coats of skins for him to be justified by God—Gen. 4:4; Heb. 9:22; 11:4:
１
What Abel did corresponds exactly to the requirements of the Mosaic law, which was given later, proving that his way of worshipping God was according to God's revelation, not according to his concept—Lev. 3:2-5, 8-11, 13.
２
What Abel did corresponds exactly to the gospel in the New Testament, which tells us to receive the cleansing of the blood, to deny ourselves, to put ourselves aside, and to take Christ as our covering that we might live in Christ to become the righteousness of God—2 Cor. 5:21; Phil. 1:19-21a.
３
Abel was the first priest of God, living for God and by God and in type, offering Christ to God—cf. Num. 18:17.
C
The way of Cain is to do good to please God and to worship God presump-tuously by man's own effort according to man's own invention under the devil's motivation—Gen. 4:3:
１
Cain did not follow the way of God's salvation through the anticipated redemption by the bleeding sacrifice (Gen. 3:21; Heb. 9:22) but continued man's fall by forsaking God's way of salvation and presumptuously offering the fruit of his own labor to God.
２
Cain's way of worshipping God was to invent a religion according to his human concept and opinion, which were motivated by Satan—Jude 11; 1 John 3:12.
３
Cain was in the flesh, trusting in the fruit of his labor, but Abel put his trust in his offering, trusting and boasting in Christ, having no confidence in the flesh—Phil. 3:3.
Ⅲ
Abel was not only redeemed but also brought back to God to contact God and fellowship with God:
A
Abel cared for the Lord's presence, but Cain went out from the Lord's presence to become a fugitive and a wanderer—Gen. 4:14, 16:
１
If we are not in the presence of God, we will have the sense deep within that we are wanderers with nowhere to go.
２
Our real dwelling place is the presence of God—Psa. 90:1.
３
The people who follow God's way to live in the presence of God all have an uplifted countenance in contrast to Cain, who had a fallen countenance—Gen. 4:6-7a; cf. Psa. 42:5, 11.
B
The issue of Cain's going out from the Lord's presence was the producing of a culture without God—Gen. 4:16-24:
１
God wants to be everything to man—his maintenance, supply, amusement, and protection—cf. 15:1.
２
Man's loss of God forced him to invent an anti-God human culture, the main elements of which were cities for existence, cattle-raising for making a living, music for amusement, and weapons for defense—4:20-22.
Ⅳ
Abel is the representative of all the overcoming martyrs:
A
Because Abel presented offerings with the shedding of blood according to God's revelation and was accepted by God, he incurred Cain's hatred and religious jealousy and was killed by Cain—Gen. 4:4-8; Matt. 23:34-35; John 16:2; Rev. 17:6.
B
All those who take God's way of redemption and life will suffer persecution:
１
Christ's love of affection constrains us to live and to die for Him—2 Tim. 3:12; 2 Cor. 5:14-15; Rom. 14:7-9.
２
Christ's love makes the believers martyrs for Him—Rev. 2:10; 12:11; Rom. 8:35-37.
Ⅴ
Abel is a type of Christ:
A
He was a feeder of sheep just as the Lord Jesus is the real Feeder, the true Shepherd of God's people—John 10:11, 14; Heb. 13:20; cf. Gen. 4:9.
B
Both the Lord Jesus and Abel are called righteous—Matt. 23:35; Acts 7:52; 22:14.
C
Both the blood of Abel and the blood of Jesus are speaking bloods—Gen. 4:10; Heb. 12:24:
１
Abel's blood speaks to God for accusation and vengeance—cf. Rev. 6:9-11.
２
Jesus' blood speaks to God for forgiveness, cleansing, justification, reconciliation, redemption, and access to God for us to enjoy God—Heb. 10:19; Rev. 22:14.