Greg Chandler
01/03/14
A reading of Genesis 1 and 2 should cause any faithful child of God to long for Heaven. After speaking the world into existence, God created a garden to place the first humans. In the paradise of Eden, God communed with His creation in the type of relationship that will characterize Heaven. Sadly, Adam and Eve did not appreciate what had been given to them and chose to rebel against the Lord. Cast out of the garden, Adam worked by the sweat of his brow for food and, in the pain of childbirth, Eve brought Cain and Abel into the world.
Little is known about Abel, other than an example of his dedication to obey the commandments of the Lord. Both Abel and his brother Cain brought sacrifices to the Lord, yet only one was acceptable. The Genesis account states: “In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell” (Genesis 4:3-5). Sadly, Cain reacted to this, not by seeking to emulate his brother, but rather by killing him. Though Cain sought to extinguish this light in the world, the flame of Abel still burns brightly and teaches remarkable lessons to the people of God.
Abel is a reminder to the faithful that the world will not always appreciate nor accept the light given in service to God. Jesus spoke of this when He told His disciples “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you” (John 15:18). He also stated “For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed” (John 3:20). Doing the right thing is rarely easy and will often bring unpleasant results in the short term. The Lord has warned of this very thing over and over throughout His word and provides examples, such as that of Abel, to illustrate to His faithful what they may face.
As the Lord dealt with Cain concerning the murder of his brother, He stated that “the voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground”(Genesis 4:10). Such is a reminder to the people of God that, although the world may harm them, God is fully aware of what is happening and will take vengeance on those who hate the light. In John’s highly symbolic Revelation, a scene is depicted of martyred souls crying out for justice. To these, the Lord provided comfort. John wrote: “Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been” (Revelation 6:11). The death of a righteous light is never in vain. God remembered His faithful Abel and will remember all who follow Him.
Though Abel was killed very early in the history of man, his memory was not forgotten. Millennia later, the writer of the book of Hebrews wrote: “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” (Hebrews 11:4). Though obscure in every other way, the faith of Abel still valiantly speaks concerning the great qualities of faith and righteousness. In this, his light is still shining and a lesson is presented for the faithful. Those who dedicate themselves to God must never minimize the importance that their example and reputation may have on another. While doing good, rays of light from their service may shine in areas never anticipated.