About this sermon
Hebrews 11 begins its examples of faith with Abel, who by faith offered God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain and was commended as righteous. Cain’s anger led to the first murder, and Abel, the first human recorded to die, was killed for his faithfulness. Though he died, Abel still speaks, pointing to Christ, who was rejected and crucified for the redemption of a sinful people, and to the saving faith God gives to all who receive him.
Sermon transcript
And now we turn to the reading of God’s word, and I would ask you first of all to turn with me to the book of Genesis chapter 4. Genesis chapter 4. Not in your bulletin, but in keeping with our sermon this morning. Genesis chapter 4, there we’ll read verses 1 through 16. Beloved, give your attention, for this is the inspired word of God. Genesis 4, beginning with verse 1.
Now the man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, I have gotten a man child with the help of the Lord. Again she gave birth to his brother Abel, and Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the Lord of the fruit of the ground. Abel, on his part, also brought of the firstlings of his flock, and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel, and for his offering. But for Cain, and for his offering, he had no regard.
So Cain became very angry, and his countenance fell. Then the Lord said to Cain, Why are you angry, and why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door, and its desire is for you, but you must master it.
Cain told Abel his brother. And it came about when they were in the field that Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, Where is Abel, your brother? And he said, I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper? He said, What have you done?
The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground. Now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you cultivate the ground, it will no longer yield its strength to you. You will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth.
Cain said to the Lord, My punishment is too great to bear. Behold, you have driven me this day from the face of the ground, and from your face I will be hidden, and I will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth. and whoever finds me will kill me. So the Lord said to him, therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold. And the Lord appointed a sign for Cain, so that no one finding him would slay him. Then Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
Thus far, the reading of God’s word from Genesis 4, 1 to 16. Now turn over with me to the New Testament, as we turn to Hebrews chapter 11 and there we’ll also read verses 1 through 16. Book of Hebrews chapter 11 beginning with verse 1. Once again hear the Word of God. Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
For by it the men of old gained approval. By faith we understand that the world were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. By faith, Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous. God testifying about his gifts and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks. By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death, and he was not found because God took him up, for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God. And without faith it is impossible to please him, for he who comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him.
By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance, and he went out not knowing where he was going.
By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise. For he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By faith, even Sarah herself received ability to conceive even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered him faithful who had promised. Therefore there was born even of one man, and him as good as dead, at that, as many descendants as the stars of heaven in number, and innumerable as the sand which is by the sea shore.
All these died in faith without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. And indeed, if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country that is a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
Thus far, the reading of God’s inspired word. Let’s pray together, asking his blessing upon the reading, preaching and hearing of his word today. Let’s pray together. Our father, we come humbly before you, praying that we would have the grace of your spirit to rightly understand these words that we have heard read this morning. We pray, Father, that we would apply ourselves diligently now to the hearing of the preached word also, and that you would be pleased through the voice of your servant, O God, to communicate the things of God in such a way that the hearts and minds and lives of your people would be wonderfully transformed, that we would be that people who by faith set our hearts and minds upon heavenly things a heavenly country that is prepared for those who trust in Jesus. O Lord, bless the activities of this day and all to your glory. We pray it in Jesus’ name, amen.
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen, for by it the men of old gained approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. By faith, Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, to which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts. And through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks.
This speaks of Abel. In Genesis 4, Adam and Eve bore children, giving birth to Cain and Abel, as we read together. Abel was a keeper of flocks and Cain was a tiller of the ground. So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the Lord of the fruit of the ground. Abel on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and for his offering, he had no regard.
So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell. Then the Lord said to Cain, why are you so angry? Why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door and its desire is for you, but you must master it.
Cain told Abel his brother. And it came about, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, Where is Abel your brother? And he said, I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper? He said that as God said, what have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground. Now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.
As we reflect upon this passage of Genesis chapter four that we read this morning and turn and in turn to Hebrews 11 that speaks of Abel, we note this. The first example of faith that the author of Hebrews finds in the Old Testament biblical record is Abel.
According to the narrative of Genesis 4, 3 through 5, Abel and his elder brother Cain brought their offerings to God at the appropriate season. Abel brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions, since he was a shepherd. while Cain, the agriculturalist, brought an offering of the fruit of the ground, of his crops, in other words. In either case, or in both cases, the material of the offering was suitable to the offerer’s vocation. One a shepherd, the other a gardener.
Yet the Lord had regard for Abel and for his offering, but for Cain and his offering, he had no regard. Why was there this discrimination on the part of God toward these two men? Cain was dejected because his offering was disregarded. But God pointed out to him the way of acceptance. He said, if you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door, and its desire is for you. But you must master it.
In Hebrews 9.22, we read, according to the law, One may almost say all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. But we point out that it is nowhere suggested in the Genesis narrative that it was a sin offering which the two brothers brought before the Lord.
It was in either case the appropriate presentation of the first fruits of their increase. In other words, it was not simply because Abel brought a blood offering that his was accepted and Cain’s was not. The narrative distinguishes between Cain and Abel. Abel did well, Cain did not. Abel obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts.
Consider well the testimony of Jesus himself in Matthew 23 in verse 35, where he speaks of the blood of righteous Abel, Matthew 23, verse 35. And also consider the words of the apostle John in 1 John 3, verse 12, where John tells us, that Cain killed his brother because his own deeds were evil and his brothers were righteous. Abel is not named, but his deeds were described as righteous by the Apostle John.
And again, in Revelation 6, verses 9 through 11, we reflect upon the passage where the souls of the martyrs cry aloud for vindication. And we are told that they should rest for a little while longer until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed, even as they had been, would be completed also.” Revelation 6, 9-11.
It has been said Well, first of all, it’s been said that Abel’s offering was accepted because it was a blood offering. We’re arguing that that’s not the rationale of scripture. It has been said, on the other hand, that Hebrews simply means that Abel, by his faith, bears abiding witness to succeeding ages.
But more than this is indicated by Hebrews 12.24 which says that the purifying blood of Christ speaks better than the blood of Abel.
A clear reference to Genesis 4.10 where God said the voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground. Despite God’s reproof, the power of unbelief and sin in Cain’s life grew all the more stronger.
He did not repent and turn at the word of the Lord. Instead, he hardened his heart against God and against his brother. He was angry at his brother. He was angry at his brother for possessing faith. Cain’s anger and hatred only grew stronger. He attacked his brother.
He killed him. Human blood had now been shed for the very first time in history. Abel was the first human being recorded in Genesis to die. Cain was guilty of fratricide. He had murdered his own brother. And as S.G. de Graaf puts it, that wasn’t even the worst of it. More terrible still was his hatred, not only for his brother, but his hatred for the Lord’s covenant and for the Lord’s promise.
Cain had killed Abel because Abel was a believer, because Abel was believing in the Lord. Abel typifies all human beings after him who have been oppressed, persecuted, and put to death for their faith. He is also, that is, Abel is also a type of the Lord Jesus Christ, who was put to death because of his faith, his faith in the revelation of God, and because of his love for his Heavenly Father, whose will he unswervingly accomplished even unto the end, the end of the cross. Yes, Abel is a type of the Lord Jesus Christ, yet there is a difference between those two deaths. The blood of Abel could not make propitiation for Cain’s crime. Instead, the blood of Abel cried out from the ground for God’s justice to avenge it. The blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, on the other hand, is most certainly a propitiation for the sins and misdeeds of those who believe in him.
By faith, Abel still speaks. But the sprinkled blood of Jesus, who is the mediator of a new and better covenant, speaks better than the blood of Abel. Faith is a trusting response to God’s word. Receive it and believe it today. Believe the word that is spoken even by Abel, who through faith still speaks even though he is dead. Receive that word of the blood of Jesus that speaks of salvation to all who will trust in him. Receive it and believe it today.
Saving faith clings to the reality of promises that are not yet seen. I remind you of what we quoted last week to you from the Heidelberg Catechism, question number 21. What is true faith? And the catechism answers, true faith is not only a knowledge and conviction that everything God reveals in his word is true, it is also a deep-rooted assurance created in me by the Holy Spirit through the gospel that out of sheer grace earned for us, and that out of sheer grace earned by Christ. Not only others, but I too have had my sins forgiven, have been made forever right with God, and have been granted salvation. Do you believe that?
Amen. Let’s pray together, shall we? Our Father, we pray that we would hear the word of God that speaks, that even today as we have read from Hebrews 11, the word of Abel, the blood of Abel still speaks and speaks of the certainty of a judgment which is still to come for those who have persecuted and killed your saints, your martyrs in the world, and their blood cries out for vindication in that last and final day.
And we think, too, of the blood of Jesus that speaks even more clearly, more wonderfully of the salvation that has come to all who would receive him and accept him as Lord and as Savior. Our Father, indeed, he was rejected because of his commitment to your word. He was crucified, dead, and buried for the very purpose of the redemption of a sinful people. As your providence brought him to that awful and painful death, we know it was for us who believe.
Grant to us, then, true saving faith, and may you apply by your spirit the word of truth that we would hear your word as it speaks to us today through Christ Jesus. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen. I would ask that you join with me in responding to the word of God as we join together in singing from our hymnal number 424.
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