Abel
The Voice of Thy Brother’s Blood
(Hebrews 11:4)
Part 1
By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. (Hebrews 11:4)
And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground. (Genesis 4:10)
—–A More Excellent Sacrifice —–
Christ Offered His Soul as a Sacrifice for Sin
The first man of faith is introduced by FAITH which is the substance and the tangible evidence of the UNSEEN God. By FAITH ABEL, these three words set the stage of God’s righteousness. It is BY FAITH that Abel acquired the righteousness of God. He believed God. Therefore, through the required sacrifice Abel received the righteousness of God. This sacrifice prefigured the sacrificial offering of Christ when HIS soul was offered for sin. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. (Isaiah 53:10) The Spirit of God desires us to know that Abel’s offering was a more excellent sacrifice, and this is the only time in all of Scripture that excellent sacrifice is mentioned. All the lambs and the goats and the bullocks and the turtle doves and the pigeons that were offered in the Old Testament were only shadows of the more excellent sacrifice. It is given to us in Hebrews 11 to show us that Abel not only knew the value of his sacrifice but knew that it prefigured the fullness of time when Christ would offer Himself on the cross of Calvary.
Abel was meticulous in setting apart a lamb from his flock: a first-born male without spot outwardly or inwardly. And then, after nurturing that lamb, he shed the first blood of sacrifice in the land that Adam had been driven into, a land of toil and sweat, a land of sin and death. Yet God gives hope in the more excellent sacrifice. God required obedience by Abel to follow the exact instructions regarding the lamb without blemish, for Abel’s lamb was the foreshadow of God’s lamb on the cross of Calvary.
● Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: (1st Peter 2:22)
● For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. (1st Peter 2:25)
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● Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; (1st Peter 1:18) But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: (1st Peter 1:19) Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, (1st Peter 1:20)
Abel, as Abraham, received the gospel, the way of redemption, through the more excellent sacrifice.
Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. (Galatians 3:6) Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. (Galatians 3:7) And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. (Galatians 3:8) So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. (Galatians 3:9)
The call of Abraham is much like the call of Abel. God APPEARED to both Abraham and Abel. Abel stood before God with Cain, and both were instructed in the ordinance of sacrifice and what God required in that sacrifice. When the God of glory appeared to Abraham in Mesopotamia (Acts 7:2) God separated Abraham from the idolatry of the Chaldeans and the world. With Abel, God also appeared to him as well as to Cain for it is recorded in Genesis 4:16 that Cain went OUT from the presence of the Lord. And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. Therefore, both Cain and Abel received the same instructions to sacrifice a lamb of the first born without blemish. Here we see that the gospel was given to both Cain and Abel in the presence of the Lord. In Hebrews 11:4, the words a more excellent sacrifice are given to us to show the VALUE of FAITH and the FAITH that were in Abel to obey God through FAITH and the value of the sacrifice that he offered. Abel was the first person who was obedient to the word of God. Where Adam had failed and his first born, Cain, had failed, Abel, through FAITH, offered a more excellent sacrifice in obedience to the word of God and the tangible evidence of his FAITH in God.
In Genesis 4:4, we see that God had RESPECT for both Abel and his offering; thus, joining Abel WITH his offering as we are joined to Christ with His offering. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering. The contrast between Abel and Cain is the same contrast between Christ and the world. Those who are called by the heavenly calling, as Abel, are separated from the world in Jesus Christ. We are called to love not the world. Love not the world, neither the things [that are] in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (1st John 2:15) The world of Cain became the world of murder and violence. The world of Cain became the world of idolatry and lasciviousness. The world of Cain became the world of gold and corruption.
—– A More Excellent Sacrifice —–
The Witness of Righteousness
The seed that Cain sowed came to its fulfillment in Genesis Chapter 6. After the flood, there was a reset of Abel’s FAITH in the divine call of Abram. Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. (Galatians 3:6) As Abel received the righteousness of God through FAITH, so too Abraham, through that same tangible FAITH believed God, and it was also counted to him for righteousness. What we should see is that FAITH never changes.
The world and the Church have many definitions of faith, but God has only ONE definition of FAITH. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1) As we follow the men and women of faith through Hebrews Chapter 11, we will see that the condition of faith is that the gift of faith NEVER changes. It may work in many ways, but nevertheless, it is the SAME gift from the SAME Author of FAITH, the Lord Jesus Christ. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2)
Abraham was separated from the land of idolatry. He was separated from his family. He was called to go out to a land that he knew not of. When he entered into that unknown land, it was THEN that he offered up his first sacrifice to God. Abraham built the altar, cut the wood, and offered the lamb for a sacrifice unto God. God waited until Abraham was IN the land to complete His promise that He had made to Abraham to show him a land that he knew not of.
In Genesis Chapter 4, we saw that God had RESPECT unto Abel and to his offering. God did not respect the offering of Cain because it was the works of the hands of Cain. So, God was NOT pleased with Cain’s offering because it was not mingled with FAITH. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11:6) One Lord, one faith, one baptism. (Ephesians 4:5)
In Hebrews 11:4, the offering BY FAITH was a more excellent offering and through Abel’s obedience he received witness of God, that he was righteous. We see here the fulfillment of God’s righteousness IN Jesus Christ for within the fullness of the GODHEAD BODILY in the Body that was prepared for Him, in the manifestation of the INVISIBLE God, within His Being IS ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS. And in our salvation, as Abel, He is made unto us righteousness. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: (1st Corinthians 1:30) Christ is the source of ALL FAITH. He is the source and fountainhead of ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS. He is the source of redemption, and the source of sanctification, and the source of all wisdom for He IS wisdom Himself. (Proverbs 8)
● Counsel [is] mine, and sound wisdom: I [am] understanding; I have strength. (Proverbs 8:14)
● Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and [some] of them they shall slay and persecute: (Luke 11:49)
Abel’s offering was and IS the more excellent pristine and pure offering. When Christ offered Himself on the cross of Calvary, it was a voluntary offering. He could have called legions of angels that were at His disposal to deliver Him from the sinful hands of man, yet as a lamb led to the slaughter, so He opened NOT His mouth. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. (Isaiah 53:7)
The Lord Jesus told Pilate, in the judgment hall, that Pilate had no power over the Lord Jesus except it was given from above. Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? (John 19:10) Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power [at all] against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin. (John 19:11)
The more excellent offering of Christ received the acceptance in heavenly places as the sweet-smelling savor of His sacrifice ascended up to God the Father. And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. (Ephesians 5:2) Here we have the more excellent sacrifice of Abel FULFILLED in the fullness of time by the Lord Jesus Christ who offered Himself without spot as a sweet-smelling savour to God. Now all the offerings and the sacrifices of man through FAITH pointed to the offering of Christ, the TRUE and the MORE EXCELLENT SACRIFICE.
Christ revealed Himself in the Old Testament, for example: He manifested Himself to both Adam and Eve in the garden; He manifested Himself to both Cain and Abel. He not only manifested Himself to Enoch, but they walked together, and after Enoch had preached and given a prophetic message to the world, Christ through FAITH translated Enoch into heaven above. Christ also walked with Noah as Noah preached the righteousness of God IN Jesus Christ. YES, the old world heard the gospel, and they were JUDGED for rejecting the message of righteousness through the preaching of Noah. Christ also manifested Himself as Melchisedec to Abraham, as well as His manifestation as the God of glory, and the Judge of all the earth. The Lord Jesus also manifested Himself AFTER His resurrection from the dead. In all these things there is the evidence of that more excellent sacrifice given for our sin. But, the men of Cain’s mind set TODAY still offer polluted offerings, the works of their own hands. Many TODAY use the name of JESUS without any understanding of FAITH. Sadly, the imposter, Satan, has blinded their eyes, and the Church, as a whole, has made up a fairytale Jesus that appeals to both children and adults. The sacrificial death of Christ and the blood that He shed for HIS Church is not a bedtime story. The reality of His sacrifice and death brought out the WORST in mankind. And at THAT point when man had poured out all his venomous hatred against the Son of God, God delivered His goodness and love so that repentant man could enter into the kingdom of God’s dear Son. However, the money counterfeit Church has revealed itself through the God mammon and the money altar, so that they can continue to build the works of Cain, the works of their own hands, and through their lies they change the Christ of God and His word daily. They exalt men and women of reprobate minds over what they call ‘the house of God.’ There is no understanding left of Hebrews Chapter 3:4 – 6.
For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God. (Hebrews 3:4) And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; (Hebrews 3:5) But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. (Hebrews 3:6)
It is neither gold, nor silver; it is neither stone, nor wood that builds the house of God. Each divine block is a living stone born again by the Spirit of Christ.
Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; (Ephesians 2:19) And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; (Ephesians 2:20) In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: (Ephesians 2:21) In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:22)
As these living stones come together to worship the Lord Jesus Christ, all eyes are on that tried Stone, that precious Stone, and that Cornerstone that is the Lord Jesus Christ. Today, a meeting of Spirit and FAITH can be as small as two or three. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20)
In our day, the corrupted counterfeit Church, the masses of Christendom and NOT Christianity, would deny the simplicity of the meeting of two or three in the presence and in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. The ‘isms’ have taken over the Church, and their corrupt leaders DENY the word of God for the words and emotions of man. Denominationalism has little segments from all the other ‘isms’ mixed in with THEIR doctrines in the mass CONFUSION of the illiterate gatherings deliberately keeping the people ignorant of the word of God. The glory has departed – ICABOD! And it happened ages past. Even while John was writing the last book of the Bible, Christ revealed the failure of the Church in Revelation Chapters 2 and 3. When the Church wanted world acceptance, they removed from their thoughts, Love not the world. They became more loyal to the world then to their King who went into death to deliver them from death. When we think of the more excellent sacrifice, we should remember our study in Hebrews Chapter 10 how the Holy Spirit spent much time on a BETTER sacrifice and a Body that was prepared for that sacrifice, and the manifestation of that sacrifice, and the RESULT of that sacrifice and the REDEMPTION through that sacrifice.
● Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: (Hebrews 10:5)
● Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. (Hebrews 10:7)
● Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. (Hebrews 10:9)
● By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (Hebrews 10:10)
● But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; (Hebrews 10:12)
● For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. (Hebrews 10:14)
All these reference verses in Chapter 10 are there to point us to the more excellent sacrifice of Hebrews 11:4. I remind you once more. This is the only time in all of Scripture that the two words excellent sacrifice are placed together. They reflect all the way back to the offering of the first person of FAITH, Abel. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. Without FAITH there cannot be a more excellent sacrifice. One must believe God and believe that HE IS and obey what He has said concerning the more excellent sacrifice. Blessed was Abel with the eyes of FAITH that could look into the future to the fullness of time. Peter tells us that we are also blessed with eyes of FAITH looking back to the fullness of time when the Lord Jesus offered Himself as the more excellent sacrifice for us.
Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: (1st Peter 1:8) Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. (1st Peter 1:9) Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: (1st Peter 1:10)
Faith must bring us to the sacrifice, the sacrifice of Christ, so that we can see our own condition alienated from God because of sin. It is our NEED, but it is also God’s requirement and only through the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ can we fulfill that need and appease the judgment that was against us. Just as Abel (although we look back to the fulness of time), we HAVE to approach God through the more excellent sacrifice which is the Lord Jesus Christ.
—– A More Excellent Sacrifice —–
Through the Hours of Sacrifice
There are many spiritual things that took place at the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ. Even through all the afflictions that He suffered through the hands of man, God was proving the sin and enmity that man had for God. They were showing their true character, and they were revealing themselves as children of the devil. However, when His hour came, it was His dealing with God the Father over the sin of the whole world.
His hour began at the third hour, as recorded in the gospel of Mark Chapter 15. And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. Now in the sixth hour (verse 33) and remember that the number six is the number of man, darkness was over the whole LAND. And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. Luke tells us that the darkness was over the whole EARTH.
● Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. (Matthew 27:45)
● And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. (Luke 23:44)
Very few see the condemnation of man under sin in the three hours of darkness, from the sixth hour to the ninth hour. This identifies mankind with ALL darkness which the Lord identified in John 3:19 and 20.
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. (John 3:19) For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. (John 3:20)
The number six (6) being the number of man also identifies man in the future kingdom of The Beast where the number of his name is 6 – 6 – 6, and he reigns over a kingdom of sin and wickedness sitting upon the throne of Satan. And his kingdom is marked by darkness. At one point, the darkness is so great that man gnaws on their tongues for the pain of darkness. And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, (Revelation 16:10)
Now, in the three hours of darkness at Calvary, we are also informed that the sun did not give light. This can only be a divine revelation given to us. For in the darkness, man was truly frightened of what had just been done. If you can bear with me, what man did to the Lord Jesus Christ was the vomit of man’s sin against the Holy and Righteous God. In the gospel of Luke, it is the gospel of the Son of man, it is appropriate that in THIS gospel the Spirit of God tells us darkness was over the WHOLE EARTH at the sixth (6th) hour. Also notice that time is divided by THREE: the third hour, the sixth hour and the ninth hour.
The third hour identifies the Son of man and the Son of God as the fullness of the GODHEAD bodily, for they crucified Him in the THIRD HOUR, which speaks of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
In the sixth hour, where there was darkness over ALL the earth, He was being crucified for the very darkness of man, for He was bearing the sin of the whole WORLD.
In the ninth hour, the Lord Jesus said, It is finished. Nine is the last single digit, it is the number of finality, and therefore, Christ bowed His head and FINALIZED the way of salvation with the words, It is finished.
Again, in the third hour, God manifest in the flesh was crucified, the FULLNESS of the GODHEAD BODILY, and He was crucified by number six (the number of man), and number six brings us to the total depravity of man, lost in the darkness of the abyss or the deep. Only God can give light and life unto a DEAD and lifeless creature in sinful man. In the number three, God brings forth the seed in the third day in Genesis 1:11 – 13.
And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. (Genesis 1:11) And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good. (Genesis 1:12) And the evening and the morning were the third day. (Genesis 1:13)
The tree with the seed within itself is the first witness of resurrection. The Lord Jesus confirmed the third day when He declared in John 12:24, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. This confirms the truth of resurrection in the third day of Genesis Chapter 1. The Verily, verily, or Truly, truly is to stir our understanding and to intensify the truth of resurrection for the Lord Jesus proclaimed, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. He was NOT speaking of the Temple in Jerusalem, but He was speaking of His Body that was prepared for Him to take away the sin of the world.
Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. (John 2:19) Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? (John 2:20) But he spake of the temple of his body. (John 2:21)
We know that He fulfilled His own prophecy of His resurrection on the third day. It is outstanding how many number three’s we have around the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. God speaks THROUGH His word, God speaks through His Spirit, and God speaks through His numbers to show the total Supernatural climax of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. In the third hour Christ offered Himself without spot to God as a more excellent sacrifice.
Amen and Selah
© Copyright – Michael Haigh
Published on July 4th, 2024 @ 1:19 PM (EST)
Article may be used, but not for gain. Freely ye have received, freely give.
All Scripture references are from the King James Bible. (KJB)