
Cain and Abel abide as the consummate âGood sonâBad sonâ story. Two boys raised in the same environment who turn out so differently. Abelâs sacrifice accepted by God; Cainâs rejected. What was wrong with Cainâs sacrifice? Tragically, the specific answer to that question is one that lies beneath the dirt with its victim. The biggest clue lies in Cainâs attitude in the face of Godâs warning. His anger had gotten the better of him. He was bent on avenging himself, because âmy-brother-made-me-look-bad.â Godâs caution fell on deaf ears: âSin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master itâ (Gen.4:7). The only thing that Cain wanted to be master of was his own evil intent against his brotherââCain rose up against Abel his brother and killed himâ (Gen.4:8). Abel appears in the New Testament as a great man of faith in Hebrews 11. Cainâs name appears as a byword.
Jude pronounces a âWoeâ upon those who have âgone in the way of Cainâ (Jude 1:11). John uses Cain to describe the antithesis of âlove for one another,â and as a murderer who was of the devil. âAnd for what reason did he slay him?â asks John, âBecause his deeds were evil, and his brotherâs were righteousâ (1Jn.3:11-12). If killing Abel was Cainâs attempt to wipe all memory of his brotherâs name from the earth, it was an epic fail. Instead, Cain helped to exalt his brotherâs name to a near martyr status. Here, millennia later, standing in Faithâs Hall of Fame, we find Abel honoured among the greatest of Godâs faithful. And there in the explanatory notes is his brother serving both as commentary and reason for his brothers success: âBy 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 speaksâ (Hebrews 11:4). Everyone else on that list was dead, too. Abelâs death is being used as a beacon of hope to the Christian who sacrifices the best of what he hasâThey can kill you, but your righteousness speaks on!
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