Christ in Abel (3)

Christ is the Shepherd, and Christ is the Sacrifice - this much we have learned from the life of Abel so far. What can we learn from his death? It is the first incidence of violent death in the Bible, and serves to illustrate much concerning the death of Christ. 

The Slaughter 

"Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" He said, "I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?" And the LORD said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground. And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand" (Gen 4.8-11 ESV).

1. The Brother of Abel

Cain was religious, we learn that from the fact that he "offered" alongside Abel. But his religion consisted of the works of his hands, presented to God, with the intention that he would be accepted on that basis.

In the  New Testament, however, we learn much about Cain's true character and conduct. He "was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous" (1 John 3.12). 

So, Cain had a veneer of external religion, and yet within he was corrupt. This cannot help but turn our mind to the society in which the Lord Jesus lived. The Lord was the most gracious of men, but he denounced some in His day in the strongest possible terms: "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity" (Matt 23.27-28). 

Cain's true character was manifested in his treatment of Abel. He "slew his brother", and the reason was that his own "works were evil, and his brother's righteous" (1 John 3.12). 

External religion does not remove internal corruption, and the true character of the religious leaders in the days of the Lord was likewise manifested in their attitude to Him. The Lord stated "If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin" (John 15.22). The idea is that, the life of the Lord Jesus among the people, and the subsequent rejection of Him by the religious leaders, exposed their true character. They no longer had a covering for the corruption of their heart. They "hated me" He could say "without a cause" (John 15.15).

Peter faced the nation with their guilt when calling them to repentance: "Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs ... ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain" (Acts 2.22-23) "The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses" (Acts 3.13-15). 

Down through the centuries false religion and religious hypocrisy have unitedly  caused rivers of blood to flow! This began with the slaughter of Abel, and reached it zenith in the crucifixion of the Son of God. It continues to this day. 

2. The Blood of Abel 

The "blood" of Abel is mentioned twice in Genesis 4, and three times in the New Testament. 

According to Gen 4, the blood of Abel "crieth unto" God from the ground, for judgment. The Lord Jesus picks up this lesson in his teaching in Matthew 23, as He warned the leaders of Israel of coming judgment: "Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation" (Matt 23.34-36). 

Thus, linked with the "blood of righteous Abel" is a cry that calls to God to judge the criminal, it is a cry for justice. It is a call to punish those who have committed the crime, and have shed that blood.

However, when we come to Hebrews 12 we read that the blood of Christ "speaketh better things than that of Abel" (Heb 12.24). The meaning is that, the shed blood of the Lord Jesus also cries, but not for punishment! His blood cries for pardon for those who trust Him. 

The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ does not demand that justice BE satisfied, it rather declares that justice HAS BEEN satisfied. It is this fact that enables God to be "just, and the justifier of him which believeth on Jesus" (Rom 3.26). Grace can flow out to all, because God's justice has been satisfied.

In our meditations we have viewed Christ in Abel's shepherding, sacrifice, and slaughter! May our hearts rejoice that His blood avails for all who trust Him. God's justice is forever satisfied, and, as the hymn puts it:

"Grace is flowing like a river

Millions there have been supplied;

Still it flows, as fresh as ever

From the Saviour's wounded side!

None need perish, All may live, 
For Christ has died" 

Christ in Abel (2)

In our last post we considered Abel's shepherding and reminded ourselves of the "good shepherd", our Lord Jesus Christ.

Today I would like to consider Abel's sacrifice, and see how it is a preview of the sacrifice of Christ.

The Sacrifice

Abel "brought of the firstlings of his flock, and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering" (Gen 4.4)

Abel brought an offering to God which was acceptable to Him, and accepted by Him. On the other hand, "unto Cain and to his offering, [God] had not respect" (Gen 4.5). What made the difference? Why was Abel's offering acceptable, and Cain's unacceptable? Consider two facts:

1. Abel offered what God Demanded

The writer to the Hebrews confirms that it was "By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain ..." (Heb 11.4).

Faith in scripture is a believing response to a God's self-revelation. It is trust in God's word. Thus Abel, in his offering, acted in response to a prior revelation of God.

It seems evident that Adam and Eve would have rehearsed in the ears of their family the events of Eden. They would have instructed Cain and Abel that disobedience is punishable by death (Gen 2.17) and that the sinner requires a substitutionary sacrifice (Gen 3.21). Abel responded to these truths trustingly - he believed God, and his offering manifested the faith that he had.

Abel sacrificed his little lamb, acknowledging God's demand that his sin be punished, and appreciating that an innocent substitute could, and would (in symbol) bear that punishment for him!

Is this not the faith that brings acceptance with God still? A person who acknowledges that they are sinful and worthy only of divine judgment, and accepts the sacrifice of Christ as sufficient payment for their sins, is accepted with God. Upon trusting Christ as their Saviour, they take Christ as their Substitute, and are thereby safe from judgment.

On the other hand, Cain ignored God's word. He did not accept that his sin was punishable by death, and he therefore did not see the need for a substitutionary sacrifice! He reasoned that what he produced would be sufficient for God to accept him. Sadly there are many who think the same today, and they will suffer the same dreadful disappointment as Cain.

It would be healthy for all of us to ask ourselves the question "Why should God allow me into heaven?". If my answer to that question is "Because of what I have done", then I am like Cain, and God will not accept me. If, however my answer is "Because of what Christ has done for me", then I am like Abel and God will accept me because my faith rests in Christ and His sacrifice alone.

2. Abel offered what God Deserved

It is also worthy of note that Abel offered "the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof". This describes the best of the animals at Abel's disposal. Abel came as a worshipper, and he offered the best to God.

In bringing the best, Abel was bringing (in symbol) what God deserves from His creatures, but never gets. Here was recognition on Abel's part, not only of God's righteous requirements in respect of sin, but also of God's glorious person.

Praise God, in the death of His Son at Calvary, God received what He demanded for man - a sufficient substitutionary sacrifice, full payment in respect of sin. However, he also received what He desired from man - complete whole-hearted devotion to Himself.

Ultimately there was only One sacrifice acceptable to God. Every Old Testament sacrifice looked forward to the "offering of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all" (Hebrews 10.10). And every Christian looks back with joy to the fact that "this man ... offered one sacrifice for sins forever" (Heb 10.12). This once-for-all sacrifice has been offered and accepted!

May we rejoice that the one who is the "good Shepherd" (John 10.11) is also the "Lamb of God" (John 1.29)! And for all those who trust Him alone, there is security: both in His shepherd care, and in His substitutionary sacrifice.

Christ in Abel (1)

Genesis Ch 4 tells the story of the first family. It is a sad story of disobedience, deception, death, and discipline. Cain and Abel were the first brothers, but their relationship is certainly not the template to follow! Cain was "of that wicked one, and slew his brother" (1 John 3.12). 

However, alongside the hatred and murder, the rebellion and judgment of Cain, the character of Abel shines brightly, and we cannot help but see that he illustrates some of the features of the Lord Jesus Christ. We will consider three subjects as follows:

1. Abel's Shepherding

2. Abel's Sacrifice

3. Abel's Slaughter 

In this post, the first of these will be considered. 

Abel's Shepherding 

Abel was a shepherd, a "keeper of sheep" (Gen 4.2). This occupation was shared by many of the great Old Testament worthies: Abraham, Joseph, Moses, and David to name but a few. 

The shepherd must guide his sheep, guard his sheep and graze his sheep. Abel directed his sheep according what was best for them, he protected them in what had become a hostile environment, and he provided the necessary diet for them.

The title "shepherd" is lifted to sublime heights by King David who wrote the well known words of Psalm 23: "The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want". In that Psalm he shows how he was guided by the LORD, "He leadeth me beside still waters ... He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake"; guarded by the LORD, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me"; and how he grazed upon the LORD's provision, "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures ...He restoreth my soul ... Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies: thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over". With such care and attention lavished upon him by the LORD, David concludes "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever" (Psalm 23.1-6)

In the New Testament, this Shepherd is revealed to be none other than the Lord Jesus Himself! While, as we noted, many Old Testament saints were shepherds, the One for whom the title "good shepherd" was reserved was the Lord Jesus. In John Ch 10 He states, "I am the good shepherd, the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep" (v11) and, "I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine" (v14).  

Being the good shepherd, the Lord demonstrated sacrificial love for His sheep, being willing to give His life for them (v11). He also has intimate knowledge of His sheep, and they know Him (v14).

Truly blessed are those who can say honestly, as David did in Psalm 23.1, "The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want". To own Jesus as Lord, and to trust Him as Saviour, is to be assured of His shepherd care through life. Is He your Shepherd? If so, you can trust Him for the plan of your life, you can rest in His protection, and delight in His provision. He has promised that every one of His sheep are eternally secure in His hand (John 10.27-30)

 

"The King of Love my Shepherd is,

Whose goodness faileth never;

I nothing lack if I am His,

And He is mine forever."

(Henry W Baker. 1821-77)