12th August 2020
THE LIFE OF ABEL
David Abankwah
READ: Matthew 23:35; Genesis 4
Not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his BROTHER. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous.
-I John 3:12 | NKJV
Abel is the second born of Adam and Eve, our progenitors. The life of Abel is an exemplary life we can draw inspiration of. First of all, Abel was a righteous person according to 1 John 3:12. He lived his life eschewing evil and clinging to what is good. He could have lived his life like his parents but he choose righteousness over sin. I believed his parents may have told him what their disobedience led them, their fall, and the resultant curses they had, when they sinned against God. Many of us have been preached to for a change of mind, yet, many want to test the punishment associated with sin before they would repent. No one can stand the terror of divine wrath so you better repent.
You will not live to be 900+ years like Adam and Eve to tell the tale because the years of existence has been shortened. Righteousness is key to our journey to heaven. Because of the righteousness of Abel, when he died, the earth had to question God why it had to swallow the blood of a righteous person. Because what mother earth knew was her drink was not blood but water. The aftermath of a righteous person is a better place. We must all adhere to righteous life and do well to eschew evil. Secondly, Abel was someone who honoured God with his substance. The offering Abel gave to God was indeed his first and best – the firstborn of his sheep and a meaty or fat one too.
Indeed there are many controversies surrounding the rejected sacrifice of Cain. We have been told that God rejected Cain’s sacrifice because his foodstuffs were rotten and what have you. God rejected Cain’s sacrifice because God does not accept the offering of a sinner. Cain’s heart was not right with God. The post offering showed us how sinful Cain was. Even the offering of a sinner is an abomination onto God. So for those of us who do evil jobs and think they can bless God with their fatty substance as a means of honouring God, is unacceptable to Him. God is not interested in corrupted money. You can’t help God with your corrupted money. God is not a poor God. He owns you and your money.
Also, because the life of the animal is in the blood, God has a proper respect for sacrifices of blood and that was exactly the kind of sacrifice Abel offered to God. The third inspiration we can draw from the life of Abel was that, he was a sober and a very humble person. Told by Cain to follow him to his farm means he had to forsake his work of shepherding. Without humility you can’t do this. Many will say it was because of how younger he was but one thing we have to note is that, age has no bearing on humility and soberness. If age has a bearing on humility and soberness, then a younger wealthy person would have employed a worker to be his security who could have been his parent.
•| Prayer Diary |•
Lift up prayers for the cheerfulness of giving, the practice of righteous life, soberness, and humility to life your life in all holiness in the name of Jesus Christ.
Quote
Abel was a classical figure of Jesus Christ who was to come to offer his body as the last sacrifice.
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© 2020 David Abankwah
David Abankwah 