Hebrews 11 is one of the great chapters about faith. It lists several people from the Old Testament, who served the Lord with all their hearts and trusted in the Lord.
The very first person mentioned by the writer is Abel. Abel was one of the sons of Adam and Eve and the brother of Cain. He was a keeper of flocks and a worshipper of God. After being murdered by his brother, he is rarely mentioned again in the Bible.
And yet, the Hebrew writer says that there are many lessons to be learned from Abel. The writer says that even though Abel is dead, from the grave, he still speaks (Hebrews 11:4). What is Abel saying?
It matters how you live
- Abel lived a righteous life (Hebrews 11:4; Matthew 23:35).
- Unlike his brother Cain, Abel left behind a legacy of faithfulness to God.
- The Bible describes several people who left behind good spiritual legacies (Genesis 5:22; Deuteronomy 34:10; Acts 13:22).
- The Bible also describes several people who left behind unfortunate legacies (2 Timothy 4:10; Matthew 26:14-16; Mark 10:17-22).
- What will people remember about you?
It matters how you worship
- God was pleased with the worship of Abel because he offered it in faith (Genesis 4:1-8; Hebrews 11:4).
- By contrast, God was not pleased with Cain’s worship. God felt the same way about the religious practices of Nadab and Abihu (Leviticus 10:1-3). It matters how we choose to worship God!
- This is why we partake of the Lord’s Supper and take up a collection every Sunday (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:1-2). It is why we don’t use mechanical instruments in our worship (Colossians 3:16). It is why we are careful to follow the pattern provided in the New Testament (John 4:24).
Conclusion:
These are the messages of Abel from the grave. Will you heed to them?
