A MORE EXCELLENT SACRIFICE

“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).

 

The biblical story of Cain and Abel is incredible in its depth and teaching.  We find the gospel message revealed to us in its simplicity through this tale of jealousy and violence.  Writing to the Hebrew believers in the first century, the Apostle Paul states that Abel was still speaking to believers through his witness even though he had been dead for 4000 years.  Even today, Abel’s witness of faith and redemption rings out as clear as a bell to those who will hear it.

 

The account of Cain and Abel is told in the fourth chapter of Genesis.  There we find the story opening with the birth of two sons to Adam and Eve.  Cain was the firstborn and oldest of the boys, and Abel his brother came along after him.  Abel, we are told, was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground - a farmer.  Both were honest occupations and there is nothing to suggest that either of these young men were anything less than industrious.  But the trouble between them began when they each came to present an offering to the Lord.  Cain brought the produce of his labors to the Lord, the fruits of the ground.  Abel brought the firstborn of his flock, slaying them and offering the blood and the fat to the Lord.  “And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: but unto Cain and to his offering He had not respect.  And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell” (Genesis 4:4b, 5).  Paul refers to Abel’s offering as, “a more excellent sacrifice.”  Just what was it that pleased God with Abel’s offering and not Cain’s?  What was it that distinguished the one over the other?  The answer is simply stated in the verse in Hebrews: “By faith Abel offered…”  Cain was offering that which was the product of his own works, of his own sweat and labors – there was no faith involved in it.  Abel was trusting in the one offering that God had already revealed would cover the sins of the flesh: the blood.  It wasn’t a matter of Abel’s offering the sheep because he had raised and cared for them, it was that this was the only sacrifice acceptable to God.  Only the blood would suffice.  This act of faith and obedience to the Lord’s will was pleasing to God.  Without faith it is impossible to please God because whatever is not of faith is sin (Hebrews 11:6; Romans 14:23).

 

There is a fundamental lesson in this story that is repeated over and over again in the Bible.  That lesson is this: we are saved by grace through faith, and it is purely a gift from God and has nothing to do with our own works, sacrifices, or labors.  God has provided the ultimate sacrifice for our sins in offering His own dear Son.  He shed His blood and died for our atonement, and now He lives forever to intercede for us in heaven before the throne of God.  Abel got this.  He offered the more excellent sacrifice by faith and was rewarded with God’s favor.  Cain, on the other hand, trusted only in his own works and brought to God what he thought was right and not what God had established was right.  “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:8-10).

 

The Jews in Jesus’ day were much like Cain.  Paul describes them in this way, “For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.  For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God” (Romans 10:2,3).  They insisted on trying to please God through their own actions and their own self-made righteousness.  True, they had a zeal for God, but it was a misguided zeal.  Sadly, Christians today can fall into the same trap.  Having accepted God’s gift of grace to begin with, they then try to please Him with their own works of goodness and charity without submitting themselves to the righteousness of God which is by faith.  They take great pride in the outward appearance, the rituals, and the trappings of religion without embracing the real inward working that the Holy Spirit wishes to do in their hearts.  There is something much more sinister than just pride at work here, though.

 

The rejection of Cain’s offering by God filled him with wrath.  God spoke to Cain and said, “Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?  If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door” (Genesis 4:6,7).  The solution would have been simple at this point.  Had Cain acknowledged his error and gone and offered an acceptable offering to the Lord, he would have been accepted by God as Abel was.  Instead, he allowed his anger to be kindled to the point where it boiled over in jealousy and rage toward his brother.  Cain found his younger brother in the field and killed him then and there.

 

It is no coincidence that we find this same theme played out repeatedly in scripture.  Ishmael was Abraham’s oldest son, but he was born as a result of Abraham’s impatience and own hasty works as he was anxious to see God’s promise of a chosen seed fulfilled.  Isaac was born after, but he was the son of promise and his birth was a miraculous one.  He was born as the result of Abraham’s faith in God, and not by his own efforts.  Ishmael was jealous of Isaac though, and persecuted him.  Another example was that of Jacob and Esau.  The boys were born twins to Isaac and Rebekah, but Esau was born first and then Jacob.  Esau was a man of action – a real man’s man – but he had no respect for the importance of his birthright.  He traded it away for one bowl of stew!  Jacob recognized the value of his father’s blessing, though, and supplanted his brother, securing his father’s favor.  This caused Esau to hate his brother and Jacob was forced to flee his home and family.  “But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now” (Galatians 4:29).  From the beginning of time up to the present this principle has been true.  There will always be this struggle between the flesh and the Spirit, right up to the time that the Lord returns and sets up His righteous kingdom on earth.  I could mention Joseph’s story also, and others as well, but I would rather use the story of Mary and Martha in the New Testament to further illustrate this principle. 

 

Jesus had come to Bethany to the home of Mary and Martha and their brother Lazarus.  The house was packed with people wanting to hear and see the Lord, and Martha found herself very busy trying to meet everyone’s needs.  At one point she noticed that her sister Mary was not helping at all, but instead was sitting at the feet of Jesus listening to His words.  Mary must have felt quite indignant and decided to say something to the Lord about the situation.  “But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to Him, and said, Lord, dost Thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me” (Luke 10:40).  Again, this story shows the contrast between man’s works and that which is truly acceptable to God by faith.  Jesus gently corrected Martha and by all accounts she accepted His chastisement and went on to serve the Lord faithfully.  This is the proper response that Cain could have taken, but he instead let the wickedness of the flesh play itself out to its ugly conclusion.  Jesus told Martha that, “One thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:42).  We, too, must be careful to always choose the Lord and His ways over our own works and sacrifices, and not let our envy of others breed cruelty and hatred toward those we ought to love.

 

Abel, in many ways, is a type or shadow of Jesus Christ.  Jesus’ brothers, the Jews of His day, hated Him and the gospel that He preached and taught.  They were jealous of His popularity and afraid of His power, so they allowed their rage to rule their actions and had Jesus crucified.  Like Abel, however, even in death His blood cries out that this was the “more excellent sacrifice” that God had been waiting for since creation.  “Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel” (Hebrews 12:24).

 

In the last days, as God restores to His people the power and the anointing of the first century church (and believe me, He will), there will also be manifested a hatred toward the true believers that will eventually erupt in violence toward Christians.  Jesus warned His disciples about just such a time when He said, “Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for My name’s sake.  And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another” (Matthew 24:9, 10).  “They shall put you out of the synagogues [churches]: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service” (John 16:2).  The tragedy here is that the worst persecution that the church will suffer will be at the hand of those who profess to know Christ but refuse to follow His ways!

 

God’s people never have been, nor ever will be, loved by the world.  As light cannot mix with darkness, even so can there be no fellowship between the righteous and unrighteous.  If our focus is on making the church acceptable and palatable to the world, then we are missing the mark and guilty of watering down the gospel.  We should love one another and love the lost, yes; but real love rejoices in the truth and not in iniquity (1 Corinthians 13:6).  We must speak the truth in love, being careful to set up a clear guidepost so that others can follow and not get lost.  As God told Cain, if we do well then we will be accepted by God, but if we do not do well, then sin lies at our door, and it will overcome us if we let it.  There will be many who stand before the judgment seat of God who have proclaimed that Jesus is Lord, but have not yielded themselves to His will.  “Not everyone that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).  Their profession of Christianity will not help them in that day.  As in our natural life, Christianity is a process of growth.  It is the Holy Spirit’s job to reprove us, correct us, guide us, and comfort us.  If that is not happening, then we are not growing; and if we are not growing, then we are sliding backward.  If we receive the Lord’s correction, though, He will lead us in paths of righteousness and peace, and we will find ourselves being transformed by the renewing power of His Word and of His precious atoning blood.  Like Abel we will have found the “more excellent sacrifice” in the blood of the precious Lamb of God!   

 

“For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.  Not as Cain, who 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.  Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you” (1 John 3:11-13).