THE VOICE OF THE
BLOOD
Abel.
. .brought of the firstborn of his flock and their fat. And
the LORD respected Abel and his offering." (Genesis
4:4).
"And He (God) said, 'What have you done? The voice
of your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground."
(Genesis 4:10).
Make no mistake about it. God
has attached an awesome sacredness to blood: "Whoever
sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed; For in the
image of God He made man." (Genesis 9:6).
God often forbade the eating of flesh with the blood: "But
you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood."
(Genesis 9:4,)
The reason God passed over the
firstborn of man and beast among the Israelites in Egypt is
clearly stated: "Now the blood shall be a sign for you on
the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will
pass over you; and the plague will not be on you to destroy you. .
." (Exodus 12:13).
In regard to the Day of Atonement and
all of the sin and trespass offerings God declared, "For the
life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon
the altar to make an atonement for your souls; for it is blood
that makes atonement for the soul." (Leviticus 17:11).
The New Testament confirms the
necessity of blood sacrifice for sin: Jesus said, "For
this is My blood of the New covenant, which is shed for many for
the remission of sins." (Matthew 26:28) ".
. .In whom we have redemption, through His blood, the forgiveness
of sins." (Colossians 1:14) ". . .And
without shedding of blood there is no remission (of sin)".
(Hebrews 9:22)
THE VOICE OF THE BLOOD OF ABEL'S LAMB STILL
SPEAKS
"By faith Abel offered to God a
more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained
witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts;
and through it (the Lamb's blood) he being dead
still speaks." (Hebrews 11:14).
THE LAMB'S BLOOD SPEAKS OF ABEL
ACCEPTING GOD'S PLAN OF REDEMPTION
Abel testified by the sacrifice of his
lamb, "I need the Redeemer to pay the redemption price to redeem
me from my sin." On what basis can we make such a bold
statement? We are told explicitly in Hebrews 11:4 that
Abel's offering was motivated by faith. We are informed that
"Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God."
(Romans 10:17). This means that God revealed His plan of
redemption; Abel "heard" that plan, accepted it, and in faith
acted on it.
It is clear that God originally spoke verbally and in
types (pictures) for thousands of years. In various ways God
would appear and speak to a chosen person. In turn, this
chosen person would reveal what God had shared with others.
We note two events in which God revealed His plan of redemption:
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After Adam and Eve sinned they tried
to make themselves acceptable to God by a covering of leaves
(Genesis 3:17). This was not acceptable to God and He
provided a covering of animal skins. (Genesis 3:21).
This act alone infers that an acceptable covering for sinners is
made possible through the death of an innocent substitute.
-
A clear understand of God's words to
Satan reveals that God's plan of redemption for sinners involved
the sacrifice of an innocent Substitute: "And I will put
enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her
seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His
heel." (Genesis 3:15.)
Devout Bible scholars have
agreed that God was revealing that A virgin born male would
triumph over Satan through suffering. Adam and Eve believed
this truth or God would not have provided them with a covering
that gave them a standing of restored righteousness in His sight.
Abel accepted God's plan of redemption that a coming Redeemer
would receive the punishment for his sins. He expressed his
faith in God's plan by offering a firstborn lamb in sacrifice to
God.
THE LAMB'S BLOOD SPEAKS OF GOD'S
ACCEPTANCE OF ABEL
"And the LORD respected Abel and
his offering." (Genesis 4:4.) Only Abel's act of
faith in offering to God a lamb would make it possible for Hebrews
11:4 to state that his sacrifice gave a "witness that he was
righteous."
Cain rejected God's plan of salvation
which requires sacrificial redemption. ". . .Cain brought
an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD"
(Genesis 4:3). Cain represents all those in mankind who have
an inadequate sense of their sin or a need for sacrificial
redemption. Cain offered the fruit of his labor in full
anticipation that it was totally sufficient for him to be accepted
by God. God rebuked Cain, warned him of the danger of his
attitude and position and gave him a second opportunity to accept
His way of redemption. Cain willfully refused. The
apostle John makes this somber statement, ". . .Not as Cain who
was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. . ."
(1st John 3:12).
For those who seek to know God the
blood of Abel's lamb is a picture that speaks of blood redemption.
The sacrifice of Christ on the cross is the reality and the
fulfillment. By faith we must accept that our sins were laid
on Him; that He received the full punishment for our sins and
trust Him to forgive us and give us a righteousness that makes us
acceptable to God.
THE VOICE OF ABEL'S BLOOD STILL SPEAKS
". . .The voice of your brother's blood
cries out to Me from the ground." Genesis 4:10).
ABEL'S BLOOD SPEAKS OF HIS TRUE
RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Abel not only received a standing of righteousness in the eyes
of God but a righteousness that began to reveal itself in every
aspect of his life. He was experiencing what Paul wrote
about in Philippians 2:13, ". . .For it is God who works in you
both to will and to do for His good pleasure." It was
the true righteousness of his life that produced hostility in the
heart of Cain. ". . .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."
(1st John 3:12).
ABEL'S BLOOD SPEAKS OF HIS FAITHFUL
TESTIMONY.
"Now Cain talked with Abel his brother. . ." (Genesis
4:8). We can be sure from what immediately followed that
this was a confrontational discussion. Abel was stating that
his total confidence of restored relationship with God was based
on sacrificial redemption. Cain argued that the only thing
that counted was his works. Cain was so infuriated that he "rose
up against Abel his brother and killed him.".
Anyone who openly declares that God's
plan of salvation is only made possible through the sacrificial
death of Christ for sinners on the cross and appropriated only by
faith in Christ to save will soon learn the anger this stirs in
the hearts of those who cling to any form of salvation by the
works of man.
ABEL'S BLOOD SPEAKS OF DIVINE
VENGEANCE.
Abel could not avenge himself because he was murdered.
If he could have risen up and avenged himself he would not have
wanted to do so. However, the LORD God Almighty quickly
confronted Cain. "What have you done? The voice of
your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground."
(Genesis 4:10). The wrath of Cain against Abel was, in
ultimate reality, against God because:
1. Abel was living out the qualities of God in Whose image
man had been created and
2. God was the source of everything in Abel that incensed
Cain. God has declared, "Vengeance is Mine, I will
repay," (Romans 12:20).
God pronounced judgment on Cain.
It was not the death penalty because God did not enact the death
penalty until after the Great Flood (See Genesis 9:5, 6).
From the moment God confronted him Cain experienced a tormenting
of conscience as he realized that Abel's blood continued to cry
out to God. Cain also experienced fear that another member
of the family might kill him. God's curse on Cain was:
1. The ground would no longer yield its strength in
fruitfulness and,
2. Cain would be a fugitive and a vagabond on earth,
separated from home, family and God.
THE VOICE OF JESUS BLOOD SPEAKS BETTER
THINGS.
". . .But you have come...to Jesus
the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling
that speaks better things than that of Abel." (Hebrews
12:24).
The blood of Abel's lamb was a type (picture). The blood of
Jesus was the reality.
The blood of Abel's lamb spoke of that which was to come.
The blood of Jesus speaks of an accomplished act.
The blood of Abel's lamb said, "This is what I believe God will
do." The blood of Jesus says, "It is finished."
The blood of Abel's lamb procured forgiveness for Abel's sin.
The blood of Jesus provides forgiveness for all sinners.
The blood of Abel's lamb provided him a home in heaven. The
blood of Jesus opens the doors of heaven to all who will accept
His sacrifice for their sin and call out to Him in faith to be
their Savior.
"But He was wounded for our
transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities;. . .All we like
sheep have gone astray; We have turned, everyone, to his own
way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all."
(Isaiah 53:5, 6).
"For whoever calls on the name of
the LORD shall be saved." (Romans 10:13).
Copyright © 2002
Thomas E Berry
Scripture quotations from NKJV unless otherwise noted
Copyright © 2008 Truth Helpers Inc.
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