Portrait
of Faith
Able
Hebrews 11:4 By Faith Able 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 he being dead still speaks.
A more excellent sacrifice. Why? God had demonstrated what a perfect sacrifice would be. God, Himself took a lamb and sacrificed the innocent animal for the sin of Adam and Eve in the garden. He spilled the animal’s blood and made coverings for them. (Genesis 3:21)
Their children, Cain and Able knew what was expected of them. God never asks us to do things that He has not already specified in his word or through prayer. Able believed God and by faith in who God says He is, he brought a spotless lamb from his flock. Cain brought crops to the Lord. God gave him another opportunity to bring a more excellent offering to the Lord but he didn’t have faith in God to do so. (Genesis 4:6)
Faith is believing. Faith is obedience. Faith is walking forward even when we cannot see the way. Able didn’t know the outcome of his faith. He knew the object of his faith. Able followed the example of his heavenly Father and sacrificed unto the Lord, the best firstborn from his flock.
Cain could have paid his brother for a lamb, using his crops. He chose not to do what God had laid out.
A more excellent sacrifice. How do you and I relate to this? Do we give God our time, worship, praise, tithe, and lives? Do we give to Him the first things or the leftovers? How should we stack up? Able is our example and like the Word of God says, “…through it he being dead still speaks.” The NLT says, “Although Able is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith.
Wow. How do we measure?