In Hebrews 11:4-40 Paul
gives examples of faith among the Old Testament believers: before the flood
(vv. 4-7), from the flood to Moses (vv. 8-29), from Moses to the prophets,
kings and judges (vv. 30-40). In this fourth verse the Holy Spirit draws our
attention to Cain and Abel, the first sons born to Adam and Eve after the fall.
In these two the world's two religions are pictured—Freewill or free grace— Salvation by Christ or salvation by works (Gen. 4:3-5). Cain believed, as all the fallen sons of Adam do until God saves them by his grace, that man’s acceptance with God is determined by something he does. Abel believed God. He trusted Christ. He looked for acceptance by grace, by the merits of Christ. Cain was a will worshipper. Abel worshipped God. Cain believed man must do his part, or God cannot do his part. Abel believed “Salvation is of the Lord!” Abel, being one of God’s elect, rejoiced in electing love and free grace. Cain despised God’s grace and God’s Sacrifice, because he despised God, though he pretended to worship him.
Abel brought a blood sacrifice to God because he believed God! By nature he was no better than Cain; but his sacrifice was better than Cain’s, because his sacrifice typified and pointed to Christ. It was a lamb, the firstling of the flock. It was slain. Its blood was poured out before the Lord.
"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.” True saving faith receives
the witness of righteousness before God, the witness of the Spirit that we
stand righteous before God by blood atonement.
Abel was not righteous by his sacrifice, nor by his
faith, but by the righteousness of Christ, to which his faith and sacrifice
looked. Through faith, by trusting Christ crucified (represented in the
sacrifice), he obtained, or received a witness in his own conscience, by the
Spirit of God, testifying that he was a justified person, righteous before God.
Therefore he is called “righteous Abel” in the Book of God (Matt.
23:35).
Cain's offering was one of his own works, a bushel of
turnips, (You can’t get blood out of a turnip!), raised by his own hands. It
had no reference to Christ at all.
“He being dead yet speaketh!” – Abel is dead. Yet, his faith and the example of it speak loudly. Believers today receive witness of righteousness before God in exactly the same way Abel did. As we believe God, we have the witness of God the Holy Spirit, by his Word, that we are righteous (totally, completely righteous before God) by the blood of Christ (John 16:8-11; Rom. 8:16; Heb. 9:12-14; 1 John 5:7-13).