Abel in the Bible/"He, Although He Died, Yet Speaks"

ABEL looked at his flock of sheep grazing peacefully on the hillside. Then, perhaps he looked far beyond his sheep to a spot in the distance where he could just make out a faint glow. He knew that right there a flaming blade was turning, ever turning, blocking the way into the garden of Eden. His parents once lived there, but neither they nor their children could enter now. Imagine the late afternoon breeze ruffling Abel's hair as he turned his gaze upward and thought about his Creator.  Would the breach between man and God ever be healed?  Abel wanted nothing more than that. 

Abel speaks to you today. Can you hear him?  You might say that such a thing is impossible. After all, this second son of Adam died a long time ago.  His remains are long lost, mingled with the dust of nearly 60 centuries.  Regarding the dead, the Bible teaches us;  "They are conscious of nothing at all."  (Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10)  Further, Abel never uttered a single word that is recorded in the Bible. So how can he speak to us?

The apostle Paul was inspired to say this about Abel:  "Through it he, although he died, yet speaks." (Read Hebrews 11:4)  Through what does Abel speak?  Through faith. Abel was the first human ever to develop that sterling quality. So powerfully did he demonstrate faith that his example is alive, a vibrant standard that we can apply today. If  we learn from his faith and seek to imitate it, then the record of Abel is speaking to us in a very real and effective way. 

What, though, can we learn of Abel and his faith when so little is said about him in the Bible?  Let us see.

Next time: Abel in the Bible/"He, Although He Died, Yet Speaks - Growing Up in the Time of "the Founding of the World

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