"You received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God. "
1 Thessalonians 4:1
FAITH'S BEST
Read It: Genesis 4:1-4; Hebrews 11:4 When the author of Hebrews says he's going to talk about the "men of old," he isn't kidding. He goes back almost to the very beginning, to the second child born into this world-Abel, the son of Adam and Eve. We learn real quick that Abel was a man of faith, while his older brother Cain was a man of sight. We see that from their offerings because Abel brought what God required. Cain brought what would look good in a fruit basket. Of course, the primary way we know these things is that God accepted Abel's sacrifice and rejected Cain's. What we have here is an issue of faith and obedience. God had revealed to Adam's family that worship was important. We know that because they worshiped. They must have had a place for worship because the sons brought their offerings to a place. We also know that they had a time for worship-"in the course of time" or at the appointed time (v. 3).
So both Cain and Abel went to the appointed place at the appointed time. But only one offering was acceptable to God. Abel brought the kind of offering God wanted. He brought a blood offering. Abel sacrificed a sheep from his flock. That means the boys had learned from their mother and father "how [they] ought to walk and please God." They knew blood was the only way by which God would forgive sin. "Without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness" (Hebrews 9:22). But only Abel acted in faith on what he had learned. A blood sacrifice would be costly, but Abel knew it was what God wanted, and he was willing ing to give his best. Cain simply went out into his field, found some of his produce, picked it, and brought it. It was really leftovers. Didn't cost him much. A couple of apples out of a bushel don't amount to much. Abel brought the best of his flock. He brought the choicest. He offered God a sacrifice of faith, and because of it God is still talking about Abel! Think About It Wouldn't it be great to have the kind of faith God bragged about? You can have it-but only by giving Him your best, not your leftovers.
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