The Blood of Righteous Abel (Genesis chapter 4)

“Now Adam had sexual relations with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant. When she gave birth to Cain, she said: “I have produced a male child with the help of Jehovah.” 2 Later she again gave birth, to his brother Abel.

Abel became a shepherd of the flock, but Cain became a cultivator of the ground. 3 After some time, Cain brought some fruits of the land as an offering to Jehovah. 4 But Abel brought some firstlings of his flock, including their fat. While Jehovah looked with favor on Abel and on his offering, 5 he did not look with any favor on Cain and on his offering. So Cain grew hot with anger and was dejected. 6 Then Jehovah said to Cain: “Why are you so angry and dejected? 7 If you turn to doing good, will you not be restored to favor? But if you do not turn to doing good, sin is crouching at the door, and its craving is to dominate you; but will you get the mastery over it?”

8 After that Cain said to his brother Abel: “Let us go over into the field.” So while they were in the field, Cain assaulted his brother Abel and killed him. 9 Later on, Jehovah said to Cain: “Where is your brother Abel?” and he said: “I do not know. Am I my brother’s guardian?” 10 At this He said: “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground. 11 And now you are cursed in banishment from the ground that has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you cultivate the ground, it will not give you back its produce. You will become a wanderer and a fugitive in the earth.” 13 At this Cain said to Jehovah: “The punishment for my error is too great to bear. 14 Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your face; and I will become a wanderer and a fugitive on the earth, and anyone who finds me will certainly kill me.” 15 So Jehovah said to him: “For that reason, anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times.”

So Jehovah set up a sign for Cain in order that no one finding him would strike him. 16 Then Cain went away from before Jehovah and took up residence in the land of Exile, to the east of Eden.

17 Afterward Cain had sexual relations with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Then he engaged in building a city and named the city after his son Enoch. 18 Later Irad was born to Enoch. And Irad became father to Mehujael, and Mehujael became father to Methushael, and Methushael became father to Lamech.

19 Lamech took two wives for himself. The name of the first was Adah, and the name of the second was Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to Jabal. He was the founder of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. 21 His brother’s name was Jubal. He was the founder of all those who play the harp and the pipe. 22 Also, Zillah gave birth to Tubal-cain, who forged every sort of tool of copper and iron. And the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah. 23 Then Lamech composed these words for his wives Adah and Zilah:

“Hear my voice, you wives of Lamech;

Give ear to my saying:

A man I have killed for wounding me,

Yes, a young man for striking me.

24 If 7 times Cain is to be avenged,

Then Lamech 77 times.”

25 Adam again had sexual relations with his wife, and she gave birth to a son. She named him Seth because, as she said, “God has appointed for me another offspring in place of Abel, because Cain killed him.” 26 There was also born to Seth a son, and he named him Eʹnosh. At that time people began calling on the name of Jehovah” (Genesis chapter 4).

Jesus Christ designated Abel as a righteous man: “So that there may come upon you all the righteous blood spilled on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar” (Matthew 23:35). “The blood of righteous Abel”, like that of thousands of others, slain for their righteousness and integrity, cries out to God for vengeance: “They shouted with a loud voice, saying: “Until when, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, are you refraining from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”” (Apocalypse 6:10).

The apostle Paul wrote that Abel, shortly before his violent death, “he received the witness that he was righteous”: “By faith Abel offered God a sacrifice of greater worth than that of Cain, and through that faith he received the witness that he was righteous, for God approved his gifts, and although he died, he still speaks through his faith” (Hebrews 11:4) Jehovah God, the Heavenly Father, and his Son Jesus Christ, have caused that the blood of righteous Abel to bear witness of faith until this day, for 6,000 years.

***

The gist of his understanding of the Promise of God

“But Abel brought some firstlings of his flock, including their fat. While Jehovah looked with favor on Abel and on his offering, 5 he did not look with any favor on Cain and on his offering”

(Genesis 4:4)

Abel, it seems, understood the meaning of the message of this enigmatic promise of God: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your offspring and her offspring. He will crush your head, and you will strike him in the heel” (Genesis 3:15). Regarding the birth of the first son of Adam and Eve, Cain, and then his brother, Abel, it is written: “Now Adam had sexual relations with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant. When she gave birth to Cain, she said: “I have produced a male child with the help of Jehovah.” Later she again gave birth, to his brother Abel” (Genesis 4:1,2a). When Eve said, “I have produced a male child with the help of Jehovah”, maybe she thought that she was the symbolic woman of Genesis 3:15, and then, Cain was her main offspring. If it would be the case, then that would mean that Cain would have been raised in this perspective, making him a very important person, in the eyes of his parents, while his brother Abel would have grown up in his brother’s shadow. Concerning the birth of Abel, it is not mentioned any special statement from his mother. Putting the situation in this perspective, then we understand better why Cain took God’s approval of the sacrifice of his brother Abel as a real affront, a humiliation which led him to murder his brother.

It is written in the continuation of the narrative, that both of the brothers presented a sacrifice: “Abel became a shepherd of the flock, but Cain became a cultivator of the ground. After some time, Cain brought some fruits of the land as an offering to Jehovah. But Abel brought some firstlings of his flock, including their fat. While Jehovah looked with favor on Abel and on his offering, he did not look with any favor on Cain and on his offering. So Cain grew hot with anger and was dejected. Then Jehovah said to Cain: “Why are you so angry and dejected? If you turn to doing good, will you not be restored to favor? But if you do not turn to doing good, sin is crouching at the door, and its craving is to dominate you; but will you get the mastery over it?”” (Genesis 4:2b-7).

Before examining the two sacrifices presented by Cain and Abel, let us see where could he have presented this sacrifice? The most likely location is where the gates of Eden were, now closed to all humanity: “So he drove the man out, and he posted at the east of the garden of Eden the cherubs and the flaming blade of a sword that was turning continuously to guard the way to the tree of life” (Genesis 3:24). Indeed, the place where the sword was turning, between the two cherubs could well symbolically represent the presence of God, preventing the entrance to the Garden of Eden. It is interesting to note that on the cover of the Ark of the Covenant, there was also the representation of two cherubs facing each other and bowing towards its center, representing the presence of God, through the Shekinah, on it (Leviticus 16:2; Numbers 9:15,16).

Regarding the two sacrifices, it is precisely the kind of sacrifice of Abel that would demonstrate that he understood the main meaning the promise of God. In the narrative of Genesis, it is written, about the sacrifice of Cain, that he came with some vegetables which he presented on his altar. That was a bloodless offering, which shows about his lack of discernment. The continuation of events will demonstrate that he was not a spiritual man, but a physical man who was unable to control his feelings of jealousy, pushing him to commit murder. The sacrifice of Abel was bloody, he offered “some firstlings of his flock”. We can say that in terms of spiritual insight, Abel was far ahead of his time because this is exactly what Jehovah God would ask later, in the Mosaic Law (Exodus 13:12,13). The gist of Abel’s understanding of God’s promise (Genesis 3:15) is that to save humanity, it was necessary bloodshed, symbolized by the woman’s wound on his heel. And that the shedding of blood would be that of a man who was represented by the offering of the firstlings of his flock. Would, the fact that God later symbolized the sacrifice of his Firstborn Son by a lamb, be in memory of Abel’s faith and spiritual insight (John 1:29,35)?

Abel was a very spiritual and insightful man, unlike his murderer brother (1 Corinthians 2:14,15). According to Genesis 4:8–10, Abel had a sad end because he has been murdered by his brother. However, in the resurrection, he will have everlasting life, given to the righteous. Abel is a very good example of faith, fidelity and discernment. Jesus Christ said that Abel’s blood was “righteous blood” (Matthew 23:35). The apostle Paul cited him as first example of courageous man of faith, even unto death: “By faith Abel offered God a sacrifice of greater worth than that of Cain, and through that faith he received the witness that he was righteous, for God approved his gifts, and although he died, he still speaks through his faith” (Hebrews 11:4).

***