As Trillia Newbell noted in her study entitled A Great Cloud of Witnesses: A Study of Those Who Lived by Faith, God wasn’t pleased with Cain’s offering because it wasn’t a sacrificial offering. Cain offered the leftovers rather than the first fruits. Abel’s offering, however, was a sign of his faith—it was sacrificial.
Abel lived a short life—one that, looking on from a distance, would seem too tragic for anything good to come of it. He was the first person murdered in the Old Testament, and he died a senseless death at the hands of his own brother. But in his short life, Abel leaves us a legacy of faith. His faithful sacrifice is written for us to remember; his faith still speaks to us today. And it is noted that God counted Abel as righteous because of his faith (Hebrews 11:4).
Most of us will only be remembered by our immediate family—but we can leave a legacy of faith. May our faith still speak, even if only to our immediate family.
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