Not many people understand about the life of Abel in the Bible. Although his life was simple—being a shepherd caring for animals—he had a prominent place in the Word of God that we can all learn from today.
So what can we learn from the life of Abel? Here are some things we may not have known about this little-known Bible character.
Abel is a biblical figure known from the Book of Genesis as the second son of Adam and Eve. He was a shepherd; his story is significant for his offering to God, favorably received over his brother Cain's offering. Abel's offering, consisting of the firstborn of his flock, demonstrated his faith and righteousness, earning God's approval (Genesis 4:4).
The favorable reception of Abel's offering incited jealousy and anger in Cain, leading to the first recorded instance of murder in the Bible, where Cain kills Abel (Genesis 4:8). This act marks Abel as the first martyr in biblical history, representing innocence and the vulnerability of the righteous.
Abel's death had profound theological implications, symbolizing the destructive power of sin and the need for redemption. His story is often contrasted with the sacrifice of Jesus, who, unlike Abel's blood, which cried out for vengeance (Genesis 4:10), shed His blood for forgiveness and reconciliation. Abel is mentioned in the New Testament as an example of faith and righteousness (Hebrews 11:4).
Abel was a shepherd and keeper of the flock (Genesis 4:2). He would, therefore, be often found out in the field tending his sheep. Abel would raise his flock and use his animals to sustain his own life, his family's, and his community's lives.
Cain and Abel offered sacrifices to the Lord. Cain, a keeper of the ground, offered the best of his ground provision. Abel offered the best of his flock to the Lord. However, God rejected Cain's offer but accepted Abel’s (Genesis 4:4-5).
Since God accepted Abel’s offering and rejected Cain’s own, Cain became angry. He carried vengeance in his heart for his brother Abel (Genesis 4:5). In time, Cain slew his brother, as seen in the scripture below.
“And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him” (Genesis 4:8 KJV).
After the murder of Abel, God visited Cain and enquired of him concerning his brother. Cain replied to God, “I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9 KJV).
Therefore, God pressed the matter further and asked Cain, “What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground” (Genesis 4:10 KJV).
God went on to further say, “And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand: When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth” (Genesis 4:11-12 KJV).
God went on to further put a mark on Cain that if anyone found and killed him, vengeance would be taken on that person sevenfold (Genesis 4:15).
Therefore, Cain was banished from his home and made to wander the earth for a while like a vagabond. However, God’s anger did not continue against Cain forever. Ultimately, God’s everlasting mercy was shown to Cain when the Lord found a dwelling place for him in the land of Nod (Genesis 4:16).
While dwelling in Nod, Cain built a city, got married, and fathered children, the first of which was his son, Enoch (Genesis 4:17).
The Bible says that after the death of Abel, Adam had a third son by the name of Seth (Genesis 5:3). After the birth of Seth, the Bible went on to say that Adam fathered other children (Genesis 5:4). It’s not clear how many other sons or daughters Adam fathered. So, no one knows for certain how many brothers Abel would have had. However, it is clear that when Abel was alive, he only had Cain as his brother since no other children were born to Adam yet.
1. God expects the best from us.
When God received the offerings of Cain and Abel, he rejected one and chose the other. Why did He reject Cain’s offering? It might not be because of anything wrong with Cain’s offering to the Lord. The problem had to do with Cain’s heart and attitude. The story’s significance is that Cain had evil in his heart all along, and when God rejected his offering, he was pushed to the limit and, therefore, did what was in his heart – committed murder.
As Christians, if we are to serve the Lord, we must always give Him everything, not just a part of us. Serving God with a half-committed life is not fully serving the Lord. God requires us to give Him our all at all times. When we give our best to God, He will reward us by showing us His blessings and mercies.
2. We must be careful of those who are jealous of us.
After God accepted the offering of Abel above that of his brother Cain, the devil entered Cain and caused him to hate his brother. This scenario—God blessing someone and others getting jealous—is not unusual. It happens today in the church and the world all the time. This should not be the case. Instead, we should rejoice whenever our brothers and sisters receive blessings from the Lord, knowing that our time will come as well when we, too, will enter into the blessings of heaven.
The story of Abel in the Bible is one we can always learn from. It reminds us of God’s desire for us to give Him our best.
3. We can always start afresh after failure.
After God banished Cain from His homeland, Cain settled at Nod, where he built a city, married, and fathered children. One might think his life would end after Cain killed his brother Abel. Yet, that was not the case. Although Cain carried the guilt of his brother’s death on his shoulder, he still could think straight and be industrious.
Scholars debate Cain’s motives for building a city. One could see it as Cain not letting his guilt keep him in bondage to the past, placing failure behind him to start a new life in the land of Nod.
On the other hand, Bible.org argues that Nod was a “place of wonderings.” If this statement is true, then Cain settling in Nod was him moving away from God, far away from his family.
Other scholars have suggested that Cain's building of the city was an act of rebellion. God condemned Cain to a wandering life, yet he built a city where he could dwell in one place. This act may show that Cain might have wanted to leave God out of his life.
Regardless of our view, we can say that moving elsewhere and starting a family gave Cain a second chance. He could start a new legacy by loving his family. Did he return to God or continue to draw farther away from the Father? Scripture does not give any details on what happened. But we still know he had the chance to start afresh, whether he used it well or not.
If we try to start afresh after experiencing failure and still don’t put the Lord first in our lives, we are missing the mark. We are asking for trouble. Trying to live our lives without God in it is cutting ourselves off from what is life-giving.
4. God will never keep holding a grudge against us.
After the murder of Abel, God made it clear to Cain that He was not pleased with his action and even punished Cain by removing him from his home and causing him to become a wanderer of the earth for a while. However, the Lord did not strike Cain dead or keep Cain from having a family. In that respect, he was merciful.
When we sin against the Lord, He will not allow His anger to continue forever. Although He hates sin, He is still a loving God and will forgive us when we come to Him. Sometimes, He might cause us to suffer the consequences of our actions. Yet, in the end, He lovingly gathers us to Himself, pardons our transgressions, and then puts us back on the right path.
God is the God of second chances. After we fail Him, instead of the Lord leaving us to wander the earth bearing our sins, He lovingly woes us back to Him. God will not leave us to bear our sins on our own. Instead, He remembers the shed blood of Christ for us on Calvary’s cross and therefore turns from His fierce anger towards us. God, therefore, will always be the God of second chances because He does not have it in His heart to banish us from the face of the earth because of our transgressions.
Photo Credit: Getty Images/gldburger
Lancelot Tucker is a book author and freelance writer who writes on a vast amount of topics. In addition, he serves as an associate pastor in his hometown, Spanish Town. Lancelot loves to do research and write, and is an avid reader of other authors' works. When not writing or reading, he spends his time reaching out to the less fortunate residing in his community.
This article is part of our People of Christianity catalog that features the stories, meaning, and significance of well-known people from the Bible and history. Here are some of the most popular articles for knowing important figures in Christianity:
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