Abel was the first martyr for the truth, who suffered because he did what he knew to be right in spiritual matters, based on God’s revealed will. Although he earned the enmity of his faithless brother, he did obtain God’s approval, Heb. 11. 4.
Cain kept silent about his brother’s death, but Abel’s innocent blood cried out from the ground to God Himself for justice, causing Cain’s cursing even ‘from the earth, which opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood at thy hand’, 4. 10-11.
Abel’s shed blood stood for that which would have to be avenged, rightly crying out for vengeance, Matt. 23. 35; Luke 11. 51, but the blood of the New Covenant, that of the Lord Jesus, is so much better, since it cries out for forgiveness for those who trust Him, even though they, like Cain, deserve God’s condemnation; cf. Heb. 12. 24.
Although not a single word of Abel’s is recorded in Scripture, ‘he being dead yet speaketh’, Heb. 11. 4. The Bible indeed tells us that it was ‘Cain who talked with Abel his brother’ in the field, Gen. 4. 8, so we do not even have any indirect reference to him speaking. However, what an outstanding, continuing testimony he now has, and this because of his faith, for by it he obtained God’s own witness that he was righteous, Heb. 11. 4.
Being the first shepherd, Abel prefigured so many after him who learned to have a caring heart for sheep. David and later the Lord Jesus Christ are both described in this way, showing that the characteristics of a ‘good shepherd’ began to be shown in this man of faith, see 2 Sam. 5. 2; John 10. 11, 14; also Ezek. 34. 23.
We can build up a picture of Abel as a quiet man with a deep conviction about spiritual things, who had little in common with his brother, but who was prepared to do what he thought was right, whatever the cost. Before he was murdered he would probably have had to live with the continual displeasure of his brother, and those must have been difficult times; no doubt he defended his faith to his unbelieving brother, leaving us a good example.
