Abel's Sacrifice

[micah7:9]

We read in Hebrews
Heb 11:4  by faith a better sacrifice did Abel offer to God than Cain, through which he was testified to be righteous, God testifying of his gifts, and through it, he being dead, doth yet speak.
And we read in Genesis

Gen 4:3  So it came to pass, after certain days, that Cain brought in of the fruit of the ground, a present to Yahweh:
Gen 4:4  Abel, also, even, he, brought in of the firstlings of his sheep, and of their fat, and Yahweh approved of Abel and of his present;

What was Abel's "sacrifice?"

[jabcat]

Apparently differing views on this.  As Gomer Pyle said, "surprise, surprise, surprise!". 

The one that rings true to me, though I'm probably missing something and there are probably several different "layers" to this (first fruits for example);  Abel's sacrifice had to do with the shedding of blood, and was a foreshadow of Christ's perfect sacrifice.  Signifying what was to come. 

:dontknow: for sure, just seems like that "taps into" something...

[jabcat]

Re-reading your OP, yeah, getting specifically at the "sacrifice" piece;  he gave his best, the first fruits of what he had to offer?  (which could still be foreshadowing Yashua's death for us).

[sheila]

 :thumbsup:

   another consideration....that Abel also as an innocent was slayed. Gave God his best and was slayed for it...thinking of the 'seed' of the woman here...

   enmity between the woman's 'seed' and the 'serpents'.   Typifying the 'lamb' slain.

     

[Texas Son]

In Leviticus we have 5 sacrifices. They are the Burnt Offering for our acceptance before God, the Meat Offering for our acceptance before man, the Peace offering for our reconciliation to God, The Sin offering to atone for the source of our sin, and the Trespass offering to atone for the fruit of the sin source.

The first two cover Cain and Abel. The life is in the blood. The life is what belongs to God. The grain is what God gave to man after the fall "By the sweat of your face, you will eat bread".

Cain gave out of order. He gave of the offering of the earth, the natural. Abel gave of the life because he understood that the life belonged to God.

[micah7:9]

:thumbsup:

   another consideration....that Abel also as an innocent was slayed. Gave God his best and was slayed for it...thinking of the 'seed' of the woman here...

   enmity between the woman's 'seed' and the 'serpents'.   Typifying the 'lamb' slain.

   

"Abel also as an innocent was slayed."

Yes, Abel was the sacrifice.
In Heb. 11 by faith a better sacrifice. Paul realized that it was not the offerings or gifts that the two brought, but that it was the sacrifice that Abel gave.
Sacrifice, means something slaughtered. In Gen. 4:3-4 it was a offering or present, nothing was slain, the "fat" means the best of the flock.
I suggest we have to understand that without the sacrifice of Abel there would be no moving forward in the purpose and plan of God.
There must always be a negative cause to bring forth a positive. Or a positive cause to bring forth a negative.
Abel's sacrifice was his faith to know that his death would bring forth good. At least that is how I have been given to understand.

[sheila]

 Tex....really appreciate your contribution :thumbsup:  :thumbsup:

[micah7:9]

In Leviticus we have 5 sacrifices. They are the Burnt Offering for our acceptance before God, the Meat Offering for our acceptance before man, the Peace offering for our reconciliation to God, The Sin offering to atone for the source of our sin, and the Trespass offering to atone for the fruit of the sin source.

The first two cover Cain and Abel. The life is in the blood. The life is what belongs to God. The grain is what God gave to man after the fall "By the sweat of your face, you will eat bread".

Cain gave out of order. He gave of the offering of the earth, the natural. Abel gave of the life because he understood that the life belonged to God.

Are saying that Abel's "offering-present" was a blood sacrifice? Is so I have found no proof that Abel slaughtered his "offering-present." Can you explain that? Or are you assuming that there was blood involved?

[CHB]

The way I understand this is, Cain tried to please God by his own works. He tilled the ground, worked to raise the sacrifice. WORKS. God provided the sacrifice that Abel gave. GRACE. We still do this today, try to please God by our own works.

CHB

[micah7:9]

The way I understand this is, Cain tried to please God by his own works. He tilled the ground, worked to raise the sacrifice. WORKS. God provided the sacrifice that Abel gave. GRACE. We still do this today, try to please God by our own works.

CHB

Yes, "Cain tried to please God by his own works. He tilled the ground,"  CHB
And that was the very offering that God had had said was unworthy.

Gen 3:17 And to the human He says, "As you hearken to the voice of your wife, and are eating from the tree of which alone I instruct you, saying not eat shall you from it, cursed shall be the ground when you serve it, for your sakes. In grief shall you eat of it all the days of your lives.And t

Gen 3:18 thorns and weeds shall it sprout for you, and you shall eat the herbage of the field.

Gen 3:19 In the sweat of your face shall you eat your bread, till your return to the ground, for from it are you taken, for soil you are, and to soil are you returning.

As today man attempts to please God with the fruits of mans labors. It does not work.

[Molly]

And without faith it is impossible to please God
--Heb 11:6

[micah7:9]

And without faith it is impossible to please God
--Heb 11:6

AMEN! :bigGrin: :thumbsup:

[WhiteWings]

The way I understand this is, Cain tried to please God by his own works. He tilled the ground, worked to raise the sacrifice. WORKS. God provided the sacrifice that Abel gave. GRACE. We still do this today, try to please God by our own works.

CHB

I've a bit of a back log replying to posts. Today you are the (un)lucky one CHB  :laugh:

Gen 4:4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect to Abel and to his offering:


Abel offered the 'first fruits' of the flock. As I will show Cain did the opposite, he offered 'old fruits' or 'last fruits'. And that was what was wrong. God only accepts the first of something.



Gen 4:3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering to the LORD.
Gen 4:3 And coming is it, at the end of days, that bringing is Cain, from the fruit of the ground, a present offering to Yahweh.

[jugghead]

The way I understand this is, Cain tried to please God by his own works. He tilled the ground, worked to raise the sacrifice. WORKS. God provided the sacrifice that Abel gave. GRACE. We still do this today, try to please God by our own works.

CHB

I've a bit of a back log replying to posts. Today you are the (un)lucky one CHB  :laugh:

Gen 4:4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect to Abel and to his offering:


Abel offered the 'first fruits' of the flock. As I will show Cain did the opposite, he offered 'old fruits' or 'last fruits'. And that was what was wrong. God only accepts the first of something.



Gen 4:3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering to the LORD.
Gen 4:3 And coming is it, at the end of days, that bringing is Cain, from the fruit of the ground, a present offering to Yahweh.

WhiteWings ..... but even the "process of time" can be viewed in Cains example as he had to wait for the fruit to grow before he could offer them, he had no choice but to wait (but, I do agree with you in what you say, old compared to new{born})

whereas with Abel the first fruits are the animals that were born were the offering (new born)

but, what I "can see" in these examples is that we are not to grow in our understanding of His written word and then offer ourselves to God (as many children in the church do), rather we offer ourselves to God first and we grow in His understandings of His written word 

and the fact of the difference in "what grew from the ground" and then was offered compared to "what grew in the womb" and then was offered

which I can also see as ..... what grows out of the mind (ground) compared to what grows out of the heart (womb)

because now, we take from our treasures old and new ..... and the new (a new understanding) changes our perspective of the old (an old understanding), because even the concept of "eye for an eye" is better understood now IMO as 'life for Life", an exchange of an "old eye" for a "new eye"

my  :2c:

[WhiteWings]

I just posted two different translations to show, the Hebrew is translated differently.

The second one is much closer to the Hebrew. -> End of something.

Then the very next verse we read 'first' which seems to show a contrast.
Everywhere in Scripture produce offerings are 'first', not 'at the end of growing up' or something like that.

and the fact of the difference in "what grew from the ground" and then was offered compared to "what grew in the womb" and then was offered

That's a very problematic understanding.

a] What I wrote is about the literal meaning, all sorts of deeper meaning don't answer any of it.

b] What you trying to show conflicts Scripture. Produce sacrifices are very important and into detail they are discussed in for example Leviticus. But you try to make them sound 'evil', 'second rate' or otherwise not so good.
May I remind you Jesus was called First Fruits. For me it's simple, if Jesus has a certain title it's not just ok, no it's perfect.
God not only accepted but demanded produce sacrifices. Would God demand unclean things?

c] Psalm 139:13-15 is problematic for your view as it seems to equate womb and earth.

[jugghead]

I apologize for any misunderstanding WhiteWings

Blessings Brother

[darryl]

The way I understand this is, Cain tried to please God by his own works. He tilled the ground, worked to raise the sacrifice. WORKS. God provided the sacrifice that Abel gave. GRACE. We still do this today, try to please God by our own works.

CHB

Yes, "Cain tried to please God by his own works. He tilled the ground,"  CHB
And that was the very offering that God had had said was unworthy.

Gen 3:17 And to the human He says, "As you hearken to the voice of your wife, and are eating from the tree of which alone I instruct you, saying not eat shall you from it, cursed shall be the ground when you serve it, for your sakes. In grief shall you eat of it all the days of your lives.And t

Gen 3:18 thorns and weeds shall it sprout for you, and you shall eat the herbage of the field.

Gen 3:19 In the sweat of your face shall you eat your bread, till your return to the ground, for from it are you taken, for soil you are, and to soil are you returning.

As today man attempts to please God with the fruits of mans labors. It does not work.

good point !