Abel's Great Act of Faith

The stories of righteous men and women might fill a city library. The stories of unrighteous men and women would fill a city of libraries. As God begins to tells us the story of faithful men he begins with Abel the son of Adam and Eve, the younger brother of Cain. Now notice something right away. You might consider this chapter a record of great deeds done by people of faith, Noah building an Arc, Abraham leaving his home land for a land of promise, Moses leading people of Israel out of bondage in Egypt, battles fought and won by faith, miracles wrought by faith and other such heroic acts. If you were to give example of some great activities carried out by people of good faith what might you list? Those who went off to foreign and hostile lands to proclaim the gospel… people who overcame great temptations or overcame cultural giants… those who did some great and good deed of what is true and right that has proved a blessing to this day... Those who framed our constitution… some doctor who discovered a lifesaving medical treatment… those who have shed their blood in a battle for our freedom? All well and good.

But when God begins to list the activities carried on by faithful people at the top of the list is the man who brought forward the first great good for the human race. That man is Abel. The good that he carried out? He brought a little new born lamb to God and sacrificed it before Him. The first great and good deed of faith noted among the annals of the human race was the offering in sacrifice of that lamb to God. Why?