Hebrews - Cain, Abel and Enoch

Hebrews 11:4: "By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh." The record is given in Genesis 4.

Cain and Abel are born to Adam and Eve, and we read in Genesis 4:3: "And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell."

"And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. 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. And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper? And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand."

Whenever people get together and discuss the mess that the world is in, somebody usually has an explanation and a suggestion on how to solve the problem. Someone says the whole problem is heredity—people are born of the wrong parents—and yet Cain and Abel had the same parents. Cain was a murderer, Abel was a believer.

Someone else says the environment is the problem. Well, both of these boys grew up in the same environment, and they were very close to Paradise. Sin had not yet brought its ravaging results on the earth, and yet Cain was a murderer and Abel was a believer.

Someone else says, "Well, the problem is economics; people just don't work." Well, Cain was a worker, a laborer, he toiled in the field; Abel was a laborer, he worked with his flocks and herds. Both of them were hard workers, apparently, and yet Cain was a murderer and Abel was a believer.

Someone else said, "Well, the great need is religion; if people could just go to church and have a religion of some kind, it would solve the world's problems." I would remind you that Cain and Abel were both religious. Cain was not a righteous man saved by faith, but he was a religious man. Both of them came to the altar, both of them brought their gifts to God, and yet Cain was a murderer and Abel was a believer.

You see, the most important thing about a man is not where he was born or to what parents he was born or how he was brought up as far as environment is concerned, or what he belongs to as far as religion is concerned. The most important thing is: what does he believe? The emphasis in Hebrews 11 is on faith. Faith is the essential thing—and not just faith in anything, faith in the living God. Abel’s faith made a martyr out of him, but Cain’s unbelief made a murderer and a liar out of him.

Now, what kind of faith does God want us to have? I think Abel illustrates here the characteristics of the kind of faith that God honors and that God wants us to have. To begin with, Abel had saving faith. He is called "righteous Abel" in Matthew 23:35. Our Lord Jesus says this: "That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias." So, Abel was a righteous man.

You see, Abel needed salvation. He was born into the family of Adam, and Adam had fallen into sin. It's interesting to note that Abel had faith in the blood. I know that there are those who say that blood sacrifices had not been instituted yet, but I would remind you that in the book of Genesis, God killed animals to clothe Adam and Eve, Genesis 3:21.

We are told in Romans 10:17 that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. If Abel was a man of faith, it's because he heard the word of God. What word did he hear? The word concerning sacrifice. I believe that when God killed the animals to clothe Adam and Eve, God explained that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. Apart from the fact that blood is shed, there can be no cleansing.

Now, Cain rejected this. In Jude 11, this is called "the way of Cain." Cain was a religious man but not a righteous man. He was a man who brought his offering to God but didn't give his heart to God. He believed that by the labor of his own hands he could be saved.

All the way through Hebrews 11, the emphasis is on the blood. Abel brought the sacrifice of blood. Noah, when the flood was over, offered sacrifices of blood. Abraham built altars. Moses killed the Passover lamb, applying the blood to the door. Rahab put that scarlet line out the window, a picture of salvation through the blood.

There was a second characteristic to Abel's faith: he had sacrificing faith. He was a worshiper, not just a believer. Faith and worship go together. In Hebrews 11:6, we are told, "Without faith it is impossible to please him God: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." Abel diligently sought the Lord. He wanted to enjoy the Lord, he wanted to please the Lord, and he came to the altar and brought his sacrifice. He brought his very best to the Lord.

You see, everything that we do in the life of faith begins with saving faith and continues with sacrificing faith. Worship helps us to walk with God; worship helps us to work for God; worship helps us to wait upon God. Jesus said, "God is Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth."

To worship God means to open my whole life to Him, to give my best to Him, to bring my prayer and my praise to Him. "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."

Abel had saving faith and Abel had sacrificing faith. I notice thirdly that Abel had suffering faith. He died because of his faith. He was the first martyr. The word "martyr" in our English language comes from the Greek word which means "a witness." There are some people who witness through their lips, and that's important. There are some who witness through their lives; that's also important. There are some who are called upon to witness by their death, and Abel was one of these.

In Hebrews 11, I can find named only three unbelievers. Everybody else named in Hebrews 11, as far as I can understand, are believers. Pharaoh is mentioned with reference to Moses, Esau is mentioned with reference to Jacob, and Cain is mentioned with reference to Abel. I think there's a parallel here.

Pharaoh was the ruler of Egypt, a picture of the world. Esau was a man of the flesh; for a mess of pottage, he sold his spiritual blessing. And Cain was a child of the devil; 1 John 3:12 tells us that he was of that wicked one. Here you have the world, the flesh, and the devil: Pharaoh, Esau, and Cain. These are the great enemies of faith.

And Cain came and killed Abel. It’s the conflict between faith and unbelief. You must keep in mind that Cain was not a believer. Cain was an unbeliever. In fact, 1 John 3:12 tells us he was a child of the devil. Verse 12: "Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous."

You see, Cain was a liar and he was a murderer. He lied to God and said, "I don't know anything about my brother. Am I my brother's keeper?" And he murdered his brother. In John 8:44, Jesus talks about the devil, doesn't He? And He says he's a liar and he's a murderer. You become like the father who begot you. And Cain was a child of the devil, and therefore Cain was a murderer and he was a liar because Satan is a liar and a murderer.

Abel had suffering faith. He gave his life for that which he believed. He lived to please God and not to please the world.

Finally, we note that Abel also had speaking faith. Abel received God’s approval. God bore witness to him that he was righteous, and now even today, Abel is speaking to us, "and by it he being dead yet speaketh." Over in Hebrews 12:24, we have a significant statement about the speaking blood of Abel. We come "to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel."

Now, Abel’s blood cried out from the earth, but the blood of Jesus Christ speaks from heaven. Abel’s blood cried out for judgment, but the blood of Jesus Christ speaks of grace. Abel’s blood resulted in Cain being driven away in despair as a murderer and a liar and a child of the devil, but the blood of Jesus Christ opens the way for us to approach to God. The blood of Abel speaks of death, but the blood of Jesus Christ speaks not only of death but of eternal life.

You see, when Cain killed Abel, Cain closed the door upon his future enjoyment of God. We never read that Cain ever apologized, confessed his sin, asked for forgiveness. He didn't say, "My sin is too much for me to bear." He said, "My punishment is too much for me to bear." He was concerned only about the consequences of his sin and not the basic root and pollution of his sin.

The blood of Abel is speaking blood. His faith is speaking faith. Faith cannot be hidden. Here is a man who even after his death is still speaking to the glory of God. The difference between Cain and Abel was not hereditary; it was heavenly. I recommend to you this kind of faith: saving faith, sacrificing faith, suffering faith, speaking faith. "He being dead yet speaketh."

Let's think together about the man who never died. His name is Enoch, and the record is given in Hebrews 11:5-6. "By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

Genesis 5 gives us additional information about this man Enoch, Genesis 5:21: "And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him."

And then the little book of Jude 14-15: "And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him."

Enoch was an interesting man, and Enoch is listed along with the other great believers in Hebrews 11 because he had a unique experience. Enoch lived in difficult times. These were the days right before the flood. The whole world was filled with violence and corruption. And yet, in the midst of those evil days before the flood, Enoch was able to walk with God and keep his life clean.

Now, I believe we are living in evil days just before the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. I believe that God is being very patient with this world. We are living in a worldwide sewer, and the filth of the nations must be a stench in the nostrils of God. Is it possible for us to live clean lives in a dirty world? The answer is yes, and Enoch shows us how it’s possible to keep clean in a dirty world.

What were the resources that Enoch had at his disposal that enabled him to live a clean life in a dirty world? Well, his first resource of course was that he believed God. He believed God. He was a man of faith. The suggestion is given in Genesis 5 that it was the birth of the baby boy that precipitated this man's faith. Moses says in Genesis 5:22: "And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years."

There's something about the birth of a baby that awakens spiritual interest in the lives of people. They realize, "Here we have a child to raise. Here we have a young life to guide." And they say, "Pastor, would you help us? We want to be more spiritual. I want to be a spiritual father, a spiritual mother to this child."

The word of God came to Enoch. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God, and Enoch believed the word of God. The indication seems to be that God said to Enoch, "Now, this baby that was born, Methuselah—when he dies, judgment is going to come."

If you'll calculate the various dates that are given there in Genesis 5, you'll discover that this is exactly what happened: that the year that Methuselah died was the year that the flood came. No wonder Enoch prophesied or preached, "Behold, the Lord cometh to execute judgment upon all."

And notice the emphasis on that word "ungodly": to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. He believed God, and believing God, he was rescued from that wrath that came.

I believe that Enoch is a picture to us of the church. We are living in a godless world, and we are surrounded by people who don't believe the way we believe and don't behave the way we believe. And yet one day we are going to be taken to be with the Lord just as Enoch was. His resource was faith; he believed God.

Secondly, he walked with God. Now, in order to walk with God, you have to agree with God. "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" Amos 3:3. You can't argue with God and walk with God. You can't doubt God's word and walk with God. And it wasn't easy for him to walk with God because the Cainite civilization was prospering. Cain had turned his back on God, built a city, built a great civilization. People said to Enoch, "You know, you're a fool. Everybody else is prospering and successful, and here you are living this separated life."

He believed God, he walked with God, and thirdly, he pleased God. He had this testimony, says Hebrews 11:5, that he pleased God. Now, you can live to please yourself if you want to, or you can live to please the world, or you can live to please God. Whatever glorifies Jesus Christ pleases God. "Without faith it is impossible to please him." Hebrews 11:6. Whatever is done by faith pleases God.

In John 8:29, our Lord said, "The Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him." Jesus lived to please God. Now, if you walk in the flesh, you cannot please God. Romans 8:8: "So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." Ephesians 6:6 tells us we should do the will of God from the heart.

Enoch believed God, and Enoch walked with God, and Enoch pleased God. Finally, Enoch went home to be with God. You see, Enoch lived in the future tense. God had spoken to Enoch because that's where faith comes from—faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. And God had told Enoch that judgment was going to come.

As Enoch walked with God, he witnessed for God. He gave witness that God was going to judge sin. Enoch was one of the few witnesses in that wicked, wicked world. The others of course were Noah and his family. Can you imagine, here is Enoch standing alone, trying to raise this baby, Methuselah, and he knows that when the year that Methuselah dies, judgment's going to come? And yet Enoch never saw that judgment. He went home to be with God.

Enoch is a picture to us of the rapture of God's people. Well, Enoch walked with God and went home to be with God. He was translated. Now, the word "translated" means "carried across." The same idea is given in Colossians 1:13: "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son." When you were saved, God carried you across from the kingdom of the devil into the kingdom of God. You have been translated spiritually; now one day we shall be translated physically. One day we shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air.

Many people feel that with Enoch and Noah, we have sort of a dual picture. Noah went through that judgment and came out on the other side and established the new earth there. Enoch was raptured before the judgment. There are going to be those who are going to be saved during the tribulation period, and they'll be saved through the tribulation period and they'll be carried through safe on the other side.

I believe that those of us who belong to the church—I mean by that the body of Christ, not just a local assembly—those of us who belong to Jesus Christ are going to be carried away home before judgment falls. We have been saved from the wrath to come. God has not appointed us to judgment, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we might live together with Him.

One of the things that kept Enoch clean was looking forward to meeting God. Enoch lived in the future tense. And when he was tempted by that civilization and culture around him, he just simply said, "No, no. I'm going to heaven. I'm going to be with God someday. This is not the kind of thing I want to do." Here then are the spiritual resources that we can draw upon if we're going to keep our lives clean in this dirty, filthy world. We must believe God. That's what Enoch did. By faith, he believed God.

Now believe God, and walk with God; separate yourself from that which is evil. And live to please God. You can't always please men, but you can please God, and God is not hard to live with. And then keep before you the promise that you're going to go home to be with God. "In my Father's house are many mansions," said the Lord. "I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." John 14:2-3.