F.E. Marsh :: 1. Abel

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MANWARD, the Bible is a history of the children of God and the children of the Wicked One. As there are to be seen near Interlaken, in Switzerland, two streams which run into each other, the one a dirty colour, and the other a blue colour; so the two seeds are plainly distinguished in the Word of God. The saved and the unsaved. The justified and the condemned. The sheltered and the exposed, as the Israelites and the Egyptians in Egypt. The righteous and the unrighteous, as Cain and Abel. Abel is the man of faith, and Cain is the man of unbelief.

Abel, the Man of Faith. Faith in God is the indicator that tells out a man’s attitude towards Him. Three C’s sum up the life of faith, namely, confidence in God, consecration to God, and communion with God.

1. The Man of Faith acts according to God’s Word. “By faith Abel offered,” &c. (Heb. 11:4). Presumption always acts upon its own authority, as in the case of the Egyptians when they would cross the bed of the Red Sea. Faith is guided by God’s utterance; from this we may infer that God had made known His will as to the manner in which He was to be approached.
2. The Man of Faith is regarded by God (Genesis 4:4). The word “respect” is rendered “regard” in Exodus 5:9. We might, therefore, translate the words, “The Lord had regard,” &c. The Lord took special notice of Abel and his offering by looking upon them with delight. Christ is the One who is well-pleasing to God (Matt. 3:17), and in Him the believer is accepted (Eph 1:6).
3. The Man of Faith is envied by others (Genesis 4:4). Cain would not bring the right offering himself, and he was envious of Abel, who did as God directed. It is the old story of the dog in the manger. The dog cannot eat the hay, nor will he allow the cow, who can.
4. The Man of Faith condemns the unrighteous (1 John 3:12). If there is anything that rouses the enmity in the natural heart, it is when one acts in such a way as to condemn another. This was the cause of the hatred and malice of the Jews against the Lord Jesus. The clear, holy light of His life condemned the dark uncleanness of their conduct.
5. The Man of Faith is noted by God (see Matt. 23:35; Luke 11:51; Heb. 11:4; 12:24; 1 John 3:12). No one can touch the man of faith without God making special note of it, for believers are His special treasure, and are as dear to Him as the apple of the eye to a person. Besides, the man of faith is regarded, as he is obedient, with the love of complacency by God.