In the beginning

Genesis 1:1

1 In the beginning God ………

Genesis 4:2: Now Abel was a keeper of sheep,

By examining the above passage, we find that Abel was a shepherd. Abel means “vapor” or “breath” – something that is here today and gone tomorrow. That’s why he was short lived. A shepherd is committed to a flock and the one responsible for guiding the sheep, protecting them, and attending to their needs. So, to serve as a shepherd means to demonstrate commitment to the well-being of other people. It involves watching out for them, helping them, and teaching them. Abel was the first shepherd of the Bible.

God delegated Adam to name all the animals in which sheep is one of the domesticated animal that Adam named. This is mentioned in Genesis 2:20. In Christ’s teachings, shepherds love their sheep and try to earn their trust. The sheep know, love, and trust the shepherd above all others. A good shepherd will even die for his sheep. When the time came to offer sacrifice, the scripture simply says that Cain brought an offering of the fruit. Meaning it was not the first fruit of Cain’s crop. Cain ate the first fruit and brought the remaining to offer it to God.

We see Abel, as a sheep keeper brought the firstborn of his flock and offered it to God. Many of us are like Cain today. We always want to have the first thing in our lives and the remaining we offer it to the Lord. Abel as a shepherd learned to seek God first in his life. That is the reason he was able to offer the firstborn from his flock to God. This shows how much he loved God. If we love God more than anything, then it becomes much easier to give up the things of this world or the things that we love the most. Cain, in his case shows that he did not love God just for the simple fact that he loved himself more than God. He gave the crumbs to God rather than the first fruit. That is the reason why God did not accept Cain’s offerings. It is very important to know how we choose to serve the Lord. If we serve the Lord with the leftovers then God will not accept our offerings. The heart needs to be in the right place in order to serve the Lord. We need the mind and likeness of shepherd Abel who did not hesitate to offer the firstborn to the living God. (Cont’d)

May our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ bless us all!

Maranatha!