The Testimonies Of Cain And Abel And Enoch

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. 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 a rewarder

of them that diligently seek Him.

Hebrews 11:4-6

     The narrative in regards to Cain and Able, Enoch has been the cause of many discussions and yet seems to be hard to understand, and it is if we simply look at the narrative from our natural understanding. I do not claim to have a concrete answer but I will show what I have come to realize by looking at Scripture. Adam and Eve sinned, we all recognize that this is a fact and God was displeased with them. The world would now change sin had entered into the world especially the world of mankind and what was was no longer to be, as in the fact that Adam and Eve were naked without shame but now this too had changed. I can picture that Adam no longer looked upon Eve as before for it was she who had enticed Adam to eat of the forbidden fruit (I do not give Adam a pass for eating this fruit for he did not remain faithful to God), and now Eve was seeing herself differently in this relationship to her husband Adam (she was now seeing that she could be more like Adam and attempt to rule over him as she had done). Now, with this new view God gave them a wardrobe of skins from the death of animal: "Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them" (Genesis 3:21). Life was given to give what Adam and Eve now needed and it was God who gave that life. This was a demonstration that God would accept a sacrifice of a life killed as a sign of what He had done for them and pointed to a time when a sinless life, realize that an animal was sinless, would be given to fulfill the promise: "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman (speaking of Satan), and between thy seed (the seed of Satan) and her seed (Eve's seed); it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel (a death blow to Satan, and a harmful bruise that would not cause a permanent death as a bruise heals). Unto the woman He said, I will greatly multiply they sorrow and they conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and they desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee" (Genesis 3:15-16). 

      Having been thrown out and prevented from entering the Garden of Eden Adam was forced to "till" the ground to have substance for life. So, it was not wrong to be a tiller of the ground as Cain was yet it was not the fruit of the ground that God had shown was to point to the one who He would send to save them from their sins: it was shown to be a life for a life. After bearing Able he became a keeper of sheep and when time came to give a sacrifice to God showing his faith in God and in His promise, he killed a sheep and presented it as the correct sacrifice. Cain did not do this but as the first born he would have been told what God had done and what God required and yet this is not what he did, he wanted to do it his way and brought fruit and vegetables. The faith of Cain was misplaced and caused him to do that which was not pleasing to God. Now, Cain knowing that this was wrong had the opportunity to do that which was pleasing to God and ask Able for an animal to sacrifice but this is not what he did, he got mad, so mad towards Abel that he killed him. Abel showed faith in God, and unseen God who had spoken through Adam and he believed, but Cain did not show faith in what God had done or spoken and it was this lack of faith that displeased God. Both Cain and Able sacrificed to God but Abel's sacrifice was more excellent and acceptable to God. It does make a difference to God as to how a person sacrifices his life for him and how he believes upon Him. We have a wonderful picture recorded for us to know what and how we are to sacrifice to God.

    As to the narrative about Enoch who was said to be "Translated" and did not see death may seem at first to be very confusing: is it? Enoch was a man of faith, not just faith, but faith in God. It must be remembered that Adam was still alive when Enoch was on the earth so he would have the opportunity to know from Adam about God. So what does it mean to be "translated?" The Greek word: μτετέθη third person singular aorist 1, indicative, passive from μετατίθημι that means to transport Acts 7:16, to transfer, Hebrews 7:12, and to translate out of the world Hebrew 11: 5, metaphorically, to transfer to other purposes, even to pervert Jude 4. We are not left in doubt as to the meaning about Enoch, he was not required to die for God had translated or transported him out of this world: "And Enoch waled with God: and he was not; for God took him" (Genesis 5:24). Now, do not confuse this with the life and death of Jesus in regards to Enoch not seeing death. The difference is huge, Jesus had to die as in the sacrifice God had given to Adam and to all those who had faith in Him. Jesus was resurrected from death so there is a huge difference between the two events. But, Enoch had faith in God and in a world that was becoming more and more abhorrent to God, God removed him from the coming destruction. Enoch did live 365 five years (Genesis 5:23). 

      What we must obtained for us in these narratives is that it was faith, faith in the true God that pleased God. These testimonies are for our sanctification, that is, it is by knowing that faith, a faith in action is what is pleasing to God and anything else added to this faith is not pleasing to God. "But without faith it is impossible to please Him; for he that cometh to God must believe that He is a rewarder

of them that diligently seek Him" (Genesis 11:6).

     There it is: Faith, and a faith that is diligently seeking Him and to those that believe upon Him. The question is: is your faith causing you to believe and diligently seek Him?

When the righteous truneth from his 

     wickedness, and do that which 

is lawful and right, he shall live whereby.

                    Ezekiel 33:19

Your faith manifests your love for God

Richard L. Crumb