Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Jesus in the Old Testament

Adam and Eve’s first sons, Cain and Abel, made a sacrifice to God. Cain, the farmer, made a grain offering and Abel, the rancher, made a lamb sacrifice. Cain’s offering was not acceptable to God and Abel’s was. Why?

Only a lamb sacrifice offered in faith was pleasing to God. Heb. 11:4 tells us, “By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.” How does Abel still speak? He points toward a newer and better covenant. In the Old Covenant, animal blood was repeatedly offered for the covering of sins, but in the New Covenant, Jesus shed His blood once for the complete forgiveness of sins.

Adapted from Don’t Stub Your Toe by Todd Friel

Genesis 4:3 And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. 4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.

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