Faith Icons: Abel, Enoch, Noah (Part 2 of 6)

FAITH ICONS: ABEL, ENOCH, NOAH (Part 2 of 6)
Genesis 4:2a
“Later, she [Eve] gave birth to his [Cain’s] brother, Abel.”

Abel kept the family livestock, while Cain worked the fields (v. 2b). God wired their desires differently; their work even complemented each other. One day they brought offerings to the Lord.

Cain brought fruits from the soil, and Abel brought fat portions from the firstborn of his flock (vv. 3-4a). The Lord favored Abel’s offering over Cain’s (vv.4b-5). When the Lord rejected Cain’s offering, competition was born. Cain became enraged. Why hadn’t the Lord accepted his offering as easily as He did Abel’s?

Cain’s offering was rejected because he was angry. The Lord inquired, “Why are you so angry?” The Lord told Cain that his heart was not right, warning Cain that his sin begs for payback. Cain better get a grip (vv. 6-7).

What happened next? Cain took Abel into a field, and killed him (v.8).

Why did God accept Abel’s offering, and not Cain’s? Abel’s heart was pure, but Cain’s heart was poisoned. Abel teaches us that God loves those who model cheery dispositions and clean hearts.

Genesis 5:18
“When Jared had lived 162 years, he became the father of Enoch.”

Jared was Adam’s great-great-great grandson. Enoch was born 622 years after Adam had Seth (his 3rd son—after Cain and Abel), Enoch’s great-great-great Granddads. Adam was still alive when Enoch was born! (Adam died at age 930 vv. 3-19). Enoch had children, and at age 365, he simply disappeared (vv. 21-24)! God took him.

Enoch—God’s superstar!

Genesis 6:9
“This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteousness man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God.”

Check out Genesis 6:1-8 to learn about the giants in the land, and why God was so ticked off. He’d gotten to know Noah intimately, and saw that Noah was the only person who was righteous, moral, and good. This is why God decided to wipe out everyone else, and restart the world’s population with Noah’s family.

God made a covenant (pact) with Noah: 1. He told him to build a huge boat. 2. The boat’s dimension, made out of which wood, and how He’d destroy everything except Noah and his family (vv. 11-18).

“Really, Lord?” Noah wondered.

“Yep.”

"OK, Lord--whatever."

Noah never wavered, even though folks laughed at him the whole time. “What’s a boat, Noah?”

“What’s a flood?” Snickers, heads shaking, clapping others on backs, laughing.

“Tell us again what’s going to happen” uproarious laughter.

Who laughed last?

Take Home Nugget

The best way to live joyously amid ridicule is to find joy in Jesus!

J.D. Griffith

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