O.T. Shepherds, 1of6

~ Abel: A Sacrificed Shepherd ~

Series Prologue  ~  There are at least five Old Testament shepherds who were clear “types” of Jesus Christ—our shepherd.  A type is like a faint image or shadow of the true item.  In each of these cases we can see parallels to our Great Shepherd. 

Sample Scripture  ~  “Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, ‘I have acquired a man from the Lord.’  Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel.  Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.  And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord.  Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat.  And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering.  And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.  So the Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry?  And why has your countenance fallen?  If you do well, will you not be accepted?  And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door.  And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.’  Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.  Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Where is Abel your brother?’  He said, ‘I do not know.  Am I my brother's keeper?’ (Genesis 4:1-9).

“Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.  Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt.  Serpents, brood of vipers!  How can you escape the condemnation of hell?  Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.  Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation” (Matthew 23:31-36).

Hints Of The Coming Messiah  ~  First, and foremost we see Abel as a shepherd who gave his life through shed blood.  This was done by his own brother who rejected him.  His brother Cain (a picture of Israel) was banished from his homeland and as a result wandered in other nations.  God in His grace preserved him from his enemies. 

Abel died at the hands of his own brethren.

His brethren were scattered around the world.

His brethren were divinely preserved over the centuries. 

God had marked this nation as a special people of His own.

In a future date the nation will be a special exhibit of God’s grace. 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

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