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Tag: Keeper of Sheep

Life is in The Blood

The second half of the Biblical verse recorded in Genesis 4:10 reads “the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.” Hidden in this personification of the blood of Abel is a treasure that we must not miss  i.e., life is in the blood, irrespective of whether the person is living or dead. Infact, the Bible explicitly states this fact that “life is in the blood” (Genesis 9:4).

Points to ponder:
Abel was led like a lamb by his evil brother Cain (who was under the influence of devil) to slaughter, for Cain talked to Abel and took him to the field where he slew him and then asked if he was Abel’s keeper as in the keeper of sheep (Genesis 4:8-9). The Bible describes Abel as one who is righteous for his sacrifice was accepted (Hebrews 11:4).
Jesus was led as the Lamb to slaughter (Isaiah 53:7) and his innocent blood was shed on the ground at the foot of the Cross of Calvary, but instead of crying out for justice from the ground, it cries out for forgiveness and mercy of God, mediating on behalf of all those who are sinners (Hebrews 12:24; Romans 23). And only by his blood is there remission of sin (Matthew 26:28; Romans 3:25; Hebrews 9:22; Hebrews 10:18) and those who believe in him are made alive Spiritually, being given the gift of the Holy Spirit of God (Acts 2:38) unto all who believe (John 3:16). Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life and whoever believes in him, shall live though he were dead (John 11:25). In other words, in Jesus Christ, are the dead raised to Spiritual Life, and in his blood is life. Life is in The blood – the Blood of Jesus Christ, the Agnus Dei (the Lamb of God).

The voice of Abel’s blood cried out to God from earth (Hebrews 11:25). The voice of Jesus’ blood continues to cry out to God, for each one us, who are still under the bondage of death. See that you refuse not him that speaks from heaven (Hebrews 12:25) and hear him (Mark 9:7) and believe. Life is only in The Blood of Jesus Christ.

Genesis 4:10 (KJV)
10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.

Genesis 9:4 (KJV)
But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.

Hebrews 12:23-25 (KJV)
23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:

Keeper of sheep

The latter part of Genesis 4:2 speaks about the professions of the sons of Adam. Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain was a tiller of the ground.

As keeper of sheep, Abel brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof and the Lord accepted his offering. Leviticus chapter 3 speaks about the procedures of a peace offering and highlights that the fat of the animal being offered is a special gift to the Lord (Leviticus 3:9) and that all of the fat must be presented to the Lord (Leviticus 3:9,14) because all of the fat is the Lord’s (Leviticus 3:16). In other words, not only did Abel brings the first of his flock, expressing that God was his priority, but he also brought a complete offering (all of it including its fat), expressing that God was also his pre-eminence.

Points to ponder:
God wants us to offer ourselves as a first and full offering – a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1). He was us to give him priority and pre-eminence.

On a separate note, Jesus is the chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4), and the people are his sheep (Luke 15). Jesus asked Peter, if Peter loved him and told him that if Peter loved Jesus, Peter must keep i.e., feed and take care of his lambs/sheep (John 21:15-17). In like manner we are commanded to love God totally (Mark 12:30) and we are commissioned to be keepers of his sheep (John 21:15-17). Let us be keepers of sheep, which is an expression of our love of God. Are you/Am I a keeper of sheep?

Genesis 4:2-5 (KJV)
And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord.
And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

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