Let’s read through the book of Hebrews one verse at a time in 2023. Every day explore a single verse and its cross references. AI-generated text draws the passages together. RSS feed.
By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.
The cross references for Hebrews 11:4 all relate to the themes of faith, sacrifice, and righteousness. All of the passages focus on the contrast between Abel's faith and sacrifice, which was accepted by God, and Cain's lack of faith and sacrifice, which was rejected. This is further emphasized by the references to Cain's murder of Abel, and the reminder of the power of the blood of Abel and other righteous people to speak out against evil. The ultimate point is that faith and righteousness are rewarded, while evil and lack of faith are punished.
| Passage | How It’s Related (AI-Generated) |
|---|---|
| Genesis 4:3-5: In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. | Both passages discuss the offering of sacrifices to God by Abel and Cain. Hebrews 11:4 highlights the fact that Abel's offering was more acceptable to God and that God commended him for it. Genesis 4:3-5 explains that God had regard for Abel's offering, but not for Cain's. This made Cain very angry and his face fell. |
| Genesis 4:10: And the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground. | Both passages refer to the story of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4. In Hebrews 11:4, the author explains that Abel's faith was demonstrated through his offering of a more acceptable sacrifice to God, which God accepted. This act of faith commended Abel as righteous, and even after his death, his faith still speaks. In Genesis 4:10, God speaks to Cain after he has killed Abel, saying that the voice of Abel's blood is crying out to Him from the ground. This serves as a reminder of the consequences of sin, and of the importance of faith. |
| Matthew 23:35: so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. | Both passages reference Abel, the son of Adam and Eve. Hebrews 11:4 speaks of Abel's faith and how it enabled him to offer an acceptable sacrifice to God. Matthew 23:35 speaks of the unjust death of Abel at the hands of his brother Cain, and its implications for the religious leaders of Jesus' day. Abel is seen as a righteous figure who speaks through his faith, even after his death. |
| Hebrews 12:24: and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. | Both passages refer to the story of Abel and Cain in the book of Genesis. Hebrews 11:4 speaks of how Abel's faith in God was commended through the more acceptable sacrifice he offered, and how even though he died, his faith still speaks. Hebrews 12:24 refers to Jesus as the mediator of a new covenant, and speaks of how his blood speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. |
| 1 John 3:11-12: For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous. | Both passages address the story of Cain and Abel. Hebrews 11:4 explains that Abel's faith was commended by God, and that even though Abel died, his faith still speaks. 1 John 3:11-12 warns against following in Cain's footsteps, who was of the evil one and killed his brother out of jealousy because Abel's deeds were righteous. |
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the example of Abel, who by faith offered a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain. We thank You for commending him as righteous and accepting his gifts. We thank You for the reminder that even after his death, he still speaks.
We ask that You would give us the same faith and trust in You that Abel had, so that we may offer acceptable sacrifices to You. Help us to remember that our actions and attitudes should be pleasing to You.
We also remember the sin of Cain, and the consequences of his actions. We ask that You would give us the discernment to recognize evil, and that You would protect us from falling into the same trap.
We thank You for Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and for the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. We ask that You would fill us with Your love, and that we would love others as You have loved us.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
This reading plan reads through a single verse each day, six days a week, paired with the most-popular cross references for the verse. AI-generated (and human-reviewed) text provides an opening thought and concluding prayer along with an explanation for how each cross reference relates to the verse. In 2023, this reading plan works through Hebrews one verse at a time. Every seventh day is a catchup day. Want more info? Try this blog post.
Unless otherwise indicated, all content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Contact me: openbibleinfo (at) gmail.com.