The Gospel of the Kingdom: Melchizedek and the Church of the Firstborn Pt 2 of 3
Tonight we will continue where we left off Wednesday night on Cain and Abel.
So far we learned that Cain and Abel were twins. Cain being the firstborn of the two. Both were Aleph-Tav.
Abel means emptiness, a vapor, or vanity. So, Abel was viewed as a spare heir having no “true” value. He was perceived as “…He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, There is no beauty or majesty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and familiar with suffering.” Isaiah 53:2-3
Abel was a shepherd. It is now easy to see that he represents the Good Shepherd. In Yeshua’s words, I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for His sheep. John 10:11
Cain’s name means “one who serves.” Because he was firstborn, Cain was expected to continue Adam’s assignment which God gave to him with he was driven from the garden. The assignment? Till the ground, preach the gospel in all the earth until it's ready for harvest.
When Cain and Abel reached the age of maturity they were both taken to the altar of Yahweh. Both came with their offering but only could be anointed Firstborn. Whoever’s offering was accepted by Yahweh was deemed worthy to be considered the Firstborn/Melchizedek so the offering was of great importance.
Adam may have been concerned about Cain not being acceptable to God because he sent both sons to the altar.
Cain’s offering represented the fruit of what Yahweh had cursed, the adamah (ground). Cursed is the ground (adamah) for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life. Genesis 3:17.
Abel brought the firstling of his flock. Firstling in Hebrew means a firstling as the firstling of man or beast.
"Consecrate to Me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and beast; it is Mine." Exodus 13:2
The firstling represents the birthright of a firstborn.
Abel went to the altar with an animal. Figuratively, he sent a substitute. In other words, Abel, the second son, sought approval by providing a substitute and it is because of this act of Abel that Yahweh respected his offering… ABEL’S ACTIONS FORESHADOWED THE MESSIAH’S!
Abel Sacrificed by Faith
Hebrews 11:4 NKJV
4 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.
Adam must have shared many stories with Cain and Abel about the Garden beyond what is written. I think its safe say because of Adam they knew of the following:
The deception of the nachash against their parents
The need for a redeemer
They understood the purpose of sacrifices was to remove sin and invoke righteousness
The righteousness was temporary until the Promised Seed would come to redeem them from death
Keep in mind that at the time the brothers came to the altar it was not to obtain right standing for themselves or for any others. They couldn’t have because they were not yet priests. They appeared at the altar as candidates for the priesthood, but they knew a Redeemer would come and all hope (faith) was to be placed in hope.
Question: How was Cain expected to continue Adam’s assignment to preach the gospel in all the earth and how could the brothers know a Redeemer would come if the gospel hadn’t been written yet?
The gospel had already been written before Adam was ever created. The story of redemption is written in the constellations.
Psalm 19:1-6 NLT
1 For the choir director: A psalm of David. The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. 2 Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. 3 They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. 4 Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world. God has made a home in the heavens for the sun. 5 It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding. It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race. 6 The sun rises at one end of the heavens and follows its course to the other end. Nothing can hide from its heat.
The Mazzaroth’s Story:
The Mazzaroth begins with the Virgin, a figure of a young woman carrying an ear of wheat in one hand, and a palm branch in the other. Virgo is the Virgin. The moving counter-clockwise across the sky is Libra, the Scales. Next is Scorpio, the Scorpion; Sagittarius the Bowman; Capricornus the Goat; Aquarius the Waterman; Pisces the Fishes; Aries the Ram; Taurus the Bull; Gemini the Twins; Cancer the Crab; and the twelfth and final constellation is Leo the Lion.
1. The Virgin – foreshadows the virgin birth of the Promised Seed
2. The Scales – the Promise Seed will bring justice
3. The scorpion – He will have conflict with the serpent
4. The Archer – He will triumph
5. The Goat – the Promise Seed is the Adonai sacrifice
6. The Waterman – He will pour baptismal waters onto the Earth
7. The Two Fishes – there will be two houses, but they will become one
8. The Ram – as the Lamb He will be slain; but will rise again
9. The Bull – He cannot be defeated for He is the ruling Judge
10. The Twins – the Promised Seed will have a Bride
11. The Crab – the final victory occurs once the serpent’s head is beneath the feet of the…
12. The Lion – who is the everlasting KING
Galatians 5:6, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.”
So, we know because Abel approached the altar of Yahweh with a sacrifice offered by faith that he loved the prophetic promises of Yahweh. By faith, Abel came to the altar of Yahweh expecting to be deemed worthy to enter the priesthood because he honored his birthright and was seeking righteousness.
Esau despised his birthright so he was rejected by Yahweh to be Melchizedek after his father Isaac. Yahweh was not caught off guard by Esau despising his birthright. Yahweh had a plan which He revealed before the boys, who happened to be twins, were born.
Romans 9:10-13 NKJV
10 And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac 11 (for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls), 12 it was said to her, "The older shall serve the younger." 13 As it is written, "Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated."
Abel came to the altar because he loved his birthright, so he came in faith.
Cain came because his birthright gave him access to the altar, he came according to his works.
The two had motives, nothing alike. Abel understood protocol so he approached Yahweh according to how required being approached, by faith. Cain came to the altar because he was Adam’s son. He was not in alignment with the Melchizedek System (Kingdom). God judges the attitude of the heart. Cain’s offering was rejected. Abel’s was acknowledged as acceptable. It was an offering made in righteousness. So Abel received what he petitioned Yahweh for and he was accepted as the Firstborn of his generation.
Did you catch that? Just because we’re in Christ doesn’t automatically make us priests. We have to reach the age of maturity first to be called by Yahweh to His altar, but then we have to petition Him to be accepted into His priesthood. In other words, we must desire it with all that is within us, and only then can we be considered for the priesthood.
Genesis 4:5-7 NKJV
5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. 6 So the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 "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."
Here God is speaking to Cain about why he is so angry and downcast. Notice how Yahweh has not rejected Cain from being accepted into the Assembly of the Firstborn. “If you do well, will you not be accepted?” Cain's offering was rejected, but Cain wasn’t. Yahweh gives him the opportunity to repent and give a proper offering. He warns Cain that sin is at the door (of his heart) and even tells Cain he can rule over sin but if he refuses “he” (sin) will rule over you!”
Cain was jealous and his jealousy caused him to pick up an offense. Cain knew his heart was not right before Yahweh. Cain should have made his heart right in the sight of Yahweh so that he would uphold the law of love. He allowed himself to be ruled by a spirit of jealousy and picked up an offense because Yahweh chose Abel’s offering over his. The following two passages speak to the law of love:
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NKJV - 4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
The second passage reveals how murder begins in the heart. This is what Yahweh was trying to warn Cain about, but Cain refuse counsel and did it his way.
Matthew 5:21-26 NKJV - 21 "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.' 22 "But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire. 23 "Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 "leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 "Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. 26 "Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.
Adam failed to love Yahweh before the tree of knowledge. Cain did not love his brother as himself while standing before the altar of sacrifice. The parallel here is the tree of knowledge and the altar of sacrifice both foreshadows the cross. To be continued….
When we return next week we’ll begin with Genesis 4:8 and go through to the end of the chapter Genesis 4:26.
Receive this blessing!
The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace…His shalom!
Best,
Samuel Ramos III
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