David Bahn – Reflections

Hebrews 11:4-7

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. ⁵ By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. ⁶ And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. ⁷ By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

Abel, Enoch, and Noah are the first three heroes of faith mentioned in this Faith’s Hall of Fame chapter of the Bible. Noah is a poster child for faithful righteousness in the face of moral decay and godlessness. Enoch is a prime example of a long life well lived. Abel, however, died young, the first martyr. We can romanticize Noah’s boat-building saga, making him the first zoo-keeper and ship builder. We can look with true admiration on Enoch and wonder what it was like to “walk with God” and be taken (cf. Genesis 5:18–24).

But Abel is another story: how can we look up to one who was so quickly murdered – and that happening soon after and because of his faith-filled worship! Abel was commended by God for his more acceptable offering (cf. Genesis 4), only to be murdered by his brother in a slow burn of jealousy and resentment. Although Abel is the first hero of faith listed here, few of us would want to follow his example to the end.

Heroes and martyrs seldom choose their path deliberately to die. Some may believe it is inevitable – like those first men on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day during World War II. Others may know their task is gravely dangerous – like the firefighters who climbed the stairs, one flight after another, of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. But the truest heroes are those who simply resolve to live out their faith no matter what the cost.

We may have our sports heroes. There are those who look up to political champions. But the heroes who make the lasting and truest marks on the world are these heroes of the faith. They inspire, encourage, and focus us on that which is noble, righteous, and eternal.