Gen 4:2-4

[BJClark]

What is the significance here..maybe I am reading to much into it...I don't know..those of more learned minds..can you help me?

And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of the sheep,
but Cain was a tiller of the ground...

And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought forth the fruit of the ground and offering unto the Lord.

And Abel, He also brought of the firstlings of the flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel to his offering.

Looking at Abel, He is a keeper of the sheep--Looking at Christ, He is the Sheperd of the Flock


Was Abel in some way also a foreshadowing of Christ as sheperd of not just a flock of literal sheep, but also a flock of people??

Two lines of people...God's seed--Satan's seed..

Just pondering...and wondering if anyone could add some insight...

 

[Romans922]

that might be true, however first thing that needs to be done is to understand the question: "what is God getting at in this whole passage, paragraph, etc.?" What is his main point and intention here? Does this possible foreshadow fall in line with it?

What is the main point of this: " And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of the sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground...And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought forth the fruit of the ground and offering unto the Lord. And Abel, He also brought of the firstlings of the flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel to his offering."

One thing we see here is the idea of offerings: Cain brought fruit and an offering, whereas Abel brough FIRSTLINGS of the flock (i.e. first fruit whereas Cain just brought fruit). The Lord favors Abel for his acceptable sacrifice.

I believe the whole of chapter 4 points to God establishing the seed of promise --> leading into ch. 5. Abel is that promised seed, except Cain kills him, Cain gets cast out so the Lord appoints Seth (YES!!) and on to Noah. That I believe is the major point of ch. 4, yet I think you can see that offerings/sacrifices (almost if not all of them will point to JC in some way or another). As for keeper of the sheep, I don't know. That is my long way to say I dont know, and would probably not bring that up in a sermon (maybe a bible study). It seems like this passage is going in another direction than being keeper of the sheep.