And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:  And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.  Genesis 3:14-15

The first prophecy of scripture speaks of a coming conflict between the seed of the serpent and the seed of woman.  When this prophecy was given there were only two human beings on the earth, Adam and Eve.  They both would soon experience the reality of the prophesied conflict directly in their lives and the lives of their sons, who were not yet born.  These two sons, Cain and Abel, actually lived and died long ago.  Each of these sons, the first two humans born on earth, made many of the same choices we do each day.  They thought about life, family and GOD just as we do.  In the example of their lives it seems that Cain allegorically represented the seed of the serpent, while Abel represented the seed of the woman. 

After Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden, GOD made provision to continue to commune with men.  The first prophecy of scripture was a promise of a coming Redeemer, who would pay the price of man's sin by shedding His own blood.  When GOD first clothed Adam and Eve, with the skins of animals, He graphically showed to them that atonement required the shedding of blood for a covering for the guilty.  GOD made the provision and covered Adam and Eve physically with skins.  He provided the sacrifice and covered both of them.  When Adam and Eve, or anyone else for that matter, acknowledge sin and helplessness as well as trust in GOD alone for provision for a sacrifice and salvation from sin and it punishment, they in essence worship the LORD through their faith.

Any person's personal attitude of heart regarding approaching and knowing GOD actually determines his eternal destiny.  If someone trusts in GOD's provision through the shed blood of the Redeemer, Jesus, he is thereby restored to GOD from that point on.through eternity.  If someone relies on trusts in his own provision and effort to approach and know GOD and thereby obtain salvation he will ultimately be separated from GOD.also through eternity.  People are free to choose either option, and in doing so create a division of humanity.

Adam and Eve's sons made this choice as well.  Abel chose to trust GOD.  Cain chose to trust himself.  Eve may have thought that the first prophecy given to man would apply to her first son, Cain.  Eve trusted in GOD.  She knew Cain was from GOD.  Cain's name means, "gotten".  Cain may have been taught that "he was the one" as he grew up.  Was this the reason he began to trust in himself rather than GOD?  Who knows!  Maybe his pride did him in, just like Satan.  The apostle John states that Cain was of the wicked one.  All of GOD's law can be reduced to only this.love GOD, love others.  Evidently Cain did neither and became the first of a long line of the seed of serpent.

For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.  Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous. 1 John 3:11-12

Abel was different.  He was of the household of faith.  He like Abraham after him, believed God and it was counted as righteousness to him.  Of all the men and women of faith recorded in the Book of Hebrews, Abel heads the list.

By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.  Hebrews 11:4

Abel understood atonement.  Abel believed GOD.  Abel obeyed GOD and as a result he knew he was righteous.  He knew his righteousness came from GOD not from himself.

Jesus said that Abel was not only righteous but surprising to some today , that he was also a prophet.

Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.   Matthew 23:34-35

That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.  Luke 11:50-51

Jesus testimony can only mean that Abel was a man who believed and obeyed GOD.  As a prophet he, at a minimum, preached the plan of GOD by some divine enabling.  Simply stated.Abel believed.Cain did not.

It would seem probable that Adam and Eve had shown love and instruction to both their sons.  How each son made their choice and why, is a mystery.  Cain rejected GOD's way and followed his own.  Abel, as GOD's first prophet most certainly counseled his brother on the choice he had made.  Finally one day as they were in a field, with Abel possibly urging repentance, Cain rose up against his brother and killed him.   Abel was not only righteous and the first prophet but now he was the first martyr.  He was the first ever to die. He was the first inhabitant in paradise. At this time the process of death and death's aftermath were both new experiences for everyone. What in the world did Adam, and his family, think on this dark day in their lives? Did Adam think about Eden and the mistakes he and Eve made there? His mistakes were now in a way passed on to his children. The promised death came to his son before it came to him. Was this a terrible surprise to him? Certainly it was.

Cain was able to quiet the prophesying voice of his brother, but he could not still the voice of his blood.

And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?  And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.  Genesis 4:9-10

This is the first time that blood is actually mentioned in the Bible.  Abel representing the type of seed of the woman was righteous before GOD and yet died a violent death at the hand of the one who was the type of the seed of the serpent.  Abels blood crying from the ground is the beginning of all the suffering afflicted on the righteous by the wicked.

The conflict of differing seeds reached a pinnacle when the religious leaders that Jesus had said "were of your father the devil" cried out for his crucifixion using a very interesting idiom, in light of the death of Abel.

Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.  Matthew 27:25

The conflict between the seed of woman (Jesus) and the seed of the serpent (Satan) continues today, six thousand years after Abel.  Satan's defeat is only a matter of time, and that time is very, very short.  Our spiritual victory now and our actual final victory over Satan, and the fulfillment of GOD's first prophecy are soon to be completed by the seed of the woman, Jesus.  Many of us will see the literal fulfillment and completion in our lifetimes. 

And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.  Romans 16:20

Abel is our first example.  We can believe GOD just as he did.  We can trust in GOD's provision just as Abel did his entire life.  We can love GOD and love others.  Abel who was Adam's son was the first person born on this earth that chose GOD.  Do you choose GOD...or something else?  Do you trust Him, or yourself?  Abel Adamson was and is indeed an example to all of us.

Be blessed and meditate or meditate and be blessed!!!!. The choice is yours!!