Abel—an Eater of Sheep?

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In Genesis we’re told that Adam and Eve’s son Abel was a keeper of sheep. Now some skeptics claim this means Abel was eating meat and sinning against God since mankind wasn’t given permission to eat meat until after the flood. So if he was raising and eating sheep in sin why was his sacrifice acceptable to God?

Well, this is an example of claiming a contradiction where no contradiction exists. The Bible doesn’t tell us Abel ate meat. Abel could’ve been raising sheep for wool, milk, or leather, or for sacrifices.

Before we claim the Bible’s in error, we need to carefully read the passage and consider that we might be in error!

Dig Deeper

• Did Abel Eat the Meat of the Sacrifice?
• Why Didn’t God Respect Cain’s Offering?