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.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.

Hebrews 11:4-5

Yesterday after leaving a brief visit with friends in Alabama, we passed through a stretch of highway marked with a sign reading – “Heroes Highway.” It had no further explanation at all, so I suppose it is intended to honor all heroes.

In the passage above, the first hero of the faith mentioned is an interesting choice. I suppose Abel is the first on the list chronologically, but I’ve generally not considered him a hero. Instead, I’ve often viewed him as a righteous victim who died at the hands of his brother, Cain. How about you?

But, in terms of faith, Abel led the way with his sacrificial offering to God, and “though he died, he still speaks.” Abel’s example is one of faith and obedience in his effort to honor God with the first fruits of his flock.

Next up is Enoch. We know very little about this early follower of God, but what we do know is important –

Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.

Genesis 5:24

What kind of man walks with God and is then taken by God? The implication here is that Enoch walked especially close to God and was taken because of that relationship.

These two men might be considered unsung heroes in many ways, but their lives are recorded in Scripture to inspire us to live out of the same kind of faith today.