Abel as Martyr. Messiah in Genesis. Christian Troubles. Androcles and the Lion. Toledoth.
by the Rev. Walter Snyder
Religion Columnist

Q: In a sense, can Abel be considered a martyr?

A: I think that Abel was a martyr. By literal translation and in the broad sense, "martyr" means
"witness." This is exactly what his acceptable sacrifice did. In the narrow sense, the Christian
Church identifies martyrs as those who die because they confess the true Faith in the face of
opposition. Abel died because of his faith (and the lack of such faith in Cain), so I would consider
him a martyr in that aspect also.

Q: Is there a reference to the Messiah in the Book of Genesis?

A: He is not identified as "Messiah" in Genesis, since that term would not become popular until
the anointing of prophets and kings became more established in later history. This is because
Messiah means "Anointed One." However, the "Headcrusher" of Genesis 3 and the "Seed" of
Abraham in whom all nations would be blessed are both Messianic references, as are the blessing
of Judah by Jacob (the "lion" appears in Revelation as the Lamb who was slain and who is alive
again) and some other passages.

Q: I was saved nearly a year ago and it seems like since then I have been sick more and had
more problems than before. Is this Satan trying to make me turn my back on God or what?
I just don't understand why so much is happening to me.

A: This is often the case; Satan doesn't want to let go of anyone. Also, when Christ rescues us,
we often think that things will get better. Sometimes, our situation actually gets worse. Even
when things don't actually get worse, unfulfilled expectations can have the same effect.
Whichever it is, you can rest assured that neither the devil and his fallen angels nor our own sinful
flesh will let us alone. We will be tempted, we will have problems, and life won't always be easy.
Yet it was the same and worse for our Lord. Likewise, the Christian can stand with St. Paul and
rejoice in affliction, for thus they treated our Savior, His apostles, and His prophets. They all
suffered physical hardship, mental duress, and emotional strain. But the Father of all mercies kept
them steadfast, just as He will you as you place your trust in Him and His Son who suffered and
died for you.

Q: In the Bible, did anyone actually remove a paw from a lion's foot to befriend it, i.e.,
Daniel, or is the story of Androcles (a Greek slave) a convolution of the story of Daniel
which is now commonly assumed to be a parable?

A: There are no lions with thorny paws in Scripture; our source is Aesop (who also was one of
Martin Luther's favorite authors). His slave was anonymous, but Joseph Jacobs later wrote of
"Androcles." His treatment was turned into a witty, if irreverent play by George Bernard Shaw.
Another version was handed down in "Of the Remembrance of Benefits" from ~Gesta
Romanorum~, a collection of Roman tales from England in the 1300s that became part of the
stew pot of English-language story telling.

As for Daniel, I take it as divinely inspired and truthful in the story it tells, not a fable or even a
divine parable.

Q: What is the meaning of the word ~toledoth~?

This is the English transliteration of the plural of the Hebrew word meaning "generations." The
singular form is ~toledah~. It comes from the root meaning "to bear" or "to give birth" and a
related word is Hebrew for "child." Sometimes it is used in the sense of a genealogy. At other
times, it means an historical period and is thus often translated as the "days of" a particular
individual or event. It may also be used as a metaphor for a sequence of events, as in Genesis 2:4,
"These are the generations (~toledoth~) of the heavens and the earth when they were created."

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Walter Snyder is the pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Emma, Missouri and coauthor of
the book "What Do Lutherans Believe."

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