10. How did some early servants of Jehovah show that they exercised faith?

¹⁰ From among Adam’s descendants, however, some individuals have exercised faith. Hebrews chapter 11 mentions Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, and Samuel, along with many unnamed servants of Jehovah, who “had witness borne to them through their faith.” Notice what was done “by faith.” It was by faith that Abel “offered God a sacrifice” and Noah “constructed an ark.”

12. (a) In what did Abel have faith, and how did he show this? (b) Despite their faith, what did pre-Christian witnesses of Jehovah not receive?

¹² Unlike his father, Adam, godly Abel had faith. Apparently from his parents, he learned of the first prophecy ever uttered: “I [Jehovah God] shall put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed. He will bruise you in the head and you will bruise him in the heel.” (Genesis 3:15) God thus promised to destroy wickedness and restore righteousness. How this promise would be fulfilled, Abel did not know. But his faith that God is the Rewarder of those earnestly seeking Him was strong enough to move him to offer a sacrifice. He had likely given much thought to the prophecy and believed that the shedding of blood would be necessary to fulfill the promise and lift mankind to perfection. Hence, Abel’s animal sacrifice was appropriate. Despite their faith, however, Abel and Jehovah’s other pre-Christian witnesses “did not get the fulfillment of the promise.”​—Hebrews 11:39.