Verse 1. “Now the man had relations with
his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, ‘I have
gotten a man child with the help of the Lord.’”
The phrase “had relations”
has also been translated as “know,” and it simply
means that Adam and Eve had sexual “relations.” From not only Adam and Eve’s way of looking
at things, but also from God’s, these two were husband and wife, as you can see
in Genesis 3:17 and 20. What they did was not wrong. As it says in Hebrews 13:4,
“Marriage is honorable in all and the bed undefiled, but
fornicators and adulterers God will judge.” God loves marriage, He
invented sex as a part of marriage, and the love of a husband and wife is pure
in His sight.
Adam and Eve now conformed to the first command of God
to mankind, which was to “be fruitful and multiply”
(Genesis 1:28). And note that the choice of “Cain”
as the name of their son can be translated “acquisition”
or “I’ve got him!” This choice of “Cain” as the name of their son, suggests they thought he
was the promised “Seed” (Genesis 3:15) who would
defeat the “seed” of the enemy. Then as now, our
“theology” about what we think God is all about, often does not grasp His true,
loving intentions, which may be out of the range of our relatively short lives.
Verse 2. “Again, she gave birth to his
brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the
ground.”
Some time had passed since the preceding verse, possibly
a year, perhaps more. Did Adam and Eve have other children? Genesis 5:4 is clear
that they did indeed have (other) “sons and daughters.”
Were some of those others born between the births of Cain and Abel? - Possibly.
The purpose here is not so much to establish an absolute order as it is to
reveal the key events that have led to the problems and blessings of our present
world. It is indeed possible, however, that Abel was the second child of his
parents.
The name “Abel” is
interesting. It can be translated “a breath” or “a vapor,” and
it suggests the idea, “Who needs him?” If “Cain”
truly meant “acquisition,” suggesting “We’ve got him,” referring to the “Seed”
mentioned in the commentary on the preceding verse, then Abel would have seemed
unnecessary to his parents. Cain would have been raised with anticipation and
his parents would have breathlessly awaited his deliverance of mankind from sin
and death. But Abel would have merely been “that other kid.” As a pastor I have
seen that many parents subtly prefer one of their children over another. The one
will be ruined by pride and the other destroyed by neglect.
Verse 3. “So it came about in the course
of time that Cain brought an offering to the Lord of the fruit of the ground.”
Notice here that members of humanity have performed
religious acts since the beginning of mankind, continuing modified forms of such
practices throughout history. Cain “brought an offering to
the Lord,” just as millions, billions have done throughout the
generations that have preceded us. As it said in Verse 2, Cain chose to be “a
tiller of the ground,” a farmer. His choice of vocation was not an issue.
Adam was a farmer, Cain followed in his father’s footsteps and farming is an
honorable vocation.
In fact, God’s judgment on mankind ASSURED the necessity
of farming as a work performed by humanity. He specifically told Adam about the
ground: “in toil you shall eat of it…
you shall eat the herb of the field, in the sweat of your
face you shall eat bread” (Genesis 3:17-19). Adam by necessity became a
farmer and his son, Cain, appeared to be the good son who helped others by doing
what his father did.
Verse 4. “Abel, on his part also brought
of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had
regard for Abel and for his offering;”
This verse relates to the method by which we may be
forgiven and enter into relationship with God. “The Lord
had regard for Abel” as we see here, and the question is – why? And
notice that the answer is not in “Cain’s offering…
of the fruit of the ground,” as seen in Verse 3. And it is not fully seen
in Abel’s offerings of the “firstlings of his flock”
in this verse, though Abel's offering does reach ahead through the centuries and
speak of the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John
1:29).
When we compare this verse to Hebrews Chapter 11, we
begin to find the answer to our question. That Chapter begins, “Now FAITH is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of
things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). It continues in 11:4, “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.” And it concludes in
Hebrews 11:6, “Without faith it is impossible to please
Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He
rewards those who seek Him.” Abel TRUSTED in the honest character and
good intentions of God. Cain was mistrustful and did not believe.
Verse 5. “but for Cain and for his
offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell.”
Much like it was for Cain, when God appears to not
approve of your thoughts and actions, you have a choice. Actually you have
several choices. You can become angry and decide that you don’t like God and the
way He does things, as Cain did. You can choose to believe He does not exist, a
form of denial. You can change your theology to accept some kind of religious
experience in which it is taught that God never disapproves of anyone. Or you
can do what God intended in and for Cain –--
You (or or someone like Cain) can regard His disapproval
as an expression of His love, in which He intends to heal a defect within your
soul. We find that very concept in Proverbs 3:11-12 and Hebrews 12:5-6 – “My
son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline or be weary of His reproof, for the
Lord reproves him whom He loves, as a father the son in whom He delights.”
Scripture says, “ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God”
(Romans 3:23), and therefore all of us, from Adam, Eve and Cain to you and me,
are in need of God’s corrective, healing touch in our lives.
Father, please bring Your corrective, healing touch
into our lives. Forgive us our sins and increase our faith, that we may
always and ever trust in the Lord. Thank You. In Jesus Name.
Amen.
Audio Bible Study – Genesis
4:6-10
Verse 6. “Then the Lord said to Cain,
‘Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?’”
The Lord already knew why Cain was “angry,” and He understood why the man’s “countenance
(had)
fallen.” David, who wrote much later in time than
the words of these verses, was willing to recognize that God knows everything
about us. He said, “O Lord, You have searched me and known
me… You understand my thought afar off” (Psalm 139:1-2). Our Lord is
aware of everything about you and me. And God also was and is well aware
of the danger inherent in the anger that is so often felt and expressed by the
people of earth.
Jesus would later observe, “Whoever
murders will be in danger of the judgment” and He also saw that “whoever
is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment”
(Matthew 5:21-22). Cain, who was used to the approval of his parents and wanted
everyone’s approval, was now in great danger. God saw his murderous pride and
was offering the man an opportunity to confess and be healed.
Verse 7. "If you do well, will not your
countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the
door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it."
As we can see in Verse 3, Cain had every intention of
being a religious man. Abel, his younger brother, brought offerings to the Lord
and so did Cain. Abel had become a shepherd and if you have ever wondered why
the gentle and not very intelligent animals called "sheep" and "cattle" have
managed to survive through the millennia, these verses answer the question –
they have been watched over and cared for by people like Abel since the
beginning of time as we know it.
Cain, Adam and Eve’s first born, was a farmer like his
daddy, Adam, and he offered his work to the Lord, just as Abel did. Abel’s
offering was preferred by the Lord. And much like Joseph’s brothers would envy
him in future centuries (Genesis 37 & forward), Cain envied Abel. The Lord, as
reflected in this verse, spoke to Cain about it, presenting His concern in the
form of a question to which He already knew the answer. And of course, the
way Cain could "master" sin and live in the sight
of God, was through "faith" in the Lord, as you can
see in places like Habakkuk 2:4 and Romans 1:7 - "The just
shall live by faith."
Verse 8. “Cain told Abel his brother.
And it came about when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel
his brother and killed him.”
Not unlike Esau, who was to appear on earth centuries
later (Genesis 25 & forward); Cain was the eldest son and he also was the
favorite of his parents. Great things were expected of him and being used to
praise and encouragement, he did not handle feelings of failure well at all. God
“had no regard” for Cain’s offering (Verse 5) and
the man was hot with anger. He was exceedingly upset. He felt disliked and he
was embarrassed. How many people through the centuries have acted in anger
because they themselves were embarrassed? Cain was angry with God and the
contempt he harbored for his brother now turned into first hatred and then
murder. He killed Abel. Possibly it was done with a rock; perhaps he beat him to
death.
Like much of this Chapter in Genesis and the ones that
follow, these verses are like quick biographical sketches that may be much
longer in time than they seem. The talk of these two about the incident may have
only been a few minutes, but it may actually represent a long period of angry
debate over several days. At some point, “it came about”
that Cain literally murdered Abel. It’s interesting that the first premeditated
murder arose from a religious act – Cain offered something to God, who did not
accept it. This act was the beginning of an unfortunately full history of hatred
and murder performed under the guise of religious piety.
Verse 9. “Then the Lord said to Cain,
‘Where is Abel your brother?’ And he said, ‘I do not know. Am I my brother's
keeper?’”
It’s very likely that Cain had put the issue of his
brother’s murder right out of his mind. He rationalized what he had done and
decided that for him emotionally, it was best to not think about it. If his
parents asked him a question similar to the one posed by God, he might well have
given a similar answer: “It’s a big world out there; if you see Abel, YOU ask
him where he’s been!" And so this direct question from God must have struck Cain
in the heart with fear for his own safety. He was now brought face-to-face with
his sin, which is God’s way of responding to the sin of everyone in humanity –
God will confront us all.
“Where is your brother” is
God’s question to each and every one of us. Cain’s answer expressed
understanding on his part that all of us are responsible for the welfare of
others. “Who is my neighbor?” many have asked and
Jesus’ answer to that question in Luke 10:30-37, came with a question: “Which of these three do you think was (a)
neighbor?” The answer becomes clear when you hear it – “He who showed mercy on him,” the one we know as the "Good
Samaritan," and Jesus continues to us all, “Go and do likewise” just as that Samaritan did.
Cain was supposed to protect his younger brother; not murder him. If you
have cheated others; if you have hated them, go to God and honestly confess your
sin, which is what Cain should have done at or before the moment of this verse
in Genesis Four.
Verse 10. “He said, ‘What have you
done?’ The voice of your brother's blood is crying to Me from the ground.’”
When God asked in Verse 9, “Where
is Abel your brother?” He knew perfectly well what had happened and He
precisely knew Abel's condition at the moment. The question gave opportunity for
the man Cain to confess his sin so that God might heal him. But Cain did not
confess and he was not healed. There are areas within all of our lives where God
can reasonably ask, “What have you done?” And we
have no real answer, except to confess our sin to the Lord in honest sorrow.
God knows everything, which is why He could prompt Paul
the Apostle in future centuries to say, “All have sinned
and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Note that there is
unfortunately something of Cain in all of us. If God didn’t know everything, He
couldn’t say with such assurance that “all have sinned.” God has cursed the sin in humanity, but
He has also offered the perfect remedy for who and what we are: “the
wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus
our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
Lord, we have sinned. We confess to You what we
have done. Please forgive us our sins and make us clean in the sight of
God. Thank You. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Audio Bible Study - Genesis 4:11-15
Verse 11. “Now you are cursed from the ground, which has
opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.”
Cain was a farmer and he was likely very good at what
he did. He had learned his trade from his father, Adam, who also farmed the
land. Through his efforts his parents and others were fed because of what he
did. Since it is likely that a large number of
people had been
born by this time, many were fed because of his effective work. In
killing Abel, his brother’s blood had seeped into the ground, which meant that
Cain’s act had been violent indeed. Now the ground that had received his
brother’s blood would no longer produce food for the has-been farmer who was
named Cain.
“How could this happen to me?” is a cry of mankind. Has
it every occurred to you that what has happened to you might be appropriate for
others who are or will be in your life. The curse of this verse was appropriate for what
Cain had done. Sometimes what happens isn’t precisely about you. We know
people who have had terrible things happen to them, but instead of anger at God
and the endless asking of the question, “Why me?” they have instead reached out
and helped others who are in similar distress. Their own illness and loss has
brought help and comfort to other people.
Verse 12. “When you cultivate the ground, it will no
longer yield its strength to you; you will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the
earth."
If you have had success in some aspect of your life, you
should immediately and continually give thanks to God and praise His Holy Name, for He has given
you the abilities you have. Cain’s father, Adam, was, among other
things, a farmer. God's intention was that he would “cultivate” the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:15). Cain
followed in his father’s “footsteps” and became a farmer as well, but he sinned
terribly and his life was being judged by Almighty God. His success in
cultivating the ground was abruptly and completely taken away.
This younger man took pride in what he did and he
enjoyed the compliments of others about his abilities in this and other areas.
By this moment there may have been quite a number of people who would give him praise
for who he was, for Adam and Eve “had other sons and daughters” (Genesis 5:4) and many of
them were likely in existence at the moment of this verse. Cain enjoyed being
the older brother, but now he would be shunned as “a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth.”
Verse 13. “Cain said to the Lord, "My punishment is too
great to bear!”
Cain’s response is amazing, when you think about it. His
life was abruptly being changed for the worse. He would not be able to continue
his successful career as a farmer. He worried about the future: "How will I eat?
What will I do? How will I live?” It was all about him. He had murdered his
brother, Abel, ending Abel’s life on earth altogether. Whatever God’s intentions
for Abel’s life were, they would not be realized.
Cain’s response? – “My punishment is too great to bear.”
Like so many throughout history, Cain saw everything filtered through his own
needs. He really didn’t care about his brother and did not want to understand
that God reasonably would now limit Cain’s life, with the intention that he
might be turned into a caring, faithful man. What do you think about the limitations in
YOUR life? Is God doing a corrective work in YOU?
Verse 14. “Behold, You have driven me this day from the
face of the ground; and from Your face I will be hidden, and I will be a vagrant
and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me."
This verse continues to express Cain’s fear and his
outrage at the limitations that God was placing on his life. Cain was a farmer
by profession. He LIKED being a farmer. He was good at what he did, and in that
day there were very few other occupations available to humanity. Cain had
IDENTITY as a farmer, and it was all being stripped from him. Have you lost your
identity in some manner or another?
We identify ourselves and value ourselves by our place
in life and by our associations. Have you lost your membership in some important
group? Did you have to give up a position of authority? Is some key person gone
from your life? Have you lost your health? Your youth? God had a good purpose in
what happened to Cain and He has good purpose in your life as well. Go to the
Lord and speak to Him of your sorrow. He will comfort you and bring you through.
Verse 15. “So the Lord said to him, ‘Therefore whoever
kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold,’ and the Lord appointed a
sign for Cain, so that no one finding him would slay him.”
Cain was a murderer. He exhibited no mercy when he
killed his brother in cold blood. He had no apparent remorse and his only
concern was about himself. Considering Cain’s terrible act, his lack of
repentance and his self-centeredness, you would expect God to now institute
capital punishment and execute the man on the spot as a lesson to us all. But he
did not.
In fact, the Lord now PROTECTED the man and reassured
him that if anyone attempted to take vengeance on him for what he had done, God
would watch over him in very real ways. Cain was not a man of mercy, but God is
merciful. In doing this, “the Lord appointed a sign for Cain,” or as it is in
some translations, He “set a mark” on him. What was this “mark?”
Some have said God turned Cain into some “race” or
another. Lightened or darkened his skin. In suggesting this, such commentators
have often had secondary motives, such as the justification of some theory of
the origin of “races;” but there is only one race, the human race. And worse,
many have attempted to show that one group is superior to another. There is no
indication that this “sign” or “mark” was passed on genetically. It was just a
way to protect Cain from harm.
Father, thank You for the appropriateness of the work
You are doing in our lives. Thank You for protecting us all and thank You
for Your mercy. Give us Your love and help us to love one another in the
power of God. We trust in You, Lord. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Audio Bible Study - Genesis 4:16-20
Verse 16. “Then Cain went out from the presence of the
Lord, and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.”
“The presence of the Lord” was not
a place restricted to just one
location as some have thought. The place of Cain’s encounter may have been in a
specific setting where others had successfully met with and talked to the Lord,
but it was not that God was there and not in other places. God was and is
everywhere. Cain simply left the place where the Lord had confronted and judged
him, and then apparently went eastward from the previous location of Eden.
Notice, as we shall also observe in the next verse, that
outlying areas had been given names, such as this "land" called "Nod." Cain was to be “a vagrant and a wanderer on
the earth” (Verse 12), but when he left his present place of human habitation,
he went to the “Nod” of this verse, which is likely translated, “Wandering.” The fact that
outlying areas already had names suggests that a great deal of time had passed
since the creation of mankind and the judgment on humankind. Cain was at least in his 20’s and actually may
have been much older at the moment of this verse.
Verse 17. “Cain had relations with his wife and she
conceived, and gave birth to Enoch; and he built a city, and called the name of
the city Enoch, after the name of his son.”
“Cain had relations with his wife,” which means the two
had sex. The question is often asked: “Who was his wife?” The answer is: she was
his sister. There is no other conclusion because these chapters in Genesis are
clear that the parents of all that live were Adam and Eve, Cain’s parents, who
were also the parents of everybody else on earth. There wasn’t anybody else, so
his wife was undoubtedly his sister. The exception is that even more time
may have
passed than we think and she may have been his
niece.
The chronology given in Chapter 5 gives the ages of
Adam’s descendants through Seth, Adam’s third son, and it also lists their ages
when they became parents. It will be discussed in the commentary on that
Chapter, but it would seem that every aspect of their lives, including the aging
process was much slower than it is now. For instance, it seems from the
genealogy given, that Cain and the others probably reached what we call
“puberty” when he was about 65 years old. Cain and his "wife" in this verse were
getting along in years.
Cain built a “city,” which requires a number of people;
otherwise it’s just a collection of buildings that have no purpose. Therefore,
at least a few additional people went with him to this “land of Nod” (Verse 16).
What he built was probably a tiny town, a hamlet, a pueblo. He named it after
his son, and it’s possible he thought that by having a healthy, normal son, he
was escaping the curse of God on his life. “Enoch” can be translated
“dedication” and perhaps he had in mind that the “city” was dedicated to the
Lord, but considering Cain, it was more likely dedicated to his son.
Verse 18. “Now to Enoch was born Irad, and Irad became
the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael became the father of Methushael, and
Methushael became the father of Lamech.”
Enoch was the son of Cain, and as we saw in Verse 17,
the name, “Enoch,” can be translated “dedication” or “consecration.” The name of
Cain’s grandson, “Irad," can be translated “fugitive,” which may describe
something in Irad’s life, but even more likely, it refers back to Cain’s feeling
that he was a fugitive from God and man. “Mehujael” can be translated as
“smitten of God,” and we can begin to catch a glimpse that this was not a happy
family.
“Methushael” likely meant “man of God,” and if he lived
up to his name, it suggests that not all in the line of Cain were lost to the
purposes and love of God. Just as today a good person can come from a bad parent
and vice versa, so it was then as well. “Lamech,” it is thought, meant “wild
man,” suggesting that those who were in his family had an interesting time of
it. We’ll see more of him in the next verse.
Verse 19. “Lamech took to himself two wives: the name of
the one was Adah, and the name of the other, Zillah.”
We have relatively few details about the time of these
verses, but in their anger at God for casting humanity out of Eden’s Garden,
they may have invented atheism, polytheism and idolatry by this time.
Certainly, we do know from this verse that a man named “Lamech,” this “wild man”
in the line of Cain, did invent polygamy, which is marriage by a man to more
than one wife. Polygamy is against God’s will - a marriage is to consist of one
man and one woman who are to be “one flesh” (Genesis 2:24).
“Adah” means “ornament” and “Zillah” translates as
“shadow.” If their names are indicative of their appearance and the
circumstances of their lives, then Adah may have been the favored wife and
Zillah might have been very unhappy. Or it could mean that Zillah was a
motherly type who protected her family. Lamech, the “wild man” who killed a man
(Verse 23), very much like his ancestor, Cain, probably did not care about the
man he killed at all. And he possibly did not care for his wives, either.
Verse 20. “Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father
of those who dwell in tents and have livestock.”
Josephus, a Jewish historian who lived 2000 years ago,
wrote that Lamech, the “wild man” of the preceding two verses, had seventy-seven
children by his wives, of which a few are named in this section of Scripture.
It’s interesting that a great deal of what we would call “human creativity” is
displayed in the sparse record we have of the descendents of Cain. They
invented things, gadgets designed to make life easier.
“Jabal” may be translated as “moving,” suggesting as
this verse does, that he had no fixed place of residence. Like Abel, Adam and
Eve’s second son, Jabal was “a keeper of flocks” (Genesis 4:2). Unlike Abel,
however, there is no record in Hebrews 11 or in any other place that Jabal was
faithful to God. However, on a human level, he did invent the use of tents for
herdsmen, and he likely placed the keeping of livestock on a commercial basis.
Father, let us look to You and find You. We
trust in You and ask for Your blessing, Your presence in our lives.
Forgive us our sins and give us peace with God. In
Jesus Name. Amen.
Audio bible Study - Genesis 4:21-26
Verse 21. “His brother's name was Jubal; he was the
father of all those who play the lyre and pipe.”
Another notable son of Lamech, the “wild man” of Verses
18 and 19, was “Jubal,” a name that can be translated “playing” or “sound,”
according to some sources. As it says, “he was the father of all those who play
the lyre and pipe.” The suggestion of the words in this verse is that he
was the inventor of certain
musical instruments. The “lyre” was typically an 8- or 10-stringed instrument
with a wooden frame, which was small enough to be carried. The “pipe” was a hollow tube
made of cane, wood, bone or metal. A reed likely was used in the instrument and
in ancient as well as later times, spare reeds were carried by the musician in a bag.
Verse 22. “As for Zillah, she also gave birth to
Tubal-cain, the forger of all implements of bronze and iron; and the sister of
Tubal-cain was Naamah.”
Lamech’s second wife was named “Zillah” (Verse 19),
which meant “shadow.” Zillah became the mother of at least two children, as
indicated by this verse; though Flavius Josephus, the Jewish historian of 2000 years ago,
wrote that she and the other wife bore an incredible combined seventy-seven
offspring. Her son named in this verse was “Tubal-cain,” who
was the creator of “implements of
bronze and iron.” Notice the mention of women in this genealogy, a
practice uncommon for ancient times. Another place where women were included in
a genealogy was Matthew Chapter One, where several women were listed in the
genealogy of Jesus Christ.
Notice how early in human history the industry of
metal-working was in full swing. The strong suggestion of this verse is a rather
large human population at the time. There had to be those who mined the ore,
those who shipped it, and those, like Tubal-cain, who fashioned it into various
implements; not to mention the end-users who purchased them through
some medium of exchange. The meaning of Tubal-cain’s name is uncertain, but the
name of his sister, “Naamah,” meant “sweet” or “pleasant.”
Verse 23. “Lamech said to his wives, ‘Adah and Zillah,
listen to my voice, you wives of Lamech, give heed to my speech, for I have
killed a man for wounding me; and a boy for striking me;”
Vengeance! It began with Cain’s murder of Abel and it
continues to this day. Many subtly express the idea, “If you touch me, I’ll kill you!” through
gossip, slander, so-called “humor” and whatever other weapon of choice might be
available at the time. In this verse, Lamech bragged to his wives that he had
literally killed two people; one of them a man, and the other merely a boy. It's interesting that there is an ancient Jewish legend that the “man” murdered by Lamech was Cain himself.
Verse 24. “If Cain is avenged sevenfold, then Lamech
seventy-sevenfold."
Lamech, in bragging to his wives about his skill in the
murder of a man and a boy, now claimed that he would be “avenged” by God. He
insisted that just as Cain was to be protected by the Lord, an interesting
comment in Genesis
4:15, Lamech would be, too. He failed to recognize one important thing: It was not
Cain who decided he would be avenged “sevenfold;” it was God. Lamech was assuming something about himself that simply was not true
for him.
God will speak to us personally, either directly,
through the circumstances of life, or through His Word, but we should not
presumptuously apply everything of God to us personally. It is God who gives
mercy or makes
judgments, for He knows, not only our needs, but also the needs of those
who relate to us. Lamech’s boast that God would “avenge” him was dangerous,
for
God’s intentions are not determined by our fears, hopes and whims. What applies to one person, may not apply to another.
Verse 25. “Adam had relations with his wife again; and
she gave birth to a son, and named him Seth, for, she said, ‘God has appointed
me another offspring in place of Abel, for Cain killed him.’"
Now we leave the preceding record of Cain’s progeny and
take a look at another key line that descended from Adam. It is interesting
that Cain’s line includes so much in the way of technological advancement and
the other line does not. It does not mean in any way that the people of God
are doomed to a life that lacks creativity. It simply means that the emphasis of
our lives, our interests, are meant to be in a somewhat different direction – we
are to look to
the Lord and consider HIS purposes for our lives.
In this verse, we refer backwards in time, to the place
when Abel’s blood was fresh on the ground. Adam and Eve “had relations” again,
and this “Seth,” whose name means “appointed” or “substitute,” may
indicate that he
was considered a substitute for Abel; or it could signify that they considered
him to be the “Seed” predicted in Genesis 3:15. Notice that Adam understood
the fact that
God had “appointed” this new child’s entrance into the world. Adam was looking
to God and recognized His hand in their lives.
Verse 26. “To Seth, to him also a son was born; and he
called his name Enosh. Then men began to call upon the name of the Lord.”
Again, there are great leaps in time in these verses.
Here in Verses 26 and 27, we have the birth of “Seth,” which may have occurred a
few months after the death of Abel, but it may have been years later.
Other children may have been born in between. And we also are told of the birth of Seth’s
son, “Enosh,” a name that can be translated as “Mortal.” Adam, Eve and the
others were beginning to feel more-and-more the impact of the on-going cycle of life and death that we see in the
world today.
The good news is that men and women were starting “to
call upon the name of the Lord” for their needs, a very important decision for us all. We will
see in Chapter 5, just as we saw in the line of Cain in Chapter 4, that we are
born, we live for awhile, and then we die. Suddenly we are here, and then at
some point, we are gone. If this cycle is going to be broken, it has to be that
we will turn to and trust in the Lord, for we really have very limited control
over our own lives.
Let’s speak to Him about it right now:
Father, we call upon the name of the Lord. Ultimately we
cannot help ourselves and we discover, through these verses and in our lives,
that we need You. Forgive us for the times when we did not seek You, Lord, and
we turn to You now. Rescue us from our sins and the sins of this world. We trust
in You and we trust in the sacrifice made by Your Son in dying for our sins. Forgive us,
save us and heal us. Fill us with Your Spirit and give us peace with God. In
Jesus Name. Amen.
