Genesis 4:6-5:22

This has caused many people, in fact, the vast majority of people, to ridicule the Bible’s story of creation and the first family and how they fell into the devastating state called sin. How could the entire population of the earth today, along with the amazing technology and knowledge available to us, be expected to believe the story of Adam and Eve and the garden of Eden?

This story of the first humans and the first children born on the planet is so much at odds with our modern world that it is largely rejected. Attempts are made to explain the human story in ways that are more acceptable to modern thinking.

Unfortunately, these attempts only serve to open up even more questions which in turn become more and more ridiculous than the Bible account ever is.

To illustrate this a little, let’s for a moment assume that the theory of evolution is true and that it is the process by which the population of the earth has arrived at where it is today.

Our first challenge is that we know the earth’s population has been growing rapidly and as such must have grown from smaller numbers. For example the earth’s population today is not far off 8 billion humans, yet Wikipedia suggests the world’s population in the year 1 AD was between 150 and 330 million people. We don’t know what the population was 1000 years before that we can safely assume it was much smaller.

Well back in the eons of time, those original numbers must have been just two and they must have been male and female. Either that or there was only one human who was both male and female and so after the billions of years it took to get to that stage, more billions of years caused that thing to somehow evolve into two separate beings, one male and one female.

Now, these beings at all stages of this evolution must have been able to produce offspring in the image of themselves, even before they became separate male and female beings. How in the world did THAT stunningly complex ability evolve??

Then we must explain the fact that we, as a population, understand that evil is bad. This is why we have laws that punish crime.

We know instinctively that to steal from someone or to murder or rape someone is what we call “wrong”. And, it appears from our recorded history, that we’ve always had that moral understanding.

How did those first humans that evolved from some other life form over countless millions of years take on this moral character? Why do we even think it’s wrong to harm someone else? Where did that come from?  What happened in time past that caused that conscience, that understanding of good and evil to come into those early beings? What overriding power dictated to these evolving beings what was good and what was evil?

Now, I don’t know about you, but from the so-called scientific explanations that I’ve ever seen, I’d need a vastly greater level of faith in those unseen, unproven explanations than I need to believe that God created all things for His own purposes, including man and woman, and, that the account He‘s left for us in the Bible is perfectly correct.

Now we start this episode in Genesis chapter 4 and we read verses 6 and 7. “So the LORD said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?

If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.’”

Why is Cain angry? He’s so angry that he’s going to murder his brother. Behind premeditated murder, there’s always anger.

Our Lord said that, if you are angry with your brother without a cause, you are guilty of murder. Behind anger is jealousy, and behind jealousy is pride.

There’s no sense of sin whatsoever in spiritual pride.

James put it like this in James 1:15, “Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.”

Cain’s anger led to murder, but behind it was his jealousy and his pride.

And God deals with him on this level.

He says to Cain, “If you do well, will you not be accepted?” Actually, the meaning is better translated as, “Will you not have excellency?”

God tells him there’s no reason for him not to have the same acceptance as his brother Abel.

All he needs to do is to bring the same as what God had accepted from Abel, a sacrifice and the acknowledgment that he was a sinner.

But not this bloke — he’s just angry.

Is he angry with God?

I don’t think he is. However, he does have this seething anger and jealousy toward his brother. Even if he did turn and offer the right sacrifice this uncontrollable anger and jealousy toward his brother would have still overpowered him because in his mind Abel is better than he is because he got it right the first time. How often has this situation played out in history?

One party doesn’t quite come up to the level of another but instead of using that as a standard to try to come up to, hatred, jealousy, anger and so often violence and murder take over.

“Sin lies at the door,” says this verse, “but you should rule over it..” Cain didn’t realise how vulnerable he was to sin. When God said to him that “Sin lies at the door,” He was saying that sin was crouching at the doorway of Cain’s soul like a wild beast waiting to pounce on him the moment he weakened. For that reason, Cain needed a sacrifice that would be acceptable to God for sin, a sacrifice that pointed to Christ, but instead, he reached into his deep anger and jealousy and in so doing he opened that door and sin leapt on him consuming him and consumed him.

Could he have chosen differently? Yes, definitely!

God said to Cain, “And its desire (sins desire) is for you, but you should rule over it.”

God is saying here that sin desires to have you, Cain, to own you, but you should rule over it. In other words, that temptation to sin is within your power to either accept or reject. Cain chose to accept it.

We see this in 1 John 3:12. “…not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous. ”

“if you do not do well, sin lies at the door.” To do well, all that needed to be done was to bring the same kind of offering that Abel had brought. But it was too late.

Cain could resist sin and find a blessing, or he could give in to sin and be devoured by it. Cain allowed sin in the form of anger and jealousy and it certainly consumed him.

Now we move to Genesis 4:8 and we read, “Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.”

Here we have humanity’s first murder. Cain talked with Abel his brother. What did he talk about? Reading over this verse quickly could give the impression they had a friendly chit-chat between brothers. I doubt it!

Some translations have the topic of conversation as being about what God has said to Cain.

Other translations have Cain saying to Abel, “Let’s go out into the field.” Maybe it was a heated argument and it was said something like, “Come out to the field and we’ll sort it out.”

Whatever the discussion was, the outcome was that Cain murdered his brother.

In verse 9, “Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”

This is a cocky, insolent answer which displays his lack of respect and regard for either his brother or his God.

He’s trying to cover his action, but as Matthew 10:26 says, “… there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known”. That’s something for all of us to think over. We’d better deal with them down here because they’re all going to come out in God’s presence someday anyway. He already knows about them. Get them out of the way by using the Christian’s bar of soap, 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. “

God knew the answer to this question. He asked Cain because He wanted to give him the opportunity to confess his sin and start to do right after having done wrong.

How futile it was for this bloke Cain to lie to God! It was madness for him to think God didn’t know where Abel was, or that he could actually hide his sin from God. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” This totally impudent answer shows Cain’s complete blindness to the all-knowing power of God!

In verse 10 now, “And He (that’s God) said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.”

The writer of the epistle to the Hebrews uses this in Hebrews 12:24 : “to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. ” You see, Abel’s blood spoke of murder committed. The blood of Christ speaks of redemption; of salvation.

Now God says in Genesis 4:11-12, “ So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth.”

This curse upon Cain was that Adam’s curse would be amplified where he was concerned. If bringing forth food from the earth would be hard for Adam as in Genesis 3:17-18, it would be impossible for Cain (who, by the way, was a farmer).

Cain would find no resting place on all the earth. “A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth”.

Now to verse 13. “And Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is greater than I can bear!”

My punishment is greater than I can bear! Cain didn’t feel bad about his sin, only about his punishment. Still, right up to today, many people only feel bad about their punishment, not their sin. The sinner pities himself instead of turning to God in confession where there’s forgiveness.

If Cain’s punishment was greater than he could bear, why didn’t he just turn to God and confess his sin and cast himself upon God’s mercy? God was providing a Saviour for him if he would only turn to Him.

Now to verse 14, “ Surely You have driven me out this day from the face of the ground; I shall be hidden from Your face; I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth, and it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill me.”

Cain realises that he’s to be hidden from the face of God, and of course, that’s exactly what happened.

But notice now that God protects him. This is strange: God is actually harbouring a murderer, a criminal.

As harsh as God’s judgment is against Cain, God, for some reason didn’t want Cain killed by others.

And verse 15, “And the LORD said to him, “Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the LORD set a mark on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him.”

What was that mark? Well, we don’t know, and any attempt to explain what the mark was is just speculation. But God does protect Cain.

Remember, there‘s been no law given at this time. Cain is a sinner, but he’s not a transgressor of the law because there’s been no law given about murder.

His great sin is that he did not bring the offering that was acceptable to God. His deeds were evil in what he brought to God, and he displayed that evil nature in murdering his brother.

Now, in Genesis 4:16-24, we see that Cain moves out from God, and establishes a civilization that is apart from God altogether. The children of Cain establish a godless civilization.

Genesis 4 verse 16 says, “Then Cain went out from the presence of the LORD and dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden.”

We don’t know where the land of Nod is although there’s plenty of speculation of course which as we’ve seen is normal when God doesn’t give us all the details, but it’s just that, speculation.

However,  we are told that Cain went out and dwelt in that area.

Verse 17, “And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. And he built a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son—Enoch.

Man’s been doing this ever since, naming streets and cities after themselves or their loved ones. We love to do that, to make our mark on this world.

Here‘s where urban life, city life, began: “And he built a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son—Enoch.”

Now to Genesis 4 verses 18 to 19, “To Enoch was born Irad; and Irad begot Mehujael, and Mehujael begot Methushael, and Methushael begot Lamech.

Then Lamech took for himself two wives: the name of one was Adah, and the name of the second was Zillah. Adah means, “pleasure, ornament, or beauty.”

Zillah means, “shade” probably referring to a luxurious covering of hair.

Here’s the beginning of polygamy—having more than one wife.

Lamech now does what God does NOT intend. It’s completely against what God has for man.

Nowhere in Scripture does God approve of polygamy.

If we read the accounts accurately, we find that He condemns it. He gives the record of it because it happened. He’s giving a historical record, which is why it’s given to us here, but God makes it clear He does NOT approve of it.

Later on, we’ll see the trouble this marriage to two wives caused.

Here we see the beginning of civilization, the Cainitic civilization, that is from the line of Cain.

In verse 20 we read, “And Adah bore Jabal. He was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock.” These could have been the first cattle and sheep farmers who moved home as the livestock grazed. Or they may have been the first building contractors as well.

Verse 21, “His brother’s name was Jubal. He was the father of all those who play the harp and flute. Here is the beginning of the musicians.”

Verse 22. “And as for Zillah, she also bore Tubal-Cain, an instructor of every craftsman in bronze and iron. And the sister of Tubal-Cain was Naamah. ”

Here we see the ones who are craftsmen and possibly engineers.

Now in Genesis 4 Verses 23 to 24, we read, “Then Lamech said to his wives: “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; Wives of Lamech, listen to my speech! For I have killed a man for wounding me, Even a young man for hurting me.

If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, Then Lamech seventy-sevenfold.”

Lamech says, “If Cain got by with it, I can get by with it. After all, Cain did not slay in self–defence, but I have.”

We don’t know whether he did or not, but he says that he slew in self–defence. And I don’t know whether or not his two wives entered into this, or whether or not he was defending one of them.

We’re not told how it happened. Lamech feels that he will be avenged seventy and sevenfold, but our Lord told Simon Peter that he ought to forgive his enemy that many times.

Now we move to Genesis 4: and verses 25-26 where we see the birth of Seth, “And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, “For God has appointed another seed for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed.

And as for Seth, to him also a son was born; and he named him Enosh. Then men began to call on the name of the LORD.”

Apparently this was the beginning of men calling upon the name of the Lord.

Now we come to Genesis 5:1-20 and the Final chapter of Adam’s biography. It’s the thrilling story of Enoch; the genealogy, the family line, of Enoch to Noah.

In the first section of the Book of Genesis (chapters 1–11), we have world events, the Creation, then the Fall, and now in chapters 5–9, the flood.

In chapter 5 we have the book of the generations of Adam through Seth.

Cain’s line has been given to us and is now dropped. It will be mentioned again only as it crosses the godly line.

This is a pattern that will be repeated over and over in the Book of Genesis.

The ungodly line is mentioned first, then dropped.

Now, in one sense, chapter 5 is discouraging and depressing because it’s like walking through a cemetery.

God said to Adam in Genesis 2 verse 17, “…for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die,” and all the sons of Adam died. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:22, “For as in Adam all die …”.

So in Genesis 5 verses 1 to 2 we read, “This is the book of the genealogy (generations) of Adam. In the day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of God.

He created them male and female, and blessed them and called them Mankind in the day they were created. The King James version is probably more accurate when it says God called them “Adam” which means mankind. Eve is the other half of Adam.

“The book of the generations of Adam.” This strange expression occurs again only in the beginning of the New Testament, and there it’s called “the book of the generation of Jesus Christ.”

In these two books, we see that there are two lines, two seeds, and they’re against each other. The struggle’s going to be a long one between the line of Satan and the line of Christ, the accepted line.

The line which we’re following now is the line through Seth, and it is through this line that Christ will ultimately come.

In Genesis 5 verse 3 we read, “And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.

When Adam was 130 years old, how old was he? In other words, when God created Adam, did He create him thirty years old or fourteen or forty–five?

I don’t know—anything would be speculation. And if He created him that old, was he actually that old? You see, God could create him any age.

When someone says that certain rocks are billions of years old, they just don’t know. Maybe when God created them, He created them two or three billion years old. Who can say? No one!

The important thing here is that when Adam had been here 130 years, he begat a son in his own likeness. Adam was made in the likeness of God, but his son was born in his likeness.

And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters:

In verses 4 to 5 we read, “After he begot Seth, the days of Adam were eight hundred years; and he had sons and daughters. So all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years; and he died.”

Now we start through the graveyard. Adam begat sons and daughters, “and all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years”—and what happened? “And he died.”

In verse Genesis 5:8 we read what happened to Seth. He died. He had a son by the name of Enos, and what happened to him? In verse Genesis 5:11 we are told that he died. But he had a son, and Cainan was his son. And what happened to old Cainan? In verse 14 we find that he died too. He had a son, Mahalaleel, and in verse 17, he died. But he had a son in verse 20, and his name was Jared, and guess what happened to him? He died.

However, before he died, Jared had a son by the name of Enoch. And this man Enoch is a fascinating character for sure.

 

In verses 21 to 22 we read, “Enoch lived sixty-five years, and begot Methuselah.  After he begot Methuselah, Enoch walked with God three hundred years, and had sons and daughters.”

And then did Enoch die?

No! He did not die.

This might be a depressing chapter, but Enoch is the bright spot in it.

After he begot Methuselah, Enoch walked with God three hundred years, and had sons and daughters.

In verses 23 to 24,  “So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.”

This is a most remarkable thing. In the midst of all this death, one man is removed from this earth.

It is said that Enoch “walked with God.”

This is quite amazing because only two men are said to have walked with God. In the next chapter, we find that Noah also walked with God.

These were two antediluvians or men that lived before the flood, and they walked with God.

There are actually only two men in the Old Testament who did not die.

One of them is Enoch, and the other is Elijah.

Enoch is one of the few people living before the Flood of whom we have any record at all.

We’re told that he didn’t die but that God took him—he was translated.

What do we mean by translation? Translation is the taking of a word from one language and putting it into another language without changing its meaning. Enoch was removed from this earth; he was translated. He had to get rid of the old body which he had. He had to be a different individual—yet he had to be the same individual, just as the translated word has to be the same. Enoch was taken to heaven.

We read that Enoch lived sixty–five years, and begat Methuselah, and after that, he walked with God.

We don’t know what the first sixty–five years of his life were like.

Probably he was like the rest of the crowd, but when his little son Methuselah was born, Enoch’s walk was changed.

That baby turned him to God. Sometimes God puts a baby in a family just for that purpose, and if you don’t see the miracle of God in that baby you’ll hardly see it anywhere else!

For three hundred years after that birth, he walked with God, and he begat other children, sons and daughters. “And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years”—that is how long he was on this earth, but he did not die.

It does not say, like all the rest, “And then Enoch died,” but it says, “And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.”

All the great truths in Genesis are seeds that start germinating in this the first book of the Bible, and come to maturity elsewhere in the Bible very often in the last book, the Book of Revelation. It’s a picture of what’s to come. Here we have the seed and the picture of the Rapture of the church. Before the judgment of the Flood, God removes Enoch.