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Adam’s Two Sons Gen. 4: 1 “ Now Adam knew Eve , and she conceived…” • First mention of human procreation Biblical affirmation of marriage Wm Bennett, “during the 1990s, the number of the cohabiting couples increased by almost 50 %...
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Adam’s Two Sons Gen. 4:1 “NowAdam knew Eve, and she conceived…” •First mention of human procreation • Biblical affirmation of marriage • Wm Bennett, “during the 1990s, the number of the cohabiting couples increased by almost 50%... • In 1960, married couples made up almost three-quarters of all households. By 1998, married couples were just more than half of all households. 25% decrease in 38 years.
Verse 1:“…and she conceived and bore Cain…” • Is there any way to determine how long Adam and Eve were in the Garden? • Were any children born to Adam and Eve in the garden? • At the birth of Cain, Eve’s possible thoughts about the fall. • She said, “I have gotten a man child from the LORD.” • She must have thought Cain was the special seed…But was he?
Verse 1:“…and she conceived and bore Cain…” • “For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother…(1 John 3.12) • The LORD hath made all things for Himself (“for His own purpose” NASV; “for its purpose” ESV): Yes, even the wicked for the day of evil (“doom”NKJV; “day of trouble” ESV).” (Proverbs 16.4)
Consider: In John 8.37-45, the words of Jesus: ► What do you suppose John meant when he said of Cain that he was from the wicked One? Consider: ●(37)I know that you are Abraham’s seed, but you seek to kill Me, because My Wordhas no place in you. • (38) I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father. • (39)They answered and said to Him, Abraham is our father. Jesus said to them, Ifyou were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham.
Consider: In John 8.37-45, the words of Jesus: ► What do you suppose John meant when he said of Cain that he was from the wicked One? Consider: ●(40)But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. • (41)You do the deeds of your father. Then they said to Him, We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God. • (42) Jesus said to them, If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.
John 8 continued: • (44) You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. • (45) But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.
There is something terribly ominous and satanic concerning people about whom Christ says: [a.]“My Word has no place in you” (Verse 37). [b.]“I speak that which I have seen with My Father, and you do that which you have seen with your father” (Verse 38). [c.]“Why do you not understand My speech? Because you can not hear to My word” (Verse 43). Cp. Mk. 4:9, 20; Revelation3:22…”hear” to understand, or perceive… [d.]“You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning…” (Verse 44). [e.]“He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God” (Verse 47).
Genesis 4.2a: “Later she gave birth to his brother and named him Abel… “Abel” means transitory, unsubstantial, worthless and vanity. This Hebrew word is used in other passages to mean vanity and fruitlessness. • Why would Eve have named Abel like this? • Abel was the first prophet mentioned in the Bible: That the Blood of all the prophets,which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, from the blood of Abelto the blood of Zechariah… (Luke 11:50-51)
Prophets have a message from God. What was Abel’s message? It must have been associated to the reason that his sacrifice was accepted By the LORD and Cain’s was not. Abel marks the beginning of the preaching of the JHVH’s redemptive processes on the earth.
Verse 4.2b-4: “…Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in the process of time (at the end of days)it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD. Abel also brought of the firstlings of his flock, and of their fat.” • Let’sthink about how Adam and Eve must have raised these two boys. • Based on Genesis 4:16, there seems to have been a place located probably as close to the former Garden of Eden as was possible where Adam established a place of worship and sacrifice that is called “the presence of the LORD.” • Consider the Ark of the Covenant • It is also without saying that Adam and Eve rehearsed the nature of their devastating ¹SIN, ²its consequences and ³God’s provision and covering many times in the presence of these two boys:
Genesis 4:3 “…in the process of time”… The marginal rendering suggests, “at the end of days.” This suggests a conclusion of something completed, as a week, a harvest or maybe the Sabbath. Hebrews 11:4, says: • By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent(plĕŏn, greater in quantity or quality) sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous…
Genesis4.4b-5: And the LORD respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering… •True worshipis more about obedience to the Word of God than it is ever about human acts of devotion. •Abraham called the killing of his only son Isaac worship.
Jesus said plainly: • “God is a Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth” (John 4:23-24). True worship is not about human talent, even though talent is good; it’s not about style, even though certain styles are preferred above others; neither is it about elegance, or architecture, or technique—it is all about spirit and truth. To worship God with the proper spirit is to worship Him with the proper motive and attitude, and to worship God in truth is to worship Him with an upright heart • —a heart that honors and obeys His Word, because obedience is always better than sacrifice.
Cain reasoned, as did his mother, before him, that: (a) God will understand the fruit of the ground is my best, my specialty and He will receive it. (b) God knows that I am not a shepherd. • Keil and Delitzschcomment in their masterful work on Genesis that this passage can be translated as follows, “And Jehovah looked upon Abel and his offering; and upon Cain and his offering He did not look”
Keiland Delitzschcomment in their masterful work on Genesis that this passage can be translated as follows, “And Jehovah looked upon Abel and his offering; and upon Cain and his offering He did not look” • Oh, how I need Him to see me. • What difference does it make how elaborate is our administration, our architecture, our harmony, our decorum…IfHe does not pay any attention to us. • We can be perfect, but empty; beautiful, but alone; spectacular, but without godless, straight as a gun barrel doctrinally, but empty as a gun barrel spiritually. • Oh, the meaninglessness and emptiness of Bloodless, Wordless religious practice and processes.
Genesis 4: 5b: “…And Cain was very angry and his countenance fell.” • Cain was mad, and he showed it. • Have you ever been mad at God? • It is an exercise in futility. • The importance of being teachable, flexible and adjustable. Implacability will take us toward the “Way of Cain.” • Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam's error; they have been destroyed in Korah's rebellion. Jude 1.11 (NIV)
The “way of Cain” will encourage human, godless, religious practice; a form of godliness…this way is willing to worship, but only on its own premise, and in its own way and parameters.
Theworld’s religious system followsthe “Way of Cain” • praises man’s pride, • applauds human reason and • courts the carnal nature of man. • It does not acknowledge divine sovereignty, or seek godly repentance, or pursue Biblical holiness, or any other Kingdom purpose. • Cain’s religion is the blight of the modern organized church.
Genesis 4.6-7: Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.“ Genesis 4.6-7 (NIV) This is Cain’s opportunity to repent. BUT what does he do?
Genesis 4.8-10: Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass when they were in the field that Cain rose against Abel his brother and killed him. Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” And the LORD said, “What have you done?The voice of your brother’s blood cries from the ground.” • God knew where Abel was. He was simply dealing with Cain in an attempt to reason with him. • What was the motive driving Cain?
Cain’s answer forever sealed his destiny to become the federal head of the “seed of the serpent.” (Gen. 3:15) • So it is with all men who elevate human reason above Biblical revelation as the benchmark from which truth is measured and accepted. ► The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1.14 (NIV) ►To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8.31-32 (NIV) ►Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. John 17:17 (NIV)
Genesis 4.11-15: Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth." Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is more than I can bear. Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me." But the LORD said to him, "Not so; if anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven times over." Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. (NIV)
The “ground” is cursed for his sake. • He is destined to be a “wanderer” on the earth. • Cain told the Lord that his punishment (transgression or iniquity) was greater than he could bear. The word “punishment” literally means iniquity. • Cain was actually saying two things: 1. He was saying that his jealous and cruel rage which led him to commit this terrible wickedness would never be expunged from his memory, but would haunt him the rest of his days. 2. And that the judgment resulting from this awful deed was unbearable, it was forever. The “Mark” of Cain: The word translated “mark” is the Hebrew word ‘ôwth, (pronounced ōth) and means, in this context, a sign, a pledge or a token.
We rather to think of some sign that God allowed to appear for Cain’s reassurance…similar to the signs given to certain men that God promised unusual things: e.g. Gideon Judges 6.36-40 and Elisha 2 Kings 2.9-12 • Dr. Henry Morris says: [God] gave Cain a ‘sign’ of some kind to assure him of His protection (‘sign’ is the correct rendering of the Hebrew oth, rather than ‘mark’; there was no outward mark on Cain to set him apart, as some have thought).
►What or where was the land of Nod? (Verse 16) ►Who and where did Cain get his wife? (Verse 16) ►Cain’s descendants (Read verses 17-24)
Genesis 4.25-26: Adam lay with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, saying, "God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.“ Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh. At that time men began to call on the name of the LORD. (NIV) ► Is there a contradiction between verse 26 and Exodus 6:3? The reference is to what they did not what they said.
I have never been asked where Seth got his wife… wonder why? The question always refers to Cain. • The name Seth means “appointed one” ► A quick reading of Luke 3:23-38 will reveal that Seth was in the seed leading directly to the Christ.
Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph…The son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God (Luke 3.23 & 38).
Genesis 5.1-32 • (Genesis 5.1a) The completion of the “toledoth” of Adam and the beginning of the “toledoth” of Noah. • (Genesis 5.3) A Scriptural indicator that all of Adam’s descendants were born in sin…compare verse 1 with 3.
Genesis 5.1-32 • (Genesis 5.3-32) The average age of the patriarchs at the birth of their first child is about 142 years. The meanings of these patriarchal names are given as follows: • (1)Adam--man • (2)Seth--appointed • (3)Enosh--mortal • (4)Cainan (Kenan)--zealou; • (5)Mahalalel--praise of God • (6)Jared--to descend or come down • (7) Enoch--to train or teach • (8)Methuselah--man pierced with a spear • (9)Lamech (uncertain meaning, but could be despair) • (10) Noah--rest.
The meanings of the Patriarch’s names can be sequenced in a sentence, as follows: • Manwas appointed to live as a mortalzealous of redemption, until the God of all praise shall come downteaching, the One who was pierced with a spear, whose death shall bring those in despair great rest.
►Formation of human language ►Enoch: The Seventh from Adam and the great, great, grandfather of Noah: a. “By faith [that] Enoch was translated so that he did not see death, and was not found because God had translated him; for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.” (Hebrews 11: 5) b. Jude says Enoch was a prophet (Jude 14) c. Genesis says he walked with God, and God took him… d. Noah is born, meaning rest.