August 31, 2024
Last week we were introduced to the Villain. He planted the seeds of distrust and rebellion through the power of an idea – God cannot be trusted. The central question in the rest of the story will be, “Who is telling the truth – God or the Villain?
One thing is certain, sin moves quickly and takes root without much effort – shame, fear and blame were its first leaves.
Time goes by….. Cain is born. Once again, the Hebrew poses a problem for scholars. Most translations read something like this, “I have brought forth a man child with the help of the Lord.” However, there is another option that points back to the promise God made to Adam and Eve regarding the coming Savior. The translation, “I have received a man-child – the Lord,” suggests that they believed Cain to be the promised Savior….. How wrong that belief would prove to be.
Abel followed soon after. The Bible tells us that Abel kept flocks and Cain worked the soil.
The sin weed sprouts a few more leaves: self-righteousness, anger and resentment.
One day, Cain and Abel brought offerings to God: Cain brought the fruits of the soil. Abel brought the choicest parts of the firstborn of his flock. We are told only that God accepted Abel’s sacrifice, but did not accept Cain’s.
Hebrews 11:4 indicates that faith is what drove Abel to bring the sacrifice that he did. Faith in what? Faith in the “hoped for, but not yet seen” atoning sacrifice of the promised Savior. Pointing us back again to God’s promise in Genesis 3:15.
Cain – on the other hand – brought the work of his own hand. By doing so, he was making a statement, “I don’t need a Savior. I am my own savior. I can take care of the problem myself.”
This was very much in keeping with his parents attempt to cover their nakedness by sewing fig leaves together.
Popular religion and the world want us to believe that we really are NOT that bad, we CAN be good enough in ourselves, we don’t NEED transformation ---- in other words: righteousness by me. Righteousness by my own effort.
Scripture paints a decidedly different picture…………..
This is an important concept because until we believe what God says about himself – that he IS holy – and what he says about us – that we ARE that bad and sin IS that deadly and only the death of Jesus can fix the problem – we will never take hold of the remedy he has promised – to cleanse us and heal us and transform us.
Genesis 4:5 - So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.
Despite Cain’s strong reaction, God, personally, reached out to him:
Genesis 4:6-7 - "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."
This was a preemptive strike on God’s part. Attempting to get Cain to see his sin and repent of it before sin could get a deeper hold, “sin is at the door. It desires to have you, but you must master it.”
Despite God’s direct intervention, another leaf sprouts: pre-meditated murder.
Genesis 4:8 - Now Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out to the field." And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
Again, God chose to engage Cain directly, “Where is your brother?”
Did God know what had happened? Of course he did. God was not looking for information, his question was intended to lead Cain to the recognition and repentance of his sin.
How did Cain respond? “I don’t know…. Not my problem.”
Clearly Cain had opened the door to the sin waiting outside.
Abel’s blood cried out for justice - God declared judgment on Cain - and another leaf sprouts: sorrow for the consequences rather than sorrow for the actual sin.
Instead of repenting, Cain cries that the punishment is too severe and then proceeds to misquote God:
• God said – “The ground will no longer yield food for you and you will be a restless wanderer on the earth.”
• Cain said – “You are driving me from the land. I will have to hide from your face. I will be a restless wanderer AND whoever finds me will kill me.”
Despite his lack of repentance, God still extended grace to Cain and placed a mark of protection on him. Did this do anything to soften the heart of Cain or lead his descendants to follow God? Not necessarily.
-The Genealogy of Cain and those who did not follow God-
Within 8 generations we have the development of cities, the creation of musical instruments, animal management and the introduction of Metallurgy and metal working – all great human achievements – but we also have the sprouting of more leaves: polygamy, vindictiveness and pride and boasting in sin.
Lamech had 2 wives – Adah and Zillah. One day he came home and, using poetic language, boasted that he was the master of his own life and anyone who crossed him better watch out:
Genesis 4:23-24 - …. "Adah and Zillah, listen to me; wives of Lamech, hear my words. I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for injuring me. If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times."
The descendants of Cain demonstrate that even though they were – from a human perspective – accomplished in many ways, their general trajectory was away from God.
So, we have two branches of Adam’s tree. One branch was murdered and the other is decidedly in the weeds.
Meanwhile, all is not lost. Hope is reignited with the birth of another son - Seth.
-The Genealogy of Adam from Seth to Noah and those that did follow God-
• Adam – 130 years old when Seth was born (in Adams image). Adam lived another 800 years = 930 years
• Seth – 105 years old when Enosh was born. Seth lived another 807 years = 912 years
• Enosh – 90 years old when Cainan was born. Enosh lived another 815 years = 905 years
• Cainan – 70 years old when Mahalalel was born. Cainan lived another 840 years = 910 years
• Mahalalel – 65 years old when Jared was born. Mahalalel lived another 830 years = 895 years
• Jared – 162 years old when Enoch was born. Jared lived another 800 years = 962 years
• Enoch – 65 years old when Methuselah was born. Lived another 300 years/translated
• Methuselah – 187 years old when Lamech was born. Methuselah lived another 782 years = 969 years
• Lamech – 182 years old when Noah was born. Lamech lived another 595 years = 777 years
• Noah – 500 years old when Shem, Ham & Japheth were born.
Genesis 6:1-2 - When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they took for themselves wives from all that they chose.
No, this is not a record of Aliens getting together with humans. Nor is it a record or angels getting together with humans.
• Sons of God = descendants of Seth.
• Daughters of men = descendants of Cain.
This verse mirrors the language of the fall:
Genesis 3:6 - When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
Instead of remaining separate, which would have slowed the growth of sin, the sons of Seth did just what great-grandma Eve had done – they saw something they wanted and they took it. The consequences will be globally catastrophic.
God looked at what was going on and declared that he would not allow it to continue indefinitely --- humanity had 120 years to get it together.
In those days the Nephilim roamed the earth. Some say giants, others say extraordinary men. Some say the word means, “the ones who have fallen.” Again, not of vital importance to the story.
Here’s what is important – by this point in the story the roots of sin were so deep that God could not bear it any longer:
Genesis 6:5-7 - The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the LORD said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth -- men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air -- for I am grieved that I have made them."
The flood is coming………..
God is heartbroken. He has a deep and abiding love for the humans he created. He didn’t want them to have any knowledge of sin, but now, not only do they have a knowledge of sin, they have written the “How To” book.
He is determined to end the spread of sin, yet, even now He extends grace and mercy. He provides a way out.
Genesis 6:8 - But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.
