Two Seeds Diverged
Notes
Transcript
text: Genesis 4
1 And Adam had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain. “With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man,” she said.
2 Later she gave birth to Cain’s brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, while Cain was a tiller of the soil.
3 So in the course of time, Cain brought some of the fruit of the soil as an offering to the LORD,
4 while Abel brought the best portions of the firstborn of his flock. And the LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering,
5 but He had no regard for Cain and his offering. So Cain became very angry, and his countenance fell.
6 “Why are you angry,” said the LORD to Cain, “and why has your countenance fallen?
7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you refuse to do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires you, but you must master it.”
8 Then Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.
9 And the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I do not know!” he answered. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”
10 “What have you done?” replied the LORD. “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.
11 Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.
12 When you till the ground, it will no longer yield its produce to you. You will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”
13 But Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is greater than I can bear.
14 Behold, this day You have driven me from the face of the earth, and from Your face I will be hidden; I will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”
15 “Not so!” replied the LORD. “If anyone slays Cain, then Cain will be avenged sevenfold.” And the LORD placed a mark on Cain, so that no one who found him would kill him.
16 So Cain went out from the presence of the LORD and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
17 And Cain had relations with his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch. Then Cain built a city and named it after his son Enoch.
18 Now to Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methusael, and Methusael was the father of Lamech.
19 And Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah.
20 Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and raise livestock.
21 And his brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute.
22 And Zillah gave birth to Tubal-cain, a forger of every implement of bronze and iron. And the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.
23 Then Lamech said to his wives: “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; wives of Lamech, listen to my speech. For I have slain a man for wounding me, a young man for striking me.
24 If Cain is avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy-sevenfold.”
25 And Adam again had relations with his wife, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, saying, “God has granted me another seed in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.”
26 And to Seth also a son was born, and he called him Enosh. At that time men began to call upon the name of the LORD.
PRAY
Introduction: Two Roads Diverged?
There are only two ways you can go in life - two paths you can take.
You can draw near to God or you can withdraw from Him.
You can run toward Him or run away from Him.
You can accept His Word or reject His Word.
You can trust Him or you can trust yourself.
There are many other ways to put this truth, but I hope the point is clear: in life you must choose which way you will go - God’s way or your own. And every choice we make is moving us one of these two directions.
As I read and studied this passage, I was reminded of a poem I learned back in high school; perhaps some of you will recognize it as well:
The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Frost describes a fork in the path as he walks through the woods and his difficulty in choosing which path to take. Has that ever happened to you, either literally or figuratively?
We are confronted with the same issue in life. Though he wished to travel both (paths) and be one traveler, he could not, and neither can we.
We cannot run toward God and away from Him at the same time. We cannot walk the broad way and the narrow way at once. We must choose which way we will go, and in the end, it will make all the difference.
Genesis 4 shows us the two paths we can take.
We can be on the path of Abel and Seth or the path of Cain and his descendants.
We can take the path of faith, love, and obedience or the path of self-confidence, hatred, and selfishness.
We can align ourselves with the seed of the woman, or we can align ourselves with the seed of the serpent.
Genesis 4 is playing out the promise of hostility between seeds promised in Genesis 3:15. To review, this is what God promised in His curse on the serpent:
15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
God had promised that there would be enmity or hostility between the serpent’s seed and the woman’s seed, or in other words those who choose the devil’s side and those who choose God’s side.
Genesis 4 shows us what that looks like practically.
Let’s work our way through the chapter, and I hope you will see the clear contrast between these two paths.
Cain & Abel (4:1-8)
Cain & Abel (4:1-8)
1 And Adam had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain. “With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man,” she said.
Just as God had promised, a new generation came. Adam and Eve have their first son, Cain.
The name Cain means gotten or acquired, and it appears that Eve considered him to be a fulfillment of God’s promise regarding her seed that would crush the serpent’s head.
However, as we will soon see, it turned out that not only was Cain not that seed, he was instead the seed of the serpent.
And yet, this verse and verse 2 as well still remind us of God’s grace, as He allowed life to go on despite sin’s consequence of death.
2 Later she gave birth to Cain’s brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, while Cain was a tiller of the soil.
The name Abel may be related to the Hebrew word Hevel, used repeatedly in Ecclesiastes and translated as vanity or meaningless. Such a meaning clearly doesn’t describe his character, but it could relate to his short life, cut short by his older brother.
And these two brothers take up professions which seem to be extensions of their father Adam’s work in the garden. Genesis 2:15 tells us that Adam’s job was to work and keep the garden, to guard it and cultivate it.
Now his son Cain works or cultivates the ground, and his son Abel keeps or guards flocks. The same kind of work Adam did before the fall into sin is the work his sons now carry on. This reminds us that work is, in fact, a good thing, although it is made more difficult because of Adam’s sin, and Cain’s work will become even harder because of his own sin.
3 So in the course of time, Cain brought some of the fruit of the soil as an offering to the LORD, 4 while Abel brought the best portions of the firstborn of his flock. And the LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but He had no regard for Cain and his offering…
One important thing to note here is that the LORD is still present with people. Although they have lost access to the Garden of Eden and their fellowship with Him has been broken, He still makes Himself known to them and available to them.
This is the first mention of offerings in Scripture and the first description of how people worshiped the LORD. It seems likely that Cain and Abel learned about offerings from their parents, Adam and Eve.
Notice the two different offerings and God’s different response to them:
Cain brought some of the fruit of the soil… but God had no regard for Cain and his offering.
Abel brought the best portions of the firstborn of his flock, and the LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering.
What’s going on here? Why the different offerings and the different responses from God?
The offerings correspond to their professions - Cain as a farmer brought some kind of food, and Abel as a shepherd brought lambs or goats. That seems logical, right? They both offer God what they have.
So why did God accept Abel’s offering but not Cain’s?
Many of us have been taught that it is because Cain’s offering was not a blood sacrifice that God was not pleased. And there are some reasons to think that:
Abel’s sacrifice appears to have been a blood sacrifice, and God accepted that.
God likely killed an animal in Gen. 3 when He took its skin to cover Adam and Eve.
Later Scriptures explain the need for blood sacrifice to cover sin.
But as I studied the passage this week I have come to reject that interpretation. I don’t think that’s what’s going on. Let me explain why:
First, there is no mention of blood in the passage. Read through it again, and you’ll see - the word blood is not there, nor is the word sacrifice. And there is no altar either, which is usually present in cases where an animal is offered. It simply says that they brought their offerings to the LORD, which may even indicate that He was present there in some physical form.
Second, the word translated “offering” (מִנְחָה) does not imply blood sacrifice, and it is often used to describe grain or cereal offerings. It simply means tribute or offering, something presented to a higher authority as a gift. This means that the offering given was not likely as an atonement for sin but simply an expression of gratitude or worship.
Third, when we assume the need for blood sacrifice, we are interpreting this text through later Scriptures - information that Cain and Abel would not have had.
And finally, when God approaches Cain and reasons with him, God says nothing about a need for blood sacrifice or anything about the kind of offering Cain made.
Genesis 4 simply doesn’t tell us why God accepted Abel’s offering but not Cain’s. But… Hebrews 11 does. I love the book of Hebrews. It may be my favorite book of the Bible, but at least in my top 4 (along with Genesis, Psalms, and the Gospel of John).
4 By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous when God gave approval to his gifts. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.
So what was the difference between Cain and Abel? FAITH!
Abel’s offering was given by faith, and Cain’s was given in self-confidence or selfishness.
Faith loves and values God more than the things He gives and so causes us to live with open hands. Faith trusts that God will provide for every need, so I can give Him my best.
Selfishness values things more than God and so causes us to cling tightly to possessions. Self-confidence doubts God’s goodness and provision, and if I give at all, I just give a little or what I have left over.
This was the difference between Cain and Abel. Look at the verses from Genesis again:
3 So in the course of time, Cain brought some of the fruit of the soil as an offering to the LORD, 4 while Abel brought the best portions of the firstborn of his flock. And the LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but He had no regard for Cain and his offering. So Cain became very angry, and his countenance fell.
Do you see the difference between their offerings?
Cain does not appear to take any care to make sure his offering is good quality or quantity. He just brings whatever he wants to. His attitude reveals self-confidence and selfishness.
Abel, on the other hand, brings his very best to God. The best portions - literally, the fat - and the firstborn of his flock. Abel’s offering demonstrates faith in God’s provision and love in response to God’s goodness.
Do you see the difference?
It is a matter of faith, valuing God above earthly things. That’s why God accepted Abel’s offering but not Cain’s.
Abel offered his gift by faith, and Cain did not.
Abel showed that he valued God above all else, and Cain did not.
Ultimately, Abel was worshiping God, and Cain was worshiping Cain.
And notice Cain’s reaction to God’s rejection of his offering:
5 … So Cain became very angry, and his countenance fell.
Have you ever given someone a gift, and when they open it, you can tell they just don’t like it?
It probably makes you feel terrible and sad or discouraged.
But what is Cain’s response when his gift is not approved?
ANGER
He’s angry. Angry at God for not accepting his offering. Is that a right way to respond?
No. It is never right to be angry at God.
When we are angry at someone, what we are saying is that we think they have acted wrongly or unjustly, that they are not doing what is right.
We can’t ever say that about God. But we do sometimes, don’t we?
To be angry at God is, in effect, to tell God that He is wrong, that He has acted unjustly. But that’s a lie. God is never wrong. He never acts unjustly. He always does what is right.
And it would have been completely right for God to go ahead a punish Cain at this point, perhaps even strike him dead. But the LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in love.
Even as Cain is raging against Him, He tenderly and mercifully comes to Cain and bids him turn from his sin and go God’s way instead.
6 “Why are you angry,” said the LORD to Cain, “and why has your countenance fallen?
7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you refuse to do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires you, but you must master it.”
Even though the LORD is the offended party here, He is the one to approach Cain seeking to reconcile the relationship. And that’s exactly what He does for every one of us as well. Though we have offended Him by our sin, seeking to restore the relationship that we’ve broken.
But we must respond positively to Him, turning from our sin and to Him. If we choose to keep running from God, sin will control us and eventually destroy us.
Sadly, Cain continued to reject God, and his rejection of God led him into greater sin:
8 Then Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.
In the beginning, God had commanded Adam and Eve to fill the earth with people; here Cain does the opposite, taking away the life of his brother. Just one generation after sin entered the world, and death has already come. God’s once-perfect world is not only stained by sin, but now also corrupted by the shedding of innocent blood.
The word “killed” in Hebrew implies a violent, intentional bloody murder, and John describes it in 1 John 3 with a word meaning slaughtered or butchered, describing the incredible violence of this death.
Abel is the first righteous seed of the woman to fall victim to the seed of the serpent.
Cain & God (4:9-16)
Cain & God (4:9-16)
9 And the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I do not know!” he answered. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”
But God doesn’t leave Cain alone in his sin. Just as God pursued Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, so He pursues Cain here. He is so merciful.
He even uses the same question to begin: Where?
In his response, Cain tells an outright lie. He knows exactly where Abel is.
Then God pronounces judgment:
10 “What have you done?” replied the LORD. “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.
11 Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.
12 When you till the ground, it will no longer yield its produce to you. You will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”
Abel’s blood cried out for justice, for vengeance, as Hebrews 12:24 also notes. God will later state the need for capital punishment in such cases of murder.
Instead, here, He gives Cain a punishment corresponding to Cain’s profession:
The ground will no longer produce food for Cain, no matter how hard he works at it. He will not be allowed to farm anymore. Instead, he will be a wandering fugitive on the earth, never at rest, never at home.
How did Cain respond?
13 But Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is greater than I can bear.
14 Behold, this day You have driven me from the face of the earth, and from Your face I will be hidden; I will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”
Cain is still just thinking about himself. He is being selfish and self-centered and cannot realize the mercy he is being shown in being allowed to continue living after taking his brother’s life.
He’s only concerned about his own life and shows no remorse for ending Abel’s.
His only concern is about how hard his life is going to be with these consequences.
There is a godly sorrow that leads one to repentance, and there is a worldly sorrow that only sheds tears of grief for oneself. Cain’s sorrow is a worldly sorrow and there is no hint of repentance for his sin.
Unlike his parents, he not only refuses to acknowledge his wrongdoing, but he also protests the punishments he receives. Although Adam and Eve’s confessions were lacking, they did at least acknowledge their sin, and there’s no hint that they protested their punishment in ch. 3.
But Cain is not sorry at all for what he has done.
And yet, God responds with mercy once again:
15 “Not so!” replied the LORD. “If anyone slays Cain, then Cain will be avenged sevenfold.” And the LORD placed a mark on Cain, so that no one who found him would kill him.
We don’t know what the mark was, but it appears to have been successful in keeping people from killing Cain. Though Cain deserved to die, God spared his life. And yet, Cain does not seem at all grateful for any of God’s mercy and kindness to him.
He just keeps moving away from God
16 So Cain went out from the presence of the LORD and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
Cain moved away from the place of God’s special presence.
He settled in the land of Nod, which is related to the word “wanderer” in Hebrew.
And that phrase east of Eden reminds us once again of the paradise that has been lost and how quickly sin has multiplied.
Cain & his descendants (4:17-24)
Cain & his descendants (4:17-24)
17 And Cain had relations with his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch. Then Cain built a city and named it after his son Enoch. 18 Now to Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methusael, and Methusael was the father of Lamech. 19 And Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah.
Though he cut his brother’s life short, Cain was allowed to continue living and have posterity. Here in these 3 verses are 6 generations of Cain’s line, and the following verses will mention 4 names from the 7th generation.
We know very little about most of their lives, but we can make a couple of observations.
First, although God told Cain he would be a restless wanderer, he built a city, perhaps out of rebellion against God. Cities in the Bible often represent rebellion against God.
You might recognize some of these names from the list of Seth’s descendants in chapter 5. Enoch and Lamech are both listed in ch. 5 (Enoch walked with God… and Lamech was Noah’s father). And Methusael is very close to Methuselah. But these are different people from the ones mentioned in ch. 5.
Another important thing to notice is in v. 19. Lamech married two wives. This is the first recorded example of polygamy, and while the OT does not expressly forbid it, just 2 chapters earlier God showed us the pattern of marriage and what He desires. And polygamy never turns out well. For some reason, there’s always fighting, disagreement, and other forms of brokenness and dysfunction in polygamous marriages. Well this is where it all started.
The next 3 verses tell us of the next generation, Lamech’s children:
20 Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and raise livestock. 21 And his brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute. 22 And Zillah gave birth to Tubal-cain, a forger of every implement of bronze and iron. And the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.
This generation is credited with beginning many different important aspects of civilization - raising livestock, playing music, and forging metals.
We don’t know much about them other than their names and these aspects of their work and accomplishment.
Then we have some poetry, perhaps even a song from Lamech:
23 Then Lamech said to his wives: “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; wives of Lamech, listen to my speech. For I have slain a man for wounding me, a young man for striking me. 24 If Cain is avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy-sevenfold.”
Hebrew poetry doesn’t usually rhyme like ours usually does, but it has a clear form to it called parallelism. That is, usually two (sometimes more) lines express an idea, either by saying the same thing in different ways, by saying two opposite things, or by escalating an idea to a climax. Here we have 3 sets of 2 lines. In the first two sets, each line expresses the same idea but in different words. This is called synonymous parallelism. The third set of two lines escalates the idea of the first line in the second.
(Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon are the 5 main poetic books, but there are poetic portions in many different parts of the OT, including here in Gen. 4.)
What is Lamech saying here?
One commentary I read said that because of the poetic nature of these verses, the verbs in v. 23 are not to be taken as actions that have been done, but as a threat that is being made or a hypothetical situation Lamech is imagining. So perhaps he has not already killed anyone, but he is threatening to do so.
Or it’s possible that he has already committed murder like his ancestor Cain. Like his great, great, great grandfather, he also has disregarded the value of human life.
The same commentary also mentioned that although the words “man” and “young man” are parallel in the poetry, they are describing two different people that Lamech has killed or is threatening to kill - a grown man and a boy.
In Lamech’s words we see the same proud, selfish, ungodly attitude that was in Cain. He is concerned only about himself and does not value God or others.
He, like Cain, is the seed of the serpent.
Thankfully, the chapter doesn’t end there. There’s a glimmer of hope at the end:
A New Seed - Seth (4:25-26)
A New Seed - Seth (4:25-26)
25 And Adam again had relations with his wife, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, saying, “God has granted me another seed in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.”
Abel couldn’t be the promised seed, because he was dead.
Cain couldn’t be the promised seed, because he killed Abel.
But now God provides another seed - Seth. His name is related to the word “appointed.”
Again, it appears that Eve may have thought that he would be the one to destroy the serpent. But although he was not THAT SEED, he was the first in the line of dozens of generations of seed leading up to the ultimate seed, Jesus Christ.
26 And to Seth also a son was born, and he called him Enosh. At that time men began to call upon the name of the LORD.
And another generation comes. Enosh is born. His name comes to mean man or mankind.
And once again, as at the beginning of the chapter, people are worshiping the LORD, presumably those from the line of Seth.
Do you see the two different paths in this chapter? There are only two ways you can go.
You can go God’s way - worshiping Him, giving your best to Him, living by faith, trusting Him, loving Him, obeying Him.
or
You can go your own way - living for yourself, keeping the best for yourself, not caring about others, and disregarding God and His commands.
Application:
I’d like to make two points of application as we close:
First, I want you to see how merciful and gracious God is. He is so good and kind, slow to anger and abounding in love. He is not quick to punish, even when punishment is very much deserved. As long as you have life, you have the opportunity to draw near to God, to accept His love and mercy and find His forgiveness and grace. No matter what you’ve done, no matter how far away from Him you’ve gone, you’re just one step away. Turn from your sin and turn to God, and you’ll find that He’s right there waiting to embrace you. He always has been.
Even as believers sometimes we stray. We fall into sin or sinful patterns in our lives and move away from God. We need to regularly check our hearts and make sure we are living in faith and love toward God, valuing Him above everything else. If sin has the upper hand right now, make a conscious choice right now to surrender to God, turn from your sin and turn back to Him. He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in love. Move toward him right now in your heart, whether for the first time or the ten thousandth time. Keep moving toward God. Walk the path of faith. Don’t be like Cain.
Second, John’s application of this passage has to do with love for others.
He says this in 1 John 3:11-15.
11 This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another.
12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did Cain slay him? Because his own deeds were evil, while those of his brother were righteous.
13 So do not be surprised, brothers, if the world hates you.
14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death.
15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that eternal life does not reside in a murderer.
The way of Cain is the way of hate and mistreatment and murder. This is the devil’s way, and Cain’s actions show that he belonged to the evil one. Cain was the seed of the serpent.
Unlike Cain, we are called to love one another and to show God’s love to everyone.
Those who know God and have His life in them will love like He loves.
We must live in love toward one another.
If you know your Bible well, you may realize that these two points of application are the greatest and second greatest commandment as stated by Jesus in Matthew 22:37-40.
Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.
Those who are on the path toward God will live this way more and more.
Which path are you on?
Which path are you on?
Other relevant passages: Matthew 23:29-38; Romans 6:12-14; Isaiah 26:21; John 8:37-47.
