Sermon Tone Analysis

3. Beginning on the Road to Redemption ()

A. Satan’s Plan: Murder the Seed (16)

“1 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.” 2 And again, she bore his brother Abel.

Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground.

3 In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, 4 and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions.

And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard.

So Cain was very angry, and his face fell.

6 The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen?

7 If you do well, will you not be accepted?

And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door.

Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”

8 Cain spoke to Abel his brother.

And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.

9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?”

He said, “I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?” 10 And the Lord said, “What have you done?

The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground.

11 And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.

12 When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength.

You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”

13 Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear.

14 Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden.

I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” 15 Then the Lord said to him, “Not so!

If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.”

And the Lord put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him.

16 Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.”

Now as life begins outside of the Garden we see Satan attempt to defeat God’s plan for redemption.

Adam knew Eve in the most intimate way of knowing someone in marriage and this produced a son.

What is interesting is that Eve names him Cain.

The literal translation of her declaration reads that she has “gotten a man, the Lord” (literal translation - see note on verse 1 in NASB).

Eve declares that her first born son will be the one who fulfill .

He even follows in Adam’s footsteps and becomes a worker of the ground.

However, instead of crushing Satan, Cain is overcome with sin and crushes his brother, committing the first murder.

It seems as if Satan has won.

Adam and Eve only had two sons.

The one who was destined to be the hero of God’s plan ended up being a cold blooded murderer.

God confronts him and just like Adam, Cain does not confess.

Then, when God punishes him, he attempts to rebel against God.

B. The Wicked Seed of Cain (4:17-24)

“17 Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch.

When he built a city, he called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch.

18 To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad fathered Mehujael, and Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushael fathered Lamech.

19 And Lamech took two wives.

The name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.

20 Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock.

21 His brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe.

22 Zillah also bore Tubal-cain; he was the forger of all instruments of bronze and iron.

The sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.

23 Lamech said to his wives: “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say: I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for striking me.

24 If Cain's revenge is sevenfold, then Lamech's is seventy-sevenfold.”

Cain has children that go on to rebel against God’s order.

The genealogy of Cain ends with the terrible Lamech who rebels against God’s plan for a one-flesh union in marriage.

Instead of knowing his wife, Lamech forcefully took two wives.

Instead of writing songs celebrating marital love like Adam, Lamech wrote songs celebrating a time when he killed a child out of retaliation for hitting him.

This is how far down the path of depravity man has fallen.

C.

God's plan Continues ()

“25 And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, “God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.”

26 To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh.

At that time people began to call upon the name of the Lord.”

In the midst of this great darkness God provides hope that His plan will continue.

Adam knew his wife again.

Satan thought he could eliminate one line of the seed and corrupt the other thus ending God’s plan.

But God just gave Eve another seed.

His name was Seth which means Appointed One.

God’s plan cannot be defeated.

III.

Generations of Adam:

Context and Overview

In the last section we saw how sin entered the world, how the image of God was tarnished and how the relationship with God and man in the garden was lost.

In the fall we witnessed the effort of Satan to reverse God’s created order and ultimately rule over God.

God would not be defeated but instead cursed Satan to an ultimate doom at the hands of the Seed of the Woman, Eve.

Adam and Eve’s sin did not come without a price and they both experienced just consequences that would be passed down through the human race.

Moreover, the nature of sin began to manifest itself in Adam and Eve’s offspring.

Satan attempted to use Cain and his offspring to destroy God’s plan for redemption.

However, God would not be thwarted again.

He allowed the evil of Cain’s murder of Abel to show His triumph over Satan in the birth of another seed, Seth.

Admittedly this section raises complex questions and is difficult to explain clearly.

There are many differing views on the reasons for the long lives of the pre-flood generations, the identity of the Nephilim, and the passage which tells of God’s regret over man.

I will attempt to give you my opinion which follows in the most conservative of viewpoints for each of these.

If questions arise feel free to ask after the study.

In this section we will continue to see how God allows evil to manifest so that He can gloriously triumph over it.

God has begun a plan for Redemption and He will complete it despite the evil plans of Satan.

The Seed of will come into greater focus as we move through this section.

Structure and Main Point

The main point of this text is that God acts to both preserve His plan and prepare for the continuation of His pan.

Preservation and Progress of God’s line ()

Progress Report of Mankind ()

Exposition

1. Preservation and Progress of God’s line ()

A. Introduction () “This is the book of the generations of Adam.

When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. 2 Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created.”

Before studying this first geneology of Adam it is important to discuss a few distinctions of this genealogy.

This genealogy is linear in nature which means that this is written in rapid fire with only two breaks to divert into a side story.

This linear nature shows that God’s plan continues for generation after generation after generation.

It also highlights the two side stories of this genealogy: Enoch and Lamech

B. Linear Genealogy Progressing to Noah () “3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth. 4 The days of Adam after he fathered Seth were 800 years; and he had other sons and daughters.

5 Thus all the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died.

6 When Seth had lived 105 years, he fathered Enosh.

7 Seth lived after he fathered Enosh 807 years and had other sons and daughters.

8 Thus all the days of Seth were 912 years, and he died.