Sermon Tone Analysis

Review

Adam sinned - God’s image tarnished - now just like God

Relationship with God in the garden was lost

- the Seed of the Woman, the New Adam will crush the head of Satan

the Woman’s pain and her conception will be multiplied.

Adam will toil to work the cursed ground

Adam’s faith - renamed Eve, “the mother of all living” before she became a mother

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.

Lastly, we saw the faith of Adam in God’s promise by renaming his wife Eve - the Mother of all Living - before she even became a mother.

However this situation changes in Genesis chapter 4 which is where we shall start.

3. Beginning on the Road to Redemption ()

A. Satan’s Plan: Murder the Seed ()

“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...

Adam knew Eve - she conceives their firstborn son - Cain

She believes that he is the Seed that was promised “I have gotten a man, the LORD”

Adam and Eve have a second son, Abel, who serves and worships God

God honors Abel for his worship, does not regard Cain

Satan

Cain does not worship God as his brother does and in turn doesn’t receive the favor that Abel got

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

Cain was to be the one to crush the head of Satan, but Cain crushes the head of his brother

God confronts Cain, Cain does not confess.

God punishes Cain, Cain rebels against God

God punishes Cain, Cain rebels against God

It appears Satan’s scheme has won

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

And now 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 by telling him that he will be a wanderer on the earth, he attempts to rebel against God and settle in Nod.

God’s plans seem to be thwarted and the creatures that he created are living in open rebellion against him.

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...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’s offspring rebel against God too

Adam knew his wife, wrote the first love song

Lamech took two wives, sang about killing children

It really appears Satan has won - where is the offspring of the woman?

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.”

God provides hope - He cannot be defeated

God gave Eve another seed - Seth - “Appointed One”

Seth’s offspring called upon the name of the Lord

In the midst of this great darkness God provides hope that He can not be defeated and 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.

There is even more reason for hope at the end of this story.

Seth has a son and his offspring, the offspring of the women are not like Cain’s offspring.

They call upon the name of the Lord.

III.

Generations of Adam:

Context and Overview

We just saw how the nature of sin began to manifest itself in Adam and Eve’s offspring.

We began to see how Cain’s offspring is filled with rebellion and murder.

This was contrasted with the line of Seth who began to call upon the name of the Lord.

This contrast between the offspring of the seed and the offspring of the woman will come to a climax in this section that we are about to study.

Satan will again attempt to thwart God’s plan, and God will again defeat Satan.

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 during or after the study.

Structure and Main Point

The main point of this text is that God acts to both preserve and progress His plan in the midst of a wicked and rebellious world 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.”

Linear Genealogy with two interruptions: 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.”

Adam fathered Seth after his image

Doctrine of Original Sin.

As Paul says in , “12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—”