Lessons From Adam

Psalm 103:8–18 NIV

8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. 9 He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; 10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. 13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; 14 for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. 15 The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; 16 the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. 17 But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children— 18 with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.

Genesis 25:19–26 NIV

19 This is the account of the family line of Abraham’s son Isaac. Abraham became the father of Isaac, 20 and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram and sister of Laban the Aramean. 21 Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. 22 The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. 23 The Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.” 24 When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. 25 The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau. 26 After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them.

Hebrews 11:4–7 NIV

4 By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead. 5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. 7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.

Sermon Intro:

Last year, I had some funny clips from Christian comedian Jeanne Robertson. This year I thought it would be fun to celebrate Father’s day by beginning with a funny clip from one of my favorites, Ken Davis. I do not have a download of this video, but the Ken Davis ministry team has provided permission for us to view this clip from YouTube in this service.

Ken Davis: Children Fighting on the Way to Church 4:00

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ps9MmzHh8U

The story he tells is funny because if you grew up in a good church attending family, this is not far from the mark. The truth is, once a child is born, there is a spiritual battle that begins to take place over their life. As head of the household, fathers carry the responsibility to raise a child in the way they should go. Mom is to help, but dad is the one ultimately responsible. It is not always easy as not all children are willing to follow the directions set. Just as God suffered the disobedience of Adam, so fathers suffer the disobedience of their children.

In our Genesis/Beginnings series, we are going to jump ahead one story for Father’s Day. The week before last we looked at creation. In creation we discover the purpose of humankind.

Next week, we will look at what disrupted God’s perfect creation. However, for now, we are going to take a microscopic look at how sin affected Adam’s family.

Today, I am reading from...

Genesis 4:1–16 NIV

1 Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man.” 2 Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. 4 And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. 6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 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 rule over it.” 8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. 9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” 10 The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. 11 Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.” 13 Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is more than I can bear. 14 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.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Not so; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. 16 So Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

Genesis 4:25 NIV

25 Adam made love to 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.”

The Word of God for the People of God. Thanks be to God.

Pray

Sermon:

In Genesis one, we saw a marvelous thing. God, the only existing being, the only existing anything, creates all things and beings. He created man and a helper for man. Then He gave them instructions of what their job was.

Genesis 1:28 NIV

28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

God limited them in only one thing. Genesis 2:15-17

Genesis 2:15–17 NIV

15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

It seems a simple rule. Everything was theirs to rule and tend to except one tree. Well, it did not take long and that rule was broken (come next week to hear that story!). That disobedience set off a cascade of consequences. One was that they were no longer allowed in the garden. Another was that making a living would be hard. Food would not be so readily available and the ground would no longer be soft to till, but would be hard and yield weeds to frustrate the effort. Even more difficult, their relationship with each other that was natural and free before, now became infested with selfish-interest causing division and conflict.

Before long, Adam and Eve had sons. We see them dividing the work load. Caleb, the first born, tends the earth as his father did, while younger brother Abel tends the flocks.

We do not know if Adam was a good father. I suspect he felt like any new dad, wanting to do right by his sons yet not quite sure how. However, we do see that he still has a connection with God even though God has cast them out of Eden. Eve gives credit to God for her sons births. The sons have obviously been taught that it is appropriate to worship God and honor Him by bringing sacrifices. Remember, this is a long time before God gave the law which subscribed such practices. In fact, allow me to make a side note here.

Genesis is the foundation of all beginnings of all things. Man’s first understanding of God, or gods in general, comes from the God. The idea of worship and sacrifice for any gods if you will, began with the practice of doing so for the God. Pagans in many ways emulate God’s people but then they pervert the practices of God’s people set down by God.

The events of Genesis are mimicked in some way throughout all cultures and religions. However, the events of Genesis are true while the others are myths. Many if not all myths probably spawned from the true events recorded in Genesis. This does not mean the myths came from the book of Genesis, just that men sharing verbal historical events over time turned the events into fantasies. This would be due to the acts of Satan to turn man from God.

Now, back to today’s event. It makes sense that the brothers would divide and conquer the chores. One plants, the other shepherds. I suspect this was the first year they had some autonomy. Previously, they were probably under their father’s authority and he lead them in making harvest sacrifices to God. Now, as young adults, they are deemed old enough to take leadership for their work. Harvest comes and they make their annual sacrifices. We find Abel bringing the best parts of his first born. In other words, he brings the choicest part of his flock. On Cain’s part we are told he just brought some. This seems to indicate that he did not bring the choicest of his harvest, but just enough to hopefully appease God.

God receives Abel’s offering. If you look at offerings, they were typically placed on an altar and God consumes them by fire, so I suspect that this is what happened with Abel’s offering. Cain placed his offering on the altar, but no fire comes forth to consume it.

We see Cain responding like a petulant child. He is sulky and irritable because God did not accept his offering. He is unwilling to accept that his offering was substandard. Shouldn’t God be happy that he made an offering at all? Why should it matter how choice the offering is, at least he was willing to make an offering!

Even though this family was cast out from the garden, we see evidence that God is still participating with them. I suspect He helped to teach them what they needed to know to survive. When they realized they were naked, they did their best to sew plant leaves into clothing, but we find that God fashioned clothing out of skins for them. They really did not know how to take care of themselves and they were infant creations and God had provided for their many needs before. Though do not assume they were dumb. Adam was smart enough to name all the animals and be able to care for them.

We see God’s involvement again when God addresses Cain. God cautions Cain much like a father would, that if he does not correct his behavior, he is traveling a dangerous path that will cost him dearly. Cain needs to learn self-control and discipline to keep sin from ruling his life.

However, Cain does not take heed of God’s warning. He lures his brother away from home and commits premeditated murder. When God pronounces his punishment, he feels the punishment is unfair. He was willing to kill his brother, cutting short Abel’s life, yet now he pleads for God to protect his life. Here we see God’s wondrous grace! Even though Cain deserved no less than he had dealt his brother, God promises to protect him from others.

So, what does this all have to do with fathers?

Just this. Adam and Eve did wrong in the garden, but they regretted it and continued to serve God. They tried to bring their boys up to serve God. One did, but the other did not. One served willingly, while the other served grudgingly. Cain probably made the sacrifice to please his father more than he did to please God.

When God created human kind, He laid down a foundation of right and wrong, though the scope of wrong was limited to not touching one tree in all of the garden. The man and the woman did not follow the prescribed plan of righteousness that God had laid out for them.

Just as God provided guidelines of righteousness for Adam, father’s are to provide guidance in right and wrong for their children.

However, the availability to do wrong is a far greater field than it originally was. So, it should not surprise you that no matter how hard you try, you may have children who do not follow your lead. Just like God had set a right path for Adam, Adam had disappointed God and so men may likewise be disappointed and hurt by the choices their children make.

You see, God instructed Adam and Eve in what was right, but God gave them freedom to choose whether they would obey. Likewise, fathers and mothers instruct their children in what is right but their children have a free will and must eventually make their own choices. Sometimes children make wrong choices because of the sins of the father, but other times children sin making due to their own personal choices.

Let me focus first on fathers.

The sins of the father can reap havoc on children.

Sin is destructive. We know that we all have sinned. Aside from Jesus, no man or woman has ever been perfect and never sinned. The Bible tells us this in Rom 3:23.

Romans 3:23 NIV

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

If you doubt this, name me one person you know (aside from Jesus) who has never failed to sin at some point. Our sin has consequences that flow even to our children. God stated this even as he was giving the Ten Commandments.

Exodus 20:4–5 NIV

4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,

Whenever we sin, we are worshiping an idol. An idol is anything we place before God. Not only that, but when we choose our will above God’s will, we are setting ourselves up as an idol. We are placing ourselves in the place of God. We will see more of this next week when we look at why Adam and Eve chose to disobey God.

In some way or other, our sin effects our children. it is common to see children making the same mistakes a father/mother or grandfather/grandmother have made. Sometimes our children suffer from the consequences of our sin. At other times, our children suffer because they follow our lead and make the same sin choices. Fathers who know the Lord struggle with guilt feelings for the consequences their children are suffering. Those who do not know the Lord, often deny any responsibility regarding their children’s choices, but ultimately, they will one day face God in court and find they are responsible.

However, I am not sharing this with you to make you feel guilty, because God did not stop there. God blesses far beyond what he punishes. God clarifies this pronouncement of generational suffering when He says, “of those who hate me.” The destruction is upon those who continue in a path against God.

Not only that, but this cycle of generational destruction can be broken. A person can flip it around by repenting and following God. Not all consequences are erased, but God helps us to overcome and even improve the consequences. Look at Exodus 20:6 which follows the above curse of generational destruction.

Exodus 20:6 NIV

6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

The curse is to third and fourth generation for those who refuse to follow God, but when we choose to follow God we are blessed a thousand generations.

That does not mean that all our children will never depart from God.

Our children still have a free will, just like Cain had a free will. But allow me to highlight some facts about this event.

Let me start with Cain. Cain had a father who was following God. Adam had brought Cain up in the ways of God, that is how Cain knew it was appropriate to make a worship offering. However, Cain chose to be disobedient to his parents, just as they had been disobedient to God. Once Cain disobeyed, I am sure his dad gave him wise counsel to change his ways and we see God also gives wise counsel to Cain, but Cain refused to repent. He continued in the path he had taken and premeditated murdering his brother. Still, Cain could have repented but he did not. He was more concerned about his punishment than he was about the wrong he had done. Eventually, his sin is repeated by his great, great, great grandson who brags about it.

Genesis 4:23–24 NIV

23 Lamech said to his wives, “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. 24 If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times.”

Cain began with an appearance of righteousness where there was no real desire for righteousness. He hated his brother because his brother’s true righteousness illuminated his poor imitation of righteousness. We see Cain’s sin and hate continue throughout the generations. In this case, it is far more than the 3rd or 4th generation because so many follow in his footsteps.

2 Chronicles 24:20–21 NIV

20 Then the Spirit of God came on Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you disobey the Lord’s commands? You will not prosper. Because you have forsaken the Lord, he has forsaken you.’ ” 21 But they plotted against him, and by order of the king they stoned him to death in the courtyard of the Lord’s temple.

Jesus calls out the Pharisees for the same thing in Matthew 23:35.

Matthew 23:35 NIV

35 And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.

And Jesus warns us to expect the same treatment if we follow Him.

John 15:18–19 NIV

18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.

This is why our world today is tolerant of all religions except Christianity. Our righteousness shines forth to illuminate the truth of God they wish to deny.

Cain suffered for his choice yet God brought blessing upon Adam and Eve. Abel had been a true son of God. In fact, in Luke, Jesus refers to Abel as a prophet. So, God healed Adam and Eve by giving them another son who would follow Abel’s example.

Genesis 4:25 NIV

25 Adam made love to 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.”

God rewards those who try to raise their children in the right ways of God.

In Genesis 5 we find a genealogy list of Seth’s descendents and we find men serving God and God blessing them in return. Enoch who loved and walked with God so closely, that God took him before he died. Only two men were blessed with this experience; Enoch and Elijah. Then Enoch’s son Methuselah was blessed with the longest recorded life. And eventually, Seth’s bloodline leads to Noah and even to Christ, Himself. We find Seth’s family listed in the book of Hebrew’s Faith Hall of Fame which was read earlier in the service. In Proverbs 23:24 it says,

Proverbs 23:24 NIV

24 The father of a righteous child has great joy; a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him.

Conclusion:

As I wrap up this sermon, allow me to give you this encouragement. Do the best you can do to serve God and lead your children in that path. You may not have followed God as you should have in bygone days, but it is never too late to start. As God changes you and your life, your children will see it and it will be evidence to them that when they are ready, God can do the same for them.

If a child leaves your household, maybe even your town and follows their own way, pray for them but do not allow Satan to bog you down with guilt.

Remember...

You are not alone counseling your children. God continues to work on their behalf, even when they are out of step with Him.

Just like God counselled Cain, I promise you, God is counseling your child. He seeks their redemption just like He sought to redeem you. Do not despair! Pray and move on with your life, like Adam and Eve moved on with theirs. There was nothing more they could do for Cain, so they entrusted Cain to God’s care. Then they invested their faith in God into Seth’s life and it paid off. Not only did it bless them, but Seth’s faith has provided for all of us by providing a bloodline for our Redeemer/Saviour, Jesus Christ.

If you wonder if these are stories or facts of history, I would posit that the careful genealogies answer that question. They are evidence of real people and real events that are related directly to us today.

Here are two more family lines that you may wish to ponder from our American history.

A comparison of the offspring of two marriages clearly illustrates what I have spoken about today. Over four hundred descendants of Jonathan Edwards, America’s first great theologian, have been traced. Similarly, over twelve hundred offspring of a criminal named Jukes have been studied. Of the descendants of Jonathan Edwards: one hundred became ministers, missionaries, or theology teachers; one hundred became professors; over one hundred were lawyers and judges; sixty became doctors; and fourteen were college presidents. Among the descendants of Jukes; one hundred and thirty were convicted criminals; three hundred and ten were professional paupers; four hundred were seriously injured or physically degenerated due to their life-styles; sixty were habitual thieves and pickpockets; seventeen were murderers; only twenty ever learned a trade, and half of these learned their trades in jail.

From Bruce Narramore (with Bill Counts), Freedom From Guilt, pp. 90-91

We each set a course for the family members that follow us. We each choose what course that will be. I have always loved what Joshua said to the people of Israel in Joshua 24:15.

Joshua 24:15 NIV

15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Who have you served? What destination are you setting for your children? Remember it is never too late to chart a new course!

Allow me to close with this unknown father’s prayer:

A careful man I ought to be,

A little fellow follows me.

I do not dare to go astray

For fear he’ll go the selfsame way.

I cannot once escape his eyes,

What e’re he sees me do he tries.

Like me he says he’s going to be—

The little chap that follows me.

He thinks that I am good and fine,

Believes in every word of mine.

The base in me he must not see—

The little chap who follows me.

I must remember as I go,

Thru summer’s sun and winter’s snow

I’m building for the years to be—

That little chap who follows me.

Prayer