Genesis 4.17-24-The Origins of Satan's Cosmic System

Sunday September 4, 2005

Genesis: Genesis 4:17-24-The Origins of Satan’s Cosmic System

Lesson # 21

Please turn in your Bibles to 1 John 2:15.

On Thursday evening we studied Genesis 4:1-16, which records for us the story of Cain and Abel and in Genesis 4:16, we see that Cain after murdering his brother Abel and refusing to acknowledge his crime to the Lord and seek forgiveness was judged by God and sent out from His presence.

In Genesis 4:17-24, we see the establishment and development of the first human civilization inspired by Satan that lives independently of God, thus, in Genesis 4:17-24, we have the record of the origins of the cosmic system of Satan.

The cosmic system of Satan is a vast system and arrangement of human affairs, earthly goods, godless governments, conflicts, riches, pleasures, culture, education, world religions, the cults and the occult dominated and negatively affected by Satan who is god of this satanic cosmos.

Believers are prohibited from loving the world or the temptations of the world in the sense of honoring them.

1 John 2:15, “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

1 John 2:16, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.”

1 John 2:17, “The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.”

This system is promoted by Satan, conformed to his ideals, aims, methods, and character, and stands perpetually in opposition to God the cause of Christ.

Genesis 4:17, “Cain had relations (yadha (ud^y*), which is pronounced yaw-daw and means, “to have sexual intercourse”) with his wife and she conceived, and gave birth to Enoch; and he built a city, and called the name of the city Enoch, after the name of his son.”

Since God created only one man and one woman, it was essential for brothers to marry sisters in order to continue the human race.

The critics of the Bible quibble over the fact that if Cain had his sister as his wife that there would have been genetic problems as there is today if a sister and brother procreated.

But we must understand that in the first generations, all marriages were brother and sister marriages and that there were no mutant genes in the genetic systems of any of these children so that no genetic harm could have resulted from close marriages.

Many, many generations later, during the time of Moses, such mutations had accumulated to the point where such unions were genetically dangerous so that incest was thenceforth prohibited in the Mosaic Law (Lev. 18:9).

Genesis 4:17-24 contains the genealogy of Cain and the accomplishments of his descendants and his lineage is symbolic of human culture with great civilizations living independently of God and not recognizing His sovereignty over human affairs as a result of being deceived by Satan.

“Enoch” is the proper noun chanokh (Ew{nj&) pronounced khan-oke, which means, “dedicated one, dedication, commencement.”

The Enoch of Genesis 4:17 was an unbeliever and did not worship the Lord and he must not be confused with the Enoch of Genesis 5:18-24 who was a prophet and walked with God and was the son of Jared and father of Methuselah.

Cain built the first city and named it after his son Enoch, thus, signifying that Cain was “establishing” a different life that was altogether different from the one he had known with his parents back in Eden and by establishing this new city, Cain was living defiance of the Lord’s prophecy that he would be a wanderer.

Now, as you recall in Genesis 4:11-12, Cain was cursed by God and was to be a fugitive on the earth for his murder of Abel.

Cain did “not” beat the curse that God had placed on him by building this city since the participle form of the verb banah, “built” is expressing progressive action and indicating that he did not complete the city and if he had, the perfect tense of the verb banah would have been employed.

The city refers to some form of fortification, which he built in unbelief since God promised him that He would protect him from those who might sought revenge.

Notice that Cain honors his son by naming it after him rather than giving the city a name that honors God.

Genesis 4:18, “Now to Enoch was born Irad (Hebrew word pronounced ee-rawd and means, “the townsman”), and Irad became the father of Mehujael (pronounced mekh-oo-yaw-ale and means, “smitten by God”), and Mehujael became the father of Methushael (pronounced meth-oo-shaw-ale' and means, “man of God”), and Methushael became the father of Lamech (pronounced leh-mek and means, “powerful, conqueror”).”

The name Lamech indicates that he was a tyrant and led the Cainites in open rebellion against God, which was first manifested in Lamech taking two wives.

Genesis 4:19, “Lamech took to himself two wives: the name of the one was Adah (pronounced aw-daw and means, “ornament”), and the name of the other, Zillah (pronounced tsil-law and means, “shade or shelter”).”

Lamech is the first polygamist meaning he was the first man to take more than one wife and notice that one of the first attacks of Satan against God is against the divine institution of marriage (Gen. 2:24; Mt. 19:5-6).

The names of Lamech’s wives emphasize their physical attractiveness and Lamech’s physical lust for these women.

Genesis 4:20, “Adah gave birth to Jabal (pronounced yaw-bawl and means, “wanderer”); he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock.”

Jabal invented the tent thus enabling him to carry his home with and develop a nomadic lifestyle.

He also developed formal systems for domesticating and commercially producing other animals besides Abel’s sheep.

Genesis 4:21, “His brother's name was Jubal (pronounced yoo-bawl and means, “sweet sounds”); he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe.”

Jubal had an ear for music and was the first musical genius since he invented stringed and wind musical instruments, which would be used to mitigate the sorrow of living a life apart from God.

Music is not evil in of itself but is in fact, is an expression of worship if it honors the Lord.

Psalm 150:3, “Praise Him with trumpet sound; Praise Him with harp and lyre.”

Psalm 150:4, “Praise Him with timbrel and dancing; Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe.”

Psalm 150:5, “Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with resounding cymbals.”

Genesis 4:22, “As for Zillah, she also gave birth to Tubal-cain (pronounced too-bal kah-yin and means, “the splinter of iron resulting from pounding iron”), the forger of all implements of bronze and iron; and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah (pronounced nah-am-aw and means, “pleasant”).”

Tubal-cain was the inventor of all kinds of objects of bronze and iron, which he undoubtedly, used this talent to produce weapons, thus he was the first arms dealer.

The production of metallic weapons was invented, giving those who possessed them and were skilled in them in their use advantage over other men.

Lamech and his family attempted to make life on planet earth as pleasant and secure as possible with their various inventions but none these things could produce true happiness and security in any of them since true happiness and security originates with the Lord and having a relationship and fellowship with Him by obedience to His Word.

Psalm 16:11, “You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.”

The accomplishments of Lamech and his three sons were in vain since they were independent of God.

Ecclesiastes 1:14, “I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind.”

Genesis 4:23, “Lamech said to his wives, ‘Adah and Zillah, listen to my voice,

You wives of Lamech, give heed to my speech, for I have killed a man for wounding me; And a boy for striking me.’”

Genesis 4:24, “If Cain is avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy-sevenfold.”

In Genesis 4:23-24, we have the first human poetry recorded for us where Lamech boasts of his deeds, which is a characteristic of godless human poetry and writing, asserting man’s self-sufficiency and independence from God.

Cain’s boastful poem is a blasphemous outburst against God where he is in effect saying in Genesis 4:24 that “if God promises a sevenfold vengeance on anyone killing Cain, I myself guarantee a seventy-sevenfold retribution on anyone who even touches me.”

Romans 12:19, “Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,’ says the Lord.”

Lamech is defiantly proclaiming that not that he has his son’s weapons that he can take care of himself and does not need God to protect him.

The phrase “seventy-sevenfold” represents unlimited violence, thus another aspect of this first human civilization that is under the influence of Satan and the power of the old sin nature is that of being marked by violence and so it is today in our world that we live in.

This leads us to the communion service.

So could we have our deacons pass out the communion elements and let us take a few minutes to mediate upon the Lord and prepare ourselves for the Lord’s Supper.

The Lord’s Supper is a commandment given by the Lord Jesus Christ to every church age believer to bring into remembrance His Unique Person and Finished Work on the Cross, both of which serve as the basis for fellowship with God and each other as members of the Body of Christ.

In the communion service, the bread portrays the sinless humanity of Christ, which was sacrificed for us and the wine portrays His spiritual death as our Substitute, both of which serve as the basis for fellowship with God and each other.

1 Corinthians 11:23, “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread.”

1 Corinthians 11:24, “and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’”

1 Corinthians 11:25, “In the same way {He took} the cup also after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink {it} in remembrance of Me.’”

1 Corinthians 11:26, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.”