- Scripture
Genesis 4:17-23
[17] Cain had relations 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.
[18] Now to Enoch was born Irad, and Irad became the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael became the father of Methushael, and Methushael became the father of Lamech.
[19] Lamech took to himself two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other, Zillah.
[20] Adah gave birth to 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] As for Zillah, she also gave birth to Tubal-cain, the forger of all implements of bronze and iron; and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.
[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;
This is the 90th Lecture on Genesis.
Because Cain killed his brother, he was punished to become a ‘wanderer on the earth.’
He had to leave the place where he once lived with his parents, and he had to move to a bleak and desolate place.
The land of Nod where Cain settled in was not so far from the place where Adam and Eve lived.
But, it was a barren land and so no matter how diligently he cultivated it, he couldn’t get an abundant harvest.
The curse saying “When you cultivate the ground, it will no longer yield its strength to you” came upon him exactly as stated.
Genesis 4:17 begins to describe how Cain managed his life in such a new environment.
It says, “Cain had relations 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.”
Through this verse, we can understand the level of wisdom and knowledge that Cain had by that time.
It is said that Cain built a city.
The size of the city that Cain built was not so large.
However, from the fact that Cain could build a ‘city’, we can infer that he had the necessary wisdom and knowledge.
Cain learned much knowledge and accumulated many skills from his father, Adam.
When Adam lived in the Garden of Eden, he had already enjoyed a very highly developed level of civilization.
After he came down to this earth, he taught the knowledge he had gained to his children.
As a result, after a certain period of time passed by, development took place which could be called ‘civilization’.
Of course, the level of the civilization was far behind that in the Garden of Eden.
You should remember that in the beginning of human history the ancestors of mankind didn’t live like uncivilized savages.
Cain built a city in the land he newly settled, and he called it ‘Enoch.’
This ‘Enoch’ was a son of Cain.
His son was a different person from Enoch in Genesis 5, who was taken by God without seeing death.
Now, in Genesis 4:18-22 is a genealogy of Cain’s descendants.
By the way, these descendants of Cain didn’t fall within the boundaries of ‘God-chosen people.’
God-chosen people were formed from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob through the 12 sons of Jacob.
In other words, Abraham was not a descendant of Cain, but a descendant of Seth, another of Adam’s sons.
Therefore, one might say that Cain’s descendants were not actually ‘leading characters’ on the stage of ‘human cultivation,’ but they were playing the supporting roles.
In addition, Cain’s family tree came to an end at the time of Noah’s Flood.
At that time, only Noah and his family survived, and Noah was also a descendant of Seth.
Now, why is it that God recorded such a not-so-important genealogy of Cain in the Bible?
Well, in the Bible there is no record without also an important meaning.
The people in Cain’s genealogy were actually people who lived from 6,000 to 5,000 years ago.
The fact that their names are correctly recorded proves that the Bible is true.
That’s why it is well known that many archeologists have learned they must refer to the Bible when they study, discover, and explore an area.
You can also find from Cain’s genealogy that God kept the promise He made to Cain.
God made a promise to Cain that ‘No one finding Cain will slay Cain.’
Since the promise was kept, Cain’s family tree could continue.
Cain’s genealogy is also important for anthropology.
It tells us how people spread out in the beginning of human history and how a civilization was developed.
We will delve into this part in greater detail.
Genesis 4:18 says, “Now to Enoch was born Irad, and Irad became the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael became the father of Methushael, and Methushael became the father of Lamech.”
You can find the names of Cain’s sons from the 1st to 5th generation.
They were usually the first-born sons or the sons who carried on the family line.
Therefore, you should remember that there must have been much more descendants than recorded in the Bible.
In the beginning of man’s history, people gave birth to many more children than now.
Therefore, the population was able to increase very fast.
At one point, the speed of population increase was much more accelerated.
Genesis 4:19 tells us when it was.
It says, “Lamech took to himself two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other, Zillah.”
Before, there had been only wife for one husband; but Lamech took two wives.
As its result, the population through his descendants could increase as twice as fast.
This was one of the important factors that made the speed of population increase much faster.
In Genesis 4:20-22 gives us an explanation about the sons that Lamech gave birth to through his two wives in relatively greater detail.
It says, “Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe. As for Zillah, she also gave birth to Tubal-cain, the forger of all implements of bronze and iron; and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.”
From these verses, beginning with Lamech’s generation, civilization was developed greatly and different from the previous ones.
Even though Adam taught his descendants significant knowledge and much wisdom, the early civilizations were using nature’s resource as it was.
As time passed by, people came to learn the skills of processing the raw resources found in nature.
As minor skills were accumulated, they developed further into a better technology.
As it came to Lamech’s generation, the technologies developed so greatly that a new era in human civilization was evolving.
One example is found in Genesis 4:22; that is, ‘the forging of all implements of bronze and iron.’
It tells us that they were already able to collect mineral resources to process and forge bronze and iron.
Before then, they cut and carved wood and used stone to make basic tools.
But now, they were able to produce iron and bronze [a hard alloy of copper and tin] and not only as simple tools, but also as various implements.
By the 6th generation from Adam, mankind already developed such a civilization as this.
One interesting fact in the civilization of this time was that their business was categorized.
Genesis 4:20 says that ‘Jabal, the son of Lamech’ became the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock.
Simply put, a professional stockman came into being.
Next, Juba; another son Lamech became the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe.
That is, ‘performers and entertainers’ began their existence.
This also shows that there was some kind of culture of entertainment for the people back then.
It also shows that their life was quite stable to enjoy such pleasures and entertainment.
When people are busy just being able to eat and trying to survive, they have no room to enjoy entertainment.
At least, they should solve the matter of food, clothing, and shelter to have such room for rest.
Now, from the generation of Lamech’s sons, people began to enjoy and use music.
They came to possess a different level of culture from previous generations.
In the fields of technology, a professional also appeared.
‘Tubal-cain, Lamech’s another son’ was the forger of all implements of bronze and iron.
It tells us that the time period when Cain’s 5th generation lived was the Iron Age.
Today, anthropologists proclaim that human beings went through a very long Stone Age.
They may have different views, but generally, it is said that the Stone Age lasted about over 2 million years.
Then, the Bronze Age began from 3,000 or 4,000 B.C..
If you refer to the Bible, however, the Stone Age didn’t last so long.
Among the legitimate genealogy of Adam, as written in Genesis 5, Enoch, Adam’s 6th generation, was born in the 687th year after Adam settled down on this earth.
Since Cain was born much earlier than Seth, who carried on Adam’s family tree, we can presume that Cain’s 5th generation lived in about 600 years after Adam’s settlement.
Therefore, the Stone Age lasted only about 600 years, and the Bronze Age and Iron Age began about 5,400 years ago.
In addition, even during the Stone Age, the ancestors of mankind didn’t live like uncivilized savages.
It is because the first man, Adam, settled down on this earth with outstanding knowledge and wisdom.
As you can see, if you refer to the Bible, you can learn the brief outline of initial history of mankind and its development.
Dear brothers and sisters.
When it came to Lamech’s generation, the population increased greatly.
Cain’s descendants also greatly multiplied, and formed villages or town, or even larger population centers.
God allowed even Cain’s descendants, who didn’t belong to Adam’s legitimate family line, to multiply like this.
Through this, we can learn how the environment for the human cultivation was formed.
What does it mean?
For example, there must be an opponent to compete with in any games.
Boxing, wrestling, football, or baseball; no matter what game it is, there is no game with just one team.
The same applies to human cultivation.
If Adam’s legitimate family line is the mainstream of human cultivation, there must be a ‘non-mainstream’.
God especially chose Abraham’s descendants among the legitimate family lines of Adam.
God chose the Israelites to set as an example for human cultivation.
And so, Israelites called themselves ‘God-chosen people,’ and all other peoples were referred to as ‘gentiles.’
When Israelites obeyed, God made Israelites to standout far above the gentiles.
On the other hand, when Israelites disobeyed, He allowed the gentiles to attack the Israelites so that they could realize and repent their sin and turn back.
It is just as God said to Israelites in 2 Samuel 7:14, “I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men.”
As you can see, in God’s plan of human cultivation, not only God-chosen Israelites but also gentiles were needed.
The time period of today’s scripture was way before the birth of Abraham; the mere concept of ‘chosen-people’ and of ‘gentiles’ did not even exist.
However, you can easily guess that there might be a possibility of a struggle for power between Adam’s legitimate descendants and other descendants.
Yet still, when the descendants of Adam’s who feared God in reverence and followed God’s will, God protected them and guarded them.
On the contrary, when they left God, God couldn’t protect them any longer.
Then, is God biased toward Adam’s legitimate descendants and favored only toward the Israelites?
No, He is not.
He is the God for all nations and all peoples.
And so, 1 Timothy 2:4 says, “[God] who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
Such a heart of God is recorded in many parts of the Bible.
In Exodus 12:48-49, when God gave Israelites the Passover ordinance, God allowed a stranger to celebrate the Passover after circumcising him, if he wanted to.
Isaiah 56:6-7 also says, “Also the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, To minister to Him, and to love the name of the LORD, To be His servants, every one who keeps from profaning the sabbath And holds fast My covenant; Even those I will bring to My holy mountain And make them joyful in My house of prayer Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar; For My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.”
When the people of Nineveh, a hostile people to Israelites, completely repented of their sin, God deferred the judgment of destruction.
Romans 3:29 says, “Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also.”
Ephesians 3:6 also says, “to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.”
If you look into the fleshly genealogy of our Jesus, you can find gentile women.
They were Ruth and Rahab.
From this, you can learn that whoever reveres and believes in God can inherit the kingdom of God.
Whether ‘he is a chosen one, or a gentile’ is not important; the important thing is whether he reveres God from the depth of his heart.
From this perspective, you can find that God also gave Cain’s descendants an opportunity to play a role in human cultivation.
Our God the Father never discriminates for or against anyone, but gives all the opportunity of salvation, grace, and blessing equally.
However, only those who truly long for it can grab the chance.
Only those who diligently seek can find it.
I urge you to believe in God the Father who always wants to give only the good things, and to seek and long for these things all the more diligently.
May you give glory to God with a testimony of answers and blessings received, in the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ, I pray!
Dear brothers and sisters.
Let’s take a look into Genesis 4:23.
The time period of this verse is about 600 years after Adam settled down on this earth.
Since the Bible treats the early stages of human cultivation with some brevity, you may feel that it was a very short time period from Adam to Lamech.
If you think of Korean history, however, you can see it was not a short period of time.
The Chosun Dynasty had just begun 600 years ago in Korea.
The first king, Tae-Jo Sung-Gye Lee, founded Chosun in 1392.
That took place just 620 years ago, but it seems like it was a very long time ago.
The time period of the background from Adam settling down on this earth to that of Genesis 4:22 is just about the same length of time.
By this time, the population began to increase faster than before.
People lived in villages or even bigger place by tribes.
Then, the Iron Age arrived, and the civilization developed so greatly to mark an era in history of human civilization.
In this historical background, there comes the record of the 2nd killing since Cain had killed his brother, Abel.
Genesis 4:23 says, “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.”
As if making an excuse, Lamech told his two wives that he had killed a man.
The reason was because the man wounded him first.
‘To wound’ is to damage a body by gashing with a sharp object like a knife or other such weapon.
People were using iron tools by this time and from time to time these iron tools became weapons.
The fact that people used weapons indicates that there were conflicts.
Why were there conflicts and what were they like?
I said earlier that people at this time lived by tribes and formed villages and larger settlements.
However, as the size of these units grew bigger and bigger, conflicts arouse between them.
They wanted to secure their territories and sought for their benefits. As a result disputes began to break out.
However, those were not in the same size as wars; they were just trivial conflicts among tribes.
It was at this time period that a dispute broke out between the tribe Lamech belonged to and another tribe, and Lamech was wounded.
At this time people had good hearts, and they just understood the situation even if they were wounded.
If such an occurrence did happen the one party became sorry and apologized, and it was all concluded.
However, Lamech killed the man who wounded him.
Indeed, it was just a boy.
It was something that was unimaginable to the people in those days.
Since it was such a shocking and astounding incident that it was recorded in the Bible.
The everyday incidents that are reported today would have been shocking cover stories just 40 or 50 years ago.
For example, when a man killed a neighbor to steal money, the entire country was shocked.
People lamented back then saying, “How in the world could such a thing happen?”
They had such a good consciences.
Nowadays, however, it is just incidental news which can be found in the corner of a newspaper.
Like I said, the incident that Lamech killed a boy was a shocking news to the people in those days.
Even though the boy wounded Lamech first, Lamech was much stronger than the boy.
If Lamech had just verbally warned the boy, he would have been scared and ran away.
However, Lamech killed the boy.
Apparently, it appeared that Lamech did it in self-defense, but it was an over-reaction.
His over-reaction shows what an evil man Lamech was.
Even after Lamech killed the boy, he made an excuse to justify what he had done.
Even if they killed a man in an unavoidable situation, those who are relatively good in heart would feel so sorry.
Now, please check your heart.
When someone who is weaker than you did harm to you, what kind of heart did you have?
Did you say, “He did it by mistake,” and forgive him?
Or, did you say, “How dare you do this to me?” and felt treated with insolence and disrespect?
Did you want to pay him back a couple of times over for it?
Did you justify what you did and make excuses saying that it was originally his fault?
If you fall into this pattern even a little bit, you should realize that you are far far away from the goodness that God recognizes.
The basic level of goodness that God recognizes is not to have any ill feelings against anyone who does harm to you.
Even though you respong to him with an evil act, if you hated him in your heart, you cannot be recognized as good.
Moreover, if you repay him evil for evil, or if you do even more harm to him, how can you call yourself a child of God?
In the era of New Testament, the Holy Spirit dwells in the heart of God’s children.
Therefore, His children can practice such words as ‘Love your enemies,’ and ‘Cast off every form of evil.’
Even if it is impossible by man’s will and effort, it is possible through the help of the Holy Spirit.
If you have truly good and gentle hearts, you will receive answers whenever you pray, and you will be blessed in all things.
To the eyes of God the Father, you are His sons and daughters who resemble the Lord, and how could God ignore the desires of the hearts of His children?
Do you sigh and think to yourself, “When will I ever stand on the Rock of Faith, when can I enter into spirit?”
Get rid of every form of evil, and possess a good and gentle heart by relying on the Holy Spirit.
Remove hatred, pride, and hot tempers. Have a heart that can love even your enemies.
Then your faith will grow up quickly, you’ll pass the level of the Rock of Faith and come into spirit.
You can become a true child of God.
May all of you become the true children of God, pleasing to Him, in the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ, I pray!
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