GENESIS LESSON 11
Today we will resume our lesson in Genesis 4:16 "And Cain went out
from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod,
on the east of Eden."
This was the only mention of Nod in the Bible. Nod means vagrancy
or missing. The Bible is not very informative about Nod. I do know
that to be in the presence of God, and be sent forth away from Him
would have to be very close to hell. The only physical description we
have of this place is that it was on the east of Eden.
Genesis 4:17 "And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare
Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after
the name of his son, Enoch."
You could relate Cain's being sent away from the presence of God
with someone who has been removed from the church; sent out into the
world. God had banished Cain to a life of wandering. Cain decides not
to wander, but to settle down and build a city. Cain's wife was there
to comfort him. She bare him a son in exile. It seems Cain was
interested in making a name for himself here on the earth, since in
all probability, he assumed he would have no future in heaven.
There are some very strange similarities in the names of the sons
of Cain and the sons of Seth. If you will look with me at the line of
names in chapter 4, the genealogy reads thus: Adam, Cain, Enoch, Irad,
Mehujael, Mathusael, and Lamech. In chapter 5, the geneology of Seth is:
Adam, Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, and
Lamech, These names are so similar, if we are not careful we will
confuse the two. The only explanation, that I can find, is that they
named their children similar names.
As we look at Cain's children in the verses that follow, it seems
none of his ancestors walked closely with God.
Genesis 4:18 "And unto Enoch was born Irad: and Irad begat
Mehujael: and Mehujael begat Methusael: and Methusael begat Lamech."
Genesis 4:19 "And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one
[was] Adah, and the name of the other Zillah."
This was undoubtedly not the Enoch who was the 7th from Adam
through Seth. This Enoch here seemed to be the ancestor of some earthly
controlled people, as we will see in the following verses.
Genesis 4:20 "And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as
dwell in tents, and [of such as have] cattle."
You can see here the wanderer that God told Cain he would be.
Genesis 4:21 "And his brother's name [was] Jubal: he was the
father of all such as handle the harp and organ."
Many Christians say music should not be played in the church
because Jubal was not a good man. We must look to David (who was the
beloved of God) to know that music is not only permissible. but
desirable in church.
Genesis 4:22 "And Zillah, she also bare Tubal-cain, an instructor
of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubal-cain
[was] Naamah."
As I said before, this family of Cain was turned toward things of
the world, and Tubalcain was no exception, This family, feeling
estranged from God, was really caught up in fulfilling life in this
world, without looking for an everlasting life in heaven. The spirit
of Cain was a spirit of rebellion against God (worldliness). He was
leaving out the spiritual and the divine to please the carnal.
Genesis 4:23 "And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah,
Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have
slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt."
You see. Lamech was following in the footsteps of his ancestor
Cain. Selfishness, greed, and worldliness cause a person to commit all
types of sin. Dual marriages, and even murder, as we see here from
Lamech, occur when a person is interested in fulfilling lust of the
flesh. Not regarding God or the future life, living only for the here
and now, could be the basic cause of murder.
Genesis 4:24 "If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech
seventy and sevenfold."
Lamech was calling his own protection here, not the protection of
God.
In all of Cain's descendents, Moses did not go into detail about
their lives. It is as if their lives were so selfish and hideous that
he wanted to forget them as quickly as possible. In the next chapter,
we will read about men with the very same names, who are godly
descendents of Adam through Seth. We will also see in their genealogy
that Moses told of their length of days, as well as their pleasing
God. A good tree produces good fruit, but an evil tree produces evil
fruit, Cain was evil; Seth pleased God.
Genesis 4:25 "And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son,
and called his name Seth: For God, [said she], hath appointed me
another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew."
The name "Seth" means set, placed, or appointed. God had appointed
a gift of love to Adam and Eve to soften the hurt of the loss of Abel.
Eve recognized God's work in replacing Abel with Seth. Through this
son the promise of the deliver would come. She would believe this was
the appointed one given to her from God to comfort her.
Genesis 4:26 "And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and
he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the
LORD."
The nature of mankind is to worship. The nature of mankind tells
us there is a supreme being to worship.
Prayer is talking to God. It is natural to look up and try to
communicate with the Supreme Being. Everyone has void in their lives
until they can fill that void with God. Men try to attain great wealth
and power, thinking this will fill the need, but they are just as
empty after they have attained wealth or power as they were before.
Mankind has an inner need to worship. You may go to the jungle where
the cannibals live, and you will find, that in their own primitive
way, they are trying to find God to worship. Even presidents and
kings, that seem to have everything anyone could want, are still empty
within, until they come to have a personal relationship with the Lord
Jesus Christ.
In our society today our young people are searching for something
real. Most of them that fall into the trap of false religion are truly
searching for God. They are just looking in the wrong places. Most of
these false religions require great sacrifice (which the young are
willing to do in search for the Supreme Being). If we can just
introduce them to Jesus quick enough, they can fill the void in their
lives with Jesus Christ. Nothing else will satisfy.
This third generation from Adam was an early beginning for man's
search for God and e ternal life. God searched for Man in Adam's time.
This is the first instance of man seeking God.
For the next lesson read chapter 5 several times.
Notes.
Questions 11
1. When Cain left the presence of the Lord, where did he dwell?
2. In relation to Eden, where was it?
3. What does Nod mean?
4. To be out of the presence of God is to be close to where?
5. What was Cain's son's name?
6. What was the name of the city Cain built?
7. What four names are in Cain's line and in Seth's?
8. In V-18,who was Enoch's son?
9. Adah bare whom?
10. Jubal did what for a living?
11. Who was the father of all as handle the harp and organ?
12. Who was the mother of Tubalcain?
13. The spirit of Cain was a spirit of what?
14. What were the names of Lamech's wives?
15. What sin did Lamech commit that his ancestor Cain committed?
16. What three things cause a person to commit all types of sin?
17. In V-24, if Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech how
many?
18. The wicked descendents started with whom?
19. What was the name of the son, God gave Eve to replace Abel?
20. What was the name of his son?
21. The nature of mankind is to what?
22. Prayer is what?
23. When did man begin to call on the name of the Lord?
Notes.
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