Sorry I am getting to this blog so late! I didn’t have time to write prior to church and this is the first time I am able to settle in at home and share with you my thoughts on today’s reading, Genesis chapters 4 through 7.
Before I get into some of the spiritual lessons that spoke to me in these chapters I want to share with you a question that developed out of this reading that I don’t know that there is an answer to. At what ages and what stages in life were Cain and Abel when Cain killed Abel? I speculate it is much later in life than we have traditionally imagined in our storybooks. I believe this based on two passages.
First, after Cain kills Abel and God tells him what the consequences will be Cain speaks the following, “My punishment is too great to bear…whoever finds me will kill me.” (4:13, 14b)
What I want to know who are these “whoevers.” This to me implies that there are other people living, this means Adam and Eve would have already had to have other sons and daughters.
The second verse that further supports this idea is that Cain leaves his home and settles in the land of Nod and the very next verse states, “Cain had relations with his wife and she conceived…” (4:17) Maybe I am reading it wrong but it seems the spacing and transition of these verses again implies that this wife was already Cain’s before he left home.
What ages and stages of life were Cain and Abel? I think later than we’ve believed before, but of course there is no definite answer.
I see in verse 5 an allusion to faithful stewardship, “Abel on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock…” The “firstlings” Abel didn’t bring the leftovers, he didn’t give to himself or his family first, he brought the firstling, def: “the first agricultural produce or animal offspring of a season.”
We are to bring the first of our paycheck to God!
The question to Cain, “If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up?” (4:7a) shows that Cain knew right from wrong. Which means Cain decided God wouldn’t “mind” if Cain did it as he pleased rather than as God asked. Wow, how many things do we do in like manner in regards to both private and corporate worship?
In chapter 6 verse 4 there are some that believe this is speaking of Angels coming down out of heaven and sleeping with human women creating these super beings. Other people say, “No it wouldn’t be angels from heaven, but rather wicked angels.” I’ve never believed this but I for some reason have never had a great Biblical answer to combat it, ‘till I was reading today.
As I was reading verse 4 suddenly it struck me how verses 1 & 2 read, “Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, 2 that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose.”
Notice in verse 2 it reads, “the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took WIVES for themselves…”
And now I have my argument against breeding between angels and men, yes folk many people believe this…
Here is the argument and not even an argument we will use Jesus’ words to support the theory both these groups are humans and not angels, “But Jesus answered and said to them,
“You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.” (Matthew 22:29, 30)
Angels don’t take wives according to Jesus, thus Genesis 6:4 cannot be talking about some super humans because of angelic intermingling with humans.
Now does that mean I understand why these individuals were the “mighty men of old, men of renown”?
Nope. But I know it’s not because they had an angel parent.
I also do know that verse 2 is clearly condemning choosing spouses based on “whatever.”
Verse two also strikes me in that the scriptures here are laying out the beginning of the corruption of the whole earth and they start with Godly people intermarrying with the ungodly. This seems like a warning to all unmarried Christian folk that try and justify dating those with dissimilar beliefs. Not a good idea!
In these chapters we have some tremendous examples of faithful people. Abel who obeyed God with his worship and it cost him his life. Enoch who walked so near to God that he was translated to Heaven before seeing death. Finally Noah, who stood apart not just from a group, but from the entire world in his day, talk about tough. We struggle when a friend or two is pulling us in a specific direction, imagine the hold world pushing against us? Yet Noah stood strong. It would be more than wise for all of us to pray, “let me be an Abel with my worship, an Enoch in my walk, a Noah in this wicked world.”
May God hear and answer that prayer in each of our hearts!
Tomorrow’s Reading: Joshua 6-10