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Genesis 4 - 6
Genesis Chapter 4: Adam and Eve have children.
Here is a trivia question for you. What was the name of the first child born to Adam and Eve? Did you answer Cain? You might be correct. Biblically speaking though, the term “firstborn” can mean chronologically first, but it can also mean first in the sense of status or importance. A couple could have daughters, but the first son to be born is oftentimes referred to as the “firstborn.” I know, that doesn’t seem fair.
Tragedy strikes the “First Family.”
News Flash: Mr. Abel, son of Mr. and Mrs. Adam and Eve, was found dead on his farm yesterday. His brother, Cain has been identified as a “person of interest.” The investigation continues.”
Gen. 4:8, Cain kills his brother Abel. He was jealous of him because his offering to God was acceptable while Cain’s was not. It wasn’t the offering that was wrong, but the attitude in which it was given. Worship that pleases God must come from a pure heart, not a resentful one out of obligation. Cain had a bad attitude towards honoring God and he resented his brothers’ devotion to Him. God comes along and asks Cain, “Where’s your brother?” Cain says, “I don’t know. It’s not my turn to babysit him.” Or something like that. God sentences Cain to be a “restless wanderer on the earth,” (4:13). When sentence is passed Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is more than I can bear.” It might be read, “My sin is more than I can bear.” Literally is reads, “my iniquity.” This could mean that he felt that his sin was too great to forgive, an expression of remorse.
Gen. 4:12, “You will be a restless wanderer on the earth. . . verse 15, “If anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Cain is being banished from the community much as Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden. The Lord’s response was one of mercy and protection suggests that Cain’s words, “my iniquity is more than I can bear” was an expression of repentance.
All five books of Moses, Genesis to Deuteronomy, you will find that murder is a capital offense. So why wasn’t Cain killed? Up to now, had anyone died? Might Cain been unaware that what he did would lead to the death of Abel? Was the charge reduced from first degree murder to manslaughter? It’s interesting when a story is told without the details, we tend to fill in the blanks with speculation. I guess we know as much as we need to know.
Do you think Adam and Eve told the kids about their early years in the Garden and their actions that got them kicked out? Can you imagine the kids saying, “Our stupid parents! If it weren’t for them, we would be living on easy street instead of doing all this work on the bad side of town.” Don’t you feel bad for the parents? Not only did they lose their luxurious accommodations in the Garden of Eden, one son is murdered by the other and the guilty one is sent away. It’s as if they lost both sons.
Gen. 4:19 introduces us to the first polygamist. His name was Lamech. He was a very violent a vengeful person; not the kind of guy you want as your neighbor. He says, “I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for injuring me. If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times.” Hold on there Lamech, do you think you overreacted a bit here? Isn’t an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth a more just idea?
Jesus referred to Lamech attitude in
Matt 18:21-22. Peter asked Jesus how many times he must forgive someone. Jesus said, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” The point that he was making is that Peter should be as willing to forgive someone as Lamech was willing to destroy someone.
Genesis 6: Sons of God and Daughters of Men and Noah builds a Boat
This chapter contains a story that, as one commentator wrote, “. . . has had many diverse interpretations.” That is an understatement. Genesis 6:2-7 it says that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal, his days will be a hundred and twenty years. The Nephilim were on the earth in those days-and also afterward-when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.” Verse 7, so the Lord said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth.”
Who were the “sons of God” and the “daughters of men?” Who were the Nephilim and why was God so angry with them that he decided to destroy all mankind? For years I thought that the sons of God were the godly descendants of Seth, and the daughters of men were the ungodly descendants of Cain. But would this bring down the wrath of God upon all mankind? It had to be something more serious than that.
Perhaps there is another explanation, one that better explains God’s anger and the reason why some demons are already in hell, waiting for their roommates to show up in (Rev 20:10).
The sons of God can be angels. In the Old Testament the phrase “sons of God” always refers to angels (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). What do we know about angels? We know that they are always referred to as males, not females or sexless creatures. It appears that angels can manifest themselves as human beings. In Hebrews it says that we should be kind to strangers because in this way we might entertain angels without knowing it (Heb. 13:2). An angel appeared in human form at the tomb of Jesus (Mark 16:5). Another piece to this puzzle is found in II Peter 2:4-5 where it says, “For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, (Gen 6?) but sent them to hell (tartarus), putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people . . .”
Another clue comes from Jude 6,7, “And the angels who did not keep their position of authority but abandoned their own home-these he has kept in darkness (tartarus), bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion.”
Putting these passages together, as pieces of a puzzle, we find that the sin that these angels committed was similar to those in Sodom and Gomorrah; they went after “strange flesh.” It appears that some fallen angels (demons) sinned in such a way, before the flood, that God had to send them to hell ahead of time.
This may have been Satan’s attempt to corrupt the Seed of woman by having some of his fallen angels (demons) take on human form and intermarry with humankind. When God said that he “would not contend with man forever, for he is mortal,” it means that he would not continue to tolerate this evil, and the flood would come to destroy the product of these unions (called Nephilim). The term Nephilim means “fallen ones.” The term is sometimes translated “giants,” but more accurately it should be fallen ones, some type of superhuman, but not necessarily giant in size.
Critics of this view might say that Jesus said that in the kingdom, humans will be like angels in that they will not marry in the resurrection (Matt 22:30; Luke 20:36). Yes, but this does not prevent them from having married humans in this life. Jesus is speaking of the afterlife in these passages, not in the physical world.
Scholars can find problems with both explanations as to what was going on here. But the idea that fallen angels, who took on human form and impregnated women, strange as it sounds, has fewer problems than the idea that descendants of Cain intermarried with the descendants of Abel. The first hypothesis better explains the binding of some of the demons in hell and the coming destruction of humans by way of the flood.
Chapter 6 continues with the story of Noah’s Ark and the worldwide flood. Scholars are not in agreement as to whether this flood was a local one or worldwide. I tend to believe that it was a worldwide flood. If it was only a local flood, Noah would have been told, “Head for higher ground!” rather than “Build a huge boat.” Also, a local flood would not have killed most of human life, only those in the area of the flood.
We don’t know the topography of the earth back then. Or the weather patterns. It might be more difficult for us to imagine what happened.
How long was Noah and his family in the Ark? They were in it for a total of 377-378 days. Would you need to stay that long if it was a local flood? After the flood God promised to never again bring about such an event (Gen 9:8). Haven’t we seen many local floods over the years? How do we explain fossils of sea life high in the mountains if this was a local flood? Perhaps they could be explained by huge plate of the earth rise up over time which pushed the remains of sea life to what would become mountain tops.
Another question asked of critics is, “How could Noah get all the animals on the ark?” Well, some were baby animals, some were even just eggs, and he didn’t have to get every species, only a pair of each kind. Even a pair of dinosaurs might be only the size of a couple of chickens.
If you look at the dimensions of the ark, it was huge with many levels. And if God could lead the animals to the Ark, He could also put them into a state of hibernation. This would mean that Noah would have less work to do (feeding and cleaning up after them) and more space for animals. Or room for a basketball court, game room and other amenities (wine cellar?). After all, they were going to be on this vessel for a long time.
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Purim is a Jewish celebration, more like the Fourth of July or Mother’s Day, than a religious holiday like Passover. Purin is usually observed in February or March of each year. The word Purim means, “lots” as in a lottery, which was the means that the villainous Haman, an Amalekite, used to set the date for the massacre of Jews in Persia (previously Babylon). These events in the Book of Esther take place between chapters six and seven of the Book of Ezra. The setting is Persia, seventy years after they were taken into captivity by the Babylonians. Israel spent 70 years in captivity in Babylon, which was later taken over by the Persians in 539 B.C. Just a year later, the Persian King Cyrus decreed throughout his empire that any captive Jews in Babylonia who desired could return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. Cyrus even allowed the vessels of gold and silver stolen by Nebuchadnezzar’s troops to be returned. As we will read in Isaiah 48 , they all should have left, but some stayed behind. Let’s look at the cast of characters in this drama. The villain in the story was Haman, an Amalekite. The Amalekites were descendants of Esau, Jacob’s brother. You might recall that these siblings had a long-standing conflict that revolved around the birthright. Esau, the firstborn, sold his birthright to his brother Jacob. The hostility that Jacob and Esau had for one another carried on through the generations like a bad gene. Esau had a grandson named Amalek, from which we get the name Amalekites. These cousins of the Israelites attacked them whenever they had the chance. When the Jews were led out of Egypt by Moses, the Amalekites attacked them in Rephidim, in the Sinai Desert. This unprovoked attack led God to promise to blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven (Ex. 17:8-14) . Forty years later, in his last major speech to his people, Moses reminded the Jews of the command to go after Amalek (Deut. 25:17-19) . Saul, the first King of Israel, was commanded to wipe out the Amalekites (I Sam. 15:2-3) . But Saul disobeyed and spared the life of King Agag (I Sam 15:9) . This led to the premature end of the reign of Saul (I Sam. 15:23) . Saul, realizing his mistake, subsequently did kill Agag, but one of his sons survived. So not only was he disobedient, but he was also incompetent. Some 500 years later, one of his descendants was Haman. Others in the cast of characters included the royal couple, King Xerxes (some think it was King Ahasuerus or perhaps both names refer to the same person), and Queen Vashti. Then there was Esther, the Jewish maiden, and her uncle Mordecai. And so, with the setting in place, the cast of characters on stage, let the drama that led to Purim begin.
JOB SUFFERS AND DEMANDS FROM GOD AN EXPLANATION AS TO “WHY?”
Did it Really Happen? Does it Really Matter?
Ezra Comes to Jerusalem and Teaches the People
The Miracle of Passover: Zola Levitt
The Jews Journey to Jerusalem
The Israelites Head for Jerusalem and Rebuild their Temple.
How Israelites Should Behave When They Return Home
December 7-15, 2023, is Hanukkah (Festival of Lights)
Chapter 22: The Book of the Law was Found, Josiah leads a Return to God
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Why Study the Bible?
Don’t many consider the Bible to be just a book of myths? Why do we read the Bible rather than the sacred literature of other religions?
How do we know that it is from God? How do we know that what we have today is an accurate translation from the original? Is the Bible complete or have there been some books that have been lost?
We should be able to answer these questions, and there are answers! So start here!
Answers to Common Bible Questions
Lent is a six week period of spiritual devotion starting on Ash Wednesday and ending at Easter. Those who observe Lent usually give up something for Lent. Some might give up coffee, or soda pop, or alcohol, or chocolate. May I suggest that you give up something that will really impress God and make this season of Lent one of the most memorable and meaningful seasons of your life? May I suggest that if you are giving up something, why not give up some of the acts of our sinful nature mentioned in Gal. 5:19? Why don’t we give up lying about others? Do you think you can give up the hate you feel towards others? How about envy, can we work on putting envy aside this year? How about giving up on the naïve idea that all pastors are mature Christian leaders whose word should always be accepted, rather than wolfs in sheep’s clothing (Matt 7:15). How about giving up the idea that everyone in church is a real Christian (Matt 7:21-23). How about giving up your desire to seek revenge on those who have hurt you (Matt 18:21-22)? If you are insecure and feel threatened when you see the success of others in ministry, how about giving up efforts to hinder others who have been called to minister (Rom 12:4-8)? Of course it is easier to give up something like chocolate, etc. and make yourself feel like you are doing something that is pleasing to God. If you are not willing to give up unchristian behavior, might I suggest something that will really please God this Lent? Give up all evidence of your profession of Christian faith, such as books, pictures and jewelry. Don’t talk about God, Jesus or the Church. I think God would appreciate it if you would stop giving HIM a bad name by the way you live. Let’s give up what hinders our witness and become a better ambassador for Christ (2 Cor 5:20) this Lenten season.
In Matthew 2:1-2 is says that the magi saw "His star in the east." What was this star that guided these men to Jesus? Some have suggested that it could have been a comet, an asteroid, or perhaps a meteor or an especially bright star. The problem with these suggestions is that these physical things either quickly move across the sky and then disappear or are too far away to provide directions with any precision. It would be hard to get directions from such objects. The "star" had to move constantly or intermittently at the same pace as the magi. Then it says that it hovered over the house where Mary and Joseph had moved to with Jesus. It hardly sounds like a comet or meteor or a star as we know them. Can you think of another time that people in the Bible were guided by some form of light? How about the time when Moses was leading the Israelites out of Egypt? He didn't have a global positioning system with him. He did have a pillar of fire that led him at night (Ex 13:21-22). We see this light in Solomon's Temple (2 Chron 7:1-3) and when the Jews were about to go into Babylonian captivity, we see it leaving the Temple (Ezek 9-11). In the New Testament we see it at the birth of Jesus (Luke 2:9) at His transfiguration (Matt 17:5) and His ascension (Acts 1:9). What exactly was this guiding light? The word "star" can also be translated as "radiance." It appears that it was this "radiance" that guided Moses and the magi. The Jews call this the "Shekinah", a physical manifestation of the glory of God in the form of a supernatural radiance. This, I believe, is what the Star of Bethlehem was.
Imagine that you are the pastor of a church. A young married couple is having some difficulties in their relationship and they seek counsel from you. On Monday the wife comes in to give her assessment of their marriage. What do you think she will say? She might say that she is a hardworking, caring and supportive wife and that it is her husband who is the neglectful, insensitive brute and the source of all problems in the marriage. You feel so sorry for this wife and when you see her husband in the hallway, you think to yourself, "What a jerk." On Friday the husband comes in and gives his assessment of the marriage. He tells you that he is hard working and very generous and that she is the major problem in the relationship. As the pastor, you are wondering if they both are talking about the same marriage. Each person tells you what makes them look best and their spouse the worst. Where is the truth? The truth is probably somewhere in between Proverbs 18:17 says, "The first to present his case seems right, til another comes forward and questions him." There are conflicts in all relationships, between spouses, parents and children, employees and employers. When you hear one side of a story, don’t assume that what you hear is the complete truth. And don’t pass on to someone else what you have heard. Probably, at least some of what you heard is untrue to gain your support in a conflict.