March 1996
Genesis 4 & 5:
In this month's tour of the Bible, we review at the children of Adam and Eve. We are told they had numerous children, but the Scriptures focus on three of the sons of Adam and Eve.
In the first verse of the 4th Chapter of Genesis we learn about the first of the three sons: Cain. In the 4th Chapter we learn the story of Cain and his relationship with the next brother Abel; and we get a lesson in the comparison of their relationship with God. A subsequent third brother Seth gives us the insight into the following generations of mankind.
The Scriptures have been the source of man traditional "sayings" and phrases that we use daily in our speech. In the relatively short 4th and 5th Chapter of Genesis, we learn the origin of a few of the oldest sayings involving Cain and Abel, as well as the "oldest man" phrase.
We know from Genesis chapters 4 and 5 that Adam and Eve had many children after their banishment from the Garden of Eden. We know that Adam lived to be a total of nine hundred and thirty years old and that he had numerous sons and daughters.
Genesis chapter 4 focuses on three of Adam and Eve's sons, primarily on Cain and his relationship with brother Abel, and the two brothers' relationship with God.
While Cain was a "tiller of the ground", Abel was a "keeper of sheep." During the process of their lives, it came to pass that Cain brought some of the fruit of his crops "of the ground" as an offering unto the Lord. Abel, in his offering to the Lord, brought "the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof."
We learn in Genesis 4:4 and the few following verses that Cain's attitude in his gift offering was not good, but that Abel's attitude apparently was well received by the Lord.
"And the lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering. But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect."
This bothered Cain and the worry on his face showed. The Lord questioned Cain about his attitude and how the Lord would look upon an acceptable offering.
Apparently instead of correcting his attitude, Cain got jealous of Abel and when the two were in a field together, Cain killed his brother. Genesis 4:8.
That brings us to one of the more quoted phrases in the Bible.
The Lord appeared as asked Cain: "Where is Abel thy brother? and he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?"
The Lord then cursed Cain for killing Abel, restricting his occupation as a farmer, and making Cain a vagabond on the earth. Cain cried out to the Lord that his punishment was more than he could bear (although he had just killed his brother). Cain was worried that all who saw him would attempt to kill him; so the Lord "set a mark upon Cain" as a warning of "sevenfold" vengeance on anyone who tried to kill Cain. Thus, we have the origin of the "mark of Cain".
Cain then left the presence of the Lord and dwelt in the Land of Nod, east of Eden.
Beginning at the 17th verse of 4th Genesis, we learn that Cain and his wife bore children and grandchildren. The first "city" mentioned in the Bible is "Enoch", named after Cain's son when he built the town. The generations of Cain produced the tent dwellers, cattle raisers, musicians including users of the harp and organ, and brass and iron workers.
Verse 23 of Genesis 4 appears to express a summation of the generations of ungodly living by Cain's descendants, describing Lamech's admission as a killer of men.
Another phrase from this portion of the Scripture has come to be known as "raising Cain;" and generally describes the causing of trouble.
With Abel dead, Adam and Eve had another son named Seth. It is in Seth that we learn of subsequent generations who called" upon the name of the Lord," as an end to the 4th chapter of Genesis.
Chapter 5 of Genesis is primarily a listing of genealogy of Adam and provides us guidance as to how early earth was populated. Adam lived to 930 years, and each of Adam and Eve's mentioned offspring also grew to old age and had many children. One of the children descendants of Seth, was Methuselah (Genesis 5:21) who lived to be 969 as the oldest mentioned of the descendants. Thus, we have the origin of the phrase "old as Methuselah."
The 5th Chapter of Genesis ends with a brief discussion of one of Methuselah's grandson: a man called Noah. We also learn in the close of Genesis chapter 5 that Noah had three sons named: Shem, Ham and Japheth.