Conference 2018, part 2. The line of Cain and the line of Seth, the struggle for humanity.

Saturday August 11, 2018

Gen 4:9 Then the Lord said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" And he said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?"

Conference 2018, part 2. The line of Cain and the line of Seth, the struggle for humanity.

Gen 4:9 Then the Lord said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" And he said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?"

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The trademarks of the devil: lying and murder, Joh 8:44.

Murder includes the word hatred as the apostle John points out. Hatred of your fellow man and lying to get what you want, which makes you out to be your own god who is vengeful and demands worship at all costs. This is the line of Cain, though we have learned to hide it better than he did.

Gen 4:9 Then the Lord said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" And he said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?"

Gen 4:10 And He said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to Me from the ground.

To all the human race: “Where is your brother [the Lord Jesus Christ]?” We murdered Him.

Wouldn’t all of us have yelled “Crucify Him,” in unison with the rest if we thought He was nothing more than a usurper and a troublemaker.

All of us are guilty, even though we may not have committed this crime. “Where is your brother,” God may ask any man concerning the true Brother, the Son of Man who came to us to remove the curse, to become a curse for us, to lighten the burden of this life, to be a loving member of our family - He is also slain. “We nailed Him to a cross,” is our reply. “We found Him too good for our endurance and dealt with Him as Cain did his more righteous brother.’

Yet that Brother is raised again and has granted us repentance and remittance of sins, and assured us that His blood cleanses us from all unrighteousness.

The Lord was careful to tell His apostles to remain in Jerusalem. He wanted them to preach the gospel to the very people who called for His crucifixion.

God will ask again, “Where is your Brother?” And many a man will say, “He is risen. I believe in Him. He has settled all that was between me and the Father.”

Gen 4:11 And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.

Gen 4:12 When you cultivate the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you; you shall be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth."

Gen 4:13 And Cain said to the Lord, "My punishment is too great to bear!

One hour of passion brings a burden too heavy to bear. Thoughtlessness has set in motion a complete change of our future. Once the passion has died away we see the consequences of our actions.

We cannot revive the past we have destroyed.

“One can fancy Cain turning to see if his victim gave no sign of life, striving to reanimate the dead body, calling the familiar name, but only to see with growing dismay that the one blow had finished all with which that name was associated, and that he had made himself a new world.”

Gen 4:13 And Cain said to the Lord, "My punishment is too great to bear!

Gen 4:14 "Behold, Thou hast driven me this day from the face of the ground; and from Thy face I shall be hidden, and I shall be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth, and it will come about that whoever finds me will kill me."

Immediately the murderer fears death.

God often makes our punishment too great to bear so that we will seek Him for relief. Paul’s thorn in the flesh taught him this.

Heb 2:14 Since then the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil;

Heb 2:15 and might deliver those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.

The human race has not yet been put under the law of capital punishment, yet they still sin against God by murdering.

Rom 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned —

Rom 5:13 for until the Law sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

Rom 5:14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.

Abel’s blood cried out from the ground for vengeance. The blood of Christ cries out for pardon.

The writer of Hebrews takes this very language to make a point about revenge and who takes it.

Heb 12:24 Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.

The blood of Christ also cried to God, but not for vengeance but for pardon. All of us are fallen. All of us are born into this world as Cains. And some of us have had hated jealousy and therefore murdered, but that blood doesn’t cry out as loud as the blood of Christ.

Lady MacBeth is pictured by Shakespeare sleepwalking through the castle, rubbing her hands, and crying “Out, out damn spot,” meaning the metaphorical blood that is on her hands from her guilt in all the crimes she and her husband committed. The spots would not rub them off. The blood of Christ will clean any soul fully.

Cain is not killed, not because he whined to God, but because the law of capital punishment was not yet in effect.

Gen 4:15 So the Lord said to him, "Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold." And the Lord appointed a sign for Cain, lest anyone finding him should slay him.

Gen 4:16 Then Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

Gen 4:17 And 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.

The line of Cain sought to overcome the curse from God through hard work, ingenuity, and the pursuit of pleasure – God is left out.

I’m sure Cain’s son Enoch and all his progeny blamed God for the curse anyway. “Who brought this labor and death but God. Cain was treated unfairly.”

Cain rejects the curse of being a vagabond and builds a city and calls it after his son whose name means “initiated” or “beginning.” It’s a new beginning and he must have settled down to try and make his heart content.

The human race has constantly sought to cross the borders that God has set for them. Sex and marriage are probably the most prolific examples.

After all, a new land and a great building project would have been welcome distractions. Here is a clean start and perhaps rest. But, he made his rest without God.

Cain’s attempt to overrule the curse of God upon him as a vagrant is to build a city and try to settle in peace.

Cain first attempted to overcome the curse upon the ground by offering God fruit from the ground. His offering to God was his toil under the rough conditions of the earth’s curse. Abel’s offering was from the flock, the death of an innocent. One said, “I will offer You the sweat of my brow under the curse You have burdened me with.” The other said, “I will offer You the work of Your own hands, the animal You created, in death and blood.”

Cain’s attempt at immortality is to name the city after his son. Enoch means “initiated” or a “beginning.” A clean start with a great future, but all without God.

He is attempting to overcome the curse of death by naming the city after his son, Enoch. His name will live on.

Psa 49:6 Even those who trust in their wealth,

And boast in the abundance of their riches?

Psa 49:7 No man can by any means redeem his brother,

Or give to God a ransom for him —

Psa 49:8 For the redemption of his soul is costly,

And he should cease trying forever —

Psa 49:9 That he should live on eternally;

That he should not undergo decay.

Psa 49:10 For he sees that even wise men die;

The stupid and the senseless alike perish,

And leave their wealth to others.

Psa 49:11 Their inner thought is, that their houses are forever,

And their dwelling places to all generations;

They have called their lands after their own names.

Psa 49:12 But man in his pomp will not endure;

He is like the beasts that perish.

Gen 4:16 Then Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

Gen 4:17 And 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.

Gen 4:18 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.

Gen 4:19 And Lamech took to himself two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other, Zillah.

Gen 4:20 And Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock.

Gen 4:21 And his brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe.

Gen 4:22 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.

Cain’s pattern continues and it has continued with all his progeny. This describes much of the state of the world and the people in it.

Work and toil are made easier with collectives, tools, and the distraction of culture, yet the toil is still great. Death is met by leaving behind structures with our names on them. Distraction is our weapon against the curse. All is without God.

Work and toil are made easier with cities, tents, tools, and the distractions of culture. Death is met with building great things and putting our names on them. All the while they do not esteem God nor seek His grace.

Man is constantly attempting to overcome the curse he lives under, but without God. God provides the only relief.

Cain and his line settle down to a new life without God. Beginnings are usually pleasantly distracting. New is distracting.

By moving on with civilization and culture without God they would have forgiven themselves. They care not for God’s forgiveness.

But it is one thing to forgive ourselves, and another to have God’s forgiveness. It is one thing to reconcile ourselves to the curse that runs through our life, another thing to be reconciled to God and so defeat the curse.

“We can accustom and harden ourselves to a very second rate life. We can teach ourselves to live without much love in our homes or in our connections with those outside; we can learn to be satisfied if we can pay our way and make the time pass and be outwardly like other people; we can build a little city, and be content to be on no very friendly terms with any but the select few inside the trench, and actually be quite satisfied if we can defend ourselves against the rest of men; we can forget the one commandment, that we should love one another. We can all find much in the world to comfort, to lull, to soothe sorrowful but wholesome remembrances; much to aid us in an easy treatment of the curse; much to shed superficial brightness on a life darkened and debased by sin, much to hush up the sad echoes that mutter from the dark mountains of vanity we have left behind us, much that assures us we have nothing to do but forget our old sins and busily occupy ourselves with new duties. But no David will say, nor will any man of true spiritual discernment say, “Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgotten;” but only “forgiven.” By all means make a fresh start, a new beginning, but let it be in your own broken heart, in a spirit humble and contrite, frankly acknowledging your guilt and finding rest and settlement for your soul in reconciliation with God.” [Dods]

Gen 4:17 And 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.

It is no mistake that there is an Enoch in the line of Seth. Moses has purposely set these lines side by side so that we can compare them.

The Enoch of the line of Cain was a vain attempt at overcoming the curse of death. The Enoch in the line of Seth actually did overcome the curse of death.

Gen 4:19 And Lamech took to himself two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other, Zillah.

Lamech institutes bigamy. He violates the boundary that God set upon marriage.

It would seem that Lamech takes advantage of the curse upon the woman, namely her desire for her husband.

The line of Cain forged cities, fluid and prosperous economy, culture, and tools for production. All are attempts at alleviating the curse upon man.

All the points of culture and civilization are forged in the line of Cain. City, tents and livestock, music and art, implements of bronze and iron. There was among them cities, civilization, culture, and prosperity, but all of it without God.

Man has an amazing capacity for occupation and distraction. You don’t have to take the truth out of the world. It is easier to simply distract man from it.

Aldous Huxley had it right for western culture. Orwell had it right for eastern culture.

Early on in our history things that were admirable and serviceable clung to human nature, but without any recognition of God who gave them. The power of enterprise and wealth, of war, of instruments used to make more resources, of beauty in art and music, all pointing towards abundant promise for greater things in the future.

There are abundant materials in the world for beautifying and elevating human life, and this material may be used and is used by men who acknowledge neither its origin in God nor the ends He would serve by it.

The proud and self-willed will often excel the godly in the use of these materials, for not too many mighty or wise are called according to the world. So be it. Let the wicked prosper outwardly, for inwardly they are blind to that which is life.

If man is just matter and so matter rules all until our time ends, then all our accomplishments, our culture, our greatest inventions are all shadowed by death. The next generation will be born and imagine these conveniences to have always been here, as the dead leave them behind.

The line of Cain threw their passions into civilization, while ignoring God who values spirit above matter. Why is man above the brute? He is in God’s image. He has a spirit that can understand and a conscience that can value good and evil with the proper guidance.

Man is more than matter. He is spirit in God’s image. Of all things on earth only man can sympathize with God’s purpose. Man is dear to God because he is like Him.

[M. Dods, Genesis] Vast and glorious as it is, the sun cannot think God’s thoughts; can fulfil but cannot intelligently sympathize with God’s purpose.

God must not be considered as sitting apart in a remote position of general superintendence, but as present with all that is. And to Him who maintains these systems in their respective relations and orbits, it can be no burden to relieve the needs of individuals. To think of ourselves as too insignificant to be attended to is to derogate from God’s true majesty and to misunderstand His relation to the world. The whole of creation was performed in order to set the stage for man. Creation was not complete until man was complete. To not understand this is to misapprehend the real value of spirit as compared with matter. Man is dear to God because he is like Him.

Man, alone among God’s works, can enter into and approve of God’s purpose in the world and can intelligently fulfil it.

Without man the whole material universe would have been dark and unintelligible, mechanical and apparently without any sufficient purpose. Matter, however fearfully and wonderfully made, is but the platform and material in which spirit, intelligence and will, may fulfil themselves and find development. Man is incommensurable with the rest of the universe. He is of a different kind and by his moral nature is more akin to God than to His works [material universe]. [end quote]

Do we live as if we are only the product of blind mechanical laws or as those possessing the image of God, redeemed by grace, and entered into the line of Christ?

Gen 4:26 And to Seth, to him also a son was born; and he called his name Enosh. Then men began to call upon the name of the Lord.