Two Responses to God’s Discipline

2001-02-06

The genealogies of Cain and Seth

There are two ways one can respond to God’s discipline. One way is to try to avoid God and to be displeased with His judgments, or to submit to and trust in Him. In comparing the lines of Cain and Seth, and comparing the contributions of their families, the differences display very different results.

Cain, after just being told he was condemned to live as a wanderer, decided to settle in the land of Nod. Cain, who has already proven himself stubborn, has decided to go against God’s command. He built a city there in honor of his son Enoch, which seems to be a humanistic monument to his family and their accomplishments.

Enoch begot Irad, and he begot Mahujael. Mahujael begot Methushael, who in turn begot Lamech. Lamech was one who seemed to have no reverence for God at all. First, Lamech was of the first man documented in history to practice polygamy, which is opposed to the original model of marriage that God had designed prior to the fall (Genesis 2:24). His wives were Adah and Zillah, and he had children from both women. Secondly, just as his ancestor Cain was a murderer, he killed a man in retaliation for being wounded by him. He then speaks defiantly in the presence of his wives that if someone kills him that he should be avenged seventy-sevenfold.

Lamech’s song contains three pairs of lines in which each pair uses Hebrew parallelism. First he addressed his wives by their names, Adah and Zillah and then he called them ‘wives of Lamech.’ In the second group of lines, he tells what he did, first referring to the man he killed as אִישׁ or a man, and then as יֶלֶד, which is a word used for a lad.

In the previous passage, Cain complained to God that his punishment for his rebellion was more than he could bear (Genesis 4:13). God then marked Cain in His grace so that nobody would harm him as he went out into the wilderness. If someone were to harm him, they would be avenged sevenfold. Lamech, generations later, commemorates this in his song, saying that if Cain were to be avenged sevenfold, than he would be avenged seventy-sevenfold. He had no reason to believe this, so it appears to be a defiant demand. This is the third pair of lines, comparing his situation with Cain’s. The reiteration of each thought in the three pairs is to emphasize the demand in his speech.

Lamech had three sons that we know of. Of his first wife his sons were Jabal and Jubal. Jabal was the founder of the nomadic lifestyle; one who began the practice of dwelling in tents and have livestock. Jubal was one who invented stringed and woodwind musical instruments. Of Lamech’s second wife, Zillah, he had a son named Tubal-Cain. He was an instructor of craftsmen of bronze and iron and invented metallurgy. These discoveries and contributions are of no mean significance today.

After the description of what became of Cain’s family in Genesis 4:17-24, there are two verses describing the birth of Seth. Eve called his name Seth, saying that his descendents would replace that of Abel’s. Seth had a son named Enosh, which possibly could mean ‘mortal man.’ This would make sense in the context because the family of Seth realized their need to live in accordance with God as their ruler. They then call on the name of the Lord, or worship Him.

The phrase ‘call upon the name of the LORD’ has the connotation of meaning not just prayer, but to call on everything God is. The Hebrew word שֵׁם means ‘name’ but also the name suggests something about the nature of God. “The LORD” is the substitution for the Tetragrammaton, so if they were merely just calling His name, the sentence would be redundant. There is more than just His name involved, but all of who God is. He is the eternal, powerful creator, but also one who is intimate with those who trust in Him.

The family of Cain, whose father was an angry, self-serving man, developed into a family that tried to work around God’s curse on their own. Cain, who was one who tilled the ground, was condemned to wander the earth because he murdered Abel. Instead, Cain ironically goes to the land of Nod and settles, building a city as monument to himself and his family. Perhaps he thought he conquered God’s curse because he settled down, but really he continued to be rebellious to God’s command. This rebellion continued in his family down to Lamech, in which the sins of Cain are amplified through his seed. His sons are the ones who create new trades to make life easier and more enjoyable, such as metallurgy and musical instruments.

While the house of Cain lived lives of luxury and had scorn for the Lord, the house of Seth had no other claim to fame other than remembering the Lord. This is the line that would lead to Noah, who would be one of eight people saved from the flood. From this line would also come the One who would destroy the serpent and his seed; this One who would conquer the enemy is Jesus Christ. In an affluent and self-indulging society, the righteous must persevere in the knowledge of the Lord (Ross 170). In order for the righteous to commemorate the Lord, they must remain separate from its ways.

In 1 John 2:15-17, the message of the writer is clear not to love the way of the world. The world has a different motivation for living life. The world and the things in it are based on the lust of the body and pride. These things are all seen in Cain’s family. This description is fitting to the way the world has always been back to the earliest days of the fallen world. John is asking the recipients of his letter to be separate from the world, just as the line of Seth did from the other sons of Adam.

Because of the difference between the Lord’s appointed line and the rest of the world, and also the ratio between the numbers of the two, it is easy to get roped into the world’s agenda. This is not to say that, for example, musical instruments are bad, because they can be used for the Lord’s glory. It is not right, however, when one gets focused on the ephemeral things of the world and loses sight of the eternal Lord. It is easy to lose heart, because the world’s way penetrates every corner of society. This is what everyone needs to remember.

From the passage on the families of Cain and Seth, people need to examine their lives. It is easy to get wrapped up in a job, or watch a lot television or any number of things in which the world indulges. There are different things that may be weaknesses for every person. One can see if they are overly involved with the world’s philosophy by doing a couple of things. People must ask themselves, how am I different from the world? Self-examination always involves prayer, asking the Lord to show us what is wrong in our lives. A Christ-focused life is the key: a mind saturated with thoughts of the Lord and what He has done for us, and to remain in check with the Lord by prayer and reading His word.

Sources

Ross, Allen P. Creation and Blessing: A Guide to the Study and Exposition of Genesis. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1998.