From Cain to Noah
December 2, 2008
GE 4:13 Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is more than I can bear. 14 Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”
GE 4:15 But the LORD said to him, “Not so; if anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. 16 So Cain went out from the LORD’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
GE 4:17 Cain lay with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch. 18 To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech.
GE 4:19 Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock. 21 His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute. 22 Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron. Tubal-Cain’s sister was Naamah.
GE 4:23 Lamech said to his wives,
“Adah and Zillah, listen to me;
wives of Lamech, hear my words.
I have killed a man for wounding me,
a young man for injuring me.
GE 4:24 If Cain is avenged seven times,
then Lamech seventy-seven times.”
GE 4:25 Adam lay with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, saying, “God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.” 26 Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh.
At that time men began to call on the name of the LORD.
The very first family and so far what we have is murder, deceit, loss and pain. As I write this in local news we heard about a family who lost two young boys in a car accident. The Mom was driving a minivan that broke down in the HOV lane. A car (with only one person inside) ran into the van and the two young boys were rushed to hospital and later died.
I read about Eve and see that with Abel’s death and Cain’s exile, she is left without her two boys. And then we hear of Seth later in the chapter. So how, again do we see God’s goodness here? The whole thing seems to have started out of trying to please God, but ends up with murder and exile. God, does demonstrate some mercy in not exercising an “eye for an eye” in the very first capital case – this is at the least, interesting. And then, in the end, Eve speaks of God’s goodness with the birth of a child. Maybe we will withhold judgement and just keep reading. Maybe after the list of generations in chapter 5, chapter 6 will be much easier to understand …. maybe?
