Chapter 13

Civilization Begins

Bible Synopsis: Genesis 4:1-26 & 5:1-18

Family Feud

And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from Yahweh." Genesis 4:1.

HOPE DEFERRED

It has been taught that Adam and Eve expected the promised Messiah of Genesis 3:15 to come immediately. So when their first son was born, Eve's statement that she had gotten a man from Yahweh was an expression of hope that this was the promised Savior. Cain [1] 0*8 as a name means, "spear or shaft" with a later allusion to the maker of spears, a smith. It is possible that they were alluding to the instrument by which this "messiah" was to bruise Satan. Regrettably this was an error on their part.

Indeed, their ability to spiritually discern is corrupted. Before the Fall, Adam named all the animals and correctly discerned the spirit of each creature and stated the same word that Yahweh spoke in creating each creature. Now they don't see by the spirit, and have degenerated to merely naming their children which is influenced by their desire. But their spiritual perception was greater than ours today, and they were nearly correct in their name for the child. He did not bruise Satan, but he was a spear against his brother Able. When the tragic reality of their mistaken hopes were realized, after Cain murdered his brother, Adam and Eve must have been devastated. "Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life" (Prov. 13:12). Their hearts were sick, but the tree of life did finally come upon Calvary.

One wonders what the experience of childbirth must have been for Eve, and for Adam to behold. Neither one experienced infancy since they were created mature adults. The joy of sexual consummation followed by the mystery of pregnancy enlarging Eve's womb, and the final, painful travail of labor must have been a time of wonder for the pair. As Solomon later said, "As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all" (Ecc. 11:5). This mystery of childbirth must have underscored the irony of their folly. They thought they would be like God in knowing good from evil, yet this newborn infant magnified their ignorance and reminded them that were now more unlike God than ever before. To raise children in their sinful natures, and to instruct them in the knowledge of Yahweh, is an instrument of discipleship that God uses for the parents. I was an athlete in gymnastics during my young adult years. To make a living while training, I began teaching small children. Learning how to share with others improved my own performance as an athlete. Likewise with children. Adam and Eve learned more about God in trying to instruct their kids on God.

The Scriptures say of Seth's birth that Adam "begat a son in his own likeness, after his image" (Gen. 5:3b). So, too, was Cain in Adam's likeness and not God's. As David said, "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me" (Psa. 51:5). This begotten son was born with Adam's sin nature, as all humanity would be, and would soon prove it.

A BREATH OF FRESH AIR

Perhaps within the next year or two, Eve bore another son they called Abel [2] -v% which means "a breath," or as a breeze upon a "meadow." The knowledge of Yahweh and the Fall were apparently told to the boys. Cain, who was the firstborn son wanted to be like daddy, who began his life as a farmer tilling the ground in the Garden of Eden. To help in the farming, implements needed to be constructed to break up the sod. Cain's namesake, smith, would also be earned in creating plows for his daddy, Adam, which also suggests that from the beginning mankind was fashioning tools to work with. This desire to please his parents may have been further prompted by Cain's knowledge of Eve's expectation of him. A sincere desire to earn their favor would probably be in him. But desire influences what we perceive. The Proverb says, "Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom" (Prov. 18:1). Just as Eve's desire for her son Cain to be the Messiah had interfered with her spiritual discernment, so, too, Cain's desire to please his parents would interfere with his understanding of God. The way to approach God must have been told first to Cain, so he knew what was acceptable. But as the Scriptures say, "when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened" (Rom. 1:21), so Cain's thinking became foolish. Surely his hard earned labors in the field would be pleasing to God!

Abel, on the other hand, had no expectations placed upon him. His parent's spiritual perception had no biased influence upon his birth, and therefore more accurately called him a breath of fresh air. Abel understood what Adam said about the need of a blood sacrifice that pictured the work of the Redeemer. This is why the writer of Hebrews says, "By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts" (Heb. 11:4). In other words, Abel offered the blood sacrifice while believing in the atoning work of Christ to come. Perhaps he even understood that he had to give a lamb, a firstling of the flock, as would later be spelled out in Leviticus. He recognized his sinful nature and had a genuine contrition of heart. That's why the Lord had "respect unto Abel and to his offering."

It is significant to note that contrary to secular thinking, agrarian living began first and wasn't secondary to a lifestyle of hunting and gathering. Adam and Cain tilled the ground, and Abel shepherded flocks. It is most likely that Abel tended sheep for the sake of providing blood sacrifices for their sins. As time went on, they may have sheared the sheep for clothing.

WHO CAN STAND BEFORE ENVY?

Proverbs asks, "Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy" (Prov. 27:4)? Cain felt snubbed. He worked hard for his offering. Why should God be pleased with Abel who did nothing but watch the animals graze? Cain didn't understand. He tried to earn his salvation and was self-justified. The apostle John wrote in his epistle that Cain's "own works were evil, and his brother's righteous" (1 John 3:12b). Cain and his offering's rejection by God brought disappointment that showed on his face. His disappointment turned to anger at God and to envy at Abel.

The Lord in mercy gave Cain a chance to repent from his self-justification. He encourages him that he still can offer the correct offering and it would be accepted. He warns him that continuing on with his present course of action will lead to more harm. The Lord's last statement is similar to the one given to Eve. Concerning Adam, and husbands in general, her desire shall be to him, but he shall rule over thee (Gen. 3:16). Likewise to Cain he says, "Unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him" (Gen. 4:7). Husbands in the world don't love their wives as Christ loves the church, but are often despots and tyrants. Both statements could be comments by God on the consequences of sin. With Cain, the Lord could be referring to Abel having righteous desire for Cain's salvation, but in rejecting it, Cain would oppress Abel: in this case, murder him. Likewise Peter tells the church, "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you. But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings" (1 Pet. 4:12a & 13a). The righteous will always be oppressed by the wicked because their goodness reveals their evilness.

MURDER IN THE FIELD

Envy turned to hatred, and hatred led to murder. Perhaps the field was the ground where Cain was farming. Abel had come into Cain's territory where Cain felt at home. There is no telling whether the murder was premeditated or a spontaneous act of passion. It is possible that Cain tried to forget the rejection. But maybe Abel tried to win him to God by explaining how his works are useless. This may have stirred up his wrath again and he could have spontaneously grabbed his plow and struck Abel. It is also possible that Cain brooded over his rejection and planned the murder, setting Abel up by inviting him to his field. Either way, Cain did not repent and ask God for forgiveness. The root of bitterness came into his heart and sprung up to defile him.

Abel became the first martyr for the cause of Christ. Jesus said, "Therefore also said the wisdom of God, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute: that the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; from the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zechariah, which perished between the altar and the temple" (Luke 11:49-51). This is why Jesus said of the devil, "He was a murderer from the beginning" (John 8:44), in that he moved upon Cain to slay Abel. Indeed, Satan understood the messianic prophecy. He began his campaign to spoil and to destroy the messianic line. The population has barely begun and the two camps already are forming: Satan snatching any that he can get, and those who choose God and live as pilgrims upon the earth. "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth" (Heb.11:13).

MY BROTHER'S KEEPER

Again and again, the Lord provides opportunities for repentance. His rhetorical question is spurned by Cain who refuses to repent. His sarcastic query, "am I my brother's keeper?" betrays his total misunderstanding of the way of God's love. We are our brothers' keepers. God's love is selfless and Satan's love is selfcentered, which is Cain's love.

The voice of thy brother's blood crying to the Lord is usually thought of as referring to the stain on the ground. Evidence certainly speaks. But the life that's in the blood, as Watchman Nee pointed out, is the soul. The soul covers the spirit and is the life of the body. Abel is still alive as a spirit and could actually cry out to the Lord for justice. Revelations states that when the fifth seal is opened, under the altar were the souls of them slain for the word of God, crying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?" (Rev. 6:10). The voice of the martyrs have cried since Abel unto today, "but [the Lord] is long suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Pet. 3:9).

HEAVEN OR HELL?

The question that naturally arises is, "Where did Abel's spirit go?" Because of verses such as Hebrews 11:39 & 40 which says, "And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect," suggests that believers before Christ's death and resurrection did not go to heaven. Now, "to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord" (2 Cor. 5:8), is commonly accepted to mean that post resurrection believers immediately go to heaven.

Based upon the story of Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16:19-31), a doctrine is believed by many that an underworld waiting place existed divided into two places; one for the righteous called, "Abraham's bosom," and one for the damned called Sheol or hell. This author disagrees with the doctrine. For one reason, the story is sandwiched between parables and there is no reason to believe it is a true story even though names are given to the characters. Good storytellers make up names all the time. The main reason for disagreement is because there is confusion in thinking hell is a place of torment, therefore the righteous wouldn't be tormented. This author's study of Scriptures comes to no such conclusion. The place of torment is the Lake of Fire, called the second death (Rev. 20:14) which comes after the White Throne Judgment (Rev. 20:11). Would a just God punish a prisoner before the trial? Of course not! The holding ground is like a jail where prisoners are kept before the trial. Both the righteous and the unrighteous could be kept in the same waiting area. Remember the Bible says that "he [Jesus] also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?" (Eph 4:9) and that he "preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the long suffering of God waited in the days of Noah" (1 Pet 3:19-20). It is possible that God gave them a chance to repent, again, but it is more likely that Jesus merely announced his victory to all. Nonetheless, Sheol is not the place of torment. Any torment experienced would be the anguish and dread of punishment sure to come. The believers would be prisoners of hope (Zech. 9:12) and were released after Jesus was proven innocent and resurrected (Matt. 27:52). Now that Jesus has redeemed all who will believe, we go directly to heaven until his second coming (1 Thes. 4:13-18). Unbelievers go directly to the underworld prison until the White Throne Judgment. So the blood of Abel cried from the ground.

VAGABOND AND FUGITIVE

The very thing offered to the Lord becomes his curse. His love of the earth won't yield any fruit. Indeed, a farmer's love of one place is denied Cain, as he is to wander the earth. One wonders, "how long did Cain wander?" because he eventually settles down and raises a family.

THE MARK OF CAIN

It has been said that the Hebrew word for punishment, avon 0&3, is often translated as iniquity. With that translation, then, it seems Cain is aware of the magnitude of his sin, which demonstrates a small change in heart. God continued extending mercy in not requiring his life be forfeit and allowing him to continue living. He would protect Cain from someone's zealous pursuit of justice by promising to bring a sevenfold vengeance upon the potential executioner. The mark upon Cain [3] is also translated as a sign which means that a physical mark was not necessarily upon his body.