Genesis 5:1-5

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1 This is the book of the genealogy of Adam. In the day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. 2 He created them male and female, and blessed them and called them Mankind in the day they were created. 3 And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth. 4 After he begot Seth, the days of Adam were eight hundred years; and he had sons and daughters. 5 So all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years; and he died. ~ Genesis 5:1-5

Today, we continue our study of Genesis which is the book of beginnings. Things that are first presented in this book are carried through the Bible narrative and are fulfilled in the last book of the Bible, the book of the Revelation.  

In v.1-2 of today's passage we read, "1 This is the book of the genealogy of Adam. In the day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. 2 He created them male and female, and blessed them and called them Mankind in the day they were created."

Genesis is a book that contains a lot of genealogies, in fact there are ten different genealogies in it. These genealogies help substantiate the Bible’s historical accuracy. They confirm the physical existence of the people found in the Bible. By knowing family histories, we understand that the Bible is far from a mere story or a parable for how we should live our lives on this earth. The Bible is authentic, historical truth.

In the previous chapter, Genesis 4, we considered the genealogy of Cain while here in Genesis 5 we have the genealogy of Seth. It was through the godly line of Seth that eventually the Messiah would come to this earth. 

The first time the word genealogy is used in the Bible is in Genesis 2:4 where we read, "These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens."

A careful study of this word translated "generations" reveals it was made up of two Hebrew "vavs" in its spelling in Genesis 2:4. But, here in Genesis 5:1, after the fall of man, it is spelled with only one "vav." As we indicated earlier, the second "vav" fell out of the word just as man fell in the garden.

The Hebrew letter "vav" is the sixth letter of the Hebrew alphabet and it pictures a tent peg. In addition, the number 6 in the Bible represents "man" since he was created on the sixth day. What we have here in this word "genealogy" is a picture of "fallen man." This word is used 39 times throughout the Old Testament at various times when referring to different groups of people, but it is never spelled with two vavs again until the end of the book of Ruth. In every occurrence between Genesis and Ruth one or both of the vavs is missing in the word. The reason for this is that in Ruth, the lineage of King David is given. Up until that time, God was working through various people and had made various covenants with them. These were Noah, Abraham, and Moses. The final covenant was to David. At this time, the second vav in Ruth 4 was reintroduced to the word translated genealogies to indicate that the restoration of fallen man would come through the line of David and this was the final peg in the tent of God’s covenants before the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

In v.3-5 of today's passage we read, "3 And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth. 4 After he begot Seth, the days of Adam were eight hundred years; and he had sons and daughters. 5 So all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years; and he died."

Adam's son Seth was born when Adam was 130 years old and as we follow the years in the Bible we can determine the age of the world. During those 130 years, Adam had Cain, Abel, and at least one daughter. We know this because Cain had a wife. It’s likely that they had lots more children by the time Seth came around, but Seth is the focus of the story because it was through his lineage that the Lord Jesus came to this earth to redeem us.

Seth was made in the image and likeness of his father, Adam. We also find ourselves here in the narrative because we too are sons and daughters of Adam and we also share the same characteristics as Seth. When the account uses this phrase, "in his own likeness, after his image," it is referring to the hidden, inner pattern of man, and the actual outward characteristics. Seth was what Adam was, both in his inner life and in his outer life. He was, like you and me, fallen and sinful.

The last phrase in v.5, "and he died" is mentioned over and over throughout this chapter. Every individual that is mentioned "died." Like the sounding of a great bell at a cathedral in Italy, this phrase resounds throughout the passage. Eight times it is recorded, contradicting the lie of Satan in the garden when he said to Eve, "If you eat of this fruit you will not die." And, there was not only physical death. No, sin brought with it other incipient forms of death like malice, jealousy, hatred, meaninglessness, despair, and emptiness. These forms of death are all evidences of the absence of the life of God. That is what death is, the absence of the life of God in our lives. Of course the Lord Jesus came to this earth to remedy our problem. He said, "I did not come to condemn you, I came to give you a life that is more than abundant."

Genesis 4:23-26

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23 Then Lamech said to his wives: 'Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; wives of Lamech, listen to my speech! For I have killed a man for wounding me, even a young man for hurting me. 24 If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy-sevenfold.” 25 And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, “For God has appointed another seed for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed.” 26 And as for Seth, to him also a son was born; and he named him Enosh. Then men began to call on the name of the Lord. ~ Genesis 4:23-26

Today, we conclude our study of Genesis 4. As we come to the end of this chapter we notice the contrast continues. In the first two verses of today's passage we are availed to the song of Lamech which is not a song of faith in the God of the Bible. Then, in the final two verses of today's passage we have the birth of Seth to Adam and to Eve. And Seth, will take off where his brother Abel left off, believing in and being defined by the God of the Bible.

In v.23-24 of today's passage we read, "23 Then Lamech said to his wives: 'Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; wives of Lamech, listen to my speech! For I have killed a man for wounding me, even a young man for hurting me. 24 If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy-sevenfold.'"

These words from Lamech were in poetic form. They represent an early song, a kind of taunt on Lamech's part, in which he was justifying his violence. This song is a boast of Lamech to his wives clearly pointing out his arrogance. In this song, Lamech points out that if God avenged Cain sevenfold for taking the life of his brother without any justification whatsoever, then, surely, "I shall be avenged seventy-seven fold for having acted in self-defense."

In this rant, rebellious Lamech justifies the violence he exacted upon one who tried to take his life. Lamech's culture had technological advances which produced comforts and luxuries, in like manner we today in America have the same. In addition, in Lamech's culture, the state was substituting the role of the family. Just as we see in America, in Lamech's culture there was an increasing toleration for sexual excess. And finally, in Lamech's culture, the passionate vindication of violence on the grounds of the protection of rights was at an all-time high. All of this was caused by man's refusal to be defined by the God of the Bible. 

Interestingly, the Bible is the only testimony we have about life on this planet before the Flood. And, the testimony of Scripture about the original man is that man was created in God’s image. This made him astonishingly intelligent, amazingly creative and that he was incredibly resourceful. The testimony of the Scriptures bears forth that man was healthy to the degree that they lived for as long as 900 plus years, as we see in this chapter. 

The idea that they were like cave men and were not intelligent just is not true. Lamech demonstrated some of the most refined craft in language in his poetry here. Real poetry is the highest level of language. Lamech was not a grunting Neanderthal. Here his poetry was very sophisticated and Lamech demonstrated it quite well.

In v.25-26 of today's passage we read, "25 And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, 'For God has appointed another seed for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed.' 26 And as for Seth, to him also a son was born; and he named him Enosh. Then men began to call on the name of the Lord."

In contrast to the previous verses in this chapter, there is nothing about human accomplishments mentioned here in the line of Seth. What we are introduced to in these two verses is their worship of the God of the Bible. The emphasis is as it was because the descendants of Cain did not practice the presence of God in their lives, whereas the descendants of Abel did, and they were defined by God. And they were quick to give the glory to the God of the Bible.

The words "Then men began to call upon the name of the Lord" is the oldest reference to worship of the God of the Bible. Man didn’t start out with some primitive religion and evolve to a higher, sophisticated form of religion. Man started with the true, pure worship of the one true living God.

Seth's name means "appointed." Adam and Eve named Seth accordingly because in their minds God had appointed another son to take the place of Abel. When the man of faith is taken out of the world, God's work does not end. God just raises up another man of faith. The name of Seth's son was Enosh, which means "mortal." In the middle of that godless civilization, with its proud refusal to recognize its Maker, God was subtly at work. All the way through the Scriptures we see this scenario played out over and over and if we look closely enough we will see it all around us today.

With the birth of Seth, Eve does something quite interesting. She refers to God as Elohim, not YHWH. This was odd because YHWH is the relational name of God. But now, in the hour of Eve's mourning the fact that God had not yet given her the Savior whom He had promised, it seemed to her that God was far removed from her. Perhaps this was a sign that Eve had lost a bit of the hope that she once had. Perhaps this was a sign that to Eve, God seemed very far away and not too involved in her day to day life.

At the end of v.26 we read the words "men began to call upon the name of the Lord." This is the first mention of people calling on the name of the Lord in the Bible. That which saves anyone is that we "call upon the name" of the Lord Jesus. Just when it appeared that all hope was lost, the relational, covenant name of God appears again. Here, the name of God that is used is not Elohim, it is YHWH. These who called upon the name of the Lord worshipped the God of the Bible by praying, by proclaiming His word, being defined by His word and by praising Him. They knew their God as their Creator and they also knew Him as the Lord of grace, forgiveness, mercy and hope. They knew Him to be the God who works in the details of all of our lives painting a picture that would make sense and that would bring Him glory.

Genesis 4:19-22

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19 Then Lamech took for himself two wives: the name of one was Adah, and the name of the second was Zillah. 20 And Adah bore Jabal. He was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. 21 His brother’s name was Jubal. He was the father of all those who play the harp and flute. 22 And as for Zillah, she also bore Tubal-Cain, an instructor of every craftsman in bronze and iron. And the sister of Tubal-Cain was Naamah. ~ Genesis 4:19-22

Today, we return to our study of Genesis 4 where we have been tracing the lineage of Cain, the firstborn son of Adam and Eve. Cain is mentioned a few times in the New Testament, always in the context of warning us how not to live. Cain is known as a bad example to us because he further welcomed evil into his heart by failing to choose obedience to God. And, this is what caused him to ultimately murder his brother Abel. Since Cain did not have faith in the God of the Bible, he chose to spill the blood of his brother Abel on the ground. The line of Cain largely continued his waywardness and it ended in tragedy. This is what happens to any life that is wandering away from God's presence as Cain did.

In v.19 of today's passage we read, "Then Lamech took for himself two wives: the name of one was Adah, and the name of the second was Zillah."

God’s words to Cain, "Sin is crouching at your door and its desire is for you" was later realized in Cain's great, great, great grandson Lamech. Lamech was the first recorded polygamist in the Bible. Even though throughout the Old Testament many men had numerous wives, God's instructions from the beginning have always been one man and one woman. Underscored here are the words of the Lord earlier in Genesis when He said, "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother be joined to his wife."

In v.20-22 of today's passage we read, "20 And Adah bore Jabal. He was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. 21 His brother’s name was Jubal. He was the father of all those who play the harp and flute. And as for Zillah, she also bore Tubal-Cain, an instructor of every craftsman in bronze and iron. And the sister of Tubal-Cain was Naamah."

The sons mentioned in v.18-22 of today's passage with the Hebrew prefix "el" in their names were all connected by that prefix. This Hebrew prefix means "to produce." All of these descendants of Cain with this prefix were all amazingly productive as our passage today bears out. The line of Cain and their names reflect people in love with the world rather than with God, even though they had a part of God's name in their names. The Jewish historian Josephus wrote about the line of Cain and he informed us that they were "exceedingly wicked, intolerable in war, and vehement in robberies." He went on to say, "They acted unjustly and were quick to murder even though they were quite 'cultured.'" This magnifies the fact that no matter how much one is cleaned up on the outside, if his sin isn't atoned for, he is headed straight for hell.

In Genesis 2:8, we read, "The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed." When Adam and Eve were created, they were created perfectly sinless, and in their sinless condition, they were allowed to live in the perfect Garden of Eden. However, after the Fall, God graciously drove them out of the Garden. Later, Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod, east of Eden. Due to his unwillingness of heart, the culture God desired to give Cain was not realized in his life. God's culture has increasingly given way to the culture of the devil since. And, as a result, we are very aware of meaningless pain, suffering, sickness and sorrow. This is all due to the fact that man loves his sin more than he does God.

The first four chapters of the book of Genesis yield to us a choice, a choice between the Kingdom of Nod and the Kingdom of God. Everyone alive today is a part of one of these two kingdoms. Everybody is either defined by the Kingdom of Nod, or by the Kingdom of God. Though God had driven Cain from his home, it was Cain’s choice to live outside the presence of God. Essentially, Cain’s punishment as a wanderer and a fugitive was to lose all sense of belonging and identification with a community. Living in "the land of Nod," Cain lived without roots in isolation. For his sin, Cain was made a castaway and later became a godless, hollow person "in the land of Nod." Upon separating himself from God, Cain built a society totally detached from and devoid of God.

The Kingdom of Nod was characterized by Cain when he offered that which was cursed. God had cursed the ground because of Adam’s sin. Cain, who was a "tiller of the ground" brought God an offering "of the fruit of the ground." Though God had cursed the ground, Cain believed that his "fruit of the ground" was good enough for God. In effect, Cain offered to God that which God had cursed.

The man who is out of relationship with God tries all sorts of methods to try to please Him, yet his best efforts do not merit God's favor. Sin has cursed man's moral compass, and thus his moral efforts will never be acceptable before a holy and righteous God. It was Cain who brought a sacrifice to God, but it was not a sacrifice pleasing to God, for it involved no shedding of blood. Cain came with the wrong attitude, for he refused to bring what the Lord had commanded. He would bring what he thought was best, regardless of what God had to say about it. Thus, his sacrifice bore with it a worthless atonement.

Man-made religion is never honoring to God, for it ignores God’s only Sacrifice, the Lord Jesus Christ. Cain was "spiritual," for he brought an offering; yet he was not godly, for his offering ignored God’s righteous requirements. Lost man may be spiritual, but he can never be godly, for godliness is always the result of an acknowledgement of the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior which is what invites the very presence of God into his life. It is the presence of God that makes any sinner godly. Like Cain and his descendants, burdened people keep themselves busy by building. As a result of his undealt with sin, Cain was restless, so he built the city of Enoch.

The whole Old Testament, every book of it, points us toward the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. In fact, the very next chapter of Genesis, Genesis 5, contains a concealed message. And, the message is the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, as we will see.

In Leviticus 17:11 we read, "For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul."

This verse is the Old Testament’s central statement about the significance of the blood sacrifice. A "sacrifice" is defined as the offering up of something precious for a cause or a reason. Making a sacrifice or "an atonement for sin" is satisfying someone or something for an offense committed. And, only the offense can forgive. And, only those who have been covered by the blood sacrifice have been set free from the consequences of sin. Blood represents life and without it nothing will live. The answer to death is life, so the answer to sin is blood. Blood is the solution to sin because life is the answer to death.

Genesis 4:16-18

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16 Then Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden. 17 And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. And he built a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son—Enoch. 18 To Enoch was born Irad; and Irad begot Mehujael, and Mehujael begot Methushael, and Methushael begot Lamech. ~ Genesis 4:16-18

Today, we continue our study of Genesis 4 where we learn of the life of Cain. The name "Cain" means "possession." Cain was a rebellious man who ignored God’s warnings, and received God’s judgment. 

In v.16 of today's passage we read,"Then Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden."

The worst thing that ever happened to Cain was that he went out from the presence of the Lord. Cain hated what he had to face of himself in the presence of God, so he left and started his own city. The name of the city was Nod which means "wanderer." This was the land that Cain inhabited, the land of the wanderer away from God. There was no comment, no response from Cain regarding God’s invitation to him to do the right thing which was to be defined by Him. Cain did not even comment on God sparing his life and giving him space to repent. There is no recorded response from Cain regarding God becoming His protector. What is recorded is that Cain went out from the presence of the Lord.

There really is no leaving the presence of the Lord for He is omnipresent, He is everywhere at all times. This is why He is named God, the Supreme Being. Cain failed to lay claim to the presence of the Lord in his life. Like Cain, God surrounds us like the Atlantic surrounds an ocean floor sea urchin even though it moves about. The God of the Bible is everywhere: above, below, and on all sides. Cain chose to resist this merciful God rather than to receive Him. Cain chose to be defined by the father of lies who ushers all that follow him into the isolated darkness of loneliness. 

In Hebrews 13:5 God tells us, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."  We do well to grip this promise like the parachute that it is because it is the presence of God in our lives that is the one thing that we need for eternity. And, sin and death has separated us from God. This is why the Lord Jesus came to this earth to die on the cross, to reunite us with God.

In v.17 of today's passage we read, "And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. And he built a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son—Enoch."

After Adam and Eve begot Seth, Adam lived 800 years. During that time Adam and Eve had many sons and daughters. Cain undoubtedly married one of his sisters. Which, at that time, didn't pose the genetic problem that it does today. This is due to the fact that the human gene pool is so much more polluted today due to the multiplication of sin over the last 6000 years. But before the pollution of sin had fully entered the human race, the gene pool was much purer and thus less threatening as it is now. This explains where Cain's wife came from, he just married one of the many daughters of Adam and Eve. 

After Cain found his wife, she "conceived and bore Enoch. And he built a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son – Enoch." The word used here for "city" describes a place with walls constructed as a defense. The walls themselves were the city. Everything inside the walls was secondary to the protection the walls provided. Cain had successfully isolated and separated himself from anyone who could harm him. In addition, he likewise separated himself from anyone who could help him as well. In effect, he had shut himself off from the very presence of the Lord in his efforts to secure himself, even though had he repented God would have been right there in response to his cry. 

The name of Cain’s son Enoch means "dedicated." Cain's son was born when he built his fortress city and he named or "dedicated" the city with the same name as his son. The cursed name of Cain wouldn’t have been an ideal name for starting out on a new life and so he deferred to the dedication of his son and his home. 

In v.18 of today's passage we read, "To Enoch was born Irad; and Irad begot Mehujael, and Mehujael begot Methushael, and Methushael begot Lamech."

This genealogy led to a division between the godly line of Seth and the wicked line of Cain. The godly line continued to be defined by the Lord and by His plans and purposes. But, eventually even this godly line was found corrupted to the point where only one man and his family would be saved in order to repopulate the world.

The line of wickedness, even from the beginning, wandered from the presence of the Lord, just as Cain, and it was defined by the things of this world. Interestingly, two of the names of Cain’s descendants are the same names as the descendants of Seth, the son who replaced Abel. These are Enoch and Lamech. Two men who represent the two ends of the spectrum. Enoch walked with God and Lamech is the first polygamist in the Bible. Unlike other genealogies in the Bible, this one is strikingly short. It lacks any commentary and it lacks any other ancestral information. Yes, these people existed, but their lives were found to be unimportant to the greater plan of redemption. 

This brings us the very important question of how will we be remembered? Interestingly, two of the names of Cain’s descendants include the suffix "El," Mehujael and Methushael. There was, even in the line of Cain, a knowledge of God and it was denoted in these two names. Mehujael means "smitten by God" and Methushael means "who is of God." 

This underscores the idea that even man who lives apart from God has a knowledge of Him. Eventually though, even this disappears from thought as we moved toward a self-centered approach to life. In today's world, we’re moving in that same direction as they did, paying lip service to the name of God but denying His character and His sovereign authority in our lives. 

Throughout the Bible there are contrasted two groups of people, those who were defined by God and those who were not. Over the course of a lifetime we will either reject God by our choices, deliberately move away from Him, and stake our claim in the land of wandering; or we will call on the name of the Lord for the help we need to survive.

Cain's city did not solve Cain's problem. He was restless, homeless, and alone. And in Cain's city, like every modern city today, the loneliest people in the world live shoulder-to-shoulder with others. Cain could not make a home for his restless heart of rebellion. He couldn't drive away the guilt that continually haunted him. God would hear the cry of his dead brother all of his life, and so would he. And his fear of violence didn't go away with the building of his city. His city became the home of the violent. 

Eventually the civilization that Cain's city began ended up as described in Genesis 6:5 which reads, "The LORD saw how great man's wickedness had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time." Eventually, the civilization became so thoroughly wicked that it would need to be destroyed. This is what happens to the life that remains to wander from God and never returns.

Genesis 4:10-15

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10 And He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground. 11 So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth.” 13 And Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear! 14 Surely You have driven me out this day from the face of the ground; I shall be hidden from Your face; I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth, and it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill me.” 15 And the Lord said to him, “Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the Lord set a mark on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him. ~ Genesis 4:10-15

Today we return to Genesis 4 where we learn of the first murder in the Scriptures. Cain was the first recorded male born in human history and this first recorded son of Adam and Eve became a murderer and a liar because he chose to be defined by the culture of the devil rather than the culture of God. This merely underscores the doctrine of original sin which is the teaching that all mankind suffers moral corruption as a consequence of Adam’s sin. The doctrine of original sin teaches that all human beings are born into sin, born spiritually dead, and born separated from God. We are sinners not because we sin, we sin because we are sinners. In order for man to be reunited with God, someone must pay the penalty for our sin.

In v.10-11 of today's passage we read, "10 And He said, 'What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground. 11 So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth.'" 

So here, God identified Cain with the serpent. In Genesis 3, God cursed the serpent and the ground but not Adam and Eve because they represented the seed of the woman. God cursed Cain indicating that he was the seed of the serpent. In Genesis, we can trace the line of the serpent down through those who were cursed. God cursed the serpent in Genesis 3, then Cain here in Genesis 4, then Noah’s grandson in Genesis 9, and then all those who oppose Abram in Genesis 12. The seed of the serpent are those cursed like their father the devil. They are known as the seed of the serpent because they chose to be defined by the devil.

The very fact that Cain murdered and lied indicates he inherited Adam’s sin. This first recorded sin after the fall would become standard operating procedure for all humanity. Cain was told that the blood of Abel cried out from the ground. The blood of dead Abel, obviously, couldn’t actually speak, but the fact that there was blood on the ground spoke volumes to God. It cried out to God before His heavenly throne, demanding divine vengeance, and Cain was guilty before God. And the divine sentence was that the very ground which had yielded the crop screamed of the death exacted upon Abel by his brother. Cain would not be able to offer another hypocritical offering. Cain’s punishment was much like his dad's he would work the ground with toil and see little fruit, and he would be a vagabond" which is a wanderer on the earth. Sin always makes our lives harder.

Throughout the Bible, God draws a contrast between the sowing of unrighteousness with the harvesting of faith. Cain sowed the ground with the blood of his brother because he was jealous of Abel and mad at God. But as we have seen, it was by Abel’s faith that his offering was acceptable to God.

In v.13-14 of today's passage we read, "13 And Cain said to the Lord, 'My punishment is greater than I can bear! 14 Surely You have driven me out this day from the face of the ground; I shall be hidden from Your face; I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth, and it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill me.'"

The greatest honor that can be bestowed on a person is to have the face of God shine on them. Cain understood this in his limited way and cried out at the loss – a loss which he had brought upon himself. Even to this day, Cain is the biblical example of the wicked son who remains forever out of the favor of the Lord.

Obviously anyone alive on earth during Cain’s life would be a rather close relative to Abel, but it’s most likely that one of his own sons would try to repay Cain for what he did. Cain’s remark then very well could be his fear of this.

In v.15 of today's passage we read, "And the Lord said to him, 'Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.' And the Lord set a mark on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him."

We are not told what the "mark" that God put on Cain looked like. What is important is that the mark stood for God’s merciful protection of Cain, despite his sin. Cain had switched sides and joined the devil's team, murdering the seed of the woman, so God rightly cursed him. God didn’t send Cain to hell immediately; He put a mark on him to protect his life while on this earth. If they did, they would receive vengeance seven-fold, or "completely." There would be no mercy given for the murderer of this murderer.

In Hebrews 12:24 we are reminded that the Lord Jesus is the Mediator of the new covenant, and His blood of sprinkling speaks better things than that of Abel. The blood of the Lord Jesus cries out before God for the forgiveness of all willing enough to believe in the efficacy of His blood. Whereas the blood of Abel cries out for vengeance and retribution, the blood of the Lord Jesus declares love, hope, peace, and forgiveness! Found in the death and blood of Jesus is everything we need for the removal of our sin and the access to us for deep intimacy with God Himself. The blood of the Lord Jesus is better than the blood of Abel because the blood of the Lord Jesus is the only blood that cleanses us from all of our sin. Cain took his brother’s life while the Lord Jesus laid down His life for all who are willing enough to believe in Him.

Genesis 4:6-9

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6 So the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it." 8 Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. 9 Then the Lord said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" He said, "I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?" ~ Genesis 4:6-9

Today, we continue our study of Genesis 4 where we witness the first murder ever committed on earth by a human. In our last study, the Lord noted that Cain was angry and his countenance had fallen. Cain’s problem was not that his sacrifice was not accepted; Cain's main problem was that he did not receive the definition the Lord desired to give him. God simply communicated with Cain that his offering was lacking faith. This resulted in Cain becoming angry and discouraged. This is the background to the first murder of all of the history of mankind.

In v.6-7 of today's passage we read, "6 So the Lord said to Cain, 'Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.'"

In response to Cain's obvious discouragement, the Lord gave him His culture but Cain rejected it. God had communicated with crystal clarity His culture with Cain. In so doing, God gave Cain a clear invitation to do the right thing. By so doing Cain would have invited the definition of God into his life. God literally offered Cain the opportunity to be delivered from being defined by the devil and his sin. God spoke with Cain in the exact same way He had spoken with Cain's parents in Genesis 3. God did not seek information from Cain, He merely gave Cain the opportunity to take an honest look at his sinful heart and to come clean with God.

God's words to Cain revealed yet again that He is by nature a loving Savior. Essentially God said to Cain, "You don't have to be defined by the devil, you can confess your sin and you can turn away from it." These were the words that our gracious God spoke to a man who was broken not in contrition, he was broken in his own anger. Cain had a choice to acknowledge his sin and self-righteousness by turning away from it or he could be consumed by it. Essentially, Cain's self-righteous, impenitent response made him the vulnerable prey to the deadly power of the devil and sin. 

Like Cain, we were all born sinners. Sin came in our DNA, but we do not have to be always mastered by sin. Once we have come to God through the Lord Jesus, repentant of our sin, embracing the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross, then we will be triumphant over sin. This will never mean this side of heaven that we will be sinless, but it does mean that we will be victorious over sin and the devil's desire to define us.

In v.8 of today's passage we read, "Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him."

Abel was lured into a trap in a nearby field set by his evil brother, Cain. It was then that Cain killed him. Cain decided he didn't want God's righteousness. No, Cain decided to be defined by the devil and thus to let sin rule over him. The Lord Jesus put it this way, "Men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil." Fallen man naturally loves his sin.

The word "killed" here is a common word in the Old Testament for intentional murder, not manslaughter. This was a murder performed out of envy, jealousy and hatred because did not respect Cain's offering. This was a murder done because Cain had embraced a definition that made him inferior to righteous Abel in his eyes. Due to this, Abel's righteousness became intolerable to Cain. Cain hated his brother's righteousness. And essentially, when Cain invited the arrogance of the devil into his heart, Cain hated God. This is why we must evaluate everybody in the light that they were created in the likeness of God. When we do not see someone's value through the heart of God, we will hate them.

In v.9 of today's passage we read, "Then the Lord said to Cain, 'Where is Abel your brother?' He said, 'I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?'"

The word "keeper" means "to watch over" or "to guard." This word is used in Genesis 2:15 of Adam as the keeper of the garden of Eden. It is also used in Genesis 3:24 of the angel that constantly guarded the tree of life to keep Adam and Eve away from it in their unredeemed, sinful condition. Cain used this word to justify his sin before God to no avail. Cain responded to God in this way because he was seeking to evade any responsibility for murdering his brother.

Cain’s response to God’s question was a sign of his inward, unacknowledged guilt. He tried to hide his sin and he also tried to hide from his sin but he was unsuccessful in both. Cain refused to listen to God and then he lied to God. This is the way sin wraps us up in its tentacles; we give in to it once and then the next time sin comes knocking on our hearts door, we find it much more difficult to resist. In fact, we find it much easier to be sins host, and before we know it, we are snared.

Cain's question, "Am I my brother’s keeper?" was an obvious attempt to evade the responsibility for his actions. The Hebrew word translated "keeper" means caretaker. Abel was a grown man, and so was Cain. Cain was being sarcastic, hoping God would not probe his devil-defined character any deeper. But God knew what had happened to Abel, and He also knew the depth of Cain’s responsibility for his slain brother.

The Scriptures speak often about our personal responsibility to our brothers and sisters in Christ. There are at least 64 admonitions containing the words "one another" in the New Testament. God commands us to love one another, admonish one another, forgive one another, submit to one another, confess to one another, be compassionate to one another, and carry one another’s burden. These responsibilities flow from the fact that we are children of our Father in heaven, through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. 

As believers in the Lord Jesus and as we journey through this life together, on our way home, let us take seriously our responsibility to be our "brother’s keeper." More important, let us recognize that on a daily basis we are either being defined by God or we are being defined by the devil. May we have the wisdom to recognize the difference between the two. All of this is done for the glory of the One who loved us and laid down His life for us.

Genesis 4:1-5

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1 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the Lord.” 2 Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 3 And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. 4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. ~ Genesis 4:1-5

Today, we transition into Genesis 4 where we have the first conflict between the seed of the devil and the seed of the first woman, Eve. Here, we have the first set stage where we can practically see the hope of a woman looking for her return to paradise and then her dejection when she realized that she must have misunderstood what God had previously said.

In v.1-2 of today's passage we read, "1 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, 'I have acquired a man from the Lord.' 2 Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground."

In Genesis 3 when the Lord cursed the devil, God said, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel." 

When that curse was pronounced, Eve stood right there and she heard every word. In that moment, Eve heard that her Seed would be the One to undo the treacherous works of the devil. And to prove it, when Eve had her first son, she named him Cain. It was when she gave birth to Cain that Eve said, "I have acquired a man from the Lord."

The structure of this sentence reveals that Eve was taking credit for what she thought would be the delivery of her Deliverer. Eve's idea that she had something to do with her salvation was completely misguided. It is only the Lord who works out our salvation. Frankly, the only role we play in our salvation is to receive it and then to realize it. There will never be any standing for any human to ever boast that we had any hand in our salvation. Our only boast is and will ever be in the Lord Jesus who laid down His life for anyone willing enough to believe.

Immediately after naming Cain the very next words were words of hopelessness. The Bible doesn’t tell us how old Cain was when Abel was born, but he was old enough for Eve to see that he wasn’t the one to restore her to Eden. We know this simply by the meaning of Abel’s name which is "breath" which is what we watch disappear on a cold day. In the book of Ecclesiastes, this very same word is translated "vanity."

By the time Abel arrived, Eve's outlook on life had gone from being the boastful woman who had a part of her own salvation to the unhappy surrender of a dejected soul that would spend the rest of her days on earth never returning to the bliss she had known in the Garden of Eden. To Eve, all was vanity or disappearing vapor in a cold and meaningless world.

Genesis 4:2 ends with the instructive words of, "Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground." Both of these professions, tending flocks and harvesting grain, are used symbolically throughout the Bible to give us insights into the workings of God in general and the work of the Lord Jesus in particular. When we follow these agricultural themes closely, we will better understand the Creator’s dealings with man.

In v.3-5 of today's passage we read, "3 And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. 4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell."

The offerings that Cain and Abel brought to God reveal a significant difference between the two. Cain's offering of fruit was instantly rejected by God; but Abel's offering of a lamb was instantly accepted. How that rejection and acceptance was indicated we are not told in this passage. But, a careful study of the Scriptures bares forth the reasons; the first reason is given to us in Hebrews 9:22 which reads, "Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins." 

The problem of sin is no light matter. It cannot be handled by a good resolution or an earnest resolve or a dogged determination to be good. Our sinful condition is not solved by simply deciding to turn over a new leaf, or to change our outlook on life. It is something that is embedded in our souls and touches us at the deepest levels. This problem of sin can only be solved by death. That, of course, is what ultimately explains the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. In His coming, He could not merely show us the way to be emulated, imitated or followed. No, He had to die to deal with our problem of our sin. 

According to Hebrews 11 we also learn that the difference between these two offerings was their faith. More specifically, the object of their faith. Both, Cain and Abel had faith but what made up the difference was that Abel had biblical faith which is that the object of his faith was the God of the Bible. It was Abel's faith that made his offering a more excellent sacrifice as we are told in the book of Hebrews. 

In Mark 12:41-44 we read, "41 Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. 42 Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans. 43 So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; 44 for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.'"

Religion, if we let it, will convince and enslave us to believe that God wants some kind of activity from us in order for us to be acceptable to Him. Yet, the Scriptures tells us that the only thing that pleases God is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. This is where our hearts come into the formula. God always looks at and accentuates our hearts. As we see with this poor widow, nobody was watching her, yet, God says the kingdom of God is advanced most by her heart response to Him. The Lord Jesus has always had an eye for the insignificant among us. But, who wants to choose insignificance? The difference in this poor widow was she was being defined by the God who embraced her through her misery. This is what changed the woman; this is what enabled her to see as God sees. This is one of those times when less is more. This "poor" woman "gave out of her poverty, she put in all that she had, her whole livelihood." The rich didn't miss a cent of what they gave that day, but, this poor woman didn't either! She didn't miss it because she wasn't being defined by any of her possessions. She was complete and whole through the grace of God and her value was not wrapped up in her money. 

Since the Lord looks at the heart, it was the faith that came out of the heart of Abel that pleased God that day. Cain’s offering was lacking faith in the God of the Bible and the Bible clearly bears out that the rest of Cain's life was one of lacking faith as well. His faithless deeds testified against him then, and they still testify today, some 6000 years later. Faith is trusting what our eyes cannot see. It is through our eyes that we see storms but it is through our hearts that we see our God. It is through our eyes that we see our faults but it is through our faith that we see our Savior.

Genesis 3:20-24

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20 And Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. 21 Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them. 22 Then the Lord God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever"— 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. 24 So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life. ~ Genesis 3:20-24

Today, we return to our study of Genesis 3 where sin has been introduced to the new world that God has created. Having heard the voice of deception and the voice of judgement, today we hear the voice of grace. So often we miss the many expressions of God's grace. Often we think something to be a blessing turns out to be a curse. And, often that which we think is a curse turns out to be a blessing.

In v.20 of today's passage we read, "And Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living."

The first thing we notice in this verse is that Adam named "Eve" which means "life." By choosing that name for Eve, Adam demonstrated his faith in God’s promise to provide a Redeemer. He knew this Redeemer would restore them to spiritual life and fellowship with God. But he had no idea that it would be 4000 years before the Redeemer would come. All he knew at that moment was that there would be One who would restore them to a personal relationship with God. Even though Adam and Eve had come to the end of the Garden of God, they had hope of a better day ahead and they exhibited faith in the Lord who had promised their redemption.

In v.21 of today's passage we read, "Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them."

The clothing of the first couple was not required for God's benefit. It does not make any difference to God that Adam and Eve are naked. In fact, as Hebrews tells us, we are all always naked before God -- everything is naked and open in his sight. It is not God who requires this clothing, nor is it Adam and Eve, though it may have bothered them to be naked before God in their fallen condition, but it is because of the others who would see them that they were clothed. Clothing is for public appearance. God desires that the mark of His acceptance and acknowledgment of them be manifest to the whole universe. That is why Adam and Eve were clothed, and this is the primary purpose of clothing.

Only after naming his wife "life," did God clothe the first couple. The symbolism found here in this verse follows through the whole Bible, even to the last book in the Bible, the book of the Revelation. The reason God waited to do this until after Adam named His wife was due to the fact that man has never nor will ever be able to save himself. When the Israelites were in bondage in Egypt, God didn’t tell them to get out of the mess themselves. Instead, He led them out, He guided them out of Egypt. In fact God said to the children of Israel, "Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today." The Lord waited to clothed the first couple after Adam named his wife "life" because this name was a demonstration of their faith. They lost access to the Garden when they lacked faith and it was only by faith that they could ever hope to be restored to it.

Something had to die, an innocent animal – probably a lamb or a ram had to die to pay the penalty that was created by the first couple. God didn’t kill Adam or Eve, but rather chose an innocent animal in their place. In essence, He transferred their guilt to the animal and the animal suffered for their misdeeds. This symbolizes God’s choice of the only sacrifice which is truly acceptable to Him, the death of Jesus Christ – the Lamb of God. 

In Revelation 3:4-5 we read, "4 You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. 5 He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels."

Later in the book of the Revelation we see that the white garments stand for the righteousness of the saints. It is an imputed righteousness, meaning that it was undeserved, but is given to them based on the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so, after demonstrating their faith, God provided their clothing. In the same way, the Lord Jesus gives us His robes of righteousness only after we demonstrate faith in Him.

In v.22-23 of today's passage we read, "22 Then the Lord God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever"— 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken."

Fallen man became like the Triune God, he came to know good and evil. Not only was he responsible for his actions, but Adam knew the difference between them and he bore the greater responsibility because of the knowledge. God knew that if the first couple were to live forever in the fallen state they were in with clothing that only symbolically covered their shame, they would become infinitely bent on wickedness and evil. And so in a demonstration of both mercy and grace, He took away their access to eternal life. The Lord drove them out of the Garden "to till the ground from which he was taken." The purpose of being in the Garden wasn’t to tend and keep it, but to worship and serve the Creator. Now they would have to tend and keep the ground in order to survive. Worshiping and serving the Creator would be a voluntary task based on faith and not by sight. The life of the faithful since then, even to this day is centered on worshipping and serving the Creator, but our deeds are not done to justify us. They are deeds of faith in an unseen God and they are based on promises which lie ahead of us in a world which mocks and ridicules us for our hope. 

In v.24 of today's passage we read, "So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life."

God graciously drove man out of the Garden of Eden from the presence of God and the beauty of the Garden. A heavenly guard was placed east of the garden to keep Adam and his bride out so that they couldn’t get to the Tree of Life. In their condition, if they had accessed the Tree of Life, they would have been doomed forever. But a guard implies that access is possible. The very fact that the cherubim was placed there proves that a return to Eden was not only available, but was expected.

The rest of the Bible, from this point on, details the long adventure of restoring that which was lost. The tabernacle in the wilderness foreshadows access to Eden. The Most Holy Place where God dwelt above the Ark of the Covenant was separated from the outside by a veil on which was sewn cherubim. This veil pointed east, toward the rising sun, reminding all of the hope that still remained.

Later, the temple in Jerusalem also faced west with the veil and its cherubim facing east. On a spring morning in the year AD32 the Lord Jesus died on the cross that was rightfully ours within sight of that temple. Unlike Adam, who died in his own sin, this man had never sinned. Being sinless, He was destined to live forever, but He voluntarily gave up His precious life to replace what Adam had lost. The moment He died, the veil to the temple, which was 18 to 24 inches thick, was torn in two from the top to bottom by the Creator. 

The Lord Jesus absorbed the wrath of God on the behalf of all who have and will be willing enough to trust in His finished work on the cross. On that very somber day when the Lord Jesus laid down His life, access past the cherubim was restored and the Tree of Life was again made available to all those who, by faith and by faith alone, have been and are willing to receive the work of God in Jesus Christ and to bow in submission to Him, calling on Him as Lord.

Genesis 3:17-19

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17 Then to Adam He said, "Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat of it: Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. 18 Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. 19 In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; For dust you are, and to dust you shall return.'" ~ Genesis 3:17-19

Today, we continue our study of Genesis 3. There are those who argue that male headship in marriage is a result of sin. But, the responsibility that God gave men from the beginning is woven into the fabric of creation, it was part of how God designed things before sin came into the world. In today's passage we learn for the first time the nature of the sin that caused the Fall of humanity and it was not merely that Adam ate the forbidden fruit; there was something that preceded the eating of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

In v.17 of today's passage we read, "Then to Adam He said, 'Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat of it:' Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life.'"

This verse provides the rationale for Adam’s punishment which was that he had abandoned his headship. Adam’s fundamental mistake was that he obeyed his wife instead of God. Adam’s mistake was that, instead of protecting her, he went along with her into sin.

The Apostle Paul gives us the order of headship in 1 Corinthians 11:3 which reads, "Christ is the head of the man, the man is the head of the woman, and God is the head of Christ." In addition, it was also the Apostle Paul who informed us that Adam was not deceived in the Fall. The woman was deceived and she concluded when she ate the fruit, she would become like God. But Adam was not deceived. He knew that if they ate the fruit the Fall would follow; that they would lose their relationship with God, and that death would occur. He knew it, but he deliberately disobeyed God and set his wife above God. He denied the headship of Christ over himself and surrendered his own headship over the woman. 

As a result of man's deliberate sin the ground was cursed. The consequences for Adam and Eve were directed at their points of highest fulfillment. For woman, it is in her capacity as mother and wife. For man, it’s in his capacity as breadwinner and provider. Adam struggled to provide the bread that he and his family needed to live. Thorns and thistles appeared and began to cover the ground, and, man was introduced to unending toil and sorrow. The word "toil" is exactly the same word in Hebrew that is translated pain for the woman: It is heartbreaking sorrow. "Work" is not the curse given to man; work is a blessing. In fact, it is from work that we gain our dignity. It is toil that is the curse. If we do not have work to do, we are of all people most miserable. Work is a blessing from God; but hard, grinding, toiling work is the result of the Fall. 

In v.18 of today's passage we read, "Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field."

As we’ve been learning from Genesis 3, when sin came, came decay, disease, disorder, and death. The original Eden fell into chaos, and this is the general feature of life, that we are moving down a path of decay, disease, disorder to death. 

In v.19 of today's passage we read, "In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; For dust you are, and to dust you shall return."

It is the sense of death that lurks at the boundaries of our lives that gives us a feeling of futility about life. In Luke 12, after the rich man had built his barns and filled them that the Lord Jesus said to him, "You fool! This night your soul shall be required of you." Then he asked him this question, "Then, whose shall these things be?"  This is the question death forces us to face. We struggle to amass things on this earth, and then what a sense of futility there is in having to pass them along to somebody else. No one ever dies as a millionaire because none of this world's wealth can pass into eternity with us. 

Modern science has verified that man is made out of the same stuff rocks are made out of. In fact, our bodies are made of 85 percent water. Death is not really the original end for man, but a tragic punishment for his disobedience. Adam's work until he dies and when he dies, he’ll turn to dust. After sin came into the world, death came with it. And, Adam's death was described as a reversal of the creation process, "for dust you are, and to dust you shall return."  Adam’s name literally meant "dirt or dust," so his name was a perpetual reminder of his destiny.  

At the end of v.19 we see that man will be ultimately defeated by work, as the ground will eventually swallow him up in death.  But even in this punishment there is yet God’s provision. Although work is painful, it does bear fruit. And, the first couple had offspring, and one of their offspring will defeat the serpent in the end. Evil and pain still hounds mankind, but they won’t stalk us forever. And, as God has promised, death will be swallowed up in victory. For those of us who have believed that the Lord Jesus toiled on the cross for our rest and was raised from the dead, will one day live in a land where love and work will be blessed, not cursed. For now, pain is our punishment, but for eternity rest will be our reward.

Genesis 3:16

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"To the woman He said: 'I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you.” ~ Genesis 3:16

Today, we continue our study of the first book of the Bible, the book of beginnings, the book of Genesis. After the serpent convinced the first couple to be defined by him, man had to live with all of the negative results of living in a world run by the devil. When God levied the curse on the serpent, the first woman, Eve, was informed that even though she had sinned, she would yet birth a child. The serpent was told that Eve's Seed would crush his head, implying to Eve that one day she would be with child. Due to the birth of sin, Eve discovered that the curse of the serpent and the promise of a coming Seed to crush his head would come at a great cost to her. Eve had been sentenced to the multiplication of sorrows beginning with her conception all the way through the birth of her baby. 

After the Fall, God's approach to Eve was different than it was to Adam. To Adam, God said, "Because you have done this," and then He held Adam responsible for the consequences of his sin. But to Eve, God made no such charge of responsibility. This is very significant. There were consequences that followed sin in Eve's life, but God did not charge her ultimately with being at fault for sin and we shall see why when we come to God's word to Adam. 

The word translated "pain" in today's verse refers to more than mere physical pain; it is the Hebrew word that adds "sorrow" to pain. This word comes from a root which means "heart-breaking toil." This is perhaps why there has come into our language a description of birth pains as "labor," the toil of the heart-breaking variety. It is evident, in view of the way the whole context has developed, that this means more than simply physical pain; it refers also to the heartbreak associated with having and raising children. This is why the mother struggles with potential heartbreak throughout her children's lifetimes. This word means that a mother's sense of success or failure in life is shackled to her children's overall success or failure. Any threat to her children, no matter their age, will always render pain in the heart of the mother.

The words in today's verse helps to explain 1 Timothy 2:12-15 which reads, "12 And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. 15 Nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control."

Obviously this passage is about how a mother finds a sense of satisfaction in life. The life of the mother who is being defined by God is made most purposeful through the process that begins with the birthing and rearing of her children. All mother's hearts are wrapped up with the lives and careers of their children. In each mother's life, her meaning and purpose is largely wrapped up in the success of her children. The Lord here in 1 Timothy informs the mother that her responsibility before the Lord for the "success" of her children is to train them in the ways of the Lord and as long as they continue in faith, love, wholeness with self-control, they will bring joy to their mother.

God's design which was disrupted by sin was for the husband to lead his family in the culture of God. This responsibility was to include a selfless approach as the husband walked with God and would be used of God to inculcate His culture in the lives of his family. We see the proper order of this relationship carefully noted by the apostles in the New Testament. In order for the mother to be defined by God best as a mother, she is responsible to fulfill her role with reference to her husband first. When sin was introduced, strife was introduced in her relationship with her husband. And, to the degree that she chooses to be defined by God, will be the degree to which she will train her children in the culture of God. The wife best deals with the negative results of sin in her most important relationship on earth with her husband by being herself defined by God. Before she can export the important lessons found in God's love and holiness with self-control, she must herself import the culture of God into her own life. And, of course, she does this by being defined by God. As a result of her being defined by God, her children will be more likely defined by God's love and wholeness with self-control.

Back in Genesis 1, God said to the first couple "Be fruitful and multiply." Adam and Eve were to be a team that worked together in the way they had been created. Ruling together, subduing together, and multiplying together; they were to export the culture of God to all those around them. But, once sin entered the world, their team was broken up and Eve's desire for her husband had turned into "her desire to rule over him."

The final phrase in Genesis 3:16, "And he shall rule over you," is used only one another time in the entire Old Testament. The only other time it is used is in Genesis 4:6-7 describing Cain's desire to rule over his brother. And, we know where that got him. This means the culture of the devil was automatically passed on to Eve's children, making her more sorrowful. Adam and Eve were meant to be together, to reign together, and to have dominion over the earth together. But, once Eve was deceived and defined by the enemy, she usurped the authority of her husband and she desired to rule over him.

Sadly, everyone since came into this world automatically being defined by the devil. As a result, everybody wants to blame God for the evil that we brought into this world. Many ask, "How can a loving God be so unloving?" Well, this question has been tainted by the very one who has duped everyone into believing that God is not good. And, we know that the root of sin is the suspicion that God is not good. 

As we have pointed out before, the free will solution proposes God desires authentic relationships with humanity over a world without evil, and free will is necessary to initiate and cultivate authentic relationships. Thus, God chose to create a world where the highest good of real love was and is possible through humanity’s free will, despite the risk of giving birth to evil. If the free will solution is accepted, then God remains all-knowing, all-good, and all-powerful because a free humanity is the cause of evil, not Him, and He cannot restrain evil without violating free will and eliminating the possibility of real relationships anchored in genuine love.