SERIES A --- YHVH’S PIONEERS -- LESSON 4

THE SINISTER SHADOW

A MARKED MAN

From Genesis 4

Eve gave birth to a son and named him Cain, saying: I have brought forth a man with Adonai’s help. Later she had another son and named him Abel. Abel became a shepherd and Cain became a farmer. One day Cain brought some of his crops to Adonai as an offering. Abel also brought an offering to Adonai; the best and fattest of his flocks. Adonai accepted Abel and his offering but not Cain and his offering. So, Cain’s face clouded with anger and hate. [Why are you angry and hateful?] Adonai asked. [If you please Me, your face will be radiant again. If you do not, sin crouches at the door, waiting to conquer you. But you can have victory over it.] Then Cain spoke with his brother Abel. [Let’s go to the fields,] he urged. When they arrived, Cain attacked Abel and murdered him. But Adonai said to Cain, [Where is your brother Abel?] [I don’t know,] Cain answered. [Must I take care of my brother?] [What have you done?] Adonai persisted. [Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. You must leave the ground where you murdered your brother, for it is defiled by his blood and you are cursed by it. You will never harvest crops on this land again no matter how hard you work to farm it. You will always remain a fugitive, wandering about on the earth.] [How can I bear such great punishment?] Cain cried out. [You have driven me from my land, to hide from Your face. I will remain a fugitive to wander about on the earth. Whoever finds me will try to kill me.] [No, that will not happen,] Adonai answered. [Whoever tries to kill you will receive seven times your punishment.] Then Adonai put a mark on Cain so that anyone who found him would not kill him. Cain left his land and Adonai’s presence to live in the land of Nod, east of Eden. Cain and his wife had a son and named him Enoch. When Cain founded a city, he named it Enoch, after his son. Enoch became the father of Irad, Irad became the father of Mehujael, Mehujael became the father of Methushael, and Methushael became the father of Lamech. Lamech married two wives, named Adah and Zillah. Adah gave birth to a son named Jabal. He became the ancestor of those who live in tents and raise cattle. His brother was Jubal, the ancestor of those who play the harp and flute. Zillah had a son named Tubal-cain, who forged instruments of bronze and iron. Tubal-cain’s sister was Naamah. Lamech said to his wives one day: [Adah and Zillah listen to me; you, my wives, hear what I say: I have killed a man who wounded me a young man who attacked me. If the punishment for killing Cain is seven times greater than his own, the punishment for killing me is seventy-seven times greater than mine.] Adam and Eve had another son and named him Seth, for Eve said, [YHVH has given me a child in Abel’s place, for Cain murdered him.] Seth later had a son and named him Enosh. While Enosh was alive people began to call upon the Name of Adonai.

COMMENTARY

FAMILIES OF NATIONS

YHVH had warned Adam and Eve. The day you eat of the forbidden tree you shall surely die. The proof that death did come is seen in following generations. Cain murdered his own brother. Lamech broke YHVH’s pattern for marriage, and took murderous revenge. Through the ages hatred, anger, crimes and wars show the unmistakable mark. The sinister shadow of sin and death can still be seen. Cain and Abel were the oldest sons of Adam and Eve, but they were not the only children born to the first couple. Seth, born after Abel’s murder, was followed by many brothers and sisters. The Bible does not give their names, but it is known that these children married and had children of their own. As generation followed generation, the family multiplied and formed small groups called clans. Many clans joined together to become tribes, and the tribes eventually grew into nations. The Bible does not trace all of Adam’s descendants. Only the families of Cain and Seth are included in the Book of Genesis. Even those histories have been shortened by leaving out the names of many family members. Several generations may be omitted between each step in the family tree. The word -- begat, -- which means [to become the father of,] can also mean [to be the ancestor of.] Cain was the founder of the first city in history and the ancestor of the earliest musicians and metalworkers. Although he was originally a farmer, his descendants included the early herdsmen who lived in tents. Cain’s descendants perished in the Great Flood, but Seth’s line was preserved through Noah. Shem, Noah’s oldest son, became the ancestor of Abraham. From Abraham the line of Seth stretched to David. Eventually it reached its climax many centuries later in the birth of Yeshua Moshiach.