Small Group Week 11 Cain to the Sons of God
- The premise of our series is that Bible is best viewed as a story. That means that there is a unity and coherence to the scriptures.
Q. How does the Cain & Abel story relate to the Adam & Eve story?
- The result of the fall is sin entering the world and we see the tragic outworking of sin in the murder of evil of Abel
- Cain demonstrates that he is the seed of the serpent by his lack of regard for God in his offering. Abel by his offering shows that he is the seed of the woman. The enmity between the two groups is expressed in the murder of Abel.
- Just as Adam & Eve were judged after the sin of the fruit, Cain is also judged by God.
Q. What do you find surprising in the judgment of God on Cain?
- Once again God does not immediately kill Cain though he is certainly deserving.
- In fact God answers Cain’s concern about his fear of lawlessness by assuring him that he would not be hunted down.
- To confirm this promise to Cain, God even gives Cain a sign. Where did we see God giving a sign in His judgment on Adam & Eve?
- So just like with Adam & Eve, God deals with Cain not by unmitigated wrath but by a measure of grace.
- Furthermore, this is not the first time God had shown grace to Cain, in Genesis 4:6-7, God had warned Cain to resist sin and promised that he would be accepted.
Q. What does Cain do in response to God’s judgment?
- Cain builds a city. The Hebrew word for city denotes a structure with walls. Walls are built for protection. Cain rebels once again against God by rejecting His offer of protection and instead providing protection for himself.
- He names the city after his son. Cain is establishing a name for himself so he and his family will be remembered.
- The word “name” is used a lot in the next few sections of Genesis. It will become significant in the story.
- Cain demonstrates through all his action that he is indeed the seed of the serpent. He kills his brother, he denies God’s protection, and instead provides his own protection and seeks to establish a name for himself and his family.
Q. Why does someone want to make a name for themselves?
- They wanted to be remembered. It means that you in some way achieve a measure of immortality.
- A name is a substitute immortality for the immortality lost by the fall.
- A name symbolizes significance. It is a substitute for the status of vassal king that humanity lost when demoted after the fall.
- This is the age old problem of the human condition. Humanity lost both significance and security at the fall and now engages in all sorts of activities to try to get them back.
- All of these are merely substitutes. The real problem is that sin and the serpent must be defeated. God has promised He will do this through the seed of the woman who will crush the serpents head. The real solution for the people of Genesis and for our time is faith in this promise.
- The next section is the genealogy of Cain. The key to reading the genealogies is to look for places where the text deviates from the pattern.
Q. Where do we see the genealogy of Cain deviate from the pattern?
1. Jabal was the father of those who dwell in the tents and had livestock. Jubal was the father of those who play on the lyre and the pipe. Tubal-Cain was the forger of bronze and iron.
- Not only is Cain’s family known for building cities, but for cultural and technological achievements as well.
- The rest of the Bible does not view technology or culture as bad. However, like building the city, these men are seeking to make a name for themselves. They want to be remembered just as Cain wants to be remembered.
- Cain’s family is carrying on the dominion mandate of ruling and subduing the earth but without reference to God.
2. Lamech’s drunken boast
- I picture Lamech at the Wooden Nickel in Shinar after one too many drinks making this drunken boast.
- Q. In at least three points Lamech deviates from God’s ordering of the world. Where do you see this?
- He practices bigamy, he is a violent murderer, and he promises 77 fold vengeance.
- Q. What is Lamech saying by stating that if Cain was revenged 7 fold my revenge shall be 77 fold?
- Lamech believes God’s justice is inadequate and that his practice is to go beyond that. Lamech claims to be super-God.
3. Eve names her son Seth
- Q. Why is Seth’s birth important?
- Now that Abel has been murdered and Cain has been revealed as the seed of the serpent, there is no seed of the woman to crush the serpent’s head.
- The word seth means compensation. Eve had seen in Abel the hope for the one who would crush the serpent. However, God had not abandoned his promise even amidst this tragedy. Cain’s murder will not be the last word.
- Notice the use of the word offspring or seed. This is the same word used in the promise of Genesis 3:15.
- Eve’s naming of Seth, shows her faith in the promise. Seth is now seen as the hope for the champion who will at last defeat the serpent.
4. People began calling on the name of the Lord.
- Notice the use of the word name. This community concerned itself not with their own name but rather the name of the Lord.
- Call on the name of the Lord probably has something to do with worship but it seems to be more than that.
- Isaiah 44:5, Deuteronomy 28:10
- Call upon the name of the Lord is probably better translated they called themselves after the name of the Lord. The idea is that they identified themselves as belonging to YHWH the same as we call our Christians after the name of Christ.
- The phrase means identification with and by God’s name. They are declaring themselves as belonging to God, they are people of God. This is the essence of a covenantal relationship. If you remember the constant phrase used throughout the Siniatic covenant is I will be your God and you will be my people.
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