first Three Sons of Adam and Eve
In a
continuing succession of beginnings, the Genesis account records
the
beginning of the first family. Adam and Eve give birth to two sons,
named Cain
and Abel, and later to a third, named Seth. The text will
Subsequently
indicate that over a period of many years the family will include
numerous
sons and daughters. As there is no indication of other created human beings, it is altogether
likely that these first brothers and sisters enter into marriages with each
other, despite the sense of inappropriateness which would be felt should that
occur in following generations.
Still
another "first" is the Genesis record of mankind's earliest formal
worship of God. Both Cain and Abel offer sacrifices to God by devoting the
fruits of their individual labors. As a farmer, Cain brings a portion of his
crops, while Abel, a herdsman, offers up some of the best of his flock to God.
Although the text is silent as to what prompts God's response, it is evident
that God is not pleased with Cain's offering. Whether this is because God has
specifically commanded the brothers to offer animal sacrifices, or whether
perhaps Cain's character is already known by God to be evil, is unclear. In
any event Cain's pride is dashed and his anger toward Abel is so great that in
an act of premeditated murder Cain kills Abel. The murder is then compounded
when Cain lies to God concerning Abel's whereabouts.
Although
God punishes Cain for his wrongdoing, the text gives some interesting insight
into the character of God by indicating that, despite Cain's great sin, God
nevertheless shows mercy to him. This is not to be a unique act of grace. God's
mercy will be seen time and again. Unfortunately, Cain apparently does not
respond favorably to God's mercy, at least if his descendants are any
reflection of Cain's continued character. In contrast, when Seth is born it
appears that Seth takes on the righteous character of Abel and instills a
respect for God in his children as well.
Gen. 4:1,2 CAIN AND ABEL BORN. Adam' lay with his wife Eve,
and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, "With
the help of the lord I have
brought forth' a man." Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.
Gen. 4:2-7 BROTHERS BRING OFFERINGS. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the lord. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.
Then
the lord said to Cain, "Why
are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not
be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door;
it desires to have you, but you must master it."
gen. 4:8,9 CAIN KILLS ABEL.
Now Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out to the field."" And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
Then the lord said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" "I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's keeper?"
Gen. 4:10-16 CAIN PUNISHED.
The lord said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground. Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood front your hand. When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth." Cain said to the lord, "My punishment is more than I can bear. Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me."
But the lord said to him, "Not so11; if anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven times over." Then the lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. So Cain went out from the lord's presence and lived in the land of Nod,1" east of Eden.
Gen. 4:17-22 CAIN'S DESCENDANTS. Cain lay with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch. To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech.
Lamech
married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah. Adah gave birth to
Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock. His
brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute.
Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged all kinds of tools out of* bronze
and iron. Tubal-Cain's sister was Naamah.
Gen.4:23,24 LAMECH CONFESSES KILLING. Lamech said to his wives,
"Adah and Zillah, listen to me;
wives of Lamech, hear my words. I have killed!/ a man for wounding me,
a young man for injuring me. If Cain is avenged seven times,
then
Lamech seventy-seven times."
Gen.4:25,26 SETH BORN. Adam lay with his wife again, and she gave
birth to a son and named him Seth,z saying, "God has granted me
another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him." Seth also had a
son, and he named him Enosh. At that time men began to call on" the name
of the lord.
Descendants from Adam to Noah.
What follows is a simple chronology of ten generations from
Adam through Seth to Noah. Yet this brief family record is full of surprises.
For one thing, the men who are named each live for hundreds of years and have
children when they are from 65 to 500 years old! Much speculation has been
generated as to the cause of this longevity. Some have even rejected the
historical accuracy of the account, saying that the "years" are
merely representative periods of time, perhaps shorter than modern years.
However, the original language allows no such interpretation. In support of the
historic credibility of the account, others have explained the unusual
longevity on a variety of bases, including the effect of the fruit of the Tree
of Life in the Garden of Eden; the original immortality of man feeling only the
slightest consequences of sin at this early stage in man's development; or the
superiority of the food, atmosphere, and other living conditions during this period. One can only speculate, but acknowledging
a creative Being powerful enough to bring the universe into existence
certainly allows the option for such a Creator to permit unusually lengthy
lives for whatever purpose might suit his comprehensive plan for mankind. A
number of possible purposes immediately present themselves, including the need
to quickly populate the earth and the need to promulgate basic moral principles
throughout the beginnings of mankind.
Promulgating
morality throughout the early generations is made easier due to the fact that
Adam and Seth continue to live as contemporaries with their offspring several
generations removed. By living 930 years, for example, Adam is still alive
during the days of Lamech, father of Noah, toward the end of the first
millennium from creation. One can almost see Adam gathering the early
patriarchs together and telling them over and over how God created the world,
how he directed mankind to live, and how he showed both punishment and mercy
when Adam and Eve, and even Cain, had been disobedient.
Still
another surprise is that one of Adam's descendants, Enoch, does not die—ever!
After 365 years of what is apparently an exceptionally righteous life, Enoch is
taken from the world in some manner other than death. The accounts of the other
patriarchs each record the year in which they die, but the account of Enoch indicates
that "he was no more." What is even more noteworthy than one's being
translated out of this life without experiencing death is the exciting
suggestion that mankind is immortal—that there is actually life beyond death!
It is
altogether possible that this genealogical listing and others to follow may not
list every successive generation, and therefore may omit hundreds of years of
mankind's history. Such would be the case, for example, if "son" were
used in reference to a grandson or an even more remote descendant, as is
sometimes seen in later historical records. Should that be the case, there
would be great difficulty in assigning specific dates to such major events as
the creation of the first man and woman, or the great flood which will come in
the days of Noah. Because there is no indication to the contrary, this
narrative proceeds on the assumption that the genealogies list father-to-son
progressions without omission of intervening generations, but leaves the matter
as an open question.
Early
dating will be shown as A.C., After Creation (of mankind), as calculated from
the information supplied in the Genesis record, until such time as more
positive dating in the B.C. era can be utilized. Even then, the dates indicated
are usually only approximate and should not be considered unquestionable.
Dates are supplied where reasonably believed to be accurate in order to aid the
reader's understanding of the historical context.
Gen. 5:1,2. RECORD OF MANKIND This is the written account of Adam's line. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. He created them male and female and blessed them. And when they were created, he called them "man.b"
Gen. 5:3-5 (130 A.C.) SETH. When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth. After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Adam lived 930 years, and then he died.
Gen.
5:6-8 (235 A.C.)ENOSH.
When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the fatherc of Enosh. And
after he became the father of Enosh, Seth lived 807 years and had other sons
and daughters. Altogether, Seth lived 912 years, and then he died.
Gen.
5:9-11 (325 A.C.)
KENAN. When Enosh had lived 90 years, he became the father of Kenan. And after
he became the father of Kenan, Enosh lived 815 years and had other sons and
daughters. Altogether, Enosh lived 905 years, and then he died.
Gen.
5:12-14 (395 A.C.)
MAHALALEL. When Kenan had lived 70 years, he became the father of Mahalalel.
And after he became the father of Mahalalel, Kenan lived 840 years and had
other sons and daughters. Altogether, Kenan lived 910 years, and then he died.
Gen.
5:15-17 (460 A.C.)
JARED. When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he became the father of Jared. And
after he became the father of Jared, Mahalalel lived 830 years and had other
sons and daughters. Altogether, Mahalalel lived 895 years, and then he died.
Gen.
5:18-20 (622 A.C.) ENOCH. When Jared had lived 162 years, he became the father of
Enoch. And after he became the father of Enoch, Jared lived 800 years and had
other sons and daughters. Altogether, Jared lived 962 years, and then he died.
Gen.
5:21-24 (687 A.C.)
METHUSELAH. When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah.
And after he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years
and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Enoch lived 365 years. Enoch
walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.
Gen. 5:25-27 (874 A.C.) LAMECH. When Methuselah had lived
187 years, he became the father of Lamech. And after he became the father of
Lamech, Methuselah lived 782 years and had other sons and daughters.
Altogether, Methuselah lived 969 years, and then he died.
Gen.
5:28-31 (1056 A.C.) NOAH. When Lamech had
lived 182 years, he had a son. He named him Noahd and said, "He
will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground
the lord has cursed." After
Noah was born, Lamech lived 595 years and had other sons and daughters.
Altogether, Lamech lived 777 years, and then he died.
Gen.
5:32 (1556 A.C.) SHEM,
HAM, AND JAPHETH. After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem,
Ham and Japheth.