Cain got married and had sons who got married and had sons of their own. Lamech, one of the descendents of Cain, committed murder as well. Eve gave birth to another son named Seth.
14) They lived in tents and raised livestock. They invented musical instruments, such as the harp and flute, and learned to play them. They learned to work bronze and form tools. They built cities.
15) Seems like the murder tendency runs in the family and that revenge is acceptable. Inferring from Cain’s relationship, it is probably not a close relationship and their activities make it seem more man-centered than God-centered. Lamech boasts and claims a greater retribution than God could deliver — a clear sign of self-centeredness rather than God-centeredness. From the murder, we can infer that they were okay with committing crimes.
16) Seth replaced Abel and the hope is that he will be closer to the Lord than Cain, God-fearing, and loving of God. God will answer those who call on His name.
17) Personal Question. My answer: God offers us grace no matter what we do or how much we turn from Him. Faith is what matters more than what you bring to Him. He wants your heart more than a token gift.
The Bible is moving on, quickly running through many generations here so that we have a record of Adam’s line (and Jesus’s) before we move on to Noah in Genesis Chapter 5, our next lesson.
Cain married his sister, which was not against God’s law until Moses (Leviticus 18:9, 18:11, 20:17, and Deuteronomy 27:22.
Necessity demanded that Adam’s sons marry his daughters. The gene pool of humanity was pure at this point. However, as time went on, God decreed there no longer be marriage between close relatives because of the danger of inbreeding.
Other examples of sibling marriages: Abraham married his half-sister Sarah (Genesis 20:12).
We see humanity’s rapid advancement here. Cities were founded (Genesis 4:17), homes were built, music and the arts were innovated, and metalworking began.
The name Lamech may mean conqueror. He was the seventh from Adam on Cain’s side. Lamech’s arrogance (Genesis 4:23-24) is a contrast to Enoch, who was the seventh from Adam on Seth’s line (Jude 14).
Biblical first: Lamech was the first bigamist in history, going against God’s original plan for one man and one woman to become one flesh (Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:4-8). The names of his wives and daughter show the emphasis in his heart: Adah means, “pleasure, ornament, or beauty.” Zillah means, “shade” probably referring to a luxurious covering of hair. His daughter’s name was Naamah, which means, “loveliness.” Lamech’s culture was committed to physical and outward beauty.
Lamech boasted about his murder, believing he could deliver a greater retribution than God. This shows just how far man has fallen and how far they have pulled away from God in a short amount of time.
The city was Cain’s city; the focus of Lamech was his beautiful wives and his own perceived strength. But for all of Lamech’s boasting, neither he nor his descendants are ever heard of again in the Bible. He came to nothing.
Adam and Eve had many children who were not specifically named in the Biblical record, but Seth replaced Abel in some sense and was the one to whom the promise of a deliverer from the seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15) would be passed.
Some have called Genesis 4:26 the first revival, because it was the first indication of a spiritual resurgence after a clear decline.
Credit to enduring word for commentary
Cain lures Abel out to the fields and murders him. God knows what happened and questions Cain, who claims he has no idea where Abel is. God curses Cain to be a restless wanderer on the earth and that no food will grow for him.
7) Cain lures Abel out to the fields.
8 ) Again, God gives humanity (in this case, Cain) a chance to confess their sins and accept responsibility for what they have done. Cain basically spits in God’s face with his denial.
9a) Because then we would have to admit that we are wrong, and for some reason, that’s exceedingly difficult to do.
b) Personal Question. My answer: A big impact. Definitely less ill will towards others and smoother relationships all around.
10) God always provides us a way out (1 Corinthians 10:13). Sin is a choice. Oftentimes, God will “speak” to us (like our conscious) in an effort to get us to not sin. Still, it’s a choice to choose God or choose sin.
It amazes me how people lie outright to God even though God knows the answer. You can almost feel how sin has consumed Cain since he has no remorse for what he has done. Here’s where the saying, “I’m not my brother’s keeper” comes from.
This was premediated murder, even worse that murder. Still Cain could have changed his mind. It was too late; evil and sin had consumed his heart.
Biblical First: Murder. Cain knew how to kill animals. And it seems man inherently knows how to kill others.
So ends Eve’s hope of Cain as the redeemer.
Cain was supposed to be his brother’s keeper. After all, he was the oldest son; he was supposed to look after his brother.
Cain killed out of jealousy alone, which shows just how poweful it truly is.
Jude 11 warns us of the way of Cain, or unbelief and empty religion that leads to sins such as persecution, murder, and revenge.
People will have a form of godliness but deny its power (2 Timothy 3:5).
We see blood crying out to God from the ground in Numbers 35:29-34 where the blood of unpunished murderers defiles the land.
The blood of Abel spoke; the blood of Jesus speaks, of grace and redemption as sin is judged (Hebrews 12:24).
Cain’s curse was worse than Adam’s. If farming was hard for Adam (Genesis 3:17-18), it would be impossible for Cain. Adam was merely driven from Eden (Genesis 3:24); Cain would find no resting place on earth (a fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth is other Bible translations).
Credit to enduring word for commentary
Eve gave birth to Cain and then Abel. Cain was a farmer; Abel was a shepherd. Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to God. Abel brought his choicest fat portions from the firstborn of his flock to God. God looked more favorably upon Abel because of this. This angered Cain. God saw Cain’s heart and spoke to him about his anger, offering advice to turn away from sin.
3) Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to God. Abel brought his choicest fat portions from the firstborn of his flock to God. Abel brought God his best, while Cain just brought God some of his crops. God wants our best always.
4) Abel brought his best to God because he loved God and had a heart for God. Cain did not. Abel had faith according to Hebrews; Cain apparently did not.
5a) Cain was angry that Abel’s gift was accepted by God and God showed Abel more favor. He was mad because Abel made him look bad. He blamed Abel and not himself. He was full of pride.
b) Personal Question. My answer: I usually get defensive at first. It takes me a minute to admit I was wrong. This is human nature. As a broken human, we want to be right and think we are right because we are proud. It is from our broken nature.
6) Personal Question. My answer: God knows our hearts. He knew Cain was thinking about wrong-doing against Abel, and in His infinite mercy, He tries to prevent Cain from following through and giving in to sin. God never gives up on us. He has hope for us up until the choice to sin has been made.
No one likes leftovers, especially God. Cain it seems brought God his leftovers. We learn that God wants our best always, whether it’s tithing to the church or giving our best to others as Jesus did.
Biblical First: This is the first mention of sex in the Bible. In other versions of the Bible besides NIV (BSF’s chosen version), the term know is used for this moment. “To know” is used often in the Bible in this sense (Genesis 4:17, 4:25, 38:26, Judges 11:39, 1 Samuel 1:19). It shows how sex is used to enhance the bonding between man and woman. Most likely, Adam and Eve did have sex before the Fall.
The name Cain meant, I’ve got him or Here he is. Eve probably thought that Cain was the seed that God promised, the deliverer who would come from Eve (Genesis 3:15). There is a sense in which Eve said, “I have the man from the LORD.”
The fact that Cain grew crops and Abel was a shepherd shows that man did not spend hundreds of thousands of years as hunter-gatherers. They always farmed and tended animals.
Some Bible scholars believe that Cain brought his offering to the tree of life because cherubim guarded the way to the tree of life (Genesis 3:24), and cherubim are always associated with the dwelling place or meeting place with God (Exodus 25:10-22). It’s possible that Cain, Abel, and later others met with God at the tree of life, where the cherubim guarded access to the tree and prevented any from eating its fruit. However, this is not proven.
While some may say that Abel’s sacrifice of animals was why he was favored due to the blood aspect, grain offerings are accepted in the Old Testament ( Leviticus 2) as well. God’s favor is a heart matter, not a physical matter.
(Hebrews 11:4) clears up the matter. Abel had faith; Cain did not.
The fat of the animal was prized and was to be given to God when the animal was sacrificed (Leviticus 3:16-17 and 7:23-25). The burning of fat in sacrifice before God is called a sweet aroma to the LORD (Leviticus 17:6).
In the beginning, one animals was needed as atonement for each perons. Later, at the Passover, it will be one lamb for a family. Then, at the Day of Atonement, it was one lamb for the nation. Finally, with Jesus, there was one Lamb who took away the sin of the whole world (John 1:29).
Presumably God said or showed His favor of the sacrifices in some way. Perhaps they were consumed by fire from God (Judges 6:21; 1 Kings 18:38; 1 Chronicles 21:26; 2 Chronicles 7:1) from heaven or from the flaming swords of the cherubim (Genesis 3:24).
God graciously warns Cain to resist sin and not give in. He knows that Cain is contemplating. God has to be our master, or we will be slaves to sin.
Credit to enduring word for commentary
Summary of passage: God curses the serpent for his beguilement of Adam and Eve to crawl on his belly and eat dust and God put enmity between the serpent and man for all time. Literally, this is humans not liking snakes (especially women). Figuratively, this is humans not trusting Satan and having an inborn wariness of him.
God punished woman by greatly increasing her pains in childbirth; woman will desire her husband who will rule over her.
God punished Adam by cursing the ground so painful toil is now required to eat of it. The ground will produce thorns and thistles. And now death is introduced since “for dust you are and to dust you will return.”
Adam names Eve and God makes them clothes and banishes them from the Garden of Eden so that he won’t be able to eat from the tree of life. He places cherubim and a flaming sword to guard the way to the tree of life.
Questions:
13a) “Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
b) “I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”
c) “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”
14a) The serpent is Satan and her offspring will be Jesus. Jesus will ultimately defeat Satan (crush his head) even though Satan will wound Jesus (strike his heel). “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet” (Romans 16:20)
b) With garments of skin
15a) Everyone dies. We are all sinners through Adam. Jesus was sent to redeem his people, bring grace, and offer justification through his death so that we may have eternal life.
We were born sinners. But Jesus can redeem us. The results and consequences for us today are we have a choice: to choose or reject Jesus. Choose Jesus=life. Reject Jesus=death.
b) Jesus.
Conclusions: We see here that God never abandoned us, even when we sinned. He always had Jesus planned to save us. It’s hard to comprehend: why would God create us if He knew we would Fall? Only God can answer that. He must think we are worthy in some way. Sometimes I wish I believed but a piece of that worthiness.
I had never thought of us being born with a wariness to Satan before. So we’re born with a natural rebelliousness towards God but a natural distrust of Satan. Again, we must choose. Naturally, we gravitate towards serving ourselves (like children). But we learn to choose and no choice in life is more important. The outcome of our life depends upon this choice.
Summary of passage: When Adam and Eve ate the fruit, their eyes were opened and they realized they were naked; so they covered themselves with fig leaves. They hid from God when they heard Him in the garden so God called to them, “Where are you?”
Adam said he was afraid cause he was naked and explained that the woman gave him some fruit and he ate it when God asked how he knew he was naked. The woman said the serpent beguiled her and she ate as well.
Questions:
10a) They realized they were naked. Remember, some scholars believe Adam and Eve were clothed in light until the moment they sinned. So imagine the light snuffed out and now they needed something else to clothe them.
b) They hid from Him amongst the trees. Because they were ashamed of being naked. They felt guilt for disobeying. They were afraid of dying. They were afraid of the consequences of disobedience. They were embarrassed at their own inadequacy.
11a) “The woman you put here with me–she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” Technically, yeah, that’s what happened. But Adam is trying to put the blame on Eve when he clearly disobeyed as well by partaking of the fruit. He could have said, “No.” However, he didn’t lie to God about it. He also did not repent. God is giving him the chance and Adam missed it. He does not accept responsibility for his role in the Fall.
Also, note how, essentially, Adam is blaming God by saying, “The woman you put here with me…” As if it’s God fault for creating a companion to Adam and he wouldn’t have sinned otherwise.
b) “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” Mostly because the serpent did deceive her and she admits she ate it. She didn’t lie. However, being deceived, listening to the serpent in the first place instead of God, is a sin as well (Romans 1:25: “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie…and served created things instead of the Creator”)
c) Both of them. Adam for not explaining to Eve better not to eat the fruit and for standing by while the serpent beguiled her. Adam for eating the fruit Eve gave him. Eve for even talking to the serpent, for doubting God and His word, and for eating the fruit. Both sinned equally. Both are responsible. Both fell from God.
You could say the serpent (devil) but we have Free Will to choose. The devil offered. Adam and Eve accepted. The serpent didn’t force them to take a bite.
12) Personal Question. My answer: Honestly, probably very similar. I’m good at the good stuff. Bad at the little sins. Very bad. Something I need to work on.
Conclusions: Good emphasis on responding to sin. We all do it ever since Adam and Eve and I think what matters most to God is how we respond to it. Whether we truly repent and whether we mend our ways. We can still give glory to God through our confession and our sincere desire to do better. Joshua 7:19-20: “Give glory to the Lord…tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me.”
Side Note: God addresses Adam first as the head and one could argue it is Adam who bears the brunt of the responsibility for the sin since Adam is the head of woman. Interesting since in popular culture you always hear how it was Eve’s fault.
Summary of passage: The crafty serpent asked Eve, “Did God really say not to eat from any tree in the garden?” Eve tells him they can eat from any tree except from the tree in the middle of the garden or they will die. The serpent plants doubt, saying surely you won’t die; you will just be like God, knowing good and evil.
So, Eve took some and ate it and gave some to Adam (who was with her the whole time) and ate it as well.
Questions:
7) Matthew 13:19: He snatches away the message (Word) that was sown in man’s heart
Matthew 13:25, 39: He sows weeds amongst the crop while you are sleeping (unaware)
John 8:44: He is a liar, murderer, and father of lies. He has nor speaks no truth
John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11: He is called the prince of this world
2 Corinthians 4:4: He is called the god of this age
Ephesians 2:2: He is called the ruler of the kingdom of air
8a) Personal Question. My answer: Ephesians tells us he’s a schemer, so much so we need the full armor of God to resist him. 2 Corinthians tells us he masquerades as an angel of light. Luke shows us that Satan knows scripture and he will use it to tempt us to sin and he will twist it’s meaning like he did to Eve when she ate the fruit.
Satan’s life purpose is to make us fall. He spends his entire time scheming and using our weaknesses against us. He will use all the tricks in the book and then some. He has no morals or values as we know them. He is pure evil.
b) With Job the devil could not touch the man himself but only those people and things around him. The devil had 40 days to tempt Jesus but when he was done tempting he left Jesus alone. In Revelation we see the devil is limited in time. He has only a certain amount of time before God says enough and defeats him.
1 Corinthians 10:13: “He (God) will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear…he will also provide a way out so tht you can stand up under it.”
God sets limits to what the devil can do to us. God is there, protecting us. God allows the devil to exist and to tempt us (to test our faith). He is in control. We are choosing either the devil or God. Always.
9) 1 Thessalonians 5:17, James 5:16: pray continually, confess your sins and pray for each other
Matthew 4:1-2; Luke 4:1-2: Be full of the Holy Spirit
Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12: The Word of God–the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit
James 4:7: Submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you
Conclusions: This was a study on the devil. To be honest, I didn’t even read the passage (since we read it yesterday). Every question had us looking elsewhere so leave some time for today’s lesson. Even though a lot of the books are small that’s what makes them tricky to find.
If you did Acts last year, a lot of this will be familiar. We discussed in detail our weapons against the devil (the Word, prayer, the Holy Spirit, and obeying God’s commands). I hold to 1 Corinthians 10:13: there is nothing God gives us we can’t bear, including the devil’s temptations. If we believe we can overcome and God is on our side and He’s in control, then we will!
Summary of passage: The crafty serpent asked Eve, “Did God really say not to eat from any tree in the garden?” Eve tells him they can eat from any tree except from the tree in the middle of the garden or they will die. The serpent plants doubt, saying surely you won’t die; you will just be like God, knowing good and evil.
So, Eve took some and ate it and gave some to Adam (who was with her the whole time) and ate it as well.
Questions:
3) the devil or Satan
4a) Adam was to care for the trees in the garden and he was free to eat from any tree in the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and evil because if he ate from that, he would die.
b) Yes. Why else would God plant it and why would he instruct Adam to eat from any tree (including the tree of life) Verses 9 & 16. Everything God does has a purpose. God gave man Free Will–to choose life or death. And man chose.
5a) The serpent planted doubt. He questioned God’s words by asking, “Are you sure God said that?” It made Eve wonder if God did indeed say that. Then he questions God’s word and twists it by saying Eve wouldn’t die if she ate it. Why would God do such a thing? Then the serpent does speak some truth by saying their eyes will be opened. They just wouldn’t be opened how the serpent says. Finally, he tempted by saying “You will gain knowledge of good and evil” and be equal with God.
b) First, Eve talked to the serpent. Then she listened to the serpent. Then she believed the serpent. Then she gave in to her desire for wisdom and partook of the fruit.
c) God first and foremost. God’s truths. God’s words. God’s goodness. God himself really.
6a) Jesus used God’s truths to defeat the devil. Granted, Eve didn’t have the Bible to use but in a way she had something just as powerful: a personal relationship with God. Eve doubted God’s goodness; Jesus never did. Eve doubted God’s ways; Jesus never did.
Of course, Jesus was God on earth and Eve was merely a human so it’s hard to compare.
But the serpent does use the same methods: lust of the flesh; lust of the eyes; and pride.
b) No. James says after desire (temptation) has conceived (been planted), then it gives birth to sin (one sins) and sin leads to death.
Because Eve coveted the fruit didn’t mean she sinned. She only sinned when she ate the fruit (disobeyed God’s commands). At any moment before then she could have walked away. But she didn’t.
The definition of sin according to Webster’s Dictionary is “a transgression of the law of God”. Transgression means a violation of a law or command; to go beyond the limits.
According to my bible dictionary (Zondervan Illustrated Bible Dictionary by Douglas and Tenney) sin is “revolt against the holiness and sovereign will of God. It is a condition of the heart and the outworking of that condition through one’s words and actions.”
We are all tempted (“to entice to do wrong by promise of pleasure or gain” says Webster’s). Satan tempts to undermine our faith. God tests (not tempts) to strengthen our faith.
c) Personal Question. My answer: To quit God’s work and purpose for my life. Some days it’s just not worth it. It’s a constant temptation. I’m also tempted to say mean things or not be giving. Constant temptation to not do as Jesus would do. Temptation to do what I want to do and not what God wants me to do.
Conclusions: We discussed the whole sin versus temptation thing in Acts last year except we were asked if it was okay to doubt (see lesson HERE). We are human. We will be tempted. Constantly by the devil. But we have Free Will to say no. God always offers us an out (1 Corinthians 10:13) so we can stand up to the devil. God will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear.
From Eve we can learn the common steps the devil uses to make us sin: he plants doubt in our mind; he makes us question God’s word; he entices with something seemingly better. This pattern we need to be aware of so we don’t fall into sin. So we can stand up to the devil and say “NO!” in God’s name. So we don’t lose sight of God like Eve did.
Interesting Side Notes: Note that God instructed Adam to not partake of the fruit of the tree of knowledge. Then God created Eve. Eve must have been told by Adam but she was not instructed by God. Hence, she was chosen by the serpent to tempt as she was the weaker link. We don’t know what Adam said to Eve but Adam was standing right there. He knew it was wrong. Eve disobeyed God and Adam.
Also, if Adam had been chosen to eat first, Eve might have had an out by saying she was only obeying her husband, the head of the household. Hence, God allowed Eve to be tested first.
Eve doesn’t even seem to know the name of the tree and exactly what God said since she uses the word “touch” instead of “eat” as God did. This is not an excuse. But it does fall upon Adam to communicate to her God’s commands.
Eve was truly deceived by the devil; Adam sinned in full knowledge of what God had said. (Romans 5:12; 1 Corinthians 15:22; 1 Timothy 2:14).
I was always told it was Eve’s fault man sinned. But upon close examination Adam bears most of the burden. He was right there (Genesis 3:6) the entire time. At any moment either one could have ran from the serpent. But neither did. It just shows how powerful and cunning the devil truly is. And what we must fight against daily.
If Adam and Eve could be tricked and disobey–those who actually walked with God–then we must be extra vigilant and strong in the Word in order to resist.
Great explanation of Genesis 3 HERE