Summary of passage: Cain lay with his wife and she gave birth to Enoch. Cain then built a city and named it after his son. Enoch had Lamech who married two women. These sons raised livestock, invented the harp and flute, and all kinds of tools. Lamech bragged to his wives about killing a man and how he will be avenged.
Adam and Eve had a son named Seth to replace Abel. Abel had a son named Enosh.
Questions:
12) It had to have been his sister. No other people were on Earth at the time.
13a) Cain was then building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch.
b) Jabal was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock
c) Tubal-Cain forged all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron
d) Jubal was the father of all who play the harp and flute
e) Same as d: Jubal was the father of all who play the harp and flute
14a) Lamech married two women, against God’s original plan of one woman and one man for marriage (Genesis 2:24) and he boasts of killing and retribution.
b) Same answer as a.
15a) It shows how mankind has a choice: to obey God or not and how many choose to not obey Him. This has been the same since the beginning of time. It shows the ingenuity God gave man in terms of invention and the arts as man fulfills his role of caring for the world. This is still the same today as we see new inventions since the beginning of time.
Murder is the same. Sin is the same. Pride, boasting, and polygamy are the same. The sins never change.
b) Personal Question. My answer: I don’t think I’ve ever boasted of evil especially as an adult. Not sure how I’ve defied God. It’s not like I’ve ever said, “Yeah, God. I hear you but I’m going to do it anyway.” Nope. In fact, still waiting on God’s words and I’d love to have a conversation (that’s not quite so one-sided) with Him.
I think most of us it’s the same: we pray; we ask God; we wait for an answer; we go the way we think He wants us to go. It’s not defiance if we choose wrong–not by any stretch of the imagination.
Defiance according to the Internet is “open resistance and bold disobedience.” According to Webster’s it’s “disregard and withstand.”
By these definitions, I haven’t defied God.
Conclusions: This lesson was vague to say the least. Twice I thought the question repetitive of one already asked and the last question (which is personal and I’m unsure why it’s not marked as such) is out of place in my opinion. This passage is about Cain. And he’s a murderer. I’d like to think I’m a bit better than that.
As a Christian, I like to think I obey God. I can see this question applying to non-Christians. Sometimes I think these questions are negative in connotation and make us wonder if we are bad people. It makes us doubt ourselves.
I get defensive with such questions. Defy is a very, very strong word. Most of us do not “defy” God. If we do, we probably wouldn’t be in a bible study.
I would hope we don’t go around boasting of the evil we do. I know I’m ashamed of my sins (not evil mind you) and I confess and ask for forgiveness. I definitely don’t tell my best friend about it.
Am I wrong here? What do you think? Am I just getting way too defensive? Or maybe I have defied God and just don’t know it? See….doubting here. I’d rather spend my time focusing on the good I do and not the bad.
This question just does not sit right with me. It gives me a funny, uneasy feeling that I don’t like. It seems with all the “changes” going on in BSF (of which none are official–just from what my leader has told me) I would hope questions such as this would be re-thought. For me, I’m trying to think of what it would be like to defy God and boast of evil crimes against humanity. And I don’t like thinking about that. Way too much negativity in this world as it is.
Now, I could say I have defied God in the little things. Like not loving others as I should. Not giving as much. Not honoring my father and mother at times when I was a teenager. Those type of things.
It’s hard to say because 1) We are speaking of heinous crimes such as murder and 2) the word “and” in the question could refer to only those times you have defied God AND boasted.
We all Fall. That’s a given. But defiance? Outright? That’s much more complicated.
Still, I’ve never boasted. If you have the Holy Spirit, even the little defiances should prevent you from boasting. Instead, you should feel an overwhelming guilt and repentance.
I don’t know. Interpretation of the question and speculation of its intentions. I’m just saying how this question hit me.
Just my opinion, of course.