DBG - January 2 - Genesis 4-6

This chapter is the story of the children of Adam and Eve.

vs. 1 – Cain means “possession”

vs. 2 – Abel means “breath”

vs. 3 – There is admittedly much we do not know about this time, but it appears certain that there was a set time that God expected men to offer sacrifice to Him.  Based on what follows I think we can safely assume that the type of sacrifice God expected had also been given to man.  Cain chose to offer a sacrifice according to his own will and not God’s.

vs. 3 – “Cain’s offering and worship was that of the natural, self-righteous man, who needs no blood, but trusts in his character and good works. Cain did not believe in what Jehovah Elohim had declared concerning sin, the penalty of sin; and he did not believe in the prediction of Genesis 3:15. God had cursed the ground, but Cain brought of the fruit of the ground. Today the masses of professing Christians ‘go in the way of Cain’ (Jude 1:10-11).” – A.C. Gaebelein

vs. 4 – The important difference between the sacrifices is that Abel’s was a blood sacrifice (Hebrews 9:22) which correctly foreshadowed Christ’s sacrifice.

vs. 7 – God confronts Cain and gives him a chance to repent.

vs. 8 – Cain was unwilling to offer a blood sacrifice to God but was willing to shed blood

vs. 15 – We do not know what this “mark” was but is singled out Cain from all other humans who knew of his sin and understood to not slay him.

vs. 15 – “God set a sign for Cain to give him assurance that he would at least be free from individual or human vengeance. As yet there was no organization of civic society. After a while we will come to that and show that at least after Noah left the ark God provided capital punishment. Society might punish a murderer but no individual could do it.” – B.H. Carroll

vs. 17 – Who was Cain’s wife? https://answersingenesis.org/bible-characters/cain/who-was-cains-wife/

vs. 19 – Lamech is the first polygamist.

vs. 21 - The first mention of music or instruments in the Bible.

vs. 22 – These early generations were not brute savages as we see them performing advanced metallurgy.

vs. 23-24 – Lost in Lamech’s confession to murder is that this is the first poem/song in Scripture.  It follows the classic Hebrew pairing of two phrases:

Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice;

 ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech:

for I have slain a man to my wounding,

and a young man to my hurt. 

If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold,

truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold. 

vs. 25 – Cain’s disobedience poisoned his descendants against God so God raised up another son of Adam to lead a faithful line.

vs. 25 – Seth means “compensation, substitute”

vs. 26 – “then began men to call upon the name of the LORD” -  “The phrase almost certainly signifies the beginning of regular public worship of the Lord, probably replacing the previous practice of individually meeting with Him as Cain and Abel did.” – Henry Morris

This chapter is the first genealogical section in the Bible, covering from Adam to Noah.

Some take exception to the extremely long lives of the people before the Flood.  The simplest answer is that the world before the Flood was better suited for life in general.  For further discussion, https://answersingenesis.org/bible-timeline/genealogy/did-adam-and-noah-really-live-over-900-years/

vs. 22-24 – The most interesting individual in this lineage is undoubtably Enoch.  His testimony is that his faith so pleased God that He took him (Hebrews 11:5).  This indicates that he did not die as typical man, but was “raptured” to Heaven.  The ancient Jews regarded him highly.  A prophecy by him is quoted in Jude 1:14 which must have been passed down through the generations.  There is a “Book of Enoch”  but is not authentic and dates to a century or two before Christ.  If written today it would be called fan fiction. It does contain the quote found in Jude which is likely because it included at least some authentic traditions.

vs. 27 – There are three important things to note about Methuselah.  First, his life is the longest record in Scripture at 969 years.  Second, his name literally means “man of the spear”.  This strange name is interpreted by some to mean something like “when he dies, it shall be sent”.  Third, he died in the same year that the Flood came.  It was 1656 years after Creation in 2348 B.C.  His long life was both a sign of impending judgment but also of God’s longsuffering mercy (I Peter 3:20, II Peter 3:9)

vs. 29 – Noah means “rest, comfort”

This chapter describes the wickedness of the pre-Flood world, God’s coming judgment, and the hope of deliverance.

vs. 2 – There is much debate about the identity of the “sons of God”.  Some believe these are fallen angels.  I personally believe that these are men from the faithful line of Seth that intermarried with the unfaithful line of Cain.  My primary issue with them being falling angels is that if violates the principle of reproduction in chapter 1 that everything is after its own kind.

vs. 3 – The 120 years is not a new limit on the length of human life but a deadline for man to repent.

vs. 5-6 – Sin had utterly corrupted the human race so thoroughly that without Divine intervention the hope for redemption may be lost and forgotten.

vs. 15 – A cubit is about 18 inches.  The Ark was 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet tall.

vs. 16 – The exact design is impossible to determine from these basic descriptions.  The story is more important than the details.

We underestimate the power of sin and the depravity of human nature. Within ten generations the world was lost and only Noah and his family found deliverance.

The deliverance of Noah through the Flood is a wonderful picture of our salvation. His faith (Hebrews 11:7) brought God’s grace (Genesis 6:8).

“Why Are Not Sinners Consumed?“ was written by Baptist pastor John Needham and first published in 1768. It is practically forgotten today. It examines the ages-old question of why God withholds Divine judgment, which according to Romans 2:4 is to express mercy by giving man space to repent.

Why are not sinners, Lord, consumed
By Thy avenging rod?
’Tis Lord, because Thou art the good,
And the long suffering God.

Tho’ men provoke Thee to Thy face,
And Thy rich grace despise,
Yet still Thy bounty feeds Thy foes,
Thy thunder sleeping lies.

On swiftest wing Thy mercy flies,
Thy wrath advances slow;
Long dost Thou whet Thy glittering sword
Before it gives the blow.

Long didst Thou bear a guilty world
With rapine filled and blood;
Thy patience wished to have restrained
The wide destroying flood.

Could even Sodom the impure
Have named ten righteous men,
Thy flaming sword in sulfur dipped
Would have been sheathed again.

How often did Thy anger burn
Against Thy chosen seed?
But still Thy heart within Thee turned
For them Thy bowels plead.

How shall I give My Ephraim up?
My wrath on Israel vent?
How shall I Admah’s plagues inflict?
I pity and repent.

So great are Thy compassions, Lord,
Our songs they far exceed;
O may such goodness melt our hearts
And to repentance lead!