FIRST THINGS FIRST

Genesis 4:17-26
Bob Bonner
August 8, 2004

Throughout history people have been attracted to, admired, applauded, and to some extent even worshiped human advancements, achievements and other first time accomplishments. We are in here with the “bests”, the newest, and the “firsts”.

In the arena of sports, with six consecutive victories at the Tour de France, Lance Armstrong has propelled the bike industry and the sport of cycling to heights it has never known. People have been attracted to him, not just because of his achievements on the race course, but for his recovery from cancer, in which he was given only a 50% chance of survival.

In the field of medicine, the advancement of vaccines and the technology of laser surgery have brought not only great applause of the world, but it has also brought a better way of life and hope.

People, who work their way out of the slums to become an admired political leader or world figure, can write an autobiography which becomes an immediate best seller.

When cell phones first came out, and with each of their new various capabilities, like taking pictures, being able to get on the internet and pick up email, etc, we are impressed. People want to own or possess one of these first new hi-tech phones.

The best selling mini van to today is that van which was first to offer fold down seats throughout, so that one never has to remove and lug away seats in order to use the van as a carry-all.

You see, it doesn’t matter what area of life one points to, we are always impressed by and attracted to the “firsts”, the “newest”, and the “best”.

This morning, we are going to finish looking at Genesis 4, a chapter that is filled with many “firsts” in human history. When one studies this chapter and stands back to look at all the “firsts” it mentions, one cannot help but walk away impressed. There is a major lesson to be learned from this chapter about those things we admire and consider most important and the things we all long for to be a “first” in our lives.

Let’s begin by reading through the latter half of Genesis 4, beginning with verse 16. Then we will make some general observations, then zero in a little bit more by looking at some easy-to-miss specifics, and then finally draw some important conclusions and applications for our lives.

Verse 16, “Then Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden. Cain had relations with his wife and she conceived, and gave birth to Enoch; and he built a city, and called the name of the city Enoch, after the name of his son. Now to Enoch was born Irad, and Irad became the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael became the father of Methushael, and Methushael became the father of Lamech. Lamech took to himself two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other, Zillah. Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe. As for Zillah, she also gave birth to Tubal-cain, the forger of all implements of bronze and iron; and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah. Lamech said to his wives, ‘Adah and Zillah, listen to my voice, you wives of Lamech, give heed to my speech, for I have killed a man for wounding me; and a boy for striking me; if Cain is avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy-sevenfold.’ Adam had relations with his wife again; and she gave birth to a son, and named him Seth, for, she said, ‘God has appointed me another offspring in place of Abel, for Cain killed him.’ To Seth, to him also a son was born; and he called his name Enosh. Then men began to call upon the name of the Lord.”

As we begin to look at these verses, we can’t help but notice all the different names of people mentioned here. There are 13 different names of people mentioned in these verses. Eleven of them belong to the family line of Cain. Two of them belong to Seth’s family line. In the next chapter, we are introduced to more names of Seth’s descendants.

Each of these different names has a meaning and when you piece together the various meanings of these names, it is like putting the pieces of a puzzle together. In this case, when we look at the picture of Cain’s family portrait, it is not a very pretty picture.

Names are important for they can reveal many things to us. First, they can tell us what the disposition of the parents was when they gave a particular name to a child. By the child’s name, we can tell whether or not at that point in life the parents were hopeful or discouraged; whether they felt close to God or far from God; whether they were living a life of blessing at that moment or whether life was harsh. Sometimes, even though the parents may not realize it at the time, a name for a child becomes prophetic of what they will be or what they will accomplish. When God deliberately gives a person a name before they are born, or God changes a person’s name years after they are born, the new God given name has much to say about that person’s identity and character. So, names are important.

In verses 17-24, the names of all of Cain’s family paint a picture of not only people’s contribution to their world, but their character as well. In the end, as we look at Cain’s family line as it progresses, we observe not a positive ascent to impact their world, but rather a progressive negative impact on the world, or the spiritual descent of Cain’s family line.

In verses 17-22 we see the general attributes and morals of the parents as well as the children who were born into Cain’s family line. In verses 23-24, we see specific attention being given to just one in Cain’s family line, a leader who represents the epitome of evil, wickedness and godlessness.

Let’s read again slowly, these verses, stopping at the names and other points of interest. Genesis 17, “Cain had relations with his wife...” Many people get unnecessarily hung up on where Cain got a wife and the problem of incest. Early on, many Bible readers tried to deny that Cain married his sister or that there had to be another explanation for where Cain got his wife, to avoid the problem of incest. But one can’t. In fact, probably all of the early marriages during those first few generations were brother-sister marriages. Scientifically, in those early days, there were no dangers of mutant genes, so the genetic problems we would face today if this practice were carried on, were non existent. In fact, it was not until thousands of years later, under Moses, that such mutations had accumulated to the point that God finally had to prohibit incestuous relationships. That fact that Cain had to marry a sister was not sin for him.

Let’s continue, “And she conceived, and gave birth to Enoch;” “Enoch” means “dedicated one.” Cain had been cursed by God to forever be a wanderer, someone who would not be allowed to dig roots, have a home, make friends or be remembered by others. Not wanting to be forgotten, he established his first monument to himself, in the name of his, “dedicated one,” dedicated to the memory of his father.

Not satisfied with having a son who pointed back to his father, Cain then moved on in an attempt to build and name a city after Enoch so that he would be remembered by every one who lived in that city. We read, “...and he built a city, and called the name of the city Enoch, after the name of his son.”

Verse 18 continues, “Now to Enoch was born Irad...” “Irad” means “city of witness”. Again, this town which was named Enoch or “Monument” was to be a “city of witness”, not to God, but ultimately to Enoch’s Dad, Cain. “And Irad became the father of Mehujael...” “Mehujael” means “the smitten one” quite possibly as a parent’s defiant statement that “even though God has smitten me, I Cain and my family will make it and show You, God.” “And Mehujael became the father of Methushael...” which means “death of God” or “God is dead!” Sounds like forty years ago in this country, when major university religion department heads prematurely declared God’s demise, and tried to rise up the glory of the human race, free love and to put down the establishment. “And Methushael became the father of Lamech.” “Lamech” means “the strong one, the powerful one.” This is the peak of boasting in man. Here we are in a fallen state, and Cain’s great, great, great, great grandson is declared the strong one. It’s an “in your face” name, before God who is truly the only eternally strong one.

In verse 19, we see the obvious advancing rebellion of man against God as civilization progresses. We not only pick up two more names, but we witness the first case of bigamy, which is in direct rebellion to God’s directive given in Genesis 2 of only one man being married to one woman. We read, “Lamech took to himself two wives: the name of the one was Adah, [which means “ornament”] and the name of the other, Zillah [which means “shade”]. In a dry parched land, shade is very pleasurable, and there is really only one way to find shade in a wife. The implied sexual connotation should be obvious. Clearly, these two women’s names refer to the beauty and pleasure they were suppose to bring to this hedonistic driven Lamech.

Verse 20, “Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents [quite possible a euphemism for farmers] and have livestock [or those who are ranchers].” “Jabal” means “leader or someone who goes before.” Today, we might use the term “entrepreneur.” As civilization progressed, there was a need for agricultural goods and meats. Jabal was a visionary who saw the need, put together a business with farmers and ranchers, and provided what we normally would call a grocery store. Jabal was a business maker, a tycoon.

Verse 21, “His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe.” “Jubal” literally means “rams horn” or “trumpeter”. Jubal was a musician and an artist. As civilization progressed, there was more time for leisure and the enjoyment of arts and entertainment.

Verse 22, “As for Zillah, she also gave birth to Tubal-cain, the forger of all implements of bronze and iron...” “Tubal-cain” means “metal worker.” He was a metallurgist, a scientist, a technology expert of the day, who pushed forward the building of cities and civilization. “…And the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah,” which means “pleasant or sweet.”

Understand that this is a picture of man’s attempt to move forward in civilization without God. And look at the accomplishments. According to one observer, “This is no subsistence-level economy, struggling in primitive poverty to scratch a meager living from the earth. The text portrays division of labor and the taming of animals to man’s use. We see culture. There is time for leisure, music, and the arts. There is a technical competence that involves the smelting of ores and the development of metallurgy in bronze and iron. There is no suggestion here that the Fall limited the ability of man to function effectively in his world.” [Lawrence Richards, THE TEACHERS COMMENTARY, Victor Books, Logos Library]

However, as we will see in the next two verses, although man apart from God could build and advance civilization in its technical competence, the heart of man, the soul of man, reveals a descent of moral corruption and baseness in society. In verses 23-24, the writer specifically points to Lamech and a snapshot from his life. It comes in the form of a boastful song of exploitation. It seems to be a demonstration of his strength, a braggadocio type statement, showing off, in front of and for the benefit of his women. Men, we haven’t changed much! We read, “Lamech said to his wives, “Adah and Zillah, listen to my voice, [here is where his song begins] You wives of Lamech, give heed to my speech, for I have killed a man for wounding me; and a boy for striking me; (Whether or not this is two murders, or the use of a Hebrew poetic device called “parallelism”, to describe the same person in two different ways, I don’t know. But it is obviously a case of a frivolous murder, one that reveals a total disdain for human life.) Lamech did not value human life.

He continues his boast, “If Cain is avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy- sevenfold.”

As I mentioned previously when we studied Genesis 4:15, the alternate translation of this verse is probably the preferred understanding of these words. Rather than speaking of a payback in pain, the “sevenfold”, this sevenfold probably refers to a duration of time, seven generations. Lamech’s point is, if God told Cain that Cain’s life would be preserved for seven generations after he murdered his brother, then Lamech’s self boast, not something that God had promised, but Lamech himself boasted is, “I will live on for 77 generations, and nobody will be able to touch me! I guarantee myself a long life. I’m the most dominant man who has ever lived, the most powerful, dangerous leader ever born!” And maybe he felt that confident, because his son, with his ability to make weapons, gave him an advantage as well as false security.

Lamech believed in his military might. Many in the world view the U.S. as arrogant because of our military strength and wealth. Yet, most Muslim and Indian countries look at us as being one of the most immoral and perverted cultures on the planet.

Here, in one brief snapshot of a man’s life, we see rebellion against God’s ordinance of marriage and an utter disdain for the value of human life. We really see a picture of the heart of every person born after the Fall.

To demonstrate the descent of Cain’s family and how far the human race has fallen, look at this list of “The Firsts” found thus far in Genesis 4:1 - First Motherhood; 4:1 - First Birth; 4:1 - First Family; 4:1, 2 - First Conflict of the two promised “seeds”; 4:8 - First Premeditated Murder; 4:8 - First Martyrdom; 4:8 - First Bigamist; 4:19 - First Technological Generation; 4:22 - First Frivolous Murder; 4:23 - First Openly Defiant Leader.

In Cain’s family line, we see a picture of an affluent technologically progressive society defying God and His laws, seeking pleasure and self-indulgence. As a result, though externally their world looked good, internally their society had great moral fault that will ultimately bring the human race as we know it today, to extinction. It was a world that had lost its way and was unable to meet the deep seated needs of the human heart.

It was into this dark but sophisticated world that we read in the next two verses a message of hope. We see the beginning of the spiritual family line of the promised second “seed” of Genesis 3:15, the ascent of Seth’s family line. It stands in stark contrast to what we have just learned about Cain’s family. In these verses we meet a man who knew what should be “first” in his life. In these verses, we meet a man who knew how to live life and love God in the midst of a world, embroiled in evil. We read in verse 25 “Adam had relations with his wife again; and she gave birth to a son, and named him Seth, for, she said, “God has appointed me another offspring in place of Abel, for Cain killed him.” “Seth’s” name literally means a “new beginning, new foundation.” It is a name given to him by his mother, by faith. It is a name of hope. It is a name that promises a new start. Through this family line will come, eventually, Jesus Christ the Messiah, our savior, and our king.

Verse 26, “To Seth, to him also a son was born; and he called his name Enosh.” “Enosh” means “Mortal frailty.” With this name, Seth is declaring the truth about all human beings to the society around him, to Lamech and all of his cousins. He is declaring, “You, Lamech, may think you are all powerful. You may think you are so smart and so strong that you can deliver your self without God’s help. I, Seth, am here to declare to you, that you are not. Instead, the truth is that we are all mortal. We are in deep spiritual need. We will all die, due to sin, unless we seek God and His forgiveness through putting our trust in a savior. Furthermore, we are not powerful, as your name declares; we are frail, weak, and unable to transform our lives back to the acceptable creation that God made our first parents, Adam and Eve.”

Now, here’s the climactic statement of this passage: “Then [inferring that up until then, what he is about to say had not been happening] men began to call upon the name of the Lord.” Rather than just living as though God did not exist, being caught up in “the good life” like the rest of his cousins, we see that starting with Enosh and his Dad, Seth, genuine worship and seriously seeking after God was re-instituted.

The expression “call upon the name of the Lord” does not simply mean they prayed. The expression is much greater than that. It is a statement of private and public declaration. It is a proclamation that God is great because of who He is, what He has done, and what He says and promises He will do. It is adoration and worship for all of His attributes and a commitment to seek God’s will and to serve Him with all one’s heart.

One last observation from this verse: the word “Lord” is God’s personal name. It is the first time it is used since verse 16, when Cain was cursed. It is now used again to reflect Seth and Enosh’s passion to draw close to the heart of God, the personal, all loving creator of their lives.

The message of this chapter is clear for all generations. The message is that no matter what progress man makes technologically, the underlying moral fault still remains unrepaired! We point boastfully at our skyscrapers, our well adorned yards and manicured lawns, our beautiful public parks, our powerful computers, our universities and hospitals and say, “Look at what we have accomplished!” But we ignore and cover up the areas of child abuse, substance abuse, divorce, murder, various addictions, injustice and uncontrollable rages of anger that parallel our accomplishments. We can master our environment, but we cannot master ourselves. We are competent to deal with our physical needs, but not to deal with the deepest needs of the human heart. Sin has warped the moral fabric of our universe, and only by looking to God to cover and transform us, can we be rescued.

Meaningful, admirable, successful, long lasting eternal life begins with the adoration and worship of God. He must be first. Or, “First things first” = ongoing worship of God and His past accomplishments and future plans, brings rescue and healing to our souls. Worship must be the daily and moment by moment priority of life.

• · God is to be sought after first.
• · God is to be the one who most takes our breath away, first.
• · God is to be the one we admire most.
• · God is to be the one we are to follow first.
• · God is to be the One we are to applaud first.

• It’s God’s plans and accomplishments that are to be kept in perspective, and when done so, will cause praise for His works to be first off of our lips.

When He is first, we ascend upward to fulfill the purposes for which we were created. But when we take our eyes off of Him, our glory days are over. The big descent begins. Just look at our country, our society, our churches, our families and our individual lives. In the past two hundred years, we Americans can and do boast as did Lamech about our accomplishments. But apart from God, they eventually spoil and bring about death, destruction and moral decay.

No political party, no human laws, no legislative actions, no marches and no amount of money or taxes or humanitarian programs can resurrect the corrupted heart of a society. Only one individual at a time, smitten by the love of God, committed to worshiping Him with all of his/her heart, will be transformed and can then make a difference in the world.

During the first century, Jesus said to His followers then and to us today: Follow me and I will make you fishers of men. Follow me, and I will give you an abundant life. But to follow me, you must first take up your cross, deny yourself, your plans, and your wishes. Then, follow me.

If we don’t like the way the world is going, then we have only to look at ourselves and ask, “God, am I genuine worshiper of You?” You can only really be responsible for you. It begins with you. Only after I have made sure that I am abiding in Christ, can I be of any use to God.

Into this fallen world, God would first bring Israel and then the church to preach the kingdom of God. Our purpose, as worshipers of Jesus Christ, is to be ambassadors of God to those who are hurting, confused, hopeless and desirous of personal change. We are here to proclaim God’s rightness and righteousness. We are here to point people to Jesus, as the only hope, the only way back to God. In Him alone, will people find life. But if we are not true worshipers first, we will not be the effective ambassadors and messengers that God desires us to be. Instead, we will be distracted by the pleasures and allurements of this world. Seth and Enosh called their world to worship and follow God, by their actions and words. Do you?

When we make private worship, our individual devotional time alone with the Lord, our priority in life, then throughout the day, we can enjoy God in His world without being distracted or lead astray.

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