Last time we were in this passage we noted that Cain chose to murder his brother and then complained that the LORD was unjust in His dealings with him. God is not intimidated by false accusations. God never acts in an unjust manner. Since Cain could not win against God, he chose to walk away from Him. He was a vagabond and a fugitive in the earth. He would spend his life wandering aimlessly.
In verse 17 we read that Cain had a wife. The question has been asked: where did Cain get his wife? The answer to that question is quite simple. He married one of his sisters. We believe the Bible and God created two people on day 6. There were no other people on earth. Thus Cain had to marry one of his sisters. The blood line was pure in the beginning and intermarriage was acceptable then. Later, God forbad intermarriage. He knew there were problems with the blood line of fallen mankind and to avoid problems, He taught the Jews the importance of not marrying close relatives.
One important factor we note from verses 17-24 is that Cain’s descendants did not call upon the name of the LORD. They were industrious, but they lacked purpose in life.
In verse 17 we see that Cain built a city and named it after his son, Enoch. Man likes to leave his mark in this world. Most men want to leave a secular mark. They believe that is what is most important. Few men want to leave a true spiritual mark. It seems few men see the importance of seeking to help their children to know the importance of walking in the fear of the LORD.
In verse 18 we see a further expansion of humanity. Cain’s descendants multiplied just as God commanded Adam and Eve in Genesis 1. In verse 19 we see further evidence of the godless nature of Cain’s descendants. Lamech chose to defy God’s law and he married two women. He was the originator of polygamy, not something to be proud of.
These two wives also bore sons. Jabal was the father of those that live in tents. He was a wanderer just like his forefather, Cain. He had cattle and they would need to move around with their cattle in order to find pasture for them.
Jubal, the brother of Jabal, was the father of such that can handle the harp and organ. He was a musician. God created man with the ability to make music. God also taught man how to make music. However, unless God is leading, the music will not be pleasing to Him. Most of the music today is not pleasing to the Lord. There are people who know how to make music with guitars and pianos and organs, etc. However, what they make is just noise. It is sensual and devilish.
Zillah, Lamech’s other wife, also bore a son named Tubalcain. He was skilled in working with brass and iron. We see that the first human beings were quite intelligent. Man has not developed and progressed over the centuries. Man was created with intelligence. He could reason and he could make things. However, as noted above, without the Lord he could not please God.
In verse 23 we see that Lamech was a boastful man. He was also one who took pleasure in mocking God.
Some have taken Lamech’s words as an expression of the fear of God. When we look at what God says about the sinful nature of man, it seems more likely that Lamech expressed an attitude of arrogance and defiance. In verse 24 Lamech made an assumption as to how God would deal with his sin. He obviously knew he had sinned against the LORD.
God had already declared that a man is to leave his father and mother and cleave unto his wife. God has never changed His law on marriage. His law is right and it does not need changing.
In verse 25 God recorded further actions of Adam and Eve. Eve had another son and she saw that as a replacement for Abel. We are reminded there as well that Cain murdered Abel. Seth also had a son and his name was Enos. The good news is that with the birth of this son, men began to call upon the name of the LORD.
The paganism of Cain’s descendants was contrasted with the desire to know the true God through one of Adam and Eve’s other descendants. Each person must choose for themselves whom they will follow. The influence of the father has a great effect on the direction that a son will choose. We are not given any further information about Seth. We are told that at the time of his son Enos, men began to call upon the LORD.
We are not told which men these were, but they were all the descendants of Adam and Eve. We are also not told how many men were on the earth at this time. The list of names given above this verse does not suggest that all the men were mentioned. We know that God commanded Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply. We know that some of their sons’ children are named.
We see a pattern being developed with the names that were mentioned. Godless societies are all about the present. They want to build cities and they want to make things. They have no purpose in life and they are busy serving themselves. God-fearing people take a different approach to life. As we move on into chapter 5 we see that few people sought after the LORD in the early days of mankind and the same is still true today. Jesus warned of the danger of staying on the broad way and missing out on the blessings of God.
It is important to build a life upon the truth. In order to do that, a person must follow the leading of the Lord who would have all men to be saved. When a person seeks after the LORD, he does so under the prompting of the Spirit of God. God has not changed His will for mankind. His plan is for all to repent and be saved. He does not force His salvation upon anyone. He simply makes it clear that His way is the right way. Sadly, most choose to go their own way and suffer through this life and into eternity.
Pastor Bartel