Lesson 13

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GENESIS 4

Verse One [Gen. 4:1]. Mankind is now outside of the garden. We might translate this verse: "I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord." Perhaps even here Eve re­members the promise of God that her seed would bruise the head of the serpent. Note the prominence of the word LORD in this chapter. In Chapter one the empha­sis was upon the word GOD; in Chapters two and three upon the words LORD GOD, and here it is upon the word LORD. We shall speak more of this later.

Verses Two to Fifteen [Gen. 4:12-15]. The First Murder.

Abel was a righteous man. Cf. Matthew 23:35; I John 3:12; Hebrews 11:4.

Cain's attitude was wrong. Cf. I John 3:12; Jude 14; Hebrews 11:4. Study Hebrews 11:4 as a commentary upon the sacrifice of Cain and Abel. Compare the sin of Cain with that of Adam, and note how far sin had already progressed. A rapid progress had occurred in the cor­ruption of the human heart. However, even Cain still feels the need of help from the Lord.

Verses Sixteen to Twenty-five [Gen. 4:16-25]. The genealogy of the Cainites, which comes to a head in Lamech. The names in this Chapter are not the names of the same people as appear in Chapter five. As to the meaning of these proper names, we are simply at a loss. We do not know the exact meaning- of one of them positively. The line of Cain comes to a head in Lamech, and in his son of hate we see how far sin had run its course. Cain at least felt the need of help from the Lord, but Lamech depends entirely upon his own strength. This is the last that we hear about the Cainites.

Verses Twenty-five and Twenty-six [ [Gen. 4:25-26]. Perhaps in the death of Abel we see the beginning of the death struggle between the seed of the woman and the serpent. At any rate, the seed of the woman is killed. However, God gives another seed in place of Abel, Seth, and the promised line is carried on through him. This closes the second division of the book of Genesis.

EXERCISES

• How may we translate Genesis 4:1?

• Compare the sin of Cain with that of Adam.

• Compare the sin of Lamech with that of Cain, and trace the development of sin from Adam through Cain to Lamech.

• With whom docs the line of Cain end?

• How does God carry on the promised line?

OPTIONAL EXERCISES

Commit to memory Hebrews 11:4.

HYMNS FOR STUDY

No. 57: "O Come, O Come, Immanuel."

No. 268: "O Jesus, Joy Of Loving Hearts."