Genesis By The Slice
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Gen 4:3-7a
-
†. Gen 4:3-4a . . In the course of time, Cain brought an offering to
The Lord from the fruit of the soil; and Abel, for his part, brought the
choicest of the firstlings of his flock.
There's no indication in this scene suggesting their oblations were sacrifices
for sin. The Hebrew word for their offerings is from minchah (min-khaw')
and means: to apportion, i.e. bestow; a donation; euphemistically, tribute;
specifically a sacrificial offering (usually bloodless and voluntary). Since the
offerings were minchah type offerings-- which are essentially gifts rather
than atonements --it would be wrong to insist Abel slew his firstling and/or
burned it to ashes. In point of fact, holocaust offerings go by the name of
'olah (o-law') instead of minchah; for example Gen 22:2.
Ancient rabbis understood the brothers' offerings to be a "first fruits" kind of
oblation.
T. And it was at the end of days, on the fourteenth of Nisan, that Kain
brought of the produce of the earth, the seed of cotton (or line), an oblation
of first things before the Lord; and Habel brought of the firstlings of the
flock. (Targum Jonathan)
Seeing as how Cain was a farmer, then in his case, an amount of produce
was the appropriate first fruits offering, and seeing as how Abel was an
animal husbandman, then in his case a head of livestock was the appropriate
first fruits offering.
I think it's safe to assume the brothers were no longer boys, but rather,
responsible men in this particular scene because God is going to treat them
that way. This incident is not said to be the very first time they brought gifts
to God. The brothers (and very likely their parents too), probably had been
bringing gifts for many years; ever since they were kids. And up to this
point, apparently both men were doing everything right and God was just as
much pleased with Cain and his gifts as He was with Abel and his gifts.
But where did they get this religion of theirs? Well; wasn't Abel a prophet?
"Therefore this generation will be held responsible for the blood of all the
prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world, from the
blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar
and the sanctuary." (Luke 11:50-51a)
It's evident then that the offerings were a legitimate part of a God-given
religion rather than a pagan ritual. (cf. Heb 11:4)
†. Gen 4:4b-5a . .The Lord paid heed to Abel and his offering, but to
Cain and his offering He paid no heed.
It's common to trip up on the nature of the offerings and totally miss the
role that the two men themselves played in their worship; in other words:
it's commonly assumed that Cain was rejected because his offering was
bloodless and the usual justification for that assumption is based upon the
passage below:
"It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than
Cain did. God accepted Abel's offering to show that he was a righteous
man." (Heb 11:4)
However, the focus in both Genesis and Hebrews is not really upon the
offerings because it's okay for a minchah to be bloodless. The focus is
actually upon faith and righteousness; viz: the focus is upon the nature of
the brother's conduct rather than upon the nature of their gifts. Abel's
conduct was righteous; hence God felt honored by his gift; while Cain's
conduct was unrighteous; hence God felt insulted by his gift.
Cain was of a good family. He wasn't the product of poverty or an inner city
barrio or dilapidated public housing. His mother wasn't cruel and/or
thoughtless, nor did she neglect him or abandon him. He wasn't in a gang,
didn't carry a church key, a shank, an ice pick, or a gun; didn't smoke weed,
drink, snort coke, take meth, gamble or chase women. He was very religious
and worshipped the exact same God that his brother worshipped, and the
rituals he practiced were correct and timely.
Cain worked for a living in an honest profession. He wasn't a thief, wasn't a
predatory lender, wasn't a Wall Street barracuda, a dishonest investment
banker, or an unscrupulous social network mogul. He wasn't a cheap
politician, wasn't a terrorist, wasn't on the take, wasn't lazy, nor did he
associate with the wrong crowd. The man did everything a model citizen is
supposed to do; yet he, and subsequently his gift, were soundly rejected
because he was unrighteous.
In what way was he unrighteous? Well, Cain's blemish is an elephant in the
middle of the room. It was friction between him and his brother. It's
unacceptable to worship God while the worshipper's relationship with their
brother is dysfunctional.
"Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your
brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar,
and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and
offer your gift." (Matt 5:23-24)
†. Gen 4:5b . . Cain was much distressed and his face fell.
Cain was a whole lot worse than distressed. He was blazing mad. The word
for "distressed" is from charah (khaw-raw') and means: to glow or grow
warm; figuratively (usually) to blaze up, of anger, zeal, jealousy. Cain is
actually in a passionate rage over this and certainly in no mood for a lecture.
Central to Cain's problem is something very, very common in human nature:
sibling rivalry. To be shown up by someone outside the family would have
been okay, but to be shown up by his kid brother was intolerable. In my
estimation, Cain was not only angry, but was humiliated as well; and he did
not get over this turn of events any time soon.
†. Gen 4:6 . . And The Lord said to Cain: Why are you distressed, and
why is your face fallen?
God made an honest effort to talk things over with Cain and resolve their
differences; but Cain didn't respond; he was too busy sulking in a black
pout.
†. Gen 4:7a . . If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?
That is an irrevocable principle, and comes out very early in the Bible
because it is so foundational to humanity's association with its creator. Well;
Abel did do right and that's why his gift is said to be offered in faith.
Cain's lack of faith is well illustrated at Isa 1:11-20. Yhvh's people were
offering all the required sacrifices, they were praying up a storm, and
observing all the required feasts and holy days. But God rejected all of it,
even though He himself required it, because His people's conduct was
unbecoming.
"The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to Yhvh." (Pro 15:8)
Perhaps the classic example is the one below.
"You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure
in burnt offerings." (Ps 51:16)
When David wrote that; he had only just committed the capital crimes of
adultery and premeditated murder. There was just no way that God was
going to accept his sacrifices and offerings in the wake of that; and David
knew it too.
The principle didn't go away. It's still the Lord's way of doing business with
people; even with Christians.
"God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have
fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but
if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with
another." (1John 1:5-7)
=============================
-
†. Gen 4:3-4a . . In the course of time, Cain brought an offering to
The Lord from the fruit of the soil; and Abel, for his part, brought the
choicest of the firstlings of his flock.
There's no indication in this scene suggesting their oblations were sacrifices
for sin. The Hebrew word for their offerings is from minchah (min-khaw')
and means: to apportion, i.e. bestow; a donation; euphemistically, tribute;
specifically a sacrificial offering (usually bloodless and voluntary). Since the
offerings were minchah type offerings-- which are essentially gifts rather
than atonements --it would be wrong to insist Abel slew his firstling and/or
burned it to ashes. In point of fact, holocaust offerings go by the name of
'olah (o-law') instead of minchah; for example Gen 22:2.
Ancient rabbis understood the brothers' offerings to be a "first fruits" kind of
oblation.
T. And it was at the end of days, on the fourteenth of Nisan, that Kain
brought of the produce of the earth, the seed of cotton (or line), an oblation
of first things before the Lord; and Habel brought of the firstlings of the
flock. (Targum Jonathan)
Seeing as how Cain was a farmer, then in his case, an amount of produce
was the appropriate first fruits offering, and seeing as how Abel was an
animal husbandman, then in his case a head of livestock was the appropriate
first fruits offering.
I think it's safe to assume the brothers were no longer boys, but rather,
responsible men in this particular scene because God is going to treat them
that way. This incident is not said to be the very first time they brought gifts
to God. The brothers (and very likely their parents too), probably had been
bringing gifts for many years; ever since they were kids. And up to this
point, apparently both men were doing everything right and God was just as
much pleased with Cain and his gifts as He was with Abel and his gifts.
But where did they get this religion of theirs? Well; wasn't Abel a prophet?
"Therefore this generation will be held responsible for the blood of all the
prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world, from the
blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar
and the sanctuary." (Luke 11:50-51a)
It's evident then that the offerings were a legitimate part of a God-given
religion rather than a pagan ritual. (cf. Heb 11:4)
†. Gen 4:4b-5a . .The Lord paid heed to Abel and his offering, but to
Cain and his offering He paid no heed.
It's common to trip up on the nature of the offerings and totally miss the
role that the two men themselves played in their worship; in other words:
it's commonly assumed that Cain was rejected because his offering was
bloodless and the usual justification for that assumption is based upon the
passage below:
"It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than
Cain did. God accepted Abel's offering to show that he was a righteous
man." (Heb 11:4)
However, the focus in both Genesis and Hebrews is not really upon the
offerings because it's okay for a minchah to be bloodless. The focus is
actually upon faith and righteousness; viz: the focus is upon the nature of
the brother's conduct rather than upon the nature of their gifts. Abel's
conduct was righteous; hence God felt honored by his gift; while Cain's
conduct was unrighteous; hence God felt insulted by his gift.
Cain was of a good family. He wasn't the product of poverty or an inner city
barrio or dilapidated public housing. His mother wasn't cruel and/or
thoughtless, nor did she neglect him or abandon him. He wasn't in a gang,
didn't carry a church key, a shank, an ice pick, or a gun; didn't smoke weed,
drink, snort coke, take meth, gamble or chase women. He was very religious
and worshipped the exact same God that his brother worshipped, and the
rituals he practiced were correct and timely.
Cain worked for a living in an honest profession. He wasn't a thief, wasn't a
predatory lender, wasn't a Wall Street barracuda, a dishonest investment
banker, or an unscrupulous social network mogul. He wasn't a cheap
politician, wasn't a terrorist, wasn't on the take, wasn't lazy, nor did he
associate with the wrong crowd. The man did everything a model citizen is
supposed to do; yet he, and subsequently his gift, were soundly rejected
because he was unrighteous.
In what way was he unrighteous? Well, Cain's blemish is an elephant in the
middle of the room. It was friction between him and his brother. It's
unacceptable to worship God while the worshipper's relationship with their
brother is dysfunctional.
"Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your
brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar,
and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and
offer your gift." (Matt 5:23-24)
†. Gen 4:5b . . Cain was much distressed and his face fell.
Cain was a whole lot worse than distressed. He was blazing mad. The word
for "distressed" is from charah (khaw-raw') and means: to glow or grow
warm; figuratively (usually) to blaze up, of anger, zeal, jealousy. Cain is
actually in a passionate rage over this and certainly in no mood for a lecture.
Central to Cain's problem is something very, very common in human nature:
sibling rivalry. To be shown up by someone outside the family would have
been okay, but to be shown up by his kid brother was intolerable. In my
estimation, Cain was not only angry, but was humiliated as well; and he did
not get over this turn of events any time soon.
†. Gen 4:6 . . And The Lord said to Cain: Why are you distressed, and
why is your face fallen?
God made an honest effort to talk things over with Cain and resolve their
differences; but Cain didn't respond; he was too busy sulking in a black
pout.
†. Gen 4:7a . . If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?
That is an irrevocable principle, and comes out very early in the Bible
because it is so foundational to humanity's association with its creator. Well;
Abel did do right and that's why his gift is said to be offered in faith.
Cain's lack of faith is well illustrated at Isa 1:11-20. Yhvh's people were
offering all the required sacrifices, they were praying up a storm, and
observing all the required feasts and holy days. But God rejected all of it,
even though He himself required it, because His people's conduct was
unbecoming.
"The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to Yhvh." (Pro 15:8)
Perhaps the classic example is the one below.
"You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure
in burnt offerings." (Ps 51:16)
When David wrote that; he had only just committed the capital crimes of
adultery and premeditated murder. There was just no way that God was
going to accept his sacrifices and offerings in the wake of that; and David
knew it too.
The principle didn't go away. It's still the Lord's way of doing business with
people; even with Christians.
"God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have
fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but
if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with
another." (1John 1:5-7)
=============================
Gen 4:7b-8
-
†. Gen 4:7b . . But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at
your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.
This is the very first instance in the Bible of the word "sin". The Hebrew word
is chatta'ah (khat-taw-aw') and/or chatta'th (khat-tawth') which are
ambiguous words that technically mean an offense; as in repeat offender. In
other words; not just an occasional slip-up, but a life style; viz: a habit.
Whatever it was that God found displeasing in Cain's life at the time of the
minchah disaster was moved to the back burner at this point because
something far worse is looming on Cain's horizon; and it wasn't his kid
brother's murder; no, it's something far more fatal to one's spiritual welfare.
It's a perpetual unwillingness to talk things over with God and get some
things straightened out between the two of you. This is not just serious-- it's
extremely serious and apparently quite common among people with Cain-ish
attitudes.
"But they refused to pay attention, and turned a stubborn shoulder and
stopped their ears from hearing. And they made their hearts like flint so that
they could not hear the law and the words which the Lord of legions had
sent by His spirit through the former prophets" (Zech 7:11-12)
That attitude is one of the very reasons why some people are sent to hell.
"This is the condemnation: that the light has come into the world, and men
loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For
everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest
his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light,
that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God." (John
3:19-21)
†. Gen 4:8a . . Now Cain talked with Abel his brother;
Cain probably complained to his brother that Yhvh was unfair. But the poor
man couldn't have picked a worse sounding board because Abel was a
prophet (Luke 11:50-51). In Cain's dispute with the Lord, Abel no doubt
took Yhvh's side in it. That was too much. There's no way a man like Cain
was going to take a lecture from his own kid brother. Abel's popularity with
God was bad enough, but preaching only made it worse and added insult to
injury.
No doubt Cain was very jealous of his kid brother's on-going popularity with
God. Poor Abel lost his life just because he was a pious man.
"Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother.
And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his
brother's were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world
hates you." (1John 3:12-13)
One of the boys involved in the April 20, 1999 Columbine High School
shooting incident shot and killed a girl in the cafeteria just because she
believed in God. Isn't that amazing? That boy was nothing in the world but a
twentieth century Cain with a gun.
†. Gen 4:8b . . and when they were in the field, Cain set upon his
brother Abel and killed him.
Whether or not Cain premeditated his brother's death that day is difficult to
tell. The word for "killed" is from harag (haw-rag') and means: to smite with
deadly intent. So the attack on his kid brother, whether premeditated or not,
was definitely meant to end Abel's life rather than to just rough him up and
teach him a lesson.
How Cain planned to explain Abel's death to his parents isn't stated. He
couldn't very well blame it on a carnivorous predator since man and beast
were on friendly terms prior to the Flood. It's my guess he set up the crime
scene to make it look like an accident.
=============================
-
†. Gen 4:7b . . But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at
your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.
This is the very first instance in the Bible of the word "sin". The Hebrew word
is chatta'ah (khat-taw-aw') and/or chatta'th (khat-tawth') which are
ambiguous words that technically mean an offense; as in repeat offender. In
other words; not just an occasional slip-up, but a life style; viz: a habit.
Whatever it was that God found displeasing in Cain's life at the time of the
minchah disaster was moved to the back burner at this point because
something far worse is looming on Cain's horizon; and it wasn't his kid
brother's murder; no, it's something far more fatal to one's spiritual welfare.
It's a perpetual unwillingness to talk things over with God and get some
things straightened out between the two of you. This is not just serious-- it's
extremely serious and apparently quite common among people with Cain-ish
attitudes.
"But they refused to pay attention, and turned a stubborn shoulder and
stopped their ears from hearing. And they made their hearts like flint so that
they could not hear the law and the words which the Lord of legions had
sent by His spirit through the former prophets" (Zech 7:11-12)
That attitude is one of the very reasons why some people are sent to hell.
"This is the condemnation: that the light has come into the world, and men
loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For
everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest
his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light,
that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God." (John
3:19-21)
†. Gen 4:8a . . Now Cain talked with Abel his brother;
Cain probably complained to his brother that Yhvh was unfair. But the poor
man couldn't have picked a worse sounding board because Abel was a
prophet (Luke 11:50-51). In Cain's dispute with the Lord, Abel no doubt
took Yhvh's side in it. That was too much. There's no way a man like Cain
was going to take a lecture from his own kid brother. Abel's popularity with
God was bad enough, but preaching only made it worse and added insult to
injury.
No doubt Cain was very jealous of his kid brother's on-going popularity with
God. Poor Abel lost his life just because he was a pious man.
"Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother.
And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his
brother's were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world
hates you." (1John 3:12-13)
One of the boys involved in the April 20, 1999 Columbine High School
shooting incident shot and killed a girl in the cafeteria just because she
believed in God. Isn't that amazing? That boy was nothing in the world but a
twentieth century Cain with a gun.
†. Gen 4:8b . . and when they were in the field, Cain set upon his
brother Abel and killed him.
Whether or not Cain premeditated his brother's death that day is difficult to
tell. The word for "killed" is from harag (haw-rag') and means: to smite with
deadly intent. So the attack on his kid brother, whether premeditated or not,
was definitely meant to end Abel's life rather than to just rough him up and
teach him a lesson.
How Cain planned to explain Abel's death to his parents isn't stated. He
couldn't very well blame it on a carnivorous predator since man and beast
were on friendly terms prior to the Flood. It's my guess he set up the crime
scene to make it look like an accident.
=============================
Gen 4:9-12
-
†. Gen 4:9 . . Yhvh said to Cain: Where is your brother Abel? And he
said: I don't know. Am I my brother's keeper?
The Hebrew word for "keeper" indicates, in this case, a guardian; viz:
responsibility for someone or something put in one's care; for example: Abel
was a keeper of the sheep: a shepherd. (Gen 4:2)
Cain worshipped the one true God, same as his brother, and he practiced the
very same rituals; yet responded to his maker's simple question with a lie
and a sarcastic rejoinder. Those who are the Serpent's progeny often act like
that because the Serpent's progeny have a Serpent's tongue.
"You are of your father the Devil, and the desires of your father you want to
do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth,
because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his
own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it." (John 8:44-45)
†. Gen 4:10 . .Then He said: What have you done? Hark, your
brother's blood cries out to me from the ground!
The Hebrew word for "cries out" is from tsa'aq (tsaw-ak') and means: to
shriek; which can be defined as a wild, involuntary scream.
Whether or not human blood actually has an audible voice isn't nearly
important as to what it might be saying. And in this case, it certainly
couldn't be good.
In civil law, it's handy to produce the corpus delicti in a homicide case
because it's very useful for proving the reality of a death, and for3
establishing the cause, and the time, of its occurrence. It's interesting that
God didn't produce Abel's body for evidence. He could have, but instead
relied upon the voice of his body's blood. So a murder victim's blood can be
introduced as a witness in the courts of Heaven. That is very interesting.
Abel's blood accuses. In contrast, Christ's blood defends (e.g. Rom 5:6-11,
Heb 12:24, and 1Pet 1:18-19). That's a whole lot more to people's
advantage.
†. Gen 4:11 . .Therefore, you shall be more cursed than the ground
which opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your
hand.
The original curse upon the soil reduced its agrarian productivity. But the
curse upon Cain brought his agrarian productivity to a complete and
irrevocable end.
†. Gen 4:12 . . If you till the soil, it shall no longer yield its strength
to you. You shall become a ceaseless wanderer on earth.
Ceaseless wandering was an inevitable consequence of the inability to raise
an adequate amount of your own food in that day and age. Nobody was
eating meat yet, so the soil was pretty much it as far as nourishment went.
Cain went on to become a very hungry, very overworked man. Wherever he
tried to farm, the ground would respond in such a way as to act infertile. The
curse was leveled right at his diet and the source of his food. Up till now,
Cain had been a successful, independent farmer. But no amount of
agricultural wisdom would ever restore his independence, nor his once green
thumb no matter how hard he tried to overcome it. Cain had crossed over a
line and there was no going back.
Since Cain could no longer sustain himself by farming, it would be difficult to
settle down and build himself a home; so he was forced to become
migratory and forage for seasonal foods like the uncivilized beast that he
was. It was poetic justice. The punishment sure fit his personality. If he was
going to act like a brute, then he deserved to live like one.
Though the Bible doesn't say; it would seem to me a reasonable assumption
that the curse upon Cain extended to his posterity (cf. Num 14:18). Up
ahead we'll see that they became renowned as a commercial/industrial
society rather than agrarian. As time went by, and the Adams family
multiplied and spread out; Cain's community no doubt traded with them
using income from the sale of manufactured goods to pay for the foods that
they themselves were unable to grow. Dependence upon imported food may
not be ideal; but it's certainly better than going hungry.
=============================
-
†. Gen 4:9 . . Yhvh said to Cain: Where is your brother Abel? And he
said: I don't know. Am I my brother's keeper?
The Hebrew word for "keeper" indicates, in this case, a guardian; viz:
responsibility for someone or something put in one's care; for example: Abel
was a keeper of the sheep: a shepherd. (Gen 4:2)
Cain worshipped the one true God, same as his brother, and he practiced the
very same rituals; yet responded to his maker's simple question with a lie
and a sarcastic rejoinder. Those who are the Serpent's progeny often act like
that because the Serpent's progeny have a Serpent's tongue.
"You are of your father the Devil, and the desires of your father you want to
do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth,
because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his
own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it." (John 8:44-45)
†. Gen 4:10 . .Then He said: What have you done? Hark, your
brother's blood cries out to me from the ground!
The Hebrew word for "cries out" is from tsa'aq (tsaw-ak') and means: to
shriek; which can be defined as a wild, involuntary scream.
Whether or not human blood actually has an audible voice isn't nearly
important as to what it might be saying. And in this case, it certainly
couldn't be good.
In civil law, it's handy to produce the corpus delicti in a homicide case
because it's very useful for proving the reality of a death, and for3
establishing the cause, and the time, of its occurrence. It's interesting that
God didn't produce Abel's body for evidence. He could have, but instead
relied upon the voice of his body's blood. So a murder victim's blood can be
introduced as a witness in the courts of Heaven. That is very interesting.
Abel's blood accuses. In contrast, Christ's blood defends (e.g. Rom 5:6-11,
Heb 12:24, and 1Pet 1:18-19). That's a whole lot more to people's
advantage.
†. Gen 4:11 . .Therefore, you shall be more cursed than the ground
which opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your
hand.
The original curse upon the soil reduced its agrarian productivity. But the
curse upon Cain brought his agrarian productivity to a complete and
irrevocable end.
†. Gen 4:12 . . If you till the soil, it shall no longer yield its strength
to you. You shall become a ceaseless wanderer on earth.
Ceaseless wandering was an inevitable consequence of the inability to raise
an adequate amount of your own food in that day and age. Nobody was
eating meat yet, so the soil was pretty much it as far as nourishment went.
Cain went on to become a very hungry, very overworked man. Wherever he
tried to farm, the ground would respond in such a way as to act infertile. The
curse was leveled right at his diet and the source of his food. Up till now,
Cain had been a successful, independent farmer. But no amount of
agricultural wisdom would ever restore his independence, nor his once green
thumb no matter how hard he tried to overcome it. Cain had crossed over a
line and there was no going back.
Since Cain could no longer sustain himself by farming, it would be difficult to
settle down and build himself a home; so he was forced to become
migratory and forage for seasonal foods like the uncivilized beast that he
was. It was poetic justice. The punishment sure fit his personality. If he was
going to act like a brute, then he deserved to live like one.
Though the Bible doesn't say; it would seem to me a reasonable assumption
that the curse upon Cain extended to his posterity (cf. Num 14:18). Up
ahead we'll see that they became renowned as a commercial/industrial
society rather than agrarian. As time went by, and the Adams family
multiplied and spread out; Cain's community no doubt traded with them
using income from the sale of manufactured goods to pay for the foods that
they themselves were unable to grow. Dependence upon imported food may
not be ideal; but it's certainly better than going hungry.
=============================
Gen 4:13-16a
-
†. Gen 4:13 . . Cain said to the Lord: My punishment is too great to
bear!
His punishment was actually very lenient. In point of fact, it wasn't
punishment at all, it was discipline. Had God actually punished Cain for
killing his brother, he would have gone to the gallows. It's true that Cain
would struggle to survive; but at least he was allowed to live. His kid brother
was dead. How is that fair?
NOTE: Let's say, just for the sake of amusement, that Abel was 30 years
old when Cain killed him. Well; had Abel lived as long as his brother Seth--
912 years --then theoretically Cain's malicious act deprived his kid brother of
882 years of life. How does a killer make up for that without forfeiting 882
years of their own life?
Q: How did Cain get off with only a slap on the wrist? Why wasn't he
executed for murder since God himself mandates capital punishment for
murderers as per Gen 9:5-6, Ex 21:12-14, Lev 24:17, Lev 24:21, and Num
35:31-34? Does God practice a double standard?
A: Murder is morally wrong, yes; and it is intrinsically a sin, yes; however;
prior to the Flood, men were at liberty to go on safari and hunt each other
like human wildlife because God had not yet enacted any laws granting
humanity protected species status. Divinely ordained capital punishment was
unheard of, and unthinkable, prior to the Flood because it is an axiom that
Bible law isn't retroactive; viz: it can't be enforced until after it is enacted;
which is precisely why God couldn't prosecute Cain for murder. (Rom 4:15,
Rom 5:13, and Gal 3:17)
†. Gen 4:14a . . Since You have banished me this day from the soil,
and I must avoid Your presence and become a restless wanderer on
earth--
Who said he must avoid God's presence? Somebody can be a ceaseless
wanderer without losing touch with God; I mean, after all: He's everywhere
at once. (Ps 139:7-12)
Alienation was Cain's decision, just as it was Judas' decision to break with
Jesus. Both men could've turned it around if they wanted; but didn't. Cain
walked out on God of his own volition. Now he would face life very insecure.
†. Gen 4:14b . . anyone who meets me may kill me!
I'm curious as to who Cain feared might slay him. The Adams family were
the only people on earth at that time.
†. Gen 4:15a . .The Lord said to him: I promise, if anyone kills Cain,
sevenfold vengeance shall be taken on him.
God didn't promise to be Cain's body guard; only to severely punish anyone
who slew him. This event highlights one of the problems associated with
domestic tranquility. Law works to protect you only when people obey it; so
that fear of retribution becomes the only really practical deterrent.
†. Gen 4:15b . . And the Lord put a mark on Cain, lest anyone who
met him should kill him.
The nature of Cain's mark is totally unknown. However, the "mark" wasn't so
people would hoot at Cain wherever he went. It was a "No Hunting" sign so
future generations of the Adams' family would know the real Cain from
imposters who might be inclined to give themselves a sort of diplomatic
immunity by impersonating Abel's brother.
God allows ignorance as an excuse; to a point. However, information creates
responsibility. When a person knows an act is wrong, and goes ahead and
does it anyway, they are in much deeper trouble than one who did not know
that a particular act was wrong. No one had been forbidden to kill Abel, nor
forbidden to kill any other man for that matter. But soon it would become
widespread public knowledge that God strictly forbade killing Cain.
Therefore, anyone who ignored God would pay dearly for knowingly, and
willfully, ignoring His wishes; just as Adam died for tasting the forbidden
fruit because the tasting was willful, and done in full understanding of both
the ban and the consequence. (cf. Num 15:30-31, Matt 11:20-24, Luke
12:47-48, Heb 10:26-27)
†. Gen 4:16a . . Cain left the presence of The Lord
Cain's departure from the presence of the Lord wasn't a forced eviction as
had been the Adams' departure from the garden. And even though the
Adams were driven from the garden, they weren't driven from God. The
family kept that connection and brought up their boys to keep it too.
Cain's self-imposed exile has the aura of a dreadful finality. He renounced
God, and his native religion, and was content to forego its privileges so that
he might not be under its control. He forsook not only his kin but also their
worship, and cast off all pretenses to the fear of God-- apparently putting
out of his mind God's statement: "If you do what is right, will you not be
accepted?"
Gen 4:16a is a terrible epitaph upon the tombstone of Cain's life, and you
can almost feel the concussion of a dreadful thud as the mighty doors of
perdition close solidly behind him; sealing his passage into permanent
darkness.
Why didn't God plead with Cain to stay in touch? Well, that would be like
throwing good money after bad. God had already tried at Gen 4:7; and like
Einstein once remarked: Insanity can be defined as doing the same thing the
same way over and over again and expecting a different result. Well; God's
not insane; He knows when to say when. Sadly, there are people for whom
it can be said: That was the last straw.
Of all the things that Cain had done up to this point, walking out on God was
his worst mistake. Yes, he would have to scrounge for food; but that was
just a bump in the road; not the end of the road. People need to think that
over. No matter how harsh your circumstances are, and no matter what life
has thrown in your face, loss of contact with your maker is much worse. It is
wise to stay in touch with God even if your life is a train wreck and God
seems oblivious to your circumstances.
"The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in
steadfast love. He will not contend forever, or nurse His anger for all time . .
As a father has compassion for his children, so The Lord has compassion for
those who fear Him. For He knows how we are formed; He is mindful that
we are dust." (Ps 103:8-14)
That Psalm's encouragement is restricted to "those who fear Him". The Cains
of this world are of course eo ipso excluded.
†. Gen 4:16b . . and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
The Hebrew word for "Nod" is from nowd (node) and means: wandering,
vagrancy or exile. Precisely how Nod got its name, or where it was located is
unknown. The only other place in the entire Old Testament where nowd is
found is at Ps 56:9.
=============================
-
†. Gen 4:13 . . Cain said to the Lord: My punishment is too great to
bear!
His punishment was actually very lenient. In point of fact, it wasn't
punishment at all, it was discipline. Had God actually punished Cain for
killing his brother, he would have gone to the gallows. It's true that Cain
would struggle to survive; but at least he was allowed to live. His kid brother
was dead. How is that fair?
NOTE: Let's say, just for the sake of amusement, that Abel was 30 years
old when Cain killed him. Well; had Abel lived as long as his brother Seth--
912 years --then theoretically Cain's malicious act deprived his kid brother of
882 years of life. How does a killer make up for that without forfeiting 882
years of their own life?
Q: How did Cain get off with only a slap on the wrist? Why wasn't he
executed for murder since God himself mandates capital punishment for
murderers as per Gen 9:5-6, Ex 21:12-14, Lev 24:17, Lev 24:21, and Num
35:31-34? Does God practice a double standard?
A: Murder is morally wrong, yes; and it is intrinsically a sin, yes; however;
prior to the Flood, men were at liberty to go on safari and hunt each other
like human wildlife because God had not yet enacted any laws granting
humanity protected species status. Divinely ordained capital punishment was
unheard of, and unthinkable, prior to the Flood because it is an axiom that
Bible law isn't retroactive; viz: it can't be enforced until after it is enacted;
which is precisely why God couldn't prosecute Cain for murder. (Rom 4:15,
Rom 5:13, and Gal 3:17)
†. Gen 4:14a . . Since You have banished me this day from the soil,
and I must avoid Your presence and become a restless wanderer on
earth--
Who said he must avoid God's presence? Somebody can be a ceaseless
wanderer without losing touch with God; I mean, after all: He's everywhere
at once. (Ps 139:7-12)
Alienation was Cain's decision, just as it was Judas' decision to break with
Jesus. Both men could've turned it around if they wanted; but didn't. Cain
walked out on God of his own volition. Now he would face life very insecure.
†. Gen 4:14b . . anyone who meets me may kill me!
I'm curious as to who Cain feared might slay him. The Adams family were
the only people on earth at that time.
†. Gen 4:15a . .The Lord said to him: I promise, if anyone kills Cain,
sevenfold vengeance shall be taken on him.
God didn't promise to be Cain's body guard; only to severely punish anyone
who slew him. This event highlights one of the problems associated with
domestic tranquility. Law works to protect you only when people obey it; so
that fear of retribution becomes the only really practical deterrent.
†. Gen 4:15b . . And the Lord put a mark on Cain, lest anyone who
met him should kill him.
The nature of Cain's mark is totally unknown. However, the "mark" wasn't so
people would hoot at Cain wherever he went. It was a "No Hunting" sign so
future generations of the Adams' family would know the real Cain from
imposters who might be inclined to give themselves a sort of diplomatic
immunity by impersonating Abel's brother.
God allows ignorance as an excuse; to a point. However, information creates
responsibility. When a person knows an act is wrong, and goes ahead and
does it anyway, they are in much deeper trouble than one who did not know
that a particular act was wrong. No one had been forbidden to kill Abel, nor
forbidden to kill any other man for that matter. But soon it would become
widespread public knowledge that God strictly forbade killing Cain.
Therefore, anyone who ignored God would pay dearly for knowingly, and
willfully, ignoring His wishes; just as Adam died for tasting the forbidden
fruit because the tasting was willful, and done in full understanding of both
the ban and the consequence. (cf. Num 15:30-31, Matt 11:20-24, Luke
12:47-48, Heb 10:26-27)
†. Gen 4:16a . . Cain left the presence of The Lord
Cain's departure from the presence of the Lord wasn't a forced eviction as
had been the Adams' departure from the garden. And even though the
Adams were driven from the garden, they weren't driven from God. The
family kept that connection and brought up their boys to keep it too.
Cain's self-imposed exile has the aura of a dreadful finality. He renounced
God, and his native religion, and was content to forego its privileges so that
he might not be under its control. He forsook not only his kin but also their
worship, and cast off all pretenses to the fear of God-- apparently putting
out of his mind God's statement: "If you do what is right, will you not be
accepted?"
Gen 4:16a is a terrible epitaph upon the tombstone of Cain's life, and you
can almost feel the concussion of a dreadful thud as the mighty doors of
perdition close solidly behind him; sealing his passage into permanent
darkness.
Why didn't God plead with Cain to stay in touch? Well, that would be like
throwing good money after bad. God had already tried at Gen 4:7; and like
Einstein once remarked: Insanity can be defined as doing the same thing the
same way over and over again and expecting a different result. Well; God's
not insane; He knows when to say when. Sadly, there are people for whom
it can be said: That was the last straw.
Of all the things that Cain had done up to this point, walking out on God was
his worst mistake. Yes, he would have to scrounge for food; but that was
just a bump in the road; not the end of the road. People need to think that
over. No matter how harsh your circumstances are, and no matter what life
has thrown in your face, loss of contact with your maker is much worse. It is
wise to stay in touch with God even if your life is a train wreck and God
seems oblivious to your circumstances.
"The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in
steadfast love. He will not contend forever, or nurse His anger for all time . .
As a father has compassion for his children, so The Lord has compassion for
those who fear Him. For He knows how we are formed; He is mindful that
we are dust." (Ps 103:8-14)
That Psalm's encouragement is restricted to "those who fear Him". The Cains
of this world are of course eo ipso excluded.
†. Gen 4:16b . . and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
The Hebrew word for "Nod" is from nowd (node) and means: wandering,
vagrancy or exile. Precisely how Nod got its name, or where it was located is
unknown. The only other place in the entire Old Testament where nowd is
found is at Ps 56:9.
=============================
Gen 4:17-19
-
†. Gen 4:17a . . Cain knew his wife,
Cain, of course, married a sister or a niece because there were no other
families on the entire planet at that time but the Adams. Some believe that
inbreeding has always been abhorrent to God since it's forbidden by
stipulations in Israel's covenanted law. However, those laws were not
enacted till many, many years after the Flood; and they are not retroactive.
Inbreeding is currently very risky business indeed. But it was neither a risk,
nor a taboo in Cain's day like it is now. After all, Adam's wife, Eve, was the
female version of himself. In reality then, Adam engendered the entire
human race by mating with a woman manufactured from his own organic
tissues. You can't get any closer to home than that..
The human race in Cain's day was very young, very healthy, and very close
to its origin. Not enough time had elapsed to damage the human genome.
Proof of the excellent quality of human life was longevity. Adam lived till he
was 930 and Noah till he was 950. Nobody even comes close to that
anymore.
Everybody alive today is the progeny of inbreeding; no exceptions. When the
ark finally came to ground, the only people left alive on the whole earth
were grandpa and grandma Noah and their three sons and their wives: eight
souls; that's all.
"He did not spare the ancient world when he brought the Flood on its
ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven
others." (2Pet 2:4-5)
It was from those eight survivors that everyone alive today descends; via
inbreeding.
"Now the sons of Noah who went out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and
Japheth. These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the whole earth
was populated." (Gen 9:18-19)
†. Gen 4:17b . . and she conceived and bore Enoch. And he then
founded a city, and named the city after his son Enoch.
The "city" probably wasn't the kind of city we're used to thinking. The word
for it is from 'iyr (eer) and simply means a community-- a place guarded by
waking or a watch --in the widest sense; even of a mere encampment or
post.
Whether Cain actually lived in a permanent settlement is doubtful since he
was stuck with vagrancy and wandering. Cain's city was very likely nothing
more than a rudimentary village like the towns in the Old West and the
Klondike that grew up around rail heads and mining camps. Some of those
were little more than a village of tents, and that's probably all that
Enochville amounted to. Just a nomadic assembly of Cain's clan where they
could pool their resources, and watch each other's back as they wandered
from place to place in the land of Nod searching for sustenance.
†. Gen 4:18-19 . .To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad begot Mehujael,
and Mehujael begot Methusael, and Methusael begot Lamech.
Lamech took to himself two wives: the name of the one was Adah,
and the name of the other was Zillah.
Adah is from 'Adah (aw-daw') and means: ornament. It's not unusual for
people to name their little girls after jewelry like Pearl, Ruby, Jade, Sapphire,
and Amber. Zillah is from Tsillah (tsil-law') which is derived from tsel (tsale)
and means: shade (or shadow), whether literal or figurative. Shade is a
good thing in sunny locales so Zillah's name may have been associated with
shelter, protection, peace, serenity, and rest-- as in Song 2:3.
Lamech's marriages are the very first incidence of polygamy in the Bible,
and I have yet to see a passage where God either approved or disapproved
of it other than the restrictions imposed upon New Testament church
officers. (e.g. 1Tim 3:2, 1Tim 3:12, and Titus 1:6)
Aside from the obvious sensual benefits men derive from harems; polygamy
does have its practical side. The gestation period for human beings is nine
months. At that rate, it would take a man many years to build up his clan to
a respectable size. But with multiple wives, he could speed things up
considerably. In primitive cultures, large families are very influential, and
their numbers crucial to survival and self preservation.
"Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are sons born to a man in his youth.
Happy is the man who fills his quiver with them; they shall not be put to
shame when they contend with the enemy in the gate." (Ps 127:4-5)
Cain's line, though distant from creation's God, produced a culture of very
high intellect and extraordinary ingenuity. Proof enough that just because
people don't associate with the Bible's God doesn't necessarily mean they're
brainless; I mean: look where much of the outsourcing like computer tech
support goes-- to India; an essentially Hindu/Buddhist country. Russia, an
essentially atheistic country, was the first in rocketry to put a man-made
object in low earth orbit. Who makes the best cell phones and electronic
watches? Japan; which is not what I would call a Christian nation. And who
leads the progress in natural sciences? Atheists and Agnostics. Actually, it's
to be expected that the majority of true Christian believers reflect a cross
section of mediocrity: a people-group of just average achievement.
"Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you
were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were
of noble birth." (1Cor 1:26-27)
It's tragic that so many otherwise bright, gifted people are lost to perdition
where their intellect, their foresight, their ingenuity, their energy, and their
talents will never be appreciated nor put to good use ever again: for
example Apple Computer founder Steve Jobs; whose religion of choice was
Buddhism: a spiritual philosophy utterly incompatible with the principles of
justice underlying the necessity of the Lord's crucifixion; and also
incompatible with His teachings on resurrection and fiery retribution. Jobs
was like a shooting star whose fire burns very bright for a few moments and
then goes dark forever. A terrible, terrible loss.
=============================
-
†. Gen 4:17a . . Cain knew his wife,
Cain, of course, married a sister or a niece because there were no other
families on the entire planet at that time but the Adams. Some believe that
inbreeding has always been abhorrent to God since it's forbidden by
stipulations in Israel's covenanted law. However, those laws were not
enacted till many, many years after the Flood; and they are not retroactive.
Inbreeding is currently very risky business indeed. But it was neither a risk,
nor a taboo in Cain's day like it is now. After all, Adam's wife, Eve, was the
female version of himself. In reality then, Adam engendered the entire
human race by mating with a woman manufactured from his own organic
tissues. You can't get any closer to home than that..
The human race in Cain's day was very young, very healthy, and very close
to its origin. Not enough time had elapsed to damage the human genome.
Proof of the excellent quality of human life was longevity. Adam lived till he
was 930 and Noah till he was 950. Nobody even comes close to that
anymore.
Everybody alive today is the progeny of inbreeding; no exceptions. When the
ark finally came to ground, the only people left alive on the whole earth
were grandpa and grandma Noah and their three sons and their wives: eight
souls; that's all.
"He did not spare the ancient world when he brought the Flood on its
ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven
others." (2Pet 2:4-5)
It was from those eight survivors that everyone alive today descends; via
inbreeding.
"Now the sons of Noah who went out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and
Japheth. These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the whole earth
was populated." (Gen 9:18-19)
†. Gen 4:17b . . and she conceived and bore Enoch. And he then
founded a city, and named the city after his son Enoch.
The "city" probably wasn't the kind of city we're used to thinking. The word
for it is from 'iyr (eer) and simply means a community-- a place guarded by
waking or a watch --in the widest sense; even of a mere encampment or
post.
Whether Cain actually lived in a permanent settlement is doubtful since he
was stuck with vagrancy and wandering. Cain's city was very likely nothing
more than a rudimentary village like the towns in the Old West and the
Klondike that grew up around rail heads and mining camps. Some of those
were little more than a village of tents, and that's probably all that
Enochville amounted to. Just a nomadic assembly of Cain's clan where they
could pool their resources, and watch each other's back as they wandered
from place to place in the land of Nod searching for sustenance.
†. Gen 4:18-19 . .To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad begot Mehujael,
and Mehujael begot Methusael, and Methusael begot Lamech.
Lamech took to himself two wives: the name of the one was Adah,
and the name of the other was Zillah.
Adah is from 'Adah (aw-daw') and means: ornament. It's not unusual for
people to name their little girls after jewelry like Pearl, Ruby, Jade, Sapphire,
and Amber. Zillah is from Tsillah (tsil-law') which is derived from tsel (tsale)
and means: shade (or shadow), whether literal or figurative. Shade is a
good thing in sunny locales so Zillah's name may have been associated with
shelter, protection, peace, serenity, and rest-- as in Song 2:3.
Lamech's marriages are the very first incidence of polygamy in the Bible,
and I have yet to see a passage where God either approved or disapproved
of it other than the restrictions imposed upon New Testament church
officers. (e.g. 1Tim 3:2, 1Tim 3:12, and Titus 1:6)
Aside from the obvious sensual benefits men derive from harems; polygamy
does have its practical side. The gestation period for human beings is nine
months. At that rate, it would take a man many years to build up his clan to
a respectable size. But with multiple wives, he could speed things up
considerably. In primitive cultures, large families are very influential, and
their numbers crucial to survival and self preservation.
"Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are sons born to a man in his youth.
Happy is the man who fills his quiver with them; they shall not be put to
shame when they contend with the enemy in the gate." (Ps 127:4-5)
Cain's line, though distant from creation's God, produced a culture of very
high intellect and extraordinary ingenuity. Proof enough that just because
people don't associate with the Bible's God doesn't necessarily mean they're
brainless; I mean: look where much of the outsourcing like computer tech
support goes-- to India; an essentially Hindu/Buddhist country. Russia, an
essentially atheistic country, was the first in rocketry to put a man-made
object in low earth orbit. Who makes the best cell phones and electronic
watches? Japan; which is not what I would call a Christian nation. And who
leads the progress in natural sciences? Atheists and Agnostics. Actually, it's
to be expected that the majority of true Christian believers reflect a cross
section of mediocrity: a people-group of just average achievement.
"Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you
were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were
of noble birth." (1Cor 1:26-27)
It's tragic that so many otherwise bright, gifted people are lost to perdition
where their intellect, their foresight, their ingenuity, their energy, and their
talents will never be appreciated nor put to good use ever again: for
example Apple Computer founder Steve Jobs; whose religion of choice was
Buddhism: a spiritual philosophy utterly incompatible with the principles of
justice underlying the necessity of the Lord's crucifixion; and also
incompatible with His teachings on resurrection and fiery retribution. Jobs
was like a shooting star whose fire burns very bright for a few moments and
then goes dark forever. A terrible, terrible loss.
=============================
Gen 4:20-22
-
†. Gen 4:20 . . Adah bore Jabal; he was the ancestor of those who
dwell in tents and amidst herds.
This is the Bible's very first mention of man-made portable shelters. Tents,
teepees, wigwams, etc; make it possible to roam long distances in relative
comfort while searching for foods and pastures. Abraham and Sarah were
housed in portable shelters the whole time they lived in Canaan. With
portable shelters, Enochville could be a very mobile community, staying in
one place only long enough to deplete its natural resources before moving
on to better diggings to invade, plunder, exploit, pollute, and depredate.
Jabal wasn't the father of animal husbandry as the passage seems to
suggest. Abel was already tending flocks before Jabal was born (Gen 4:2).
Dwelling "amidst" herds describes the lifestyle of North America's early
plains Indians; whose livelihood depended a great deal upon wild buffalo.
Though they followed the herds, the Sioux, Cheyenne, Arapaho, Kiowa,
Crow, Blackfoot, Comanche, and Shoshone, et el; didn't actually raise any of
their own buffalo like on a ranch.
Dwelling amidst herds is a nomadic way of life rather than one that's
domesticated; hence the need for portable shelters; and the herds (e.g.
deer, elk, wild goats, antelope, wildebeests, et al) would provide fabric for
not only the tents, but also for shoes and clothing; which would need
replacement quite often. One of Lewis' and Clark's complaints, when they
were passing through the Oregon territory, was that moccasins rotted off
their feet in the Northwest's climate. Even without rot, the soles of
moccasins are not all that resistant to wear. Buckskins, manufactured from
Elk hide and/or deerskin, fared little better.
†. Gen 4:21 . . And the name of his brother was Jubal; he was the
ancestor of all who play the lyre and the pipe.
The word for "ancestor" is from 'ab (awb); a primitive word which means
father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application. In
this particular case, 'ab wouldn't mean literal kin, but likely analogous to an
inventor who is the first to introduce a new concept which then later
becomes widely adopted.
The word for "lyre" is from kinnowr (kin-nore') and means: to twang. So the
actual instrument itself is difficult to identify. It could have been a harp. But
then again, it may have even been something as simple as a string stretched
between a washtub and a broom stick. The interesting thing about an
ancient twanging instrument is its string. How did the Cainites make them?
Of what material? A stringed instrument is a pretty advanced musical tool
and certainly not something you would expect to find among so primitive a
people as the antediluvians.
The word for "pipe" is from 'uwgab (oo-gawb') and means: a reed
instrument of music. A modern reed instrument is typically a woodwind that
produces sound by the vibrating of a thin strip of wood against the
mouthpiece; like clarinets and saxophones (hence the classification:
woodwinds). But in that culture, it could very well have been something as
simple as a tube whistle made from a single hollow section of plant stem; or
several of those bundled together like a Pan flute.
†. Gen 4:22a . . As for Zillah, she bore Tubal-cain, who forged all
implements of copper and iron.
Tubal-cain was an early smithy of metal knives, hoes, chopping tools, kettles
and skillets; which would certainly make life a lot easier out on the frontier.
Copper and iron, in their natural condition, are not too strong nor very hard
and wear resistant. Their properties are much improved when alloyed with
additional elements.
If the smithy adds a tiny percentage of carbon to iron, he gets steel; a much
tougher and far more durable metal than its parent. If the smithy adds even
more carbon, he gets cast iron, which is a very rigid metal and really good
for cooking because it cools slowly.
Adding a little zinc to copper produces brass, which is much stronger and
tougher than pure copper. Copper's advantage in cooking is its natural heat
conduction, which is very fast as compared to iron and/or steel. It's also an
excellent conductor of electricity, but unless they were bottling lightening in
those days, copper's electrical properties would have to wait for future
exploitation.
†. Gen 4:22b . . And the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.
Naamah is from Na'amah (nah-am-aw') which means pleasant, amiable, or
agreeable. A girl named Joy would probably fit that category. Naamah was
maybe Enochville's public affairs officer over at the local chamber of
commerce. A prosperous community like Enochville could always use a
friendly hostess, one who was good with the public. Naamah was the lady to
see for information about the metal tools and implements on sale over at
Tubal-cain's blacksmith shop, and about the musical instruments available
over at Jubal's place. Somebody in that town knew how to make tents too;
and with the hunters out there stalking herds; there was always a supply of
hides and leather goods at hand; and if there was trading with the Adams
over in Eden, then there was no doubt imported produce available too.
So all in all, Enochville, though unproductive in agriculture, prospered
through manufacturing and commerce instead; trading the goods and
services of their industrial base for much needed produce; the same way
that most urbanites still do even today. People in towns and cities typically
don't support themselves directly from nature. They earn a medium of
exchange in some sort of skill or profession, then trade it with merchants to
buy the things they need to survive.
The technological, and cultural, level of early Man was very high. It's
interesting that the identifying marks which evolutionary anthropologists use
to denote the emergence of a stone age culture into a civilized society were
evident in Cain's day-- animal husbandry, agriculture, trades, urbanization,
music, and metallurgy. All these civilizational technologies emerged very
early: within just a few generations of Adam; rather than thousands upon
thousands of years of human development. I'm not saying there were never
any "stone-age" peoples. Obviously there were. But though Cain's
community may have started out as cave men, by Noah's day they were
past primitive conditions and actually pretty advanced.
It's too bad the Flood had to wipe early Man off the map. Who can tell what
he might have accomplished had his progress not been interrupted (cf. Gen
11:6).
=============================
-
†. Gen 4:20 . . Adah bore Jabal; he was the ancestor of those who
dwell in tents and amidst herds.
This is the Bible's very first mention of man-made portable shelters. Tents,
teepees, wigwams, etc; make it possible to roam long distances in relative
comfort while searching for foods and pastures. Abraham and Sarah were
housed in portable shelters the whole time they lived in Canaan. With
portable shelters, Enochville could be a very mobile community, staying in
one place only long enough to deplete its natural resources before moving
on to better diggings to invade, plunder, exploit, pollute, and depredate.
Jabal wasn't the father of animal husbandry as the passage seems to
suggest. Abel was already tending flocks before Jabal was born (Gen 4:2).
Dwelling "amidst" herds describes the lifestyle of North America's early
plains Indians; whose livelihood depended a great deal upon wild buffalo.
Though they followed the herds, the Sioux, Cheyenne, Arapaho, Kiowa,
Crow, Blackfoot, Comanche, and Shoshone, et el; didn't actually raise any of
their own buffalo like on a ranch.
Dwelling amidst herds is a nomadic way of life rather than one that's
domesticated; hence the need for portable shelters; and the herds (e.g.
deer, elk, wild goats, antelope, wildebeests, et al) would provide fabric for
not only the tents, but also for shoes and clothing; which would need
replacement quite often. One of Lewis' and Clark's complaints, when they
were passing through the Oregon territory, was that moccasins rotted off
their feet in the Northwest's climate. Even without rot, the soles of
moccasins are not all that resistant to wear. Buckskins, manufactured from
Elk hide and/or deerskin, fared little better.
†. Gen 4:21 . . And the name of his brother was Jubal; he was the
ancestor of all who play the lyre and the pipe.
The word for "ancestor" is from 'ab (awb); a primitive word which means
father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application. In
this particular case, 'ab wouldn't mean literal kin, but likely analogous to an
inventor who is the first to introduce a new concept which then later
becomes widely adopted.
The word for "lyre" is from kinnowr (kin-nore') and means: to twang. So the
actual instrument itself is difficult to identify. It could have been a harp. But
then again, it may have even been something as simple as a string stretched
between a washtub and a broom stick. The interesting thing about an
ancient twanging instrument is its string. How did the Cainites make them?
Of what material? A stringed instrument is a pretty advanced musical tool
and certainly not something you would expect to find among so primitive a
people as the antediluvians.
The word for "pipe" is from 'uwgab (oo-gawb') and means: a reed
instrument of music. A modern reed instrument is typically a woodwind that
produces sound by the vibrating of a thin strip of wood against the
mouthpiece; like clarinets and saxophones (hence the classification:
woodwinds). But in that culture, it could very well have been something as
simple as a tube whistle made from a single hollow section of plant stem; or
several of those bundled together like a Pan flute.
†. Gen 4:22a . . As for Zillah, she bore Tubal-cain, who forged all
implements of copper and iron.
Tubal-cain was an early smithy of metal knives, hoes, chopping tools, kettles
and skillets; which would certainly make life a lot easier out on the frontier.
Copper and iron, in their natural condition, are not too strong nor very hard
and wear resistant. Their properties are much improved when alloyed with
additional elements.
If the smithy adds a tiny percentage of carbon to iron, he gets steel; a much
tougher and far more durable metal than its parent. If the smithy adds even
more carbon, he gets cast iron, which is a very rigid metal and really good
for cooking because it cools slowly.
Adding a little zinc to copper produces brass, which is much stronger and
tougher than pure copper. Copper's advantage in cooking is its natural heat
conduction, which is very fast as compared to iron and/or steel. It's also an
excellent conductor of electricity, but unless they were bottling lightening in
those days, copper's electrical properties would have to wait for future
exploitation.
†. Gen 4:22b . . And the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.
Naamah is from Na'amah (nah-am-aw') which means pleasant, amiable, or
agreeable. A girl named Joy would probably fit that category. Naamah was
maybe Enochville's public affairs officer over at the local chamber of
commerce. A prosperous community like Enochville could always use a
friendly hostess, one who was good with the public. Naamah was the lady to
see for information about the metal tools and implements on sale over at
Tubal-cain's blacksmith shop, and about the musical instruments available
over at Jubal's place. Somebody in that town knew how to make tents too;
and with the hunters out there stalking herds; there was always a supply of
hides and leather goods at hand; and if there was trading with the Adams
over in Eden, then there was no doubt imported produce available too.
So all in all, Enochville, though unproductive in agriculture, prospered
through manufacturing and commerce instead; trading the goods and
services of their industrial base for much needed produce; the same way
that most urbanites still do even today. People in towns and cities typically
don't support themselves directly from nature. They earn a medium of
exchange in some sort of skill or profession, then trade it with merchants to
buy the things they need to survive.
The technological, and cultural, level of early Man was very high. It's
interesting that the identifying marks which evolutionary anthropologists use
to denote the emergence of a stone age culture into a civilized society were
evident in Cain's day-- animal husbandry, agriculture, trades, urbanization,
music, and metallurgy. All these civilizational technologies emerged very
early: within just a few generations of Adam; rather than thousands upon
thousands of years of human development. I'm not saying there were never
any "stone-age" peoples. Obviously there were. But though Cain's
community may have started out as cave men, by Noah's day they were
past primitive conditions and actually pretty advanced.
It's too bad the Flood had to wipe early Man off the map. Who can tell what
he might have accomplished had his progress not been interrupted (cf. Gen
11:6).
=============================
Gen 4:23-26
-
†. Gen 4:23-24 . . And Lamech said to his wives: Adah and Zillah,
hear my voice! O wives of Lamech, give ear to my speech! I have
slain a man for wounding me, and a lad for bruising me. If Cain is
avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy-sevenfold.
Brag, Brag, Brag-- boy, I tell you some men sure love to show off and glorify
themselves in front of women; no doubt about it. Apparently ol' Lamech
figured the homicide he committed wasn't nearly as severe as Cain's
because he killed in retribution; whereas Cain killed in a rage. Also, Cain
killed his kid brother, whereas Lamech killed a relative a little more distant.
So in Lamech's estimation, Cain's killing was a much more serious crime;
and if a dirty rotten scoundrel like gramps was under God's divine
protections, then, in Lamech's mind, he certainly deserved to be under them
even more so; or so that's the way it was in his judicious estimation.
It almost appears that Lamech killed two people, but really it was only one;
and in fact a person younger than himself. Two words describe Lamech's
opponent. The first word is from 'enowsh (en-oshe') and simply means a
mortal; viz: a human being (of either gender), in general (singly or
collectively). The second word reveals the person's age. The word for "lad" is
yeled (yeh'-led) and means something born, i.e. a lad or offspring-- boy,
child, fruit, son, young one and/or young man.
Apparently Lamech got in a disagreement with somebody and they settled
their differences in a fight. The injury Lamech received in the ensuing scuffle
could have been something as simple as the man biting his ear or kicking
him in the groin. It's my guess Lamech over-reacted and stabbed the man to
death with a spiffy bowie knife that his son Tubal-cain made for him over in
the blacksmith shop.
Lamech's sense of right and wrong reflects the humanistic conscience of a
man void of God's mentoring. In his earthly mind, revenge was an okay
thing; which is a common attitude in many primitive cultures. But his
opponent only wounded him. In return, Lamech took his life. The scales of
justice don't balance in a situation like that-- they tip. Pure law says eye for
eye, tooth for tooth, burning for burning, stripe for stripe, life for life, and no
more. If the lad's intent was obviously upon great bodily harm; Lamech
would probably be justified to kill him in self defense since his opponent was
a younger man and had the advantage in age. However, according to
Lamech's own testimony, he killed the man in revenge; not self defense.
Cain's side of the Adams family is characterized by technology, invention,
boasting, achievement, commerce, and violence. But not one word is
recorded concerning its association with, nor its interest in, their maker.
Cain's entire community was Godless and went on to be completely
destroyed right down to the last man, woman, and child in Noah's flood. No
one survives him today.
The Bible doesn't record even one single incident of a Cainite blessing God
for His goodness; nor for His mercy, nor for His providence. There is no
record that any of them ever said even one single prayer-- not even a
simple lay-me-down-to-sleep kind of prayer. Every one of the little kids in
Enochville went to bed each night without the slightest assurance that
humanity's creator cared at all for the well being of their little souls.
How many homes right here today in modern America reflect that very same
Cainish culture? The parents and the children are unthankful, unholy, and
irreligious; caring little or nothing for things of eternal value: moving
towards an inevitable head-on rendezvous with death and the hereafter, and
totally unprepared to meet their maker.
†. Gen 4:26a . . And to Seth, in turn, a son was born, and he named
him Enosh.
Sometimes the record shows the mother naming a child, and sometimes the
father; which suggests that in all cases there was very likely mutual
consultation between husband and wife on this important decision. But it's
always important for the father to take a hand in naming the children
because the act testifies that he has legally, and officially, accepted them as
his own (e.g. Gen 15:16, Gen 21:3, Matt 1:21, Luke 1:13, Luke 1:63, Rev
2:17).
"Enosh" is from 'enowsh (en-oshe') and means: a mortal; hence a man in
general, singly or collectively (and thus differing from the more dignified
'adam (aw-dawm') which means: a human being) There's really nothing
special about an 'enowsh-- just a feller. Sometimes boys are named Guy, or
Buddy, so 'enowsh would be a common enough name.
†. Gen 4:26b . .Then men began to call on the name of The Lord.
That doesn't mean people began communicating with God only just then. It
only means they began calling upon God by a personal name instead of an
official title. "The Lord" here in Gen 4:26 is from the Hebrew proper noun
yhvh. According to a note in the Stone Tanach, the four letters of this name
are those of the Hebrew words "He always was, He always is, and He always
will be" signifying that Yhvh is timeless, perpetual, and infinite; ergo: self
existent.
=============================
-
†. Gen 4:23-24 . . And Lamech said to his wives: Adah and Zillah,
hear my voice! O wives of Lamech, give ear to my speech! I have
slain a man for wounding me, and a lad for bruising me. If Cain is
avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy-sevenfold.
Brag, Brag, Brag-- boy, I tell you some men sure love to show off and glorify
themselves in front of women; no doubt about it. Apparently ol' Lamech
figured the homicide he committed wasn't nearly as severe as Cain's
because he killed in retribution; whereas Cain killed in a rage. Also, Cain
killed his kid brother, whereas Lamech killed a relative a little more distant.
So in Lamech's estimation, Cain's killing was a much more serious crime;
and if a dirty rotten scoundrel like gramps was under God's divine
protections, then, in Lamech's mind, he certainly deserved to be under them
even more so; or so that's the way it was in his judicious estimation.
It almost appears that Lamech killed two people, but really it was only one;
and in fact a person younger than himself. Two words describe Lamech's
opponent. The first word is from 'enowsh (en-oshe') and simply means a
mortal; viz: a human being (of either gender), in general (singly or
collectively). The second word reveals the person's age. The word for "lad" is
yeled (yeh'-led) and means something born, i.e. a lad or offspring-- boy,
child, fruit, son, young one and/or young man.
Apparently Lamech got in a disagreement with somebody and they settled
their differences in a fight. The injury Lamech received in the ensuing scuffle
could have been something as simple as the man biting his ear or kicking
him in the groin. It's my guess Lamech over-reacted and stabbed the man to
death with a spiffy bowie knife that his son Tubal-cain made for him over in
the blacksmith shop.
Lamech's sense of right and wrong reflects the humanistic conscience of a
man void of God's mentoring. In his earthly mind, revenge was an okay
thing; which is a common attitude in many primitive cultures. But his
opponent only wounded him. In return, Lamech took his life. The scales of
justice don't balance in a situation like that-- they tip. Pure law says eye for
eye, tooth for tooth, burning for burning, stripe for stripe, life for life, and no
more. If the lad's intent was obviously upon great bodily harm; Lamech
would probably be justified to kill him in self defense since his opponent was
a younger man and had the advantage in age. However, according to
Lamech's own testimony, he killed the man in revenge; not self defense.
Cain's side of the Adams family is characterized by technology, invention,
boasting, achievement, commerce, and violence. But not one word is
recorded concerning its association with, nor its interest in, their maker.
Cain's entire community was Godless and went on to be completely
destroyed right down to the last man, woman, and child in Noah's flood. No
one survives him today.
The Bible doesn't record even one single incident of a Cainite blessing God
for His goodness; nor for His mercy, nor for His providence. There is no
record that any of them ever said even one single prayer-- not even a
simple lay-me-down-to-sleep kind of prayer. Every one of the little kids in
Enochville went to bed each night without the slightest assurance that
humanity's creator cared at all for the well being of their little souls.
How many homes right here today in modern America reflect that very same
Cainish culture? The parents and the children are unthankful, unholy, and
irreligious; caring little or nothing for things of eternal value: moving
towards an inevitable head-on rendezvous with death and the hereafter, and
totally unprepared to meet their maker.
†. Gen 4:26a . . And to Seth, in turn, a son was born, and he named
him Enosh.
Sometimes the record shows the mother naming a child, and sometimes the
father; which suggests that in all cases there was very likely mutual
consultation between husband and wife on this important decision. But it's
always important for the father to take a hand in naming the children
because the act testifies that he has legally, and officially, accepted them as
his own (e.g. Gen 15:16, Gen 21:3, Matt 1:21, Luke 1:13, Luke 1:63, Rev
2:17).
"Enosh" is from 'enowsh (en-oshe') and means: a mortal; hence a man in
general, singly or collectively (and thus differing from the more dignified
'adam (aw-dawm') which means: a human being) There's really nothing
special about an 'enowsh-- just a feller. Sometimes boys are named Guy, or
Buddy, so 'enowsh would be a common enough name.
†. Gen 4:26b . .Then men began to call on the name of The Lord.
That doesn't mean people began communicating with God only just then. It
only means they began calling upon God by a personal name instead of an
official title. "The Lord" here in Gen 4:26 is from the Hebrew proper noun
yhvh. According to a note in the Stone Tanach, the four letters of this name
are those of the Hebrew words "He always was, He always is, and He always
will be" signifying that Yhvh is timeless, perpetual, and infinite; ergo: self
existent.
=============================
Last edited:
Gen 5:1-9
-
†. Gen 5:1a . .This is the record of Adam's line.
The Bible record generally follows the genealogy that leads to Christ; but, on
the way, sometimes takes little side trips along lines forking off the main
stem. So Genesis first shows where Cain's line went, drops it, and then picks
up Seth's; beginning at Adam. Adam's line of course includes every human
being who ever lived, but the only fork in his tree that really counts is the
one leading to Jesus of Nazareth: the Bible's central figure.
†. Gen 5:1b-2 . .When God created man, He made him in the likeness
of God; male and female He created them. And when they were
created, He blessed them and called them Man.
As a preamble to Seth's line, Genesis reminds the reader that Man's origin
was by intelligent design and special creation, and that he was made in the
likeness of his creator, and that he's been a homo sapiens right from the
get-go. Man didn't begin his existence as some sort of pre-human hominid
named Ardi who lived in Ethiopia's Afar Rift some 4.4 million years ago.
Some people take issue with Genesis because it seems to them so
unscientific and contrary to the (known) fossil record. But they need to be
cautious because science doesn't have perfect understanding of everything
yet, and it often has to be revised to reflect new discoveries, and to correct
outdated theories and opinions. But to be fair, Bible students don't know
everything yet either so I would advise watching the sciences for new
discoveries that help fill in some of the Bible's blanks.
†. Gen 5:3a . .When Adam had lived 130 years, he begot a son
Adam lived to be 930. If we compare that age to that of the average life
expectancy of American men today, Adam would have been an eleven year
old kid when Seth was born.
Eve understood Seth to be Abel's replacement. But that doesn't necessarily
mean Seth was the very next boy born into the Adams family after Abel. It
doesn't even mean Seth was her third child. Bible genealogies often have
very large gaps in them, omitting insignificant male siblings; and typically all
of the girls. In one instance (1Chrn 1:1) the record skips Abel and jumps
right to Seth.
Taking advantage of this rather strange Bible practice; critics are quick to
point out generational gaps in Christ's genealogy with the intent of
invalidating the entire New Testament. But gaps are to be expected or
otherwise the list would be cumbersome and require a book all its own. For
example; a quantum amount of time passed between Noah's ark and the
arrival of Abraham on the scene; and probably a couple of ice ages too.
We're talking about a lot of generations there, and naming them all to a man
would be just as useless as it would be impractical.
†. Gen 5:3b . . in his likeness after his image, and he named him
Seth.
Seth' image and likeness is the very same wording as Gen 1:26-27.
Adams' image and likeness of God was obtained via the process of creation;
while Seth's image and likeness of Adam was by means of procreation;
which Webster's defines as reproduction; viz: biological progeny. Had God
actually reproduced to create Adam, then Man would be just as much God as
God because like engenders like; viz: more of itself.
†. Gen 5:4-5 . . After the birth of Seth, Adam lived 800 years and
begot sons and daughters. All the days that Adam lived came to 930
years; then he died.
Well, there goes grandpa Adam, just as God predicted at Gen 3:19. But hey?
Where's the listing of the rest of his kids? Didn't God bless him with the
words "be fruitful, increase in number, and fill the earth". Well, I seriously
doubt that he and Eve stopped after just three kids. But the rest of his
progeny-- for reasons I can only guess --didn't make the cut.
But when did Eve die? Did she outlive Adam? Who died first, Adam or Eve?
Nobody really knows. But supposing Eve died quite a while before Adam?
Did he remarry? And if he remarried, who did he marry? One of his own
grandchildren? Well . . in Adam's case, what's so bad about that? I mean,
after all, his first wife was manufactured from the organic tissues of his own
body; so that in reality, Eve was his first child which means that by today's
social standards; Adam practiced the worst kind of incest. At least his
grandkids would have been several times removed.
†. Gen 5:6-7 . .When Seth had lived 105 years, he begot Enosh. After
the birth of Enosh, Seth lived 807 years and begot sons and
daughters.
No doubt some people envy the longevity of the antediluvians; but I don't.
Their life was hard, and for the most part, pretty boring. Would you want to
live for 912 years in primitive conditions? Not me.
Was Enosh the first of Seth's children? Maybe, but probably not. However,
he is the only child that counts because it's through him that we're moving
towards Noah; and ultimately Abraham, David, and Christ.
†. Gen 5:8 . . All the days of Seth came to 912 years; then he died.
(sigh) The story of our futile lives. So and So was born. He got married and
had children; lived X number of years after that, and then died-- same O,
same O. The weary circle of life.
"Meaningless! Futile! complains the Teacher. Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless. What does man gain from all his labor at which
he toils under the sun? Generations come and generations go, but the earth
remains forever." (Ecc 1:2-4)
The earth is dumber than a brick; yet easily outlives its human potentate;
whose IQ is infinitely greater.
†. Gen 5:9 . .When Enosh had lived 90 years, he begot Kenan.
Kenan's name in the Hebrew is Qeynan (kay-nawn') which means fixed or
permanent; sort of like birds' nests, homes; and drifters finally ending their
nomadic life and putting down some roots. Fixed can also mean that
someone's life has a noble purpose and that their mind is focused upon that
purpose rather than looking two ways at once. Or it can also mean
somebody's life is a dead end; for example "this is as good as it's ever going
to get". Kind of pessimistic; but had I lived back then, I would have agreed;
heartily.
=============================
-
†. Gen 5:1a . .This is the record of Adam's line.
The Bible record generally follows the genealogy that leads to Christ; but, on
the way, sometimes takes little side trips along lines forking off the main
stem. So Genesis first shows where Cain's line went, drops it, and then picks
up Seth's; beginning at Adam. Adam's line of course includes every human
being who ever lived, but the only fork in his tree that really counts is the
one leading to Jesus of Nazareth: the Bible's central figure.
†. Gen 5:1b-2 . .When God created man, He made him in the likeness
of God; male and female He created them. And when they were
created, He blessed them and called them Man.
As a preamble to Seth's line, Genesis reminds the reader that Man's origin
was by intelligent design and special creation, and that he was made in the
likeness of his creator, and that he's been a homo sapiens right from the
get-go. Man didn't begin his existence as some sort of pre-human hominid
named Ardi who lived in Ethiopia's Afar Rift some 4.4 million years ago.
Some people take issue with Genesis because it seems to them so
unscientific and contrary to the (known) fossil record. But they need to be
cautious because science doesn't have perfect understanding of everything
yet, and it often has to be revised to reflect new discoveries, and to correct
outdated theories and opinions. But to be fair, Bible students don't know
everything yet either so I would advise watching the sciences for new
discoveries that help fill in some of the Bible's blanks.
†. Gen 5:3a . .When Adam had lived 130 years, he begot a son
Adam lived to be 930. If we compare that age to that of the average life
expectancy of American men today, Adam would have been an eleven year
old kid when Seth was born.
Eve understood Seth to be Abel's replacement. But that doesn't necessarily
mean Seth was the very next boy born into the Adams family after Abel. It
doesn't even mean Seth was her third child. Bible genealogies often have
very large gaps in them, omitting insignificant male siblings; and typically all
of the girls. In one instance (1Chrn 1:1) the record skips Abel and jumps
right to Seth.
Taking advantage of this rather strange Bible practice; critics are quick to
point out generational gaps in Christ's genealogy with the intent of
invalidating the entire New Testament. But gaps are to be expected or
otherwise the list would be cumbersome and require a book all its own. For
example; a quantum amount of time passed between Noah's ark and the
arrival of Abraham on the scene; and probably a couple of ice ages too.
We're talking about a lot of generations there, and naming them all to a man
would be just as useless as it would be impractical.
†. Gen 5:3b . . in his likeness after his image, and he named him
Seth.
Seth' image and likeness is the very same wording as Gen 1:26-27.
Adams' image and likeness of God was obtained via the process of creation;
while Seth's image and likeness of Adam was by means of procreation;
which Webster's defines as reproduction; viz: biological progeny. Had God
actually reproduced to create Adam, then Man would be just as much God as
God because like engenders like; viz: more of itself.
†. Gen 5:4-5 . . After the birth of Seth, Adam lived 800 years and
begot sons and daughters. All the days that Adam lived came to 930
years; then he died.
Well, there goes grandpa Adam, just as God predicted at Gen 3:19. But hey?
Where's the listing of the rest of his kids? Didn't God bless him with the
words "be fruitful, increase in number, and fill the earth". Well, I seriously
doubt that he and Eve stopped after just three kids. But the rest of his
progeny-- for reasons I can only guess --didn't make the cut.
But when did Eve die? Did she outlive Adam? Who died first, Adam or Eve?
Nobody really knows. But supposing Eve died quite a while before Adam?
Did he remarry? And if he remarried, who did he marry? One of his own
grandchildren? Well . . in Adam's case, what's so bad about that? I mean,
after all, his first wife was manufactured from the organic tissues of his own
body; so that in reality, Eve was his first child which means that by today's
social standards; Adam practiced the worst kind of incest. At least his
grandkids would have been several times removed.
†. Gen 5:6-7 . .When Seth had lived 105 years, he begot Enosh. After
the birth of Enosh, Seth lived 807 years and begot sons and
daughters.
No doubt some people envy the longevity of the antediluvians; but I don't.
Their life was hard, and for the most part, pretty boring. Would you want to
live for 912 years in primitive conditions? Not me.
Was Enosh the first of Seth's children? Maybe, but probably not. However,
he is the only child that counts because it's through him that we're moving
towards Noah; and ultimately Abraham, David, and Christ.
†. Gen 5:8 . . All the days of Seth came to 912 years; then he died.
(sigh) The story of our futile lives. So and So was born. He got married and
had children; lived X number of years after that, and then died-- same O,
same O. The weary circle of life.
"Meaningless! Futile! complains the Teacher. Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless. What does man gain from all his labor at which
he toils under the sun? Generations come and generations go, but the earth
remains forever." (Ecc 1:2-4)
The earth is dumber than a brick; yet easily outlives its human potentate;
whose IQ is infinitely greater.
†. Gen 5:9 . .When Enosh had lived 90 years, he begot Kenan.
Kenan's name in the Hebrew is Qeynan (kay-nawn') which means fixed or
permanent; sort of like birds' nests, homes; and drifters finally ending their
nomadic life and putting down some roots. Fixed can also mean that
someone's life has a noble purpose and that their mind is focused upon that
purpose rather than looking two ways at once. Or it can also mean
somebody's life is a dead end; for example "this is as good as it's ever going
to get". Kind of pessimistic; but had I lived back then, I would have agreed;
heartily.
=============================
Gen 5:10-27
-
†. Gen 5:10 . . After the birth of Kenan, Enosh lived 815 years and
begot sons and daughters.
You know, some of these guys really didn't accomplish very much. All they
seemed to do was reproduce. But the important thing is: they made a line to
Messiah and, as is the duty of patriarchs, preserved whatever sacred
teachings were handed down from their fathers.
†. Gen 5:11 . . All the days of Enosh came to 905 years; then he died.
(yawn) Over and over again. Just about everybody reproduces in chapter
five. And just about everybody dies too.
†. Gen 5:12-20 . .When Kenan had lived 70 years, he begot
Mahalalel. After the birth of Mahalalel, Kenan lived 840 years and
begot sons and daughters. All the days of Kenan came to 910 years;
then he died. When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he begot Jared.
After the birth of Jared, Mahalalel lived 830 years and begot sons
and daughters. All the days of Mahalalel came to 895 years; then he
died. When Jared had lived 162 years, he begot Enoch. After the
birth of Enoch, Jared lived 800 years and begot sons and daughters.
All the days of Jared came to 962 years; then he died.
Four of those men-- Enoch, Jared, Mahalalel, and Kenan (Cainan) --are
listed in the Lord's genealogy at Luke 3:37-38.
†. Gen 5:21 . .When Enoch had lived 65 years, he begot Methuselah.
Methuselah's name is Methuwshelach (meth-oo-sheh'-lakh) which is a
compound word made up of math (math) which means an adult (as of full
length or full size), and shelach (sheh'-lakh) which means a missile of
attack, i.e. a spear, sling stone, or perhaps an arrow. Methuselah was a
man-size weapon rather than one that might be employed by little children.
Today our preferred missile of attack from a hand held weapon is the bullet.
A Methuselah bullet would probably be known today as a magnum.
Magnums cost more than normal ammo but hit harder, go further, and
cause more damage (they're louder too). A modern name that might
correspond to Methuselah is Long Tom-- a nickname often given to very
large canons. Maybe they meant to call him Big Guy because he was such a
heavy newborn.
†. Gen 5:22-23 . . After the birth of Methuselah, Enoch walked with
God 300 years; and he begot sons and daughters. All the days of
Enoch came to 365 years.
Enoch was a fiery preacher, speaking the words recorded in Jude 1:14-15;
warning people prior to the Flood that Almighty God intends to hold people's
feet to the fire some day.
†. Gen 5:24a . . Enoch walked with God;
Enoch was the exact opposite of Cain: he walked with God rather than away
from God.
This is the very first man on record who is actually said to have walked with
God; though no doubt Abel did too.
Those who are outwardly religious, but don't actually walk with God, might
be wise to give this next little saying some thought.
Ye call me Lord and respect me not.
Ye call me Master and obey me not.
Ye call me Light and see me not.
Ye call me Way and walk me not.
Ye call me Life and choose me not.
Ye call me Wise and heed me not.
Ye call me Kind and love me not.
Ye call me Just and fear me not.
If I condemn thee, blame me not.
On the page of Scripture, Enoch isn't said to walk with God until after his
little boy Methuselah was born; suggesting perhaps that parenthood gave
him cause to consider his manner of life thus far.
†. Gen 5:24b . . then he was no more, because God took him away.
The Hebrew word for "no more" is 'ayin (ah'-yin) which is primarily a
negative indicating that one minute Enoch was on earth, and the next he
wasn't. It's difficult to ascertain from so little information in the book of
Genesis whether Enoch died of natural causes or the hand of God; but
according to Heb 11:5, he didn't undergo normal death at all but was
instantaneously transferred from this life to the next; apparently leaving
behind no remains for his family to bury.
It's assumed by many that Enoch was taken to heaven; but according to
Jesus Christ; no man had been to heaven prior to himself. (John 3:13)
†. Gen 5:25-27 . .When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he begot
Lamech. After the birth of Lamech, Methuselah lived 782 years and
begot sons and daughters. All the days of Methuselah came to 969
years; then he died.
Ol' Methuselah holds the record for longevity. He outlived his son Lamech,
dying five years after him in the very year the Flood came; when
Methuselah's grandson Noah was 600. Whether or not Methuselah died in
the Flood or by natural causes is not said. However, he may indeed have
perished in it right along with all of the rest of Noah's relatives. Just because
men are listed in Messiah's genealogy doesn't necessarily mean they were
righteous. In point of fact, some of the Davidic kings in Jesus' line were
totally incorrigible men beyond remedy. (e.g. Jer 22:24-30)
=============================
-
†. Gen 5:10 . . After the birth of Kenan, Enosh lived 815 years and
begot sons and daughters.
You know, some of these guys really didn't accomplish very much. All they
seemed to do was reproduce. But the important thing is: they made a line to
Messiah and, as is the duty of patriarchs, preserved whatever sacred
teachings were handed down from their fathers.
†. Gen 5:11 . . All the days of Enosh came to 905 years; then he died.
(yawn) Over and over again. Just about everybody reproduces in chapter
five. And just about everybody dies too.
†. Gen 5:12-20 . .When Kenan had lived 70 years, he begot
Mahalalel. After the birth of Mahalalel, Kenan lived 840 years and
begot sons and daughters. All the days of Kenan came to 910 years;
then he died. When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he begot Jared.
After the birth of Jared, Mahalalel lived 830 years and begot sons
and daughters. All the days of Mahalalel came to 895 years; then he
died. When Jared had lived 162 years, he begot Enoch. After the
birth of Enoch, Jared lived 800 years and begot sons and daughters.
All the days of Jared came to 962 years; then he died.
Four of those men-- Enoch, Jared, Mahalalel, and Kenan (Cainan) --are
listed in the Lord's genealogy at Luke 3:37-38.
†. Gen 5:21 . .When Enoch had lived 65 years, he begot Methuselah.
Methuselah's name is Methuwshelach (meth-oo-sheh'-lakh) which is a
compound word made up of math (math) which means an adult (as of full
length or full size), and shelach (sheh'-lakh) which means a missile of
attack, i.e. a spear, sling stone, or perhaps an arrow. Methuselah was a
man-size weapon rather than one that might be employed by little children.
Today our preferred missile of attack from a hand held weapon is the bullet.
A Methuselah bullet would probably be known today as a magnum.
Magnums cost more than normal ammo but hit harder, go further, and
cause more damage (they're louder too). A modern name that might
correspond to Methuselah is Long Tom-- a nickname often given to very
large canons. Maybe they meant to call him Big Guy because he was such a
heavy newborn.
†. Gen 5:22-23 . . After the birth of Methuselah, Enoch walked with
God 300 years; and he begot sons and daughters. All the days of
Enoch came to 365 years.
Enoch was a fiery preacher, speaking the words recorded in Jude 1:14-15;
warning people prior to the Flood that Almighty God intends to hold people's
feet to the fire some day.
†. Gen 5:24a . . Enoch walked with God;
Enoch was the exact opposite of Cain: he walked with God rather than away
from God.
This is the very first man on record who is actually said to have walked with
God; though no doubt Abel did too.
Those who are outwardly religious, but don't actually walk with God, might
be wise to give this next little saying some thought.
Ye call me Lord and respect me not.
Ye call me Master and obey me not.
Ye call me Light and see me not.
Ye call me Way and walk me not.
Ye call me Life and choose me not.
Ye call me Wise and heed me not.
Ye call me Kind and love me not.
Ye call me Just and fear me not.
If I condemn thee, blame me not.
On the page of Scripture, Enoch isn't said to walk with God until after his
little boy Methuselah was born; suggesting perhaps that parenthood gave
him cause to consider his manner of life thus far.
†. Gen 5:24b . . then he was no more, because God took him away.
The Hebrew word for "no more" is 'ayin (ah'-yin) which is primarily a
negative indicating that one minute Enoch was on earth, and the next he
wasn't. It's difficult to ascertain from so little information in the book of
Genesis whether Enoch died of natural causes or the hand of God; but
according to Heb 11:5, he didn't undergo normal death at all but was
instantaneously transferred from this life to the next; apparently leaving
behind no remains for his family to bury.
It's assumed by many that Enoch was taken to heaven; but according to
Jesus Christ; no man had been to heaven prior to himself. (John 3:13)
†. Gen 5:25-27 . .When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he begot
Lamech. After the birth of Lamech, Methuselah lived 782 years and
begot sons and daughters. All the days of Methuselah came to 969
years; then he died.
Ol' Methuselah holds the record for longevity. He outlived his son Lamech,
dying five years after him in the very year the Flood came; when
Methuselah's grandson Noah was 600. Whether or not Methuselah died in
the Flood or by natural causes is not said. However, he may indeed have
perished in it right along with all of the rest of Noah's relatives. Just because
men are listed in Messiah's genealogy doesn't necessarily mean they were
righteous. In point of fact, some of the Davidic kings in Jesus' line were
totally incorrigible men beyond remedy. (e.g. Jer 22:24-30)
=============================
Last edited:
Gen 5:28-32
-
†. Gen 5:28-29 . .When Lamech had lived 182 years, he begot a son.
And he named him Noah, saying, “This one will provide us relief
from our work and from the toil of our hands, out of the very soil
which the Lord placed under a curse.”
The word for "Noah" is from nuwach (noo'-akh) and means: rest or quiet.
But not the kind of quiet one might find in a sound-proof room. More like the
peace and quiet a person would experience by getting away from anxiety,
fear, conflict, and toil.
Lamech speaks as one fatigued with the business of living, and as one
grudging that so much energy, which otherwise might have been much
better employed in leisure, entertainment, or self improvement, was
unavoidably spent in toil and labor necessary simply to survive.
Lamech undoubtedly saw that Noah was a very special boy; the next
patriarch after himself. Perhaps he hoped Noah was the promised seed of
the woman; the one who would crush the Serpent's head, remove the curse,
and restore the Earth to its former prosperity and glory; thus making for
Man a much more enjoyable experience than the one he is subjected to for
now.
"I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing
with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager
longing for the revealing of the sons of God; for the creation was subjected
to futility, not of its own will but by the will of him who subjected it in hope;
because the creation itself will be set free from its slavery to decay and
obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God." (Rom 8:18-21)
"Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so
that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that
He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven
must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has
spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began." (Acts
3:19-21)
According to Acts 3:19-21, men have been pounding pulpits since the very
beginning, and all of the prophets, ever since Abel, have looked ahead in
anxious anticipation to Messiah's intervention in world affairs and bringing
into existence a much better world than the one that is now.
†. Gen 5:30-32 . . After the birth of Noah, Lamech lived 595 years
and begot sons and daughters. All the days of Lamech came to 777
years; then he died. When Noah had lived 500 years, Noah begot
Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Lamech escaped the Flood by a mere 5 years. It came when Noah was 600
(Gen 7:6).
Shem was the next patriarch after his dad Noah. But the names of all three
boys are given probably because of the role they will play in re-populating
the Earth after the Flood. The Bible doesn't say that Shem, Ham, and
Japheth were especially good men. They survived the Flood in spite of their
character only because they got aboard the ark with their dad when it was
time for the rain to begin. If they had mocked, and remained on land with
the rest of the world, then they would have certainly drowned right along
with everyone else in spite of their ancestry.
So; were Mr and Mrs Noah childless until Noah was 500 years old? Probably
not. The other kids, if there were any, didn't count as far as God was
concerned, and, if there were any, they perished in the deluge. Being related
to holy men like rabbis, pastors or deacons doesn't guarantee a ticket to
safety. Everyone has to make their own personal decisions in that regard
(e.g. Gen 19:12-14). God commands all people everywhere to repent.
Refuse, and it's curtains; no matter how important, nor well connected, your
relatives might be.
=============================
-
†. Gen 5:28-29 . .When Lamech had lived 182 years, he begot a son.
And he named him Noah, saying, “This one will provide us relief
from our work and from the toil of our hands, out of the very soil
which the Lord placed under a curse.”
The word for "Noah" is from nuwach (noo'-akh) and means: rest or quiet.
But not the kind of quiet one might find in a sound-proof room. More like the
peace and quiet a person would experience by getting away from anxiety,
fear, conflict, and toil.
Lamech speaks as one fatigued with the business of living, and as one
grudging that so much energy, which otherwise might have been much
better employed in leisure, entertainment, or self improvement, was
unavoidably spent in toil and labor necessary simply to survive.
Lamech undoubtedly saw that Noah was a very special boy; the next
patriarch after himself. Perhaps he hoped Noah was the promised seed of
the woman; the one who would crush the Serpent's head, remove the curse,
and restore the Earth to its former prosperity and glory; thus making for
Man a much more enjoyable experience than the one he is subjected to for
now.
"I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing
with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager
longing for the revealing of the sons of God; for the creation was subjected
to futility, not of its own will but by the will of him who subjected it in hope;
because the creation itself will be set free from its slavery to decay and
obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God." (Rom 8:18-21)
"Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so
that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that
He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven
must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has
spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began." (Acts
3:19-21)
According to Acts 3:19-21, men have been pounding pulpits since the very
beginning, and all of the prophets, ever since Abel, have looked ahead in
anxious anticipation to Messiah's intervention in world affairs and bringing
into existence a much better world than the one that is now.
†. Gen 5:30-32 . . After the birth of Noah, Lamech lived 595 years
and begot sons and daughters. All the days of Lamech came to 777
years; then he died. When Noah had lived 500 years, Noah begot
Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Lamech escaped the Flood by a mere 5 years. It came when Noah was 600
(Gen 7:6).
Shem was the next patriarch after his dad Noah. But the names of all three
boys are given probably because of the role they will play in re-populating
the Earth after the Flood. The Bible doesn't say that Shem, Ham, and
Japheth were especially good men. They survived the Flood in spite of their
character only because they got aboard the ark with their dad when it was
time for the rain to begin. If they had mocked, and remained on land with
the rest of the world, then they would have certainly drowned right along
with everyone else in spite of their ancestry.
So; were Mr and Mrs Noah childless until Noah was 500 years old? Probably
not. The other kids, if there were any, didn't count as far as God was
concerned, and, if there were any, they perished in the deluge. Being related
to holy men like rabbis, pastors or deacons doesn't guarantee a ticket to
safety. Everyone has to make their own personal decisions in that regard
(e.g. Gen 19:12-14). God commands all people everywhere to repent.
Refuse, and it's curtains; no matter how important, nor well connected, your
relatives might be.
=============================
Gen 6:1-2
-
†. Gen 6:1-2 . . Now it came about, when men began to multiply on
the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, that the sons
of God saw that the daughters of men were good; and they took
wives for themselves, whomever they chose.
The Hebrew word for "good" in that passage is towb (tobe) which is the very
same word that Genesis utilizes to evaluate God's handiwork in creation;
e.g. Light (Gen 1:4) Land and Seas (Gen 1:10) Vegetation (Gen 1:12) Sun,
Moon, and Stars (Gen 1:18) Birds and Aquatic Life (Gen 1:21) Beasts and
Bugs (Gen 1:25) and the finished product. (Gen 1:31)
Towb is one of those ambiguous Hebrew words that can be utilized as either
a noun or an adjective in a wide variety of applications. It can indicate
morality, it can indicate a tasty meal, it can indicate a job well done, it can
indicate a nice man, it can indicate a pretty dress, it can indicate a shapely
woman and/or a handsome man, and it can indicate an expert musician
and/or a really groovy song like Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance"
In my judicious estimation, when God's handiwork turned out "good" towb
indicates that the cosmos-- and all of its forms of life, matter, and energy -
came out just the way God wanted it to; perfectly suited to the purposes He
had in mind when He designed everything. But in this case; I think it's pretty
safe to assume towb indicates a woman's looks.
NOTE: ambiguous Hebrew words like towb serve to illustrate why it's
virtually impossible to translate Hebrew into English with 100% verbatim
precision. No linguist in his right mind would dare to say that English
versions of the Hebrew Old Testament are perfect word-for-word renditions
of the original manuscripts-- no; they can't even be certified perfect word
for-word renditions of the available manuscripts let alone the originals.
The precise identity of the "sons of God" has been debated. Some say they
were the sons of the aristocracy of that day who married attractive women
from among the commoners. Others say they were renegade spirit creatures
who cohabited with humans to produce a hybrid strain of hominid freaks.
Others say they were pious men who, instead of marrying pious women of
like faith, married outsiders; viz: infidels-- implying that "daughters of men"
are irreverent women who didn't fear the Bible's God. (e.g. Gen 26:34-35)
It's quite rational to deduce from the text that otherwise pious men were
overcome with sensual lust and built themselves harems of impious women;
who subsequently became the mothers of irreverent children. Intermarriage
between men of faith and infidel women is as old a practice as adultery; and
a proven tactic for watering down, compromising, and even extinguishing
Bible beliefs and practices (e.g. Num 31:7-16). The people of God are
strictly, unequivocally, and clearly forbidden to marry outside their faith.
(Deut 7:1-4, 2Cor 6:14-18)
In a mixed relationship-- one a believer and the other an infidel --the
believer will be forced to compromise their convictions in order to keep the
relationship going. Compromise in the area of spiritual values is not a good
thing for God's people. It's not only bad for the conscience, but will quickly
ruin a believer's relationship with their Lord. (1John 1:6)
Most people want love, romance, companionship, and a family of their own.
According to Gen 1:27-28, and Gen 2:21-24, those things are Divine
blessings, they're perfectly normal and nothing to be ashamed of; nor is
there anything intrinsically naughty or sinful about them. But a believer has
to be self controlled, and not permit their base nature to make them lose
their heads and ruin their chances for happiness. Adult dating is where it
starts. And adult dating isn't harmless. It leads to other things, and it leads
into commitments and promises that are not easily reneged. The end result
of adult dating is ultimately marriage and children (quite possibly illegitimate
children). Whose spiritual philosophy will prevail in the marriage? Whose
spiritual philosophy will be taught to the children? The believer's or the
infidel's? And ultimately, who will get the children's souls-- God, or the
Serpent?
Some couples try to accommodate each other's beliefs by teaching their
children the concepts of both religions. For example, a marriage between a
Buddhist and a Christian. The children are given a choice between the Bible
and the Four Noble Truths; and between Christ and Siddhartha Gautama,
and between resurrection and reincarnation. That may seem like a good
idea, but it only creates confusion in the minds of the children. Why are
mom and dad not in agreement? Whose religion is right? Can both be right?
Does it mean that one religion is just as good as the next?
Teaching their children more than one system of spiritual beliefs and
practices is out of the question for Christians because the Lord and Master of
New Testament Christianity demands their exclusive devotion.
"I am the path and the truth . . No one comes to the Father except through
me." (John 14:6)
"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and humanity; the
man Christ Jesus" (1Tim 2:5)
Wives can be very effective in influencing an otherwise pious man to
compromise his convictions (e.g. Gen 3:6). All too often, in a mixed
marriage, the mother's religion will be taught to her children because
husbands, as a rule, put a higher priority on sex and peace in the home than
religion, so they won't risk alienating mama by forcing the issue. The sons of
God in Noah's day-- whose wives were chosen based solely upon sex appeal
sans any spiritual prudence whatsoever --all perished in the Flood right
along with their infidel wives and children. Not a one of them had the good
sense to go aboard the ark with Noah.
It's never wise for believers to marry outside their faith. A good example is
Solomon. He got off to a good start but down the road accumulated a harem
of foreign women who led him into idolatry; which subsequently caused The
Lord to engineer rebellion in the kingdom. (1Kgs 11 & 12)
=============================
-
†. Gen 6:1-2 . . Now it came about, when men began to multiply on
the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, that the sons
of God saw that the daughters of men were good; and they took
wives for themselves, whomever they chose.
The Hebrew word for "good" in that passage is towb (tobe) which is the very
same word that Genesis utilizes to evaluate God's handiwork in creation;
e.g. Light (Gen 1:4) Land and Seas (Gen 1:10) Vegetation (Gen 1:12) Sun,
Moon, and Stars (Gen 1:18) Birds and Aquatic Life (Gen 1:21) Beasts and
Bugs (Gen 1:25) and the finished product. (Gen 1:31)
Towb is one of those ambiguous Hebrew words that can be utilized as either
a noun or an adjective in a wide variety of applications. It can indicate
morality, it can indicate a tasty meal, it can indicate a job well done, it can
indicate a nice man, it can indicate a pretty dress, it can indicate a shapely
woman and/or a handsome man, and it can indicate an expert musician
and/or a really groovy song like Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance"
In my judicious estimation, when God's handiwork turned out "good" towb
indicates that the cosmos-- and all of its forms of life, matter, and energy -
came out just the way God wanted it to; perfectly suited to the purposes He
had in mind when He designed everything. But in this case; I think it's pretty
safe to assume towb indicates a woman's looks.
NOTE: ambiguous Hebrew words like towb serve to illustrate why it's
virtually impossible to translate Hebrew into English with 100% verbatim
precision. No linguist in his right mind would dare to say that English
versions of the Hebrew Old Testament are perfect word-for-word renditions
of the original manuscripts-- no; they can't even be certified perfect word
for-word renditions of the available manuscripts let alone the originals.
The precise identity of the "sons of God" has been debated. Some say they
were the sons of the aristocracy of that day who married attractive women
from among the commoners. Others say they were renegade spirit creatures
who cohabited with humans to produce a hybrid strain of hominid freaks.
Others say they were pious men who, instead of marrying pious women of
like faith, married outsiders; viz: infidels-- implying that "daughters of men"
are irreverent women who didn't fear the Bible's God. (e.g. Gen 26:34-35)
It's quite rational to deduce from the text that otherwise pious men were
overcome with sensual lust and built themselves harems of impious women;
who subsequently became the mothers of irreverent children. Intermarriage
between men of faith and infidel women is as old a practice as adultery; and
a proven tactic for watering down, compromising, and even extinguishing
Bible beliefs and practices (e.g. Num 31:7-16). The people of God are
strictly, unequivocally, and clearly forbidden to marry outside their faith.
(Deut 7:1-4, 2Cor 6:14-18)
In a mixed relationship-- one a believer and the other an infidel --the
believer will be forced to compromise their convictions in order to keep the
relationship going. Compromise in the area of spiritual values is not a good
thing for God's people. It's not only bad for the conscience, but will quickly
ruin a believer's relationship with their Lord. (1John 1:6)
Most people want love, romance, companionship, and a family of their own.
According to Gen 1:27-28, and Gen 2:21-24, those things are Divine
blessings, they're perfectly normal and nothing to be ashamed of; nor is
there anything intrinsically naughty or sinful about them. But a believer has
to be self controlled, and not permit their base nature to make them lose
their heads and ruin their chances for happiness. Adult dating is where it
starts. And adult dating isn't harmless. It leads to other things, and it leads
into commitments and promises that are not easily reneged. The end result
of adult dating is ultimately marriage and children (quite possibly illegitimate
children). Whose spiritual philosophy will prevail in the marriage? Whose
spiritual philosophy will be taught to the children? The believer's or the
infidel's? And ultimately, who will get the children's souls-- God, or the
Serpent?
Some couples try to accommodate each other's beliefs by teaching their
children the concepts of both religions. For example, a marriage between a
Buddhist and a Christian. The children are given a choice between the Bible
and the Four Noble Truths; and between Christ and Siddhartha Gautama,
and between resurrection and reincarnation. That may seem like a good
idea, but it only creates confusion in the minds of the children. Why are
mom and dad not in agreement? Whose religion is right? Can both be right?
Does it mean that one religion is just as good as the next?
Teaching their children more than one system of spiritual beliefs and
practices is out of the question for Christians because the Lord and Master of
New Testament Christianity demands their exclusive devotion.
"I am the path and the truth . . No one comes to the Father except through
me." (John 14:6)
"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and humanity; the
man Christ Jesus" (1Tim 2:5)
Wives can be very effective in influencing an otherwise pious man to
compromise his convictions (e.g. Gen 3:6). All too often, in a mixed
marriage, the mother's religion will be taught to her children because
husbands, as a rule, put a higher priority on sex and peace in the home than
religion, so they won't risk alienating mama by forcing the issue. The sons of
God in Noah's day-- whose wives were chosen based solely upon sex appeal
sans any spiritual prudence whatsoever --all perished in the Flood right
along with their infidel wives and children. Not a one of them had the good
sense to go aboard the ark with Noah.
It's never wise for believers to marry outside their faith. A good example is
Solomon. He got off to a good start but down the road accumulated a harem
of foreign women who led him into idolatry; which subsequently caused The
Lord to engineer rebellion in the kingdom. (1Kgs 11 & 12)
=============================
Last edited:
Gen 6:3-4
-
†. Gen 6:3a . . And Yhvh said: My Spirit shall not strive with man
forever
Some translations have "abide" instead of strive. But the Hebrew word is
diyn (deen) which means: to rule; by implication: to judge (as umpire); also
to strive (as at law). It can also mean to plead the cause of; or to contend in
argument.
So. How did "My Spirit" accomplish this striving with man? In person
Himself? No; just like He always has: via an inspired man.
"Noah, a preacher of righteousness" (2Pet 2:5)
According to 1Pet 3:18-20, the Spirit of Christ and My Spirit are one and the
same spirit. In point of fact; according to 1Pet 1:10-11, all the Old
Testament preachers (a..k.a. prophets) were inspired by the Spirit of Christ.
(cf. Rom 8:9 and 1Cor 6:19 where the Spirit of Christ and The Spirit are
again seen as one and the same spirit)
Anyway, point being: there does come a time when God's patience runs out.
Not because He can't take it anymore, but because when human beings
become too decadent and too incorrigible, then any more reasoning with
them would be like throwing good money after bad; and risky too.
"Do not give what is sacred to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before
swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to
pieces." (Matt 7:6)
It's sad but true: there are people out there so devoid of spiritual values that
they've become like feral pigs and wild dogs.
Contrary to the mushy, sob-sister brand of Christianity going around like
swine flu, there is a time when forgiveness is not only impractical, but it's
also unreasonable. Hell is populated with people who will never, ever be
forgiven. They crossed a line and now there's no going back; ever. God no
longer has any interest in their welfare. They are forgotten and ignored; and
can expect neither pity nor sympathy from God ever again.
†. Gen 6:3b . . for they are only mortal flesh.
The word "mortal" isn't really mortal. It's from shagag (shaw-gag') which
means: to stray; viz: sin. The phrase "they are only mortal flesh" is actually
huw' bshagam baasaar which means: they are sinful flesh.
That is one of the most striking statements in the Bible; straight from God
Himself-- His own judicious estimation that man isn't basically good; no, au
contraire; man is quite basically evil.
Some feel that the doctrine of "The Total Depravity Of Man" is a wholly
Christian invention. Far from it. Here in Genesis, the very first book of the
Bible, in man's prehistoric years, prior to the Flood, prior to Abraham, prior
to Jesus, and prior to the New Testament; God said: they are sinful flesh.
†. Gen 6:3c . . yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.
Some feel that God set the limits of human longevity in that verse. But
people still continued to live long lives for a great number of years
afterwards. Even Abraham, who lived many, many years after the Flood,
didn't die till he was 175 years old. It's far more reasonable to conclude that
God was announcing a deadline; viz: they had 120 years left to get ready to
meet their maker. But you think that alarmed anybody? Heck no. They went
right on; business as usual.
"And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of
Man: They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in
marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and
destroyed them all." (Luke 17:26-27)
The time of God's patience is sometimes long; but never unlimited; viz:
reprieves are not pardons-- though God bear a great while, He never bears
forever.
†. Gen 6:4 . .There were giants on the earth in those days, and also
afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men,
and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who
were of old, men of renown.
The Hebrew word for "giants" in that passage is nephiyl (nef-eel') or nephil
(nef-eel') and I have no clue why the KJV's scholars translated it giants
because it doesn't mean that at all. For one thing; it's an ambiguous word
with more than one meaning. It can indicate someone who cuts, knocks, or
brings things down, or a killer; and/or bullies and tyrants.
Now; granted that some bullies are big guys; but not all tyrants are big
guys. Take for example Kim Jong-un of North Korea, He isn't especially
imposing but Mr. Jong-un sure knows how to exercise power excessively and
brutally.
In other words: nephiyl doesn't necessarily indicate a special race of people;
but simply people whose ambition is to dominate others; even if they have
to completely destroy their culture and kill them all off to do it; viz: nephiyl
personalities are not good followers nor are they very good team players. It
can be accurately said of nephiyl personalities that they would rather rule in
hell than serve in heaven. In other words: if they can't conquer God, then
they would just as soon have nothing to do with Him.
Historical examples of nephiyl types would be men like Genghis Khan of
Mongolia, and Alexander the Great of Greece; Napoleon of France,
Chandragupta Maurya of India, shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo of Japan,
conquistador Hernando Cortes of Spain, Timur: founder of the Timurid
dynasty, and Zahir-ud din Muhammad Babur: founder of the Mughal dynasty
that ruled the Indian subcontinent for over three centuries.
Q: If all the nephiyl types drowned in the Flood; then how did their
characteristics manage to resurface down the road?
A: Well; from whence did nephiyl types originate in the first place? Same
place every other personality type originated: from Adam's genes; viz: since
Noah and his wife, and his sons and their wives, were Adam's descendants,
then nephiyl characteristics survived the Flood by riding it out in the DNA of
the people aboard the ark.
=============================
-
†. Gen 6:3a . . And Yhvh said: My Spirit shall not strive with man
forever
Some translations have "abide" instead of strive. But the Hebrew word is
diyn (deen) which means: to rule; by implication: to judge (as umpire); also
to strive (as at law). It can also mean to plead the cause of; or to contend in
argument.
So. How did "My Spirit" accomplish this striving with man? In person
Himself? No; just like He always has: via an inspired man.
"Noah, a preacher of righteousness" (2Pet 2:5)
According to 1Pet 3:18-20, the Spirit of Christ and My Spirit are one and the
same spirit. In point of fact; according to 1Pet 1:10-11, all the Old
Testament preachers (a..k.a. prophets) were inspired by the Spirit of Christ.
(cf. Rom 8:9 and 1Cor 6:19 where the Spirit of Christ and The Spirit are
again seen as one and the same spirit)
Anyway, point being: there does come a time when God's patience runs out.
Not because He can't take it anymore, but because when human beings
become too decadent and too incorrigible, then any more reasoning with
them would be like throwing good money after bad; and risky too.
"Do not give what is sacred to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before
swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to
pieces." (Matt 7:6)
It's sad but true: there are people out there so devoid of spiritual values that
they've become like feral pigs and wild dogs.
Contrary to the mushy, sob-sister brand of Christianity going around like
swine flu, there is a time when forgiveness is not only impractical, but it's
also unreasonable. Hell is populated with people who will never, ever be
forgiven. They crossed a line and now there's no going back; ever. God no
longer has any interest in their welfare. They are forgotten and ignored; and
can expect neither pity nor sympathy from God ever again.
†. Gen 6:3b . . for they are only mortal flesh.
The word "mortal" isn't really mortal. It's from shagag (shaw-gag') which
means: to stray; viz: sin. The phrase "they are only mortal flesh" is actually
huw' bshagam baasaar which means: they are sinful flesh.
That is one of the most striking statements in the Bible; straight from God
Himself-- His own judicious estimation that man isn't basically good; no, au
contraire; man is quite basically evil.
Some feel that the doctrine of "The Total Depravity Of Man" is a wholly
Christian invention. Far from it. Here in Genesis, the very first book of the
Bible, in man's prehistoric years, prior to the Flood, prior to Abraham, prior
to Jesus, and prior to the New Testament; God said: they are sinful flesh.
†. Gen 6:3c . . yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.
Some feel that God set the limits of human longevity in that verse. But
people still continued to live long lives for a great number of years
afterwards. Even Abraham, who lived many, many years after the Flood,
didn't die till he was 175 years old. It's far more reasonable to conclude that
God was announcing a deadline; viz: they had 120 years left to get ready to
meet their maker. But you think that alarmed anybody? Heck no. They went
right on; business as usual.
"And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of
Man: They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in
marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and
destroyed them all." (Luke 17:26-27)
The time of God's patience is sometimes long; but never unlimited; viz:
reprieves are not pardons-- though God bear a great while, He never bears
forever.
†. Gen 6:4 . .There were giants on the earth in those days, and also
afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men,
and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who
were of old, men of renown.
The Hebrew word for "giants" in that passage is nephiyl (nef-eel') or nephil
(nef-eel') and I have no clue why the KJV's scholars translated it giants
because it doesn't mean that at all. For one thing; it's an ambiguous word
with more than one meaning. It can indicate someone who cuts, knocks, or
brings things down, or a killer; and/or bullies and tyrants.
Now; granted that some bullies are big guys; but not all tyrants are big
guys. Take for example Kim Jong-un of North Korea, He isn't especially
imposing but Mr. Jong-un sure knows how to exercise power excessively and
brutally.
In other words: nephiyl doesn't necessarily indicate a special race of people;
but simply people whose ambition is to dominate others; even if they have
to completely destroy their culture and kill them all off to do it; viz: nephiyl
personalities are not good followers nor are they very good team players. It
can be accurately said of nephiyl personalities that they would rather rule in
hell than serve in heaven. In other words: if they can't conquer God, then
they would just as soon have nothing to do with Him.
Historical examples of nephiyl types would be men like Genghis Khan of
Mongolia, and Alexander the Great of Greece; Napoleon of France,
Chandragupta Maurya of India, shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo of Japan,
conquistador Hernando Cortes of Spain, Timur: founder of the Timurid
dynasty, and Zahir-ud din Muhammad Babur: founder of the Mughal dynasty
that ruled the Indian subcontinent for over three centuries.
Q: If all the nephiyl types drowned in the Flood; then how did their
characteristics manage to resurface down the road?
A: Well; from whence did nephiyl types originate in the first place? Same
place every other personality type originated: from Adam's genes; viz: since
Noah and his wife, and his sons and their wives, were Adam's descendants,
then nephiyl characteristics survived the Flood by riding it out in the DNA of
the people aboard the ark.
=============================
Gen 6:5-7
-
†. Gen 6:5 . . And the Lord saw that the evil of man was great in the
earth, and every imagination of his heart was only evil all the time.
Man's descent into depravity didn't catch his creator by surprise. After all;
not only can God see the future but He can also manipulate it; so He was
well aware even before Gen 1:1 that the people He was about to create were
destined from day-one for a global deluge. Also, when God inspected His
handiwork at Gen 1:31, He evaluated it not just good, but "very" good. So
as far as He was concerned; everything was going smoothly and according
to plan-- nothing was broken, and nothing was maladjusted.
†. Gen 6:6 . . And the Lord regretted that He had made man upon the
earth, and He became grieved in His heart.
I seriously doubt that the regret and grief that God felt was somehow related
to His thinking that creating human life was a big mistake. It's difficult to
discern from the language and grammar of the text; but it's far more likely
that the regret God felt in Gen 6:6 was directly related to what He was about
to do next: the destruction of a major portion of the life that He himself put
on earth. In other words; the destruction of life is not something God enjoys
as if He were an outdoor guy who kills fish and wildlife for sport with no
more sensitivity than a kid blasting aliens in a video game. Man's creator
knew the day was coming when He would have to do what He was about to
do next, and clearly wasn't looking forward to it.
But to be quite candid; it seems insane to me that the Bible's God would go
forward with plans to create life on earth knowing in advance that He would
one day be destroying so much of it. Where's the logic in that? I just don't
get it.
†. Gen 6:7 . . And the Lord said: I will blot out man, whom I created,
from upon the face of the earth, from man to cattle to creeping
thing, to the fowl of the heavens, for I regret that I made them.
The destruction of earth's birds and beasts was unavoidable; they became
collateral damage in God's conflict with the sinful antediluvians.
The Hebrew word for "blot" is from machah (maw-khaw') which means: to
stroke or rub; by implication, to erase; also to smooth (as if with oil), i.e.
grease or make fat; also to touch, i.e. reach to.
God intended to not only remove the antediluvians from the face of the
earth, but also to scrub off all of their works too so that when He was done,
it would be very difficult, if not impossible, to even be able to tell the
antediluvians were ever here at all.
It's always been a mystery to me why paleo-anthropologists have managed
to find so few fossilized remains of pre-historic human beings. In 1992, Tim
White of the University of California at Berkeley, discovered the fossilized
skeletons of human-like creatures in Ethiopia's Afar Rift who lived 4.4 million
years ago but those are not the remains of Man; but rather, of beasts that
resemble Man. To my knowledge; no truly human remains have been found
from that era.
While mysterious; that lack of remains isn't exclusive. Take for instance the
Passenger Pigeon. That bird at one time numbered an estimated four to five
billion individuals; which is a number equal in quantity to the current year
round population of all North American birds combined. Yet an archeological
search for the pigeon's bones left behind by people who ate the bird for
food, through all pre-Columbian times, has thus far yielded very few
remains; at only two sites.
But my point is: where are the remains of the antediluvians? They're gone;
lock, stock, and barrel-- no metal implements from Tubal-Cain's blacksmith
shop, no musical instruments from Jubal's work shop, no dwellings, no
footprints, no bones, no pottery, no cave art, not even any geological
evidence of a world-wide deluge: nothing. It's like they were never here.
God moved against the antediluvians like a relentless newspaper editor
deleting superfluous words and sentences so skillfully that the reader cannot
even tell those superfluous words and sentences ever existed in the original
copy.
Why would God do that? I would hazard to guess that His purpose in doing
so was to prevent people from believing too easily that the Flood actually
happened.
The funny thing about the Bible is that portions of it are just as effective at
driving people away from God as they are at attracting them. No doubt it is
God's wishes that everybody believe the Bible; but at the same time it
seems He's thwarted His own wishes by taking steps to ensure that a
substantial number of people don't. For example:
"Moses summoned all Israel and said to them: You have seen all that The
Lord did before your eyes in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh and all his
servants and all his land; the great trials which your eyes have seen, those
great signs and wonders. Yet to this day The Lord has not given you a heart
to know, nor eyes to see, nor ears to hear." (Deut 29:2-4)
"No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father
except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." (Matt
11:27)
"A natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are
foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are
spiritually discerned." (1Cor 2:14)
=============================
-
†. Gen 6:5 . . And the Lord saw that the evil of man was great in the
earth, and every imagination of his heart was only evil all the time.
Man's descent into depravity didn't catch his creator by surprise. After all;
not only can God see the future but He can also manipulate it; so He was
well aware even before Gen 1:1 that the people He was about to create were
destined from day-one for a global deluge. Also, when God inspected His
handiwork at Gen 1:31, He evaluated it not just good, but "very" good. So
as far as He was concerned; everything was going smoothly and according
to plan-- nothing was broken, and nothing was maladjusted.
†. Gen 6:6 . . And the Lord regretted that He had made man upon the
earth, and He became grieved in His heart.
I seriously doubt that the regret and grief that God felt was somehow related
to His thinking that creating human life was a big mistake. It's difficult to
discern from the language and grammar of the text; but it's far more likely
that the regret God felt in Gen 6:6 was directly related to what He was about
to do next: the destruction of a major portion of the life that He himself put
on earth. In other words; the destruction of life is not something God enjoys
as if He were an outdoor guy who kills fish and wildlife for sport with no
more sensitivity than a kid blasting aliens in a video game. Man's creator
knew the day was coming when He would have to do what He was about to
do next, and clearly wasn't looking forward to it.
But to be quite candid; it seems insane to me that the Bible's God would go
forward with plans to create life on earth knowing in advance that He would
one day be destroying so much of it. Where's the logic in that? I just don't
get it.
†. Gen 6:7 . . And the Lord said: I will blot out man, whom I created,
from upon the face of the earth, from man to cattle to creeping
thing, to the fowl of the heavens, for I regret that I made them.
The destruction of earth's birds and beasts was unavoidable; they became
collateral damage in God's conflict with the sinful antediluvians.
The Hebrew word for "blot" is from machah (maw-khaw') which means: to
stroke or rub; by implication, to erase; also to smooth (as if with oil), i.e.
grease or make fat; also to touch, i.e. reach to.
God intended to not only remove the antediluvians from the face of the
earth, but also to scrub off all of their works too so that when He was done,
it would be very difficult, if not impossible, to even be able to tell the
antediluvians were ever here at all.
It's always been a mystery to me why paleo-anthropologists have managed
to find so few fossilized remains of pre-historic human beings. In 1992, Tim
White of the University of California at Berkeley, discovered the fossilized
skeletons of human-like creatures in Ethiopia's Afar Rift who lived 4.4 million
years ago but those are not the remains of Man; but rather, of beasts that
resemble Man. To my knowledge; no truly human remains have been found
from that era.
While mysterious; that lack of remains isn't exclusive. Take for instance the
Passenger Pigeon. That bird at one time numbered an estimated four to five
billion individuals; which is a number equal in quantity to the current year
round population of all North American birds combined. Yet an archeological
search for the pigeon's bones left behind by people who ate the bird for
food, through all pre-Columbian times, has thus far yielded very few
remains; at only two sites.
But my point is: where are the remains of the antediluvians? They're gone;
lock, stock, and barrel-- no metal implements from Tubal-Cain's blacksmith
shop, no musical instruments from Jubal's work shop, no dwellings, no
footprints, no bones, no pottery, no cave art, not even any geological
evidence of a world-wide deluge: nothing. It's like they were never here.
God moved against the antediluvians like a relentless newspaper editor
deleting superfluous words and sentences so skillfully that the reader cannot
even tell those superfluous words and sentences ever existed in the original
copy.
Why would God do that? I would hazard to guess that His purpose in doing
so was to prevent people from believing too easily that the Flood actually
happened.
The funny thing about the Bible is that portions of it are just as effective at
driving people away from God as they are at attracting them. No doubt it is
God's wishes that everybody believe the Bible; but at the same time it
seems He's thwarted His own wishes by taking steps to ensure that a
substantial number of people don't. For example:
"Moses summoned all Israel and said to them: You have seen all that The
Lord did before your eyes in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh and all his
servants and all his land; the great trials which your eyes have seen, those
great signs and wonders. Yet to this day The Lord has not given you a heart
to know, nor eyes to see, nor ears to hear." (Deut 29:2-4)
"No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father
except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." (Matt
11:27)
"A natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are
foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are
spiritually discerned." (1Cor 2:14)
=============================
Gen 6:8-10
-
†. Gen 6:8 . . But Noah found favor with The Lord.
The word for "favor" is from chen (khane) and means: graciousness.
Translators sometimes render chen as grace. It can be either grace or favor;
but the important thing is that The Lord didn't find chen with Noah. No, just
the opposite-- Noah found chen with The Lord.
Webster's defines "graciousness" as merciful, compassionate, kind,
courteous, cordial, affable, genial, and sociable. Those are all good qualities,
and the very things you would expect to see in someone you loved and
trusted-- like your spouse or a very close friend.
†. Gen 6:9 . .This is the line of Noah.-- Noah was a righteous man; he
was blameless in his era; Noah walked with God.
Is that verse saying Noah was flawless? No; perfection in the Bible means
something altogether different than what you'd expect. The Hebrew word for
"blameless" is tamiym (taw-meem') which just simply means entire; in other
words; no pieces missing and everything in working order; for example:
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, Yhvh appeared to him and said: I
am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless. (Gen 17:1-2)
Well; I can assure you that Mr. Abram was never flawless; nevertheless he
was blameless; and he was also a prophet; which in the Old Testament
indicates an inspired man. So then; what we're looking at in the "blameless"
man is a sinner whose sins are not an issue. Pretty amazing.
No doubt Noah had plenty of sinful thoughts in his head right along with
everybody else before the Flood, and no doubt those thoughts contributed
their fair share towards the sadness God felt because of man's wickedness;
but nevertheless; Noah was blameless-- and that's because unlike Cain who
walked away from God, Noah walked with God; in other words: Noah let
himself be illuminated by the light instead of shielding himself from the light.
"This is the condemnation: that the light has come into the world, and men
loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For
everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest
his deeds should be exposed." (John 3:19-20)
People walking in the light don't object to having their evil thoughts exposed
because they can get them expunged in a matter of seconds.
"I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide them. I said to
myself "I will confess my rebellion to The Lord" and you forgave me! All my
guilt is gone. Therefore, let all the godly confess their rebellion to you while
there is time, that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment." (Ps
32:5-6)
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just; and will forgive us our sins
and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1John 1:8-10)
And that's the secret to a blameless walk with the Bible's God.
"If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie,
and do not the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we
have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son
cleanseth us from all sin." (1John 1:6-7)
NOTE: The koiné Greek word translated "cleanseth" does not have the
precise same meaning as the word for "justify" which means to render or to
pronounce innocent. In other words; confession doesn't gain the confessing
person an acquittal; it merely gains them a scrubbing to remove sin's
contamination.
You can see this same principle at work in the rituals of Yom Kippur. The
slain goat obtains decontamination for the people (Lev 16:30) but their sins
go unpunished with the escaping goat that gets away alive. In other words;
the people's sins evade justice viz: they're still out there somewhere hanging
over their heads like a sword of Damocles until such a time as they
themselves, or somebody, or something is executed for their sins because
it's only by means of the death penalty that sins can be taken off the books.
Well; God's plan for dealing with that pesky little technicality is on display in
the 53rd chapter of Isaiah.
Did Noah know about Christ all the way back then? He sure did.
"Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to
come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out
the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was
pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that
would follow." (1Pet 1:10-11)
Seeing as how Abel was a prophet (Luke 11:50-51) then he too was aware
of the sufferings of Christ and the glories that should follow. Pretty amazing.
The other thing said of Noah was that he was righteous. The Hebrew word is
tsaddiyq (tsad-deek') which means: just.
Webster's provides several definitions of "just", but perhaps the ones best
suited for our purpose are: conscientious, honest, honorable, right,
scrupulous, true, dependable, reliable, tried, trustworthy, dispassionate,
equal, equitable, impartial, nondiscriminatory, objective, unbiased,
uncolored, and unprejudiced. So then, Noah was not only religious to his
fingertips; but he was a pretty decent guy to boot.
The most incredible thing about Noah was his degree of piety in a world
gone mad with evil. He must have endured an enormous amount of
opposition, ridicule, criticism, and thoughtless remarks. Yet he persisted and
didn't cave in to the thinking of his neighbors and friends; nor of his brothers
and sisters, nor of his nieces and nephews, nor of any of the rest of his kin.
Only his wife, and his three sons and their wives responded to Noah's
preaching; yet he continued to warn people about the Flood right up to the
end.
To the majority of modern intellectuals, Noah is merely a mythical character,
and to them his ark and its animals are nothing but a story-book menagerie
for children's coloring books. To them, it is much too naïve to give any
serious consideration to Noah being an historical person. However, later
writers of the Bible felt differently. God lists Noah among three of the most
righteous men in Bible history.
"Son of man, when a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will
stretch out My hand against it; I will cut off its supply of bread, send famine
on it, and cut off man and beast from it. Even if these three men, Noah,
Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their
righteousness: testifies Yhvh God." (Ezk 14:13-14)
Noah was actually a nobody in his day; eclipsed by the nephiyl types. They
got all the press, the publicity, and the notoriety while God's man went
marginalized and largely ignored.
†. Gen 6:10 . . Noah begot three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Were those the only kids Noah had? And no daughters? I seriously doubt it.
Noah was six hundred when the flood began. It is unlikely that a healthy,
hard working, robust man would live that long without engendering a much
larger family than three; especially in those days without birth control. But
these three boys are the only ones that count now because they're going on
the ark with their dad.
=============================
-
†. Gen 6:8 . . But Noah found favor with The Lord.
The word for "favor" is from chen (khane) and means: graciousness.
Translators sometimes render chen as grace. It can be either grace or favor;
but the important thing is that The Lord didn't find chen with Noah. No, just
the opposite-- Noah found chen with The Lord.
Webster's defines "graciousness" as merciful, compassionate, kind,
courteous, cordial, affable, genial, and sociable. Those are all good qualities,
and the very things you would expect to see in someone you loved and
trusted-- like your spouse or a very close friend.
†. Gen 6:9 . .This is the line of Noah.-- Noah was a righteous man; he
was blameless in his era; Noah walked with God.
Is that verse saying Noah was flawless? No; perfection in the Bible means
something altogether different than what you'd expect. The Hebrew word for
"blameless" is tamiym (taw-meem') which just simply means entire; in other
words; no pieces missing and everything in working order; for example:
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, Yhvh appeared to him and said: I
am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless. (Gen 17:1-2)
Well; I can assure you that Mr. Abram was never flawless; nevertheless he
was blameless; and he was also a prophet; which in the Old Testament
indicates an inspired man. So then; what we're looking at in the "blameless"
man is a sinner whose sins are not an issue. Pretty amazing.
No doubt Noah had plenty of sinful thoughts in his head right along with
everybody else before the Flood, and no doubt those thoughts contributed
their fair share towards the sadness God felt because of man's wickedness;
but nevertheless; Noah was blameless-- and that's because unlike Cain who
walked away from God, Noah walked with God; in other words: Noah let
himself be illuminated by the light instead of shielding himself from the light.
"This is the condemnation: that the light has come into the world, and men
loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For
everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest
his deeds should be exposed." (John 3:19-20)
People walking in the light don't object to having their evil thoughts exposed
because they can get them expunged in a matter of seconds.
"I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide them. I said to
myself "I will confess my rebellion to The Lord" and you forgave me! All my
guilt is gone. Therefore, let all the godly confess their rebellion to you while
there is time, that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment." (Ps
32:5-6)
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just; and will forgive us our sins
and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1John 1:8-10)
And that's the secret to a blameless walk with the Bible's God.
"If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie,
and do not the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we
have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son
cleanseth us from all sin." (1John 1:6-7)
NOTE: The koiné Greek word translated "cleanseth" does not have the
precise same meaning as the word for "justify" which means to render or to
pronounce innocent. In other words; confession doesn't gain the confessing
person an acquittal; it merely gains them a scrubbing to remove sin's
contamination.
You can see this same principle at work in the rituals of Yom Kippur. The
slain goat obtains decontamination for the people (Lev 16:30) but their sins
go unpunished with the escaping goat that gets away alive. In other words;
the people's sins evade justice viz: they're still out there somewhere hanging
over their heads like a sword of Damocles until such a time as they
themselves, or somebody, or something is executed for their sins because
it's only by means of the death penalty that sins can be taken off the books.
Well; God's plan for dealing with that pesky little technicality is on display in
the 53rd chapter of Isaiah.
Did Noah know about Christ all the way back then? He sure did.
"Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to
come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out
the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was
pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that
would follow." (1Pet 1:10-11)
Seeing as how Abel was a prophet (Luke 11:50-51) then he too was aware
of the sufferings of Christ and the glories that should follow. Pretty amazing.
The other thing said of Noah was that he was righteous. The Hebrew word is
tsaddiyq (tsad-deek') which means: just.
Webster's provides several definitions of "just", but perhaps the ones best
suited for our purpose are: conscientious, honest, honorable, right,
scrupulous, true, dependable, reliable, tried, trustworthy, dispassionate,
equal, equitable, impartial, nondiscriminatory, objective, unbiased,
uncolored, and unprejudiced. So then, Noah was not only religious to his
fingertips; but he was a pretty decent guy to boot.
The most incredible thing about Noah was his degree of piety in a world
gone mad with evil. He must have endured an enormous amount of
opposition, ridicule, criticism, and thoughtless remarks. Yet he persisted and
didn't cave in to the thinking of his neighbors and friends; nor of his brothers
and sisters, nor of his nieces and nephews, nor of any of the rest of his kin.
Only his wife, and his three sons and their wives responded to Noah's
preaching; yet he continued to warn people about the Flood right up to the
end.
To the majority of modern intellectuals, Noah is merely a mythical character,
and to them his ark and its animals are nothing but a story-book menagerie
for children's coloring books. To them, it is much too naïve to give any
serious consideration to Noah being an historical person. However, later
writers of the Bible felt differently. God lists Noah among three of the most
righteous men in Bible history.
"Son of man, when a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will
stretch out My hand against it; I will cut off its supply of bread, send famine
on it, and cut off man and beast from it. Even if these three men, Noah,
Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their
righteousness: testifies Yhvh God." (Ezk 14:13-14)
Noah was actually a nobody in his day; eclipsed by the nephiyl types. They
got all the press, the publicity, and the notoriety while God's man went
marginalized and largely ignored.
†. Gen 6:10 . . Noah begot three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Were those the only kids Noah had? And no daughters? I seriously doubt it.
Noah was six hundred when the flood began. It is unlikely that a healthy,
hard working, robust man would live that long without engendering a much
larger family than three; especially in those days without birth control. But
these three boys are the only ones that count now because they're going on
the ark with their dad.
=============================
Gen 6:11-14
-
†. Gen 6:11a . .The earth became corrupt before God;
The word for "corrupt" is shachath (shaw-khath') which means: to decay,
decompose, and/or disintegrate; viz: to become decadent.
The perspective "before God" indicates the Almighty's own personal
estimation. No doubt the antediluvians disagreed with God's evaluation of
their spiritual condition just like people today disagree with His evaluation of
their condition. And again, this disparity of evaluations has its roots all the
way back in the garden when humans became their own gods; discerning
right and wrong from within a humanistic system of values instead of their
creator's.
†. Gen 6:11b . . the earth was filled with lawlessness.
Crime is pretty much inevitable in a world of sinful beings sans cops and
courts. Nobody was accountable for a single thing in those days. The only
rules that may have existed were those among clans or in towns. But those
rules wouldn't be universal. Rules like that would be different from clan to
clan and from town to town. And primitive clans are known to war with each
other on a regular basis like the Native Americans did here in America's
early years.
I just hope I don't live to see the day when some sort of nationwide disaster,
like a nuclear holocaust, occurs in America. Nobody will be safe. Electrical
power will be out, the banks won't be open, ATM machines won't work, and
everyone will be so desperate to survive. Roving gangs of thugs will prowl
the rubble looking to scavenge and to steal anything not nailed down or
protected by guards. Law enforcement and medical services will be so
overwhelmed that dialing 911 will be no more productive than writing a
letter to Santa Claus; that is, if telephones even work. If hurricanes Katrina
and Sandy taught us anything in New Orleans and Manhattan, it's that large
scale disasters produce large-scale anarchy and chaos.
According to the 2011 World Almanac, in the year 2009, there were a total
of 4,343,450 violent crimes committed against individuals in the USA . The
number of property crimes committed against individuals totaled
15,580,510. Those totals exclude arson and non-victim types of crimes like
perjury, contempt of court, internet hackers, traffic violations, J-walking,
trespassing, animal abuse, feeding parking meters, cheating on taxes; et al.
The criminal element has neither honor nor sympathy for its victims. After
the September 29, 2009 tsunami subsided in Samoa, residents returned to
neighborhoods only to find that their homes had been looted.
And to think the USA and its territories are a society of law abiding citizens.
Just think what it must have been like in Noah's day with no law
enforcement whatsoever to control crime. All I can say is; if something really
bad should ever happen here in the USA, you'd better own deadly weapons
like swords and guns plus lots of pepper and/or bear spray because neither
your life nor your possessions will be safe after dark.
†. Gen 6:12-13a . . God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for
all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. So God said to
Noah: I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled
with violence because of them.
Some people would probably like to translate some of that verse like this:
"for the earth is filled with violence through God." But Genesis doesn't say it
was filled with violence through God; no, God said it was filled with violence
through them.
†. Gen 6:13b . . I am about to destroy them with the earth.
Here is set a precedent of God forewarning His own when He is about to
execute a disastrous event upon the earth. The Passover was another such
example. God forewarned Moses, and Moses' people, of the imminent
annihilation of all the first-born of Man and Beast in Egypt; which would also
impact Moses and his people if they didn't do exactly as God said and paint
the blood of a lamb on their door jambs (Ex 11:1-13). And our man Noah,
super-duper righteous saint that he was, would have drowned right along
with the rest of the antediluvians had he neglected to construct an ark.
When God gives a warning, it is best to respond accordingly.
"A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going
and suffer for it." (Pro 22:3)
†. Gen 6:14a . . Make yourself an ark
The Hebrew word for ark is tebah (tay-baw') and just simply indicates, not a
ship, but a nondescript box. The only other place tebah is used again in the
Old Testament is of the little watertight container Moses' mom constructed
to hide him from Pharaoh's assassins. (Ex 2:1-10)
†. Gen 6:14b . . of gopher wood;
Nobody really knows for sure exactly what kind of trees Noah used to make
the ark. The word for "gopher" has nothing to do with little subterranean
rodents. It's a transliteration of the Hebrew word gopher (go'-fer) which only
suggests a kind of tree suitable for building structures out of wood. Some
think it was cypress because the wood of those trees is so resinous that it
resists rotting even after prolonged submersion in water. Others think it may
have been cedar or spruce; which are good too. Unfortunately, this is the
one and only occurrence of gopher wood in the entire Old Testament so
there's no other passages that might help identify a specific kind of tree.
†. Gen 6:14c . . make it an ark with compartments,
The word for "compartments" is from qen (kane) which means: a nest (as
fixed), sometimes including the nestlings; figuratively, a chamber or
dwelling. The construction of nests (and stalls) indicates the animals weren't
just herded or jammed together like the crowds attending an outdoor
Metallica rock concert. They were neatly stowed aboard in their own areas
and apparently made to feel quite comfortable.
†. Gen 6:14d . . and cover it inside and out with pitch.
The word for "pitch" is kopher (ko'-fer) which means: a cover. It can also
mean a village (as covered in); and also bitumen (as used for coating) and
the henna plant (as used for dye). Kopher is a common word in the Old
testament for "atonement" which is like pitch as a coating, or a covering,
which not only serves the purpose of a sealing compound like the stuff
people apply to weatherproof their patio decks, but also a concealment
coating like paint and/or tar and feathers. Coating the ark with bitumen not
only served to waterproof it; but also preserved the wood for future uses
after the Flood subsided and Noah no longer had need of a titanic water
craft.
NOTE: Bitumen is a naturally-occurring kind of asphalt formed from the
remains of ancient, microscopic algae (diatoms) and other once-living
things. In order for bitumen to be available in Noah's day, the organic
matter from whence it was formed had to have existed on the earth
several thousands of years before him.
=============================
-
†. Gen 6:11a . .The earth became corrupt before God;
The word for "corrupt" is shachath (shaw-khath') which means: to decay,
decompose, and/or disintegrate; viz: to become decadent.
The perspective "before God" indicates the Almighty's own personal
estimation. No doubt the antediluvians disagreed with God's evaluation of
their spiritual condition just like people today disagree with His evaluation of
their condition. And again, this disparity of evaluations has its roots all the
way back in the garden when humans became their own gods; discerning
right and wrong from within a humanistic system of values instead of their
creator's.
†. Gen 6:11b . . the earth was filled with lawlessness.
Crime is pretty much inevitable in a world of sinful beings sans cops and
courts. Nobody was accountable for a single thing in those days. The only
rules that may have existed were those among clans or in towns. But those
rules wouldn't be universal. Rules like that would be different from clan to
clan and from town to town. And primitive clans are known to war with each
other on a regular basis like the Native Americans did here in America's
early years.
I just hope I don't live to see the day when some sort of nationwide disaster,
like a nuclear holocaust, occurs in America. Nobody will be safe. Electrical
power will be out, the banks won't be open, ATM machines won't work, and
everyone will be so desperate to survive. Roving gangs of thugs will prowl
the rubble looking to scavenge and to steal anything not nailed down or
protected by guards. Law enforcement and medical services will be so
overwhelmed that dialing 911 will be no more productive than writing a
letter to Santa Claus; that is, if telephones even work. If hurricanes Katrina
and Sandy taught us anything in New Orleans and Manhattan, it's that large
scale disasters produce large-scale anarchy and chaos.
According to the 2011 World Almanac, in the year 2009, there were a total
of 4,343,450 violent crimes committed against individuals in the USA . The
number of property crimes committed against individuals totaled
15,580,510. Those totals exclude arson and non-victim types of crimes like
perjury, contempt of court, internet hackers, traffic violations, J-walking,
trespassing, animal abuse, feeding parking meters, cheating on taxes; et al.
The criminal element has neither honor nor sympathy for its victims. After
the September 29, 2009 tsunami subsided in Samoa, residents returned to
neighborhoods only to find that their homes had been looted.
And to think the USA and its territories are a society of law abiding citizens.
Just think what it must have been like in Noah's day with no law
enforcement whatsoever to control crime. All I can say is; if something really
bad should ever happen here in the USA, you'd better own deadly weapons
like swords and guns plus lots of pepper and/or bear spray because neither
your life nor your possessions will be safe after dark.
†. Gen 6:12-13a . . God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for
all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. So God said to
Noah: I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled
with violence because of them.
Some people would probably like to translate some of that verse like this:
"for the earth is filled with violence through God." But Genesis doesn't say it
was filled with violence through God; no, God said it was filled with violence
through them.
†. Gen 6:13b . . I am about to destroy them with the earth.
Here is set a precedent of God forewarning His own when He is about to
execute a disastrous event upon the earth. The Passover was another such
example. God forewarned Moses, and Moses' people, of the imminent
annihilation of all the first-born of Man and Beast in Egypt; which would also
impact Moses and his people if they didn't do exactly as God said and paint
the blood of a lamb on their door jambs (Ex 11:1-13). And our man Noah,
super-duper righteous saint that he was, would have drowned right along
with the rest of the antediluvians had he neglected to construct an ark.
When God gives a warning, it is best to respond accordingly.
"A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going
and suffer for it." (Pro 22:3)
†. Gen 6:14a . . Make yourself an ark
The Hebrew word for ark is tebah (tay-baw') and just simply indicates, not a
ship, but a nondescript box. The only other place tebah is used again in the
Old Testament is of the little watertight container Moses' mom constructed
to hide him from Pharaoh's assassins. (Ex 2:1-10)
†. Gen 6:14b . . of gopher wood;
Nobody really knows for sure exactly what kind of trees Noah used to make
the ark. The word for "gopher" has nothing to do with little subterranean
rodents. It's a transliteration of the Hebrew word gopher (go'-fer) which only
suggests a kind of tree suitable for building structures out of wood. Some
think it was cypress because the wood of those trees is so resinous that it
resists rotting even after prolonged submersion in water. Others think it may
have been cedar or spruce; which are good too. Unfortunately, this is the
one and only occurrence of gopher wood in the entire Old Testament so
there's no other passages that might help identify a specific kind of tree.
†. Gen 6:14c . . make it an ark with compartments,
The word for "compartments" is from qen (kane) which means: a nest (as
fixed), sometimes including the nestlings; figuratively, a chamber or
dwelling. The construction of nests (and stalls) indicates the animals weren't
just herded or jammed together like the crowds attending an outdoor
Metallica rock concert. They were neatly stowed aboard in their own areas
and apparently made to feel quite comfortable.
†. Gen 6:14d . . and cover it inside and out with pitch.
The word for "pitch" is kopher (ko'-fer) which means: a cover. It can also
mean a village (as covered in); and also bitumen (as used for coating) and
the henna plant (as used for dye). Kopher is a common word in the Old
testament for "atonement" which is like pitch as a coating, or a covering,
which not only serves the purpose of a sealing compound like the stuff
people apply to weatherproof their patio decks, but also a concealment
coating like paint and/or tar and feathers. Coating the ark with bitumen not
only served to waterproof it; but also preserved the wood for future uses
after the Flood subsided and Noah no longer had need of a titanic water
craft.
NOTE: Bitumen is a naturally-occurring kind of asphalt formed from the
remains of ancient, microscopic algae (diatoms) and other once-living
things. In order for bitumen to be available in Noah's day, the organic
matter from whence it was formed had to have existed on the earth
several thousands of years before him.
=============================
Gen 6:15-16a
-
†. Gen 6:15a . .This is how you shall make it:
What if Noah had some ideas of his own? Would that have been alright? No;
when God says "you shall" and/or "you shall not" then that's the law.
Some object that since paper and writing were not yet invented in Noah's
day, then God couldn't possible have provided him with plans for the ark.
But any pictograph, even one on a clay tablet or a rock face, qualifies as a
drawing. That objection infers that God was illiterate until Man learned to
read. (chuckle) I guess it just never occurs to them that holy men like Noah
were far more advanced than your average cave-dwelling hominid.
Other skeptics object that a wooden vessel the size of Noah's ark couldn't be
built because the timbers required for its structural strength would have
been so massive that Noah would never have managed to construct it. But
ancient craftsmen were far more ingenious than most people living today
realize. For example, nobody yet has really figured out how the Egyptians
built the pyramids nor how the people of Easter Island cut, carved , and
moved all those big stone heads around. And the Egyptians aren't the only
ones to mystify us. There are ancient stone structures around the world that
seem impossible to be erected by human hands prior to the age of heavy
industrial machinery; but nevertheless, there they are.
And not to forget that Noah's God was in the project. Since that's the case,
it's not unreasonable to assume God also provided Noah the tools necessary
to complete the task He assigned; and very, very possibly chipped in to help
out with the construction too. When people fail to factor in God, they
invariably end up mystified.
There's another possibility; though I wouldn't stick my neck out to defend it.
Gen 1:26 and Gen 3:22 suggest that God didn't do all the work of creation
by Himself; but possibly supervised a crew of angels during the cosmos'
construction. That same celestial construction crew may have assisted Noah
with the ark's construction-- but of course I'm only speculating.
So; how did Noah cut the logs that went into constructing the ark? Well;
according to the Bible, Cain's people were proficient with metals. If nothing
else; it's probably pretty certain that Noah had at least a metal hammer and
an axe; maybe several metal hammers and axes; and quite possibly saws
too.
"And Zillah she too bore Tubal-cain, who sharpened all tools that cut copper
and iron" (Gen 4:2 courtesy of Chabad.org)
How did Noah join the logs and other wooden pieces that went into
constructing the ark? Well; you know, a good cabinet maker can assemble a
very nice armoire without using nuts and bolts by the strategic use of dowels
and clever joinery like grooves, rabbets, dovetails, mortises, and tenons.
Others object that a wooden vessel the size of the ark would never hold up
on the open sea without steel reinforcement; especially when the super
storm of Gen 8:1 began blowing to mop up the water. But again; those
objectors typically fail to factor in God's involvement in the Flood. You really
think He left the only surviving humans and the only surviving beasts on the
whole planet to the mercy of the elements? No; with God's oversight, even a
house of cards would have survived the Flood had He wished it to.
†. Gen 6:15b . . the length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits,
its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits.
There was a cubit among the Babylonians, and one in Egypt too. But there
seems to have existed double standards in both countries. Because of that,
there exists no undisputed example of the cubit that remains to the present
time; so the length of the cubit has been variously estimated.
One of the ancient cubits was the length of a man's forearm, from the elbow
to the tip of the middle finger, as is implied from the derivation of the word
in Hebrew and from the Latin cubitum. It seems to be referred to also in
Deut 3:11 as "after the cubit of a man." But that's too vague, and unsuitable
for a scientific standard because not all men's arms are exactly alike.
The Babylonians employed two different cubits: the so-called royal cubit and
the common cubit. From the remains of buildings in Assyria and Babylonia,
the royal cubit is made out to be about 20.6 inches. A cubit of similar length
was used in Egypt. This was probably the cubit mentioned by Ezk 40:5 and
possibly that of Solomon's temple as "cubits after the first measure" (2 Chr
3:3)
The commercial cubit was shorter, and has been variously estimated at
between 16 and 18 inches or more, but the evidence of the Siloam
inscription and of the tombs in Palestine seems to indicate 17.6 inches as
the average length. This was the cubit of six palms, while the longer one
was of seven (Ezk 40:5). The cubit mentioned in Judges 3:16 is from a
different word, the Hebrew gomedh, and was probably shorter.
The cubit of Noah's day remains a total mystery. We have no way of
knowing exactly how long it was. Maybe Noah and his boys passed on their
antediluvian knowledge of weights and measures to the post-flood world and
it stayed pretty close to the original standards over the years; but it's
impossible to know for sure.
If we use an 18-inch cubit as a close approximation, then the ark would
have been in the neighborhood of 450' long x 75' wide x 45' high. The ark's
beam was 30 feet wider than its height, so should have proved very stable,
and difficult to capsize even in rough seas-- especially since it had a flat
bottom, which was good too for the purpose intended.
Nothing fancy. Since the ark didn't have to navigate; then it didn't require a
means of propulsion nor was there any practical use for a bow, or a stern, or
a wheel house, a rudder, sails, engine room, anchor, windlasses, or masts--
not even a handrail around the main deck. Since the ark didn't have to cut
through the water like a schooner, there it didn't need tapered undersides.
All the ark really had to do was float. It was really nothing in the world but a
barge: and a very crude barge at that. Really little more than a very large
watertight crate.
Compared to modern ships, 450 feet is not all that big. Oil tankers are
around 1,500, and the Nimitz aircraft carrier is about 1,092 feet. The
distance from home plate to the center field fence in major league baseball,
averages 400 feet or better. So the ark would just about fit into Yankee
stadium. The main playing area of a football field is 300 feet. Add 26 more
for the end zones, and the total is 326; which is still 124 feet short of the
ark's length but at least gives some idea of its scale.
†. Gen 6:16a . . Make an opening for daylight in the ark, and
terminate it within a cubit of the top.
The ark was probably capped with a steeply sloped roof so the immense
volumes of water falling from the sky during the rain stage of the Flood
wouldn't impinge it perpendicularly; but rather strike a glancing blow; and
the eves were likely quite considerable so water running off the roof wouldn't
find its way to the window. Whether or not the window was shuttered isn't
stated, but was very likely a practical consideration. The first forty days of
the Flood were extremely inclement.
The dimensions of the window aren't stated. It could have been as wide as
six feet and extended the full length and width of the ark-- all the way
around it; who really knows. The only requirement was that it be adequate
for light; but undoubtedly served for ventilation too. With all that respiration
going on in there, Noah's air supply would become foul in very short order.
=============================
-
†. Gen 6:15a . .This is how you shall make it:
What if Noah had some ideas of his own? Would that have been alright? No;
when God says "you shall" and/or "you shall not" then that's the law.
Some object that since paper and writing were not yet invented in Noah's
day, then God couldn't possible have provided him with plans for the ark.
But any pictograph, even one on a clay tablet or a rock face, qualifies as a
drawing. That objection infers that God was illiterate until Man learned to
read. (chuckle) I guess it just never occurs to them that holy men like Noah
were far more advanced than your average cave-dwelling hominid.
Other skeptics object that a wooden vessel the size of Noah's ark couldn't be
built because the timbers required for its structural strength would have
been so massive that Noah would never have managed to construct it. But
ancient craftsmen were far more ingenious than most people living today
realize. For example, nobody yet has really figured out how the Egyptians
built the pyramids nor how the people of Easter Island cut, carved , and
moved all those big stone heads around. And the Egyptians aren't the only
ones to mystify us. There are ancient stone structures around the world that
seem impossible to be erected by human hands prior to the age of heavy
industrial machinery; but nevertheless, there they are.
And not to forget that Noah's God was in the project. Since that's the case,
it's not unreasonable to assume God also provided Noah the tools necessary
to complete the task He assigned; and very, very possibly chipped in to help
out with the construction too. When people fail to factor in God, they
invariably end up mystified.
There's another possibility; though I wouldn't stick my neck out to defend it.
Gen 1:26 and Gen 3:22 suggest that God didn't do all the work of creation
by Himself; but possibly supervised a crew of angels during the cosmos'
construction. That same celestial construction crew may have assisted Noah
with the ark's construction-- but of course I'm only speculating.
So; how did Noah cut the logs that went into constructing the ark? Well;
according to the Bible, Cain's people were proficient with metals. If nothing
else; it's probably pretty certain that Noah had at least a metal hammer and
an axe; maybe several metal hammers and axes; and quite possibly saws
too.
"And Zillah she too bore Tubal-cain, who sharpened all tools that cut copper
and iron" (Gen 4:2 courtesy of Chabad.org)
How did Noah join the logs and other wooden pieces that went into
constructing the ark? Well; you know, a good cabinet maker can assemble a
very nice armoire without using nuts and bolts by the strategic use of dowels
and clever joinery like grooves, rabbets, dovetails, mortises, and tenons.
Others object that a wooden vessel the size of the ark would never hold up
on the open sea without steel reinforcement; especially when the super
storm of Gen 8:1 began blowing to mop up the water. But again; those
objectors typically fail to factor in God's involvement in the Flood. You really
think He left the only surviving humans and the only surviving beasts on the
whole planet to the mercy of the elements? No; with God's oversight, even a
house of cards would have survived the Flood had He wished it to.
†. Gen 6:15b . . the length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits,
its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits.
There was a cubit among the Babylonians, and one in Egypt too. But there
seems to have existed double standards in both countries. Because of that,
there exists no undisputed example of the cubit that remains to the present
time; so the length of the cubit has been variously estimated.
One of the ancient cubits was the length of a man's forearm, from the elbow
to the tip of the middle finger, as is implied from the derivation of the word
in Hebrew and from the Latin cubitum. It seems to be referred to also in
Deut 3:11 as "after the cubit of a man." But that's too vague, and unsuitable
for a scientific standard because not all men's arms are exactly alike.
The Babylonians employed two different cubits: the so-called royal cubit and
the common cubit. From the remains of buildings in Assyria and Babylonia,
the royal cubit is made out to be about 20.6 inches. A cubit of similar length
was used in Egypt. This was probably the cubit mentioned by Ezk 40:5 and
possibly that of Solomon's temple as "cubits after the first measure" (2 Chr
3:3)
The commercial cubit was shorter, and has been variously estimated at
between 16 and 18 inches or more, but the evidence of the Siloam
inscription and of the tombs in Palestine seems to indicate 17.6 inches as
the average length. This was the cubit of six palms, while the longer one
was of seven (Ezk 40:5). The cubit mentioned in Judges 3:16 is from a
different word, the Hebrew gomedh, and was probably shorter.
The cubit of Noah's day remains a total mystery. We have no way of
knowing exactly how long it was. Maybe Noah and his boys passed on their
antediluvian knowledge of weights and measures to the post-flood world and
it stayed pretty close to the original standards over the years; but it's
impossible to know for sure.
If we use an 18-inch cubit as a close approximation, then the ark would
have been in the neighborhood of 450' long x 75' wide x 45' high. The ark's
beam was 30 feet wider than its height, so should have proved very stable,
and difficult to capsize even in rough seas-- especially since it had a flat
bottom, which was good too for the purpose intended.
Nothing fancy. Since the ark didn't have to navigate; then it didn't require a
means of propulsion nor was there any practical use for a bow, or a stern, or
a wheel house, a rudder, sails, engine room, anchor, windlasses, or masts--
not even a handrail around the main deck. Since the ark didn't have to cut
through the water like a schooner, there it didn't need tapered undersides.
All the ark really had to do was float. It was really nothing in the world but a
barge: and a very crude barge at that. Really little more than a very large
watertight crate.
Compared to modern ships, 450 feet is not all that big. Oil tankers are
around 1,500, and the Nimitz aircraft carrier is about 1,092 feet. The
distance from home plate to the center field fence in major league baseball,
averages 400 feet or better. So the ark would just about fit into Yankee
stadium. The main playing area of a football field is 300 feet. Add 26 more
for the end zones, and the total is 326; which is still 124 feet short of the
ark's length but at least gives some idea of its scale.
†. Gen 6:16a . . Make an opening for daylight in the ark, and
terminate it within a cubit of the top.
The ark was probably capped with a steeply sloped roof so the immense
volumes of water falling from the sky during the rain stage of the Flood
wouldn't impinge it perpendicularly; but rather strike a glancing blow; and
the eves were likely quite considerable so water running off the roof wouldn't
find its way to the window. Whether or not the window was shuttered isn't
stated, but was very likely a practical consideration. The first forty days of
the Flood were extremely inclement.
The dimensions of the window aren't stated. It could have been as wide as
six feet and extended the full length and width of the ark-- all the way
around it; who really knows. The only requirement was that it be adequate
for light; but undoubtedly served for ventilation too. With all that respiration
going on in there, Noah's air supply would become foul in very short order.
=============================
Gen 6:16b-17
-
†. Gen 6:16b . . Put the entrance to the ark in its side; make it with
bottom, second, and third decks.
A hatch in the hull was practical. Its cover could be let down as a boarding
ramp.
The very bottom of a ship is normally not counted as a deck. The lowest
deck is usually somewhat above the bottom and separated from it by a void
called the double bottom. That way if the actual bottom is pierced, the ship
won't sink because the void is sealed. Whether or not Noah's ark had a
double bottom is unknown; but likely it had at least a bilge because the
lowest deck needs to be above the bottom a bit so the passengers and crew
don't have to slosh around down there in the lower parts of the ship where
fetid water and other unsavory liquids typically collect.
The spaces between decks were fairly tall. If we divide 45 by 3 we get
roughly 15 feet apiece not counting a bilge, nor the thickness of the deck
planks and their beams. Fifteen feet can accommodate pretty tall animals;
and provide enough room for the birds to exercise now and then too.
An ark 450 feet by 75 feet, with three decks would have provided 101,250
square feet of living space. If Noah were resourceful, he might have installed
shelves and cabinets on the hull and the bulkheads, plus more on the
overheads, and the underside of the ark's roof for even more storage/living
space. thus he would have taken advantage of not just the ark's square feet;
but also its cubic feet.
Detractors insist there wasn't enough space aboard for all the various
creatures in Noah's day, but they fail to take into account a few facts. For
one, nobody really knows how long the cubit of Noah's day was and, most
importantly, nobody really knows how many species of life existed in his
day. By the time Man appeared on this old earth of ours, some pretty
colossal mass extinctions had already taken place; and on top of that, the
species that exist on earth in our day, may not have existed in Noah's day,
but instead what we are seeing in our day is the result of millennia of
somatic mutations and adaptations.
Larger creatures could have shared their spaces with smaller creatures, even
permitting the ones smaller than themselves to climb up and rest on their
backs. Life finds a way.
They say there are seven wonders of the ancient world, but that is not quite
accurate. There's actually eight if we include Noah's ark. Sure, building a big
wooden barge like Noah's would be child's play for a modern shipyard like
Northrop Grumman Newport News; but in his day, it had to be quite a feat.
†. Gen 6:17 . . For My part, I am about to bring the Flood-- waters
upon the earth-- to destroy all flesh under the sky in which there is
breath of life; everything on earth shall perish.
Some think the Flood was merely a local event rather than a global deluge.
But that is not the way Genesis describes it. The author quotes God saying;
to destroy "all flesh under the sky" and: "everything on earth" shall perish.
If the Flood were to be local, then it would only be necessary for Noah and
his family and the animals to simply migrate to a different region rather than
go to all the trouble of building an ark. No. The idea of localized flooding is
totally unacceptable because "the sky" is everywhere.
Ironically, and perhaps even humorously, many of the people arguing for a
localized Flood are convinced it's a myth anyway so I have no clue where
they see the point of arguing its extent.
The word for "waters" is from mayim (mah'-yim) which is a plural noun that
can be used either in a plural sense as here in Gen 6:17, or in a singular
sense as in Gen 21:14.
Were the waters of the Flood fresh water or salt water? It doesn't matter,
since the one who created the physical requirements of all life is easily able
to adapt it to suit His purposes. But the sea's saltiness isn't static; it's
increasing all the time, and always has. Which means that if you were to go
back in time, the sea was a lot less salty in Noah's day than it is today;
ergo: aquatic life's adjustment to dilution back in his day wouldn't have been
as extreme as aquatic life's adjustment would be in our day.
=============================
-
†. Gen 6:16b . . Put the entrance to the ark in its side; make it with
bottom, second, and third decks.
A hatch in the hull was practical. Its cover could be let down as a boarding
ramp.
The very bottom of a ship is normally not counted as a deck. The lowest
deck is usually somewhat above the bottom and separated from it by a void
called the double bottom. That way if the actual bottom is pierced, the ship
won't sink because the void is sealed. Whether or not Noah's ark had a
double bottom is unknown; but likely it had at least a bilge because the
lowest deck needs to be above the bottom a bit so the passengers and crew
don't have to slosh around down there in the lower parts of the ship where
fetid water and other unsavory liquids typically collect.
The spaces between decks were fairly tall. If we divide 45 by 3 we get
roughly 15 feet apiece not counting a bilge, nor the thickness of the deck
planks and their beams. Fifteen feet can accommodate pretty tall animals;
and provide enough room for the birds to exercise now and then too.
An ark 450 feet by 75 feet, with three decks would have provided 101,250
square feet of living space. If Noah were resourceful, he might have installed
shelves and cabinets on the hull and the bulkheads, plus more on the
overheads, and the underside of the ark's roof for even more storage/living
space. thus he would have taken advantage of not just the ark's square feet;
but also its cubic feet.
Detractors insist there wasn't enough space aboard for all the various
creatures in Noah's day, but they fail to take into account a few facts. For
one, nobody really knows how long the cubit of Noah's day was and, most
importantly, nobody really knows how many species of life existed in his
day. By the time Man appeared on this old earth of ours, some pretty
colossal mass extinctions had already taken place; and on top of that, the
species that exist on earth in our day, may not have existed in Noah's day,
but instead what we are seeing in our day is the result of millennia of
somatic mutations and adaptations.
Larger creatures could have shared their spaces with smaller creatures, even
permitting the ones smaller than themselves to climb up and rest on their
backs. Life finds a way.
They say there are seven wonders of the ancient world, but that is not quite
accurate. There's actually eight if we include Noah's ark. Sure, building a big
wooden barge like Noah's would be child's play for a modern shipyard like
Northrop Grumman Newport News; but in his day, it had to be quite a feat.
†. Gen 6:17 . . For My part, I am about to bring the Flood-- waters
upon the earth-- to destroy all flesh under the sky in which there is
breath of life; everything on earth shall perish.
Some think the Flood was merely a local event rather than a global deluge.
But that is not the way Genesis describes it. The author quotes God saying;
to destroy "all flesh under the sky" and: "everything on earth" shall perish.
If the Flood were to be local, then it would only be necessary for Noah and
his family and the animals to simply migrate to a different region rather than
go to all the trouble of building an ark. No. The idea of localized flooding is
totally unacceptable because "the sky" is everywhere.
Ironically, and perhaps even humorously, many of the people arguing for a
localized Flood are convinced it's a myth anyway so I have no clue where
they see the point of arguing its extent.
The word for "waters" is from mayim (mah'-yim) which is a plural noun that
can be used either in a plural sense as here in Gen 6:17, or in a singular
sense as in Gen 21:14.
Were the waters of the Flood fresh water or salt water? It doesn't matter,
since the one who created the physical requirements of all life is easily able
to adapt it to suit His purposes. But the sea's saltiness isn't static; it's
increasing all the time, and always has. Which means that if you were to go
back in time, the sea was a lot less salty in Noah's day than it is today;
ergo: aquatic life's adjustment to dilution back in his day wouldn't have been
as extreme as aquatic life's adjustment would be in our day.
=============================
Gen 6:18-20
-
†. Gen 6:18 . . But I will establish My covenant with you, and you
shall enter the ark, with your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives.
Biblical covenants are legally-binding contracts; and may include stipulations
for all parties involved; and then again may stipulate responsibilities for only
one of them with the other simply being along for the benefit; sort of like an
irrevocable trust. Covenants may, or may not, include penalties for breach of
contract; and sometimes those penalties are very severe; e.g. Lev 26:3-38,
Deut 27:15-26, and Deut 28:1-69.
†. Gen 6:19-20 . . And of all that lives, of all flesh, you shall take two
of each into the ark to keep alive with you; they shall be male and
female. From birds of every kind, cattle of every kind, every kind of
creeping thing on earth, two of each shall come to you to stay alive.
Apparently one pair of each kind was a minimum; I mean; Noah took four
pairs of humans aboard; and he was later given updated instructions to take
seven pairs of some species.
Fortunately Noah didn't have to go on safari to round up his passengers. The
Bible says two of each shall "come to you." which implies of course that
species who failed to come got left behind and went extinct in the Flood.
There was plenty of time for them to make it because Noah was 120 years
building the ark and getting it ready. Since the animals selected were
cooperative and docile, then the smaller beasties could hitch rides on the
larger ones and thus save themselves some steps.
A man named Dave Kunst walked across today's world in just a little over 4
years from June 1970 to October 1974. Kunst walked a total of 14,450
miles, crossing four continents and thirteen countries, wearing out 21 pair of
shoes, and walking more than 20 million steps. That was an odd thing to do,
but does prove it can be done in a relatively short time; so 120 years was
plenty enough for all the critters to make it on over to Noah's place in time
for the Folly's maiden voyage. If the ark were to launch in 2015, critters
would have been on the move towards it since 1895 --eight years before the
Wright Brothers historical flight --and probably reproduced many times along
the way since there are not all that many species that live to see 120 years
of age.
But how did they cross oceans? In the past that was doubtless a thorny
theological problem. But with today's knowledge of the geological science of
plate tectonics, the answer is as simple as two plus two. Scientists now know
that continental land masses can be shifted, and in point of fact the dry
parts brought so close together as to form one single super continent.
Scientists also know about magma hot spots and pressure points that can
raise and lower the earth's crust like a service elevator. Subduction no doubt
played a role by pushing sea beds up above sea level and made to form land
bridges; thus expediting migration.
This idea is by no means novel. For example: in 2014, a 9,000 year-old
stone structure used to capture caribou was discovered 120 feet below the
surface of Lake Huron; and is the most complex structure of its kind in the
Great Lakes region.
The structure consists of two parallel lanes of stones leading to a cul-de-sac.
Within the lanes are three circular hunting blinds where prehistoric hunters
hid while taking aim at caribou. The structure's size and design suggest that
hunting was probably a group effort, with one group driving caribou down
the lanes towards the blinds while another group waited to attack.
The site-- discovered by using sonar technology on the Alpena-Amberley
Ridge, 35 miles southeast of Alpena Michigan --was once a dry land corridor
connecting northeastern Michigan to southern Ontario.
Actually the Earth's mantle is one continuous (albeit fractured) mass
anyway, although its profile is so irregular that dry land sticks up above sea
level at various high spots; which is a good thing because if the mantle were
smooth, the world would be quite flooded all the time. In point of fact, if the
Earth's mantle were perfectly smooth, like a billiard ball, there's enough
water present even today to cover the land to a depth of 9,000 feet of
water. That would be equivalent to a global ocean approximately 1.7 miles
deep.
Normal geological processes take thousands of years to accomplish, but
when you factor in the creator's participation in the Flood event, it's no
problem at all for a supreme being who has absolute power over not just the
earth's geological processes; but all the rest of nature's processes too.
What about dinosaurs? Did they go aboard with Noah too? No; too late.
Paleontologists are pretty sure the Jurassic era was over and gone by means
of a mysterious mass extinction event several millennia before the entrance
of human life on the earth; which, in my layman's opinion, is pretty good
proof that the six "days" of creation were a whole lot longer than 24 hours
apiece.
=============================
-
†. Gen 6:18 . . But I will establish My covenant with you, and you
shall enter the ark, with your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives.
Biblical covenants are legally-binding contracts; and may include stipulations
for all parties involved; and then again may stipulate responsibilities for only
one of them with the other simply being along for the benefit; sort of like an
irrevocable trust. Covenants may, or may not, include penalties for breach of
contract; and sometimes those penalties are very severe; e.g. Lev 26:3-38,
Deut 27:15-26, and Deut 28:1-69.
†. Gen 6:19-20 . . And of all that lives, of all flesh, you shall take two
of each into the ark to keep alive with you; they shall be male and
female. From birds of every kind, cattle of every kind, every kind of
creeping thing on earth, two of each shall come to you to stay alive.
Apparently one pair of each kind was a minimum; I mean; Noah took four
pairs of humans aboard; and he was later given updated instructions to take
seven pairs of some species.
Fortunately Noah didn't have to go on safari to round up his passengers. The
Bible says two of each shall "come to you." which implies of course that
species who failed to come got left behind and went extinct in the Flood.
There was plenty of time for them to make it because Noah was 120 years
building the ark and getting it ready. Since the animals selected were
cooperative and docile, then the smaller beasties could hitch rides on the
larger ones and thus save themselves some steps.
A man named Dave Kunst walked across today's world in just a little over 4
years from June 1970 to October 1974. Kunst walked a total of 14,450
miles, crossing four continents and thirteen countries, wearing out 21 pair of
shoes, and walking more than 20 million steps. That was an odd thing to do,
but does prove it can be done in a relatively short time; so 120 years was
plenty enough for all the critters to make it on over to Noah's place in time
for the Folly's maiden voyage. If the ark were to launch in 2015, critters
would have been on the move towards it since 1895 --eight years before the
Wright Brothers historical flight --and probably reproduced many times along
the way since there are not all that many species that live to see 120 years
of age.
But how did they cross oceans? In the past that was doubtless a thorny
theological problem. But with today's knowledge of the geological science of
plate tectonics, the answer is as simple as two plus two. Scientists now know
that continental land masses can be shifted, and in point of fact the dry
parts brought so close together as to form one single super continent.
Scientists also know about magma hot spots and pressure points that can
raise and lower the earth's crust like a service elevator. Subduction no doubt
played a role by pushing sea beds up above sea level and made to form land
bridges; thus expediting migration.
This idea is by no means novel. For example: in 2014, a 9,000 year-old
stone structure used to capture caribou was discovered 120 feet below the
surface of Lake Huron; and is the most complex structure of its kind in the
Great Lakes region.
The structure consists of two parallel lanes of stones leading to a cul-de-sac.
Within the lanes are three circular hunting blinds where prehistoric hunters
hid while taking aim at caribou. The structure's size and design suggest that
hunting was probably a group effort, with one group driving caribou down
the lanes towards the blinds while another group waited to attack.
The site-- discovered by using sonar technology on the Alpena-Amberley
Ridge, 35 miles southeast of Alpena Michigan --was once a dry land corridor
connecting northeastern Michigan to southern Ontario.
Actually the Earth's mantle is one continuous (albeit fractured) mass
anyway, although its profile is so irregular that dry land sticks up above sea
level at various high spots; which is a good thing because if the mantle were
smooth, the world would be quite flooded all the time. In point of fact, if the
Earth's mantle were perfectly smooth, like a billiard ball, there's enough
water present even today to cover the land to a depth of 9,000 feet of
water. That would be equivalent to a global ocean approximately 1.7 miles
deep.
Normal geological processes take thousands of years to accomplish, but
when you factor in the creator's participation in the Flood event, it's no
problem at all for a supreme being who has absolute power over not just the
earth's geological processes; but all the rest of nature's processes too.
What about dinosaurs? Did they go aboard with Noah too? No; too late.
Paleontologists are pretty sure the Jurassic era was over and gone by means
of a mysterious mass extinction event several millennia before the entrance
of human life on the earth; which, in my layman's opinion, is pretty good
proof that the six "days" of creation were a whole lot longer than 24 hours
apiece.
=============================
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