Gtcotr/ss111223
Genesis 1 gives us an account of the 7 days of creation and how God made Adam in His own image. Genesis 2 talks about a paradise God made for Adam called the Garden of Eden into which God placed this lonely man. Knowing it was not good that man should live alone, God fashioned Eve and brought her to Adam to be his wife.
Genesis 3 reveals the subtle trickery of that sneaky snake who came into the garden and deceived Eve into believing she was discontented with her life. Eve disobeyed the single commandment of God and influenced her husband to follow her. They were born-again from children of God to children of the world … from saints to sinners … from immortal beings to mortal souls, destined to die, separated from God.
God forgave them temporarily by shedding the blood of an animal and covered their nakedness with the skins. Hidden from each other they were shamefully driven from the Garden of Eden, which is the paradise of God. Filled with shame, Adam and Eve lived by the sweat of their labor, in pain and hardship, under the curse of mortal man, exposed to the deceptions of this world. Their only hope was that one day the seed of the woman would crush the head of their enemy and deliver them from the curse of sin.
In Genesis 4 Adam and Eve begin a new life. Two sons are born to them. The firstborn is named Cain and the younger Abel. Adam and Eve must have taught their sons how to pray, worship, and bring acceptable offerings to God. Cain was a tiller of the ground while Abel was a shepherd. There must have been so much hope in Adam and Eve.
Genesis 4 NKJV
3 ¶ And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD.
4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering,
5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.
6 ¶ So the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?
7 “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”
8 ¶ Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.
We could dissect this passage to the Nth Degree, as many have, and find all types of reasons why Cain murdered Abel, most of which would be spot on. However to keep focused on our message instead of this moment, let’s just say Cain was born of the flesh; was not submitted to God; was filled with jealousy, greed, and perhaps a touch of the “I don’t care” attitude; certainly he did not feel remorse for what he did; felt Abel had it coming to him for being all superior and blessed by God; had anger issues … maybe daddy issues; was a liar; prone to depression; maybe a bit spoiled; impulse driven; and only cared about himself.
We don’t want to over analyze Cain but whatever it was, God knew Cain better than Cain was willing to admit, and God punished Cain, yet Cain did not repent.
Genesis 4:16 Then Cain went out from the presence of the LORD and dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden.
Nod = the land of wandering. Disconnected from the plan, the purpose, and the presence of God. A vagabond journeying through the earth without God.
Let’s focus for a moment on Adam and Eve. The Bible doesn’t give us details of the emotional strain, the broken heartedness, fear, worry, pain, loss, or stress Adam and Eve experienced from the loss of their two sons. One to sin and the other to death.
And what about the promise of God … the promise of salvation … the promise of a Messiah who would come from the seed of the woman?
Where do we go from here? Good news … God always has a plan.
Genesis 4:25 ¶ And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, “For God has appointed another seed for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed.”
Another seed. Genesis 5:3 tells us that Adam was 130 years old when Seth was born. Oh I hope we aren’t the ones making God and everybody else wait for another generation to see the salvation of the Lord.
Genesis 5:3 And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.
Seth was a man like his daddy Adam. Born to succeed his father Adam as the firstborn should have. God had a plan, and no sneaky snake was going to mess it up. God always has a plan.
Seth = “appointed” – “to be put in place.”
You may not be the first person God has called to do what He has called you to do … but you are the one appointed at this time and I hope God does not have to find someone else to do what He needs you to do because you have fallen into the trap of the devil; gotten into sin; allowed the flesh to manifest its ugly head; or wandered off somewhere away from purpose, the plan, and the presence of God for your life!
And it didn’t stop there … and it hasn’t stopped yet! Jesus came from the lineage of Seth … the seed of the woman! Seth had a responsibility to keep it going. He was appointed and put into place to keep the chain unbroken.
Genesis 4:26 And as for Seth, to him also a son was born; and he named him Enosh. Then men began to call on the name of the LORD.
Look there! The children of Seth are still well known today. They are known because they are different than other people who are just wandering around journeying through this world without God.
Genesis teaches us that there are only two descendants of Adam and Eve living on the earth.
Joel 2:32 And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, As the LORD has said, Among the remnant whom the LORD calls.
Acts 2:21 “And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved.”
Romans 10:13 For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”
Are you journeying through life, living in sin, unrepentant, selfish, or filled with jealousy, anger, resentment towards others who are blessed and having a great life, or just wandering without purpose, outside of the plan and the presence of God?
Do you know God needs you? I full well believe that if Cain had repented, God would have forgiven him right there on the spot. I don’t know how God would have used Cain, but I do know Cain would have had a better life with God than without Him.
Would you call on the name of the Lord with me today?
The only way to fix the eternal problem you face is for you to call on the name of the Lord and let Jesus save you.
And the only way to fix the temporary earthly problems we face is to make Jesus the Lord of your life.
Jesus wants to be your Savior and He also wants to be your Lord!
Every problem known to mankind can be addressed and resolved with those two things.
Pray now!
