Genesis 4:16-2416And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. 17And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch. 18And unto Enoch was born Irad: and Irad begat Mehujael: and Mehujael begat Methusael: and Methusael begat Lamech. 19And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. 20And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle. 21And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ. 22And Zillah, she also bare Tubal-cain, an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah. 23And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt. 24If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold. (Genesis 4:16‑24)
“AND Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.” v. 16. Having no desire to be near the Lord, indeed, wishing to get away from His presence and from all that would provoke his conscience —the son in whom the mother had such hopes, forsaking parents and all, went out to seek a place for himself and his family in a “world” of his own making. There he built a city, to which he attached the family name—a picture of man, wishing to promote himself by his own devices at any cost!
May we recognize that Cain was the forerunner of all the folly of this poor world. Men, women, boys and girls alike—all, by nature, have this stamp upon them: “Lovers of their own selves—lovers of pleasures [rather] than lovers of God.” 2 Timothy 3:2, 42For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, (2 Timothy 3:2)
4Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; (2 Timothy 3:4); “Without Christ... aliens... having no hope, and without God in the world.” Eph. 2:1212That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: (Ephesians 2:12). What a tragic and sad state to be in. Such was Cain’s position by his own choice.
Cain would have been wretched indeed if he had not undertaken to deaden his conscience by becoming too busy to be reminded of his distance from God. So his program for himself and his family became very ambitious and, sad to say, such has marked mankind ever since. The name of his first son, Enoch (not to be confused with the Enoch of Genesis 5) is given the first city the world ever saw, no doubt with much pride and vanity. His grandson, Lamech (this name also should not be confused with another Lamech in the 5th chapter) took two wives to himself and started the curse of polygamy that brought still further sorrow to his descendants.
The harp and the organ had their beginning through this family, toy and while later—in the hands of plowmen—they were sometimes used instruments to accompany praise the Lord, at this point we must consider that they merely brought further departure from God and pro, vided occupation with things of men’s own invention. Do we not need prayerful care in our present day, that such instruments and all further refinements and variations that have followed them, do not become snares to our own hearts and minds, and rob, the Lord of His right place in our lives? How readily they can be soothed’ and deceived into feelings of piety by a “lovely song” or by one who can “play well on an instrument,” without the conscience being reached. These very lovely things may so overcome us that they keep us from hearing the voice of God; “for they hear Thy words, but they do them not.” (See Ezek. 33:3232And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not. (Ezekiel 33:32).)
The workers of brass and iron are also introduced through the family of Cain. From their crude furnace soon came many evil things, such as weapons of war, idols and other products to further answer to the natural senses and lift up in pride, turning thoughts more and more away from God. True, from these inventions have come things suited to man’s needs and comfort. Yet, if we remember under what circumstances the first developments of brass and iron came we must agree that man’s brilliance had then, as now, only taken him farther away from his Creator.
ML-08/23/1964