Or, The Development and Decay of Culture
Scripture: Genesis 4:17-26
Date: September 20, 2015
Speaker: Sean Higgins
The fulfillment of the cultural mandate (1:28) is well under way by chapter 4 in Genesis. Men are becoming fruitful, multiplying, filling the earth, subduing it, and taking dominion. We are, of course, only starting at the beginning of it all, but real ground is being covered.
What was unforeseen by Adam and Eve in the Genesis 1:28, however, was the effect that sin would have on their own image-bearing responsibility, let alone on their descendants.
Some of the most glorious advances in human civilization are recorded in this final section of Genesis 4. Culture is created, organized, and enjoyed. Inventions show off man’s ingenuity and industry. Business, with perhaps some marketing, begins here. The arts, at least in terms of music and instruments, are framed for the first time. We’re talking about genuine first things, things that actually were new “under the sun” (see Ecclesiastes 1:10).
These were exciting times, or at lest they could have been. For all the human enterprise and energy, we get to the end of Moses’ exposition feeling empty. The impression is that something is missing. It could have been extraordinary, but it seems like vanity. People made in God’s image were utilizing some of their potential for themselves and not for God. For all our enthusiasm over human achievements we (as those who worship God) feel a sad for them.
Moses continues to tell the story of the two seeds. Chapter 4, for as familiar as the Cain/Abel conflict is to us, is focused on Cain and his descendants through verse 24. That Cain killed his own brother tells us more about Cain and his seed who are dominated by the power of sin. Cain’s descendants reveal the progress of sin in the wild. We’ll see the rest of his sad story this morning in verses 17-24.
But there is hope. Hope isn’t in man’s ability, energy, or innovation, but in man’s humility and dependence on his Maker. Adam and Eve bear another son, Seth, who becomes the channel of the other seed, and an important part of creating another kind of culture. We’re introduced to his story in verses 25-26.
Moses typically includes the genealogies of brothers that represent two types of descendants. Moses also typically places the record of the non-chosen side first, and in much shorter form. [See also in Genesis Ham/Japeth 10:11-26 then Shem to Terah for Abraham 11:27-25:11. Also Ishmael 25:12-18 to Isaac 25:19-35:29. Also Esau 36:1-37:1 to Jacob 37:2 through the end.]
Knowing that there were other siblings (Genesis 5:4), why did Moses include Cain’s line? It does prove that God kept His word that Cain would not be killed. It also provides history about his descendants and describes their culture. And mostly it displays the increase of sin through self-sufficiency and savagery.
After a brief consideration of Cain’s pursuits, six generations of descendants are listed.
Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. When he built a city, he called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch. (verse 17)
Cain knew his wife . Since there is no mention of a marriage between verses 16 and 17, it seems reasonable to think Cain was already married before he murdered his brother. This position is even stronger when we consider that he might have had great difficulty persuading one of Abel’s sisters to marry him.
His unnamed wife conceived and bore Enoch . This Enoch should not be confused with the same-named great-great-great(3) grandson of Seth, who never died according to Genesis 5:21-24. We know nothing about this Enoch other than the name of his dad, the name of one of his son, and that the very first city on earth was named after him.
When he built a city, he called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch . If we remember Yahweh’s curse and Cain’s complaint from Genesis 4:1-16, this city building seems very out of place. The LORD cursed Cain to be a wanderer and a fugitive. We know Cain understood it because he protested it. So how does God’s curse and Cain’s city fit together?
We’re not given any details about the size or success of this city. An Old Testament city basically had one identifier: it had some sort of fortifying protection around it. But, the wall around the city of Enoch was probably not like that around Jericho, and maybe there were only a few houses and inhabitants.
Another significant grammatical observation provides insight as well. The ESV, NAS, and NKJV all miss it. The NIV gets it right: “Cain was then building a city.” The verb is not “built,” it is “was building” (a periphrastic that includes an ongoing participle). Cain was attempting to build a city, but there’s no indication he made it much further than giving it a name.
This could have been so exciting: urbanization, organization, civilization, community. But it was Cain’s (vain) attempt to fight his judgment. He was cursed a wanderer, and dog gone it if he wasn’t going to plant himself somewhere. He was cursed a fugitive, and though the LORD promised he wouldn’t be killed, he still tries to protect himself with a wall. In this attempt, Cain tries to overcome his alienation and to prevent retaliation.
But his seed did reproduce. Including Enoch, five generations after Cain are listed.
To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad fathered Mehujael, and Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushael fathered Lamech. (verse 18)
We know nothing about Irad, Mehujael, and Methushael other than their family and their names. Cain undoubtedly had other sons. Why are these mentioned? It is to get us to Lamech. The rest of this section is about Lamech, and the amount of space Moses allocates to Lamech requires our attention.
Lamech functions as a window into the culture of the line of Cain. Through Lamech comes much cultural development and so much decay.
And Lamech took two wives. The name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. (verse 19)
That he took two wives tips us off to his character. It is the first break (that we know of) in God’s pattern for marriage between one man and one woman in Genesis 2. Three are not made one in marriage. It only took until the seventh generation of men to ruin this part of image-bearing by disregarding God’s math for marriage.
It is also suggested that, based on the names of his wives, Lamech chose because of the lust of the eyes. Adah means “ornament” and Zillah means “shade,” emphasizing physical, external appearance. Whatever it was that caused his choice, Lamech did not take two wives from godly motivation.
Three verses reveal three sons, each of whom was responsible for significant cultural advances.
Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. (verse 20)
Lamech’s wife Adah bore Jabal and he was the father , in other words, he was the originator, the first one of those who dwell in tents and have livestock . Jabal is responsible for tents , portable dwelling units that made it possible to pack up at least some of the comforts and benefits of home.
The reason was for the sake of livestock . We already saw that Abel was a shepherd. So what makes Jabal the “father” of this lifestyle? “Livestock” does include cattle as opposed to only sheep. But it seems that the significance is of driving these cattle for business purposes not merely for sake of finding food for them. Jabal was the provider of livestock. He travelled around because he was the game in town. He was the original nomad entrepreneur.
His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe. (verse 21)
Jabal’s brother was Jubal…the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe . Here we have not only instruments, a significant enough invention, but instruments to play music. What kind of lifetime achievement award does he deserve? Jubal didn’t influence a genre; he’s given credit for creating music culture!
The lyre (“harp” NKJV) was a string instrument, the pipe (“flute” NKJV, “organ” KJV) was a wind instrument. The pipe wasn’t invented by the god Pan.
[H]ow much curious and loving attention was expended by the first man who looked hard enough at the insides of trees, the entrails of cats, the hind ends of horses and the juice of pine trees to realize he could turn them all into the first fiddle. No doubt his wife urged him to get up and do something useful. I am sure that he was a stalwart enough lover of things to pay no attention at all to her nagging; but how wonderful it would have been if he had known what we know now about his dawdling. He could have silenced her with the greatest riposte of all time: Don’t bother me; I am creating the possibility of the Bach unaccompanied sonatas” (Robert Farrar Capon, The Supper of the Lamb, 19).
That said, apart from God, instruments and music are only so valuable.
Zillah also bore Tubal-cain; he was the forger of all instruments of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah. (verse 22)
Lamech’s other wife Zillah…bore Tubal-cain…the forger of all instruments of bronze and iron . Instruments is an unfortunately narrow word, especially when it follows the creation of Jubal. “Instruments” is actually a general term, probably having nothing to do with music, but with tools, so “implements” - NAS, “tools” - NIV. Tubal-cain was an engineer. His metallurgy no doubt had an impact on agriculture and architecture. It probably wasn’t too long before it also had an impact on weaponry.
Each brother is responsible for amazing cultural advances. This is the stuff of the cultural mandate, except that it is all without any reference to God. These are great things, sure, but only of limited value. It certainly makes them more accountable.
The scene switches from Lamech’s sons back to Lamech himself and his self-promotion of depravity.
Lamech said to his wives:
“Adah and Zillah, hear my voice;
you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say:
I have killed a man for wounding me,
a young man for striking me.
If Cain’s revenge is sevenfold,
then Lamech’s is seventy-sevenfold.”
(verses 23-24)
The parallelism and rhythm of the lines indicate that this is poetry. It is a verse, or part of a song, formed to celebrate unrestrained violence. Commentators have used words such as: “desperate barbarity, furious audacity, threats of sheer indiscriminate slaughter, unsparing” (Calvin, 220-221), “cruel egotism” (Wenham, 114).
He kills when there is no reason to do so other than to show off his pride. Someone wounded or struck him, but he kills, perhaps feeling empowered by weapons his son created. There is some question whether this killing happened already or if it is a way to taunt about what his response would be, which I lean toward. But either way, he revels in his brutality.
It’s worse than that. He mocks God, claiming something for himself greater than God in verse 24. Clearly he knew the revelation to his great-great-great(3) grandfather. But Lamech didn’t need God to protect him, and his revenge would be seventy-sevenfold , a ridiculously out of proportion response.
Cain’s descendants, as represented in Lamech, are productive members of society, and at the same time a sad group. They are culture creators, but godless.
Adam and Eve lived to see Cain kill Abel. They knew there was not hope in Cain’s line.
And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, “God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.” (verse 25)
There is chronological disorder since we know that Adam and Eve only more than three sons (see 5:4). Seth wasn’t born until after Lamech’s children six generations removed from Adam. Rather, Moses now returns the story to the other line of seed.
God appointed for me . God gets all the credit and Eve uses the exact word offspring or “seed” as found in Genesis 3:15, this time leaving no doubt that she remembered and believed God’s promise.
She also couldn’t forget what her first son did to her second, for Cain killed him . The renewed hope comes in the context of sorrow.
To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to call upon the name of the LORD. (verse 26)
Chapter 5 will begin again with Adam and Eve and track Seth’s descendants down to Noah. For now, we get a taste in this transition of the increase of another group, a different kind of culture.
Seth’s son is named Enosh . It is a Hebrew word that is translated “man” when not used as a personal, proper name, just as “Adam” also means “man.” Enosh may refer to what is frail or fragile, often used in contexts contrasting the strength of God with weakness of man. Adam-man is a man of dust. Enosh-man is a man of dependence.
That name goes along with the final sentence in this section, At that time people began to call upon the name of the LORD . To “call on the name” meant to worship, and in particular, worship in prayer. This was a new, spiritual culture of corporate worship, expressing dependence on the LORD.
Presumably, they used instruments and music. Presumably, some of Seth’s descendants learned trades and fulfilled the cultural mandate as well. But what Moses highlights about this group is not how they depended on themselves, built cities, created commerce, wrote music, or fashioned tools, but that they were humbly dependent on the One whose image they bore.
These paragraphs teach us that culture can get better and worse at the same time, just not in the same way. Men can bear God’s image well in some ways without realizing what they’re doing. This doesn’t excuse their neglect of thanks to Him, nor can their creativity and work save them, it increases their accountability to Him.
Our own culture produces some amazing things for which Christians must give God thanks. But that’s exactly what our culture does not want to believe. They want to believe that we can have all of this without God. This is like wanting to live in the 50th floor penthouse while denying the need for a foundation. It only exists in their imagination and, while we can value their imaginative image-bearing, we should tell them that their high culture depends on a different sort of high.
What is the answer? The answer is to fear God.