HBS & DwJ Podcast

Our Scripture Of The Week Is:

Galatians 5:25 KJVS
[25] If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Paul has been describing what it looks like to live as one who is free in Christ. He has been clear that this is not a freedom to do whatever feels good. It is not a freedom to simply indulge in trying to satisfy all our sinful desires.

On the contrary, true salvation—and freedom from the Old Testament's ritual law—is freedom from being controlled by our sinful desires.

How?

Just as we needed an external source, Jesus, to pay for our sin, we also need an external source of power, the Holy Spirit, to overcome our sinful desires and lead us in the right direction.

This happens, Paul has written, when we "walk by" (Galatians 5:16) and are "led by" (Galatians 5:18) the Spirit.

The picture he paints is not one of possession in the sense that the Spirit takes us over and does whatever He wants. We are not spiritual robots, or puppets who suddenly lack free will. Instead the picture is one of Christians using our will to allow God's Spirit to set the direction we will go.

It's a mysterious idea that none of us fully understand, but the way Paul describes it in this verse is helpful. He says living by the Spirit involves keeping in step with the Spirit. It involves adjusting our pace to match the pace and direction the Spirit is leading. Sometimes, Bible teachers describe it as allowing one's partner to lead in a dance.

In other words, it involves submitting to God's way, but we are still the one taking each next step. This will not happen automatically. It is something we must choose from day to day.

In fact, we must choose often to give the lead to the Spirit moment by moment as we follow after Christ.

Our topic today is:

The Final Chapter Of Adam’s Biography – The Thrilling Story Of Enoch Discussion

In the first section of the Book of Genesis (chapters 1–11), we have world events—
first the Creation, then the Fall, and now the Flood in chapters 5–9.

In chapter 5 we have the book of the generations of Adam through Seth. Cain’s line has been given to us and is now dropped. It will be mentioned again only as it crosses the godly line. This is a pattern that will be set in the Book of Genesis.

In one sense, chapter 5 is one of the most discouraging and despondent chapters in the Bible. The reason is simply that it is like walking through a cemetery.

God said to Adam, “… For in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Gen. 2:17), and they all died who were the sons of Adam.

Paul says, “For as in Adam all die …” (1 Cor. 15:22).

This is the book of the generations of Adam. Chapter 5 serves to link the history of creation and the earliest of the humans with the time of Noah and the flood. It accomplishes this with a simple genealogy of Adam's descendants through his son Seth.

The chapter begins by restating an essential truth about God's creation of humankind. He made men and women in His own likeness and used the name ā'dām, which is literally the Hebrew word for "human."

This likeness isn't about a physical resemblance to God. It's about God giving His image to humans as His representatives on earth. It's about sharing with humanity His responsibility to rule and subdue the rest of creation.

Being made in God's likeness also means that each human life has great value in God's eyes. This likeness to God is passed down from one generation to the next in the same way that a father's likeness is passed down to his son.

So as Adam fathers Seth and Seth fathers Enosh, the likeness of God and man are handed down through the years together.

Chapter 5 also reveals key details about the lives of people after the garden, spiritually and physically separated from God and under His curse.

First, the lifespans (and reproductive years) of the earliest humans were extraordinarily long. The text gives explicit clues as to whether or not the numbers reported are actual years.

However, it is difficult to square a non-literal interpretation with the figures given. Such lengthy lifespans would have been entirely possible on an earth free from pollution and genetic decay. This would have allowed for the earth to be populated very quickly.

Second, we see that though there is great progress—as mortal eyes see it, humanity thrives in this chapter—the curse remained as an oppressive reality in the lives of men.

Chapter 4 detailed the lives of Cain's descendants, some of whom exhibited even more aggression than Cain did (Genesis 4:23–24).

In contrast, Noah's father, Lamech, declares that Noah will provide comfort or rest for him in the painful work of pulling his livelihood out of the ground.

Finally, no matter how long these first generations of humans lived, one theme is constant in their lives: They die. This ultimate consequence of sin becomes the norm.
Enoch, commended for walking with God, becomes the exception that proves this rule (Genesis 5:24).

His case becomes unique in all of history.

Genesis 5:1
This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;

Corresponds with the phrase, “The Book of the Generation of Jesus Christ,” Who was the Last Adam [Mat. 1:1].

The “Likeness of God” is the “Glory of God” [II Cor. 4:6].

Through the Fall, man lost that glory; however, at the First Resurrection of Life, every Believer will regain that glory [Rom. 8:17.

“The book of the generations of Adam.” This strange expression occurs again only in the beginning of the New Testament, and there it is “the book of the generation of Jesus Christ.”

There are these two books, as we are already seeing that there are two lines, two seeds, and they are against each other.

The struggle is going to be long between the line of Satan and the line of Christ, the accepted line.

The line which we are following now is the line through Seth, and it is through this line that Christ will ultimately come.

Genesis 5:2
Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.

“And blessed them, and called their name Adam”—not the Adamses, but Adam.
He called their name Adam—Eve is the other half of him.

Refers to the fact that hedro-sexuality is the created human relationship by God.

The blessing was lost as a result of the Fall, but has been regained in Christ.

Adam, in the Hebrew, is the word for humankind in general beside the specific name for the first man.

Genesis 5:3
And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth:

When Adam was 130 years old, how old was he?

In other words, when God created Adam, did He create him thirty years old or fourteen or forty-five?

I do not know—anything would be speculation.

And if He created him that old, was he that old?

And of course God could create him any age. May I say, this answers a lot of questions about the age of the earth.

When someone says that certain rocks are billions of years old, they just do not know.

Maybe when God created them, He created them two or three billion years old.

The important thing here is that when Adam had been here 130 years, he begat a son in his own likeness.

Adam was made in the likeness of God, but his son was born in his likeness.

God originally intended for mankind to procreate “sons and daughters of God” into the world; due to the Fall, sons and daughters could be brought into the world only in the likeness of their original parent, Adam, a product of his fallen nature; it is called “original sin".

means that Adam no longer had the Image of God; the “likeness” and “image” are now after Satan [Jn. 8:44].

Even though Seth was not the Promised One, still, he represented a ray of hope; through him, rather his line, the Promised One would come.

Genesis 5:4
And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters:

The intimation is, Adam was able to father children, and Eve to conceive, for some 800 years.

Exactly how many children they brought into the world we aren’t told.

But it had to be many.

Genesis 5:5
And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.

The family history of this, the Heavenly Race, is marked by death; no matter how long a member of the family lived, yet three words attend the name: “and he died”.

Now we start through the graveyard.

Adam begat sons and daughters, “and all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years”—and what happened?

“And he died.”

Genesis 5:6
And Seth lived an hundred and five years, and begat Enos:

Seth fathered a son by the name of Enos at the age of an hundred and five years.

Genesis 5:7
And Seth lived after he begat Enos eight hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters:

Seth fathered more sons and daughters eight hundred and seven years after Enos.

Genesis 5:8
And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years: and he died.

Here we see Seth died after nine hundred and twelve years of life on earth.

Remember, he had a son by the name of Enos.

Genesis 5:9
And Enos lived ninety years, and begat Cainan:

We see here Enos fathered a son named Cainan at the age of 90.

Genesis 5:10
And Enos lived after he begat Cainan eight hundred and fifteen years, and begat sons and daughters:

Enos fathered more sons and daughters eight hundred and fifteen years after he fathered Cainan.

Genesis 5:11
And all the days of Enos were nine hundred and five years: and he died.

Here we see Enos died after nine hundred and five years of life on earth.

Genesis 5:12
And Cainan lived seventy years, and begat Mahalaleel:

Cainan fathered a son by the name of Mahalaleel at the age of seventy years of life on earth.

Genesis 5:13
And Cainan lived after he begat Mahalaleel eight hundred and forty years, and begat sons and daughters:

Cainan fathered more sons and daughters after Mahalaleel eight hundred and forty years later.

Genesis 5:14
And all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years: and he died.

Here we see Cainan died after nine hundred and ten years of life on earth.

Genesis 5:15
And Mahalaleel lived sixty and five years, and begat Jared:

Mahalaleel fathered Jared at the age of sixty and five years of life on earth.

Genesis 5:16
And Mahalaleel lived after he begat Jared eight hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters:

Mahalaleel fathered more sons and daughters eight hundred and thirty years after he fathered Jared.

Genesis 5:17
And all the days of Mahalaleel were eight hundred ninety and five years: and he died.

Here we see Mahalaleel died after eight hundred ninety and five years of life on earth.

Genesis 5:18
And Jared lived an hundred sixty and two years, and he begat Enoch:

Jared fathered Enoch at the age of a hundred sixty two years of life on earth.

Enoch and Abel are the only two men from creation to the flood, with the exception of Noah, listed who lived for God.

There may have been others, but the Bible doesn’t say.

Genesis 5:19
And Jared lived after he begat Enoch eight hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:

Jared fathered more sons and daughters eight hundred years after he fathered Enoch.

Genesis 5:20
And all the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty and two years: and he died.

Here we see Jared died after nine hundred sixty two years of life on earth.

Our Scripture Of The Week Is:

Psalm 53:3 KJVS
[3] Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

In the prior verse, God was poetically said to be searching "to see if" anyone was fully willing to follow Him. Here, we're given an answer that precisely evaluates the human race. It says every human being has fallen away and become corrupt.

No one does what is good in God's sight. This is a cornerstone concept in Christianity: that no person, anywhere, can claim to be "good enough" to meet God's standards.

Adam and Eve were the first human beings. When they sinned, they passed sin onto the human race. Soon their son Cain displayed a wicked spirit by killing his brother Abel (Genesis 4).

Several generations later sin had snowballed to point that the human race was completely corrupt. In the days before the flood, "The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" (Genesis 6:5).

This trend is not something of the past; it's a constant presence in human hearts.
The prophet Isaiah wrote that all of us have gone astray, and like sheep we have gone our own way (Isaiah 53:6).

Our way is the opposite of God's way. He is completely holy; we are completely unholy.

The declaration here is echoed in Romans 3:11. People seek some form of the divine, but no one is naturally interested in the truths about sin. A common quip says that sinners do not seek God for the same reason criminals do not seek a police officer.

Our topic today is:

The Birth Of Seth – The Lineage Of Christ Discussion

Apparently this was the beginning of men calling upon the name of the Lord. After detailing Cain's descendants through Lamech and his offspring in the previous verses, the narrative now jumps back in time to the birth of Seth. It is very likely Adam and Eve had many sons and daughters besides Cain, Abel, and Seth.

Cain's concern over vengeance strongly suggests that there were many other people alive when he murdered his brother (Genesis 4:14). Those three were special, though, in that the Bible chooses to focus on their stories and successors.

This focus only on more notable figures is a common feature of ancient writings.
It's helpful to notice that Eve is still a woman of faith, expressing her trust in God as the provider of sons even after Cain killed Abel. She saw Seth as God's direct replacement for her lost Abel.

We're told in the next chapter that Adam was 130 years old at the birth of Seth. Eve would have been about the same age. Scripture reports that these first generations after the garden lived hundreds of years, with a reproductive window far beyond what would be considered normal today.

The next chapter will detail the descendants of Seth all of the way through to Noah. Judging by Lamech's story, Cain's legacy seems to be one of productive work and innovation, but also of arrogance and violence. Seth's line, though, includes several examples of people who were overtly faithful to God.

We will learn that Seth was 105 years old when his son Enosh was born.
These first generations after the garden had extraordinarily long lifespans (and reproductive years) by our standards.

We're told that starting around the time of Enosh's birth, people began to call on or proclaim the name of the Lord. This may well have been a direct response, and certainly a contrast, to the descendants of Cain.

As shown in prior verses, his offspring were deeply sinful. And, that sin would eventually spread to pollute almost the entire human race (Genesis 6:5).

Following Eve's example, the people of Seth apparently expressed their dependence on God and perhaps worshiped Him publicly.

Genesis 4:25
And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.

After dealing with Cain’s line in the beginnings of corruption of violence, Moses goes back some years to the birth of “Seth;” the Holy Spirit will single out “Seth,” because he was in the lineage of Christ; the name “Seth” means “appointed substitute”.

When “Cain” was born, Eve said, “I have gotten a man from the LORD,” indicating that she believed in the Covenant of Genesis 3:15.

Now she uses the term “God,” in effect stating that she has lost faith in the Covenant.

As stated, this “seed” would be the one through whom Christ would come, but because of faithlessness, Eve did not know or believe this.

Genesis 4:26
And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.

The name “Enos” means “sickly, mortal, decaying man;” the awful results of the Fall are now beginning to sink in.

This probably refers to contempt; quite possibly the family of Cain, knowing that Seth had now taken the place of Abel, as it regards the “firstborn” or “appointed one,” contemptuously refers to them as the “God people,” or the “Lord people”.

Apparently this was the beginning of men calling upon the name of the Lord.

Our Scripture Of The Week Is:

Titus 1:1 KJV
[1] Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;

Titus begins here with a standard letter-writing format, which included the sender, recipient, and a greeting. The sender is Paul, a former persecutor of Christians, who was formerly known as Saul (Acts 7:58; Acts 8:1–3).

He encountered Christ on the road to Damascus, where he planned to arrest Christians. Instead, Saul believed in Jesus, changed his name to Paul, and was baptized (Acts 9).

Thirteen of Paul's letters are included in the New Testament, known as the Pauline Epistles (Romans through Philemon).

These make up nearly half of the books of the New Testament. Paul considered himself "a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ."

The Greek term Paul used is doulos, which means a "slave," or a "bond-servant."
As a willing servant, Paul was bound to follow God's commands. Paul also claims to be an apostle—from a Greek word meaning "sent one"—and a missionary of the good news of Jesus as the Messiah.

He served "for the sake of the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth," a phrase referring to Christians and their spiritual growth. He served in a way "which accords with godliness," meaning one which would be approved by God.

Our topic today is:

The Children Of Cain And A GODLESS Civilization Discussion

We find that Cain moves out from God, and he establishes a civilization that is apart from God altogether. The children of Cain establish a godless civilization. Cain has murdered his brother and received God's punishment.

This included a loss of his ability to farm, and exile from his family. After receiving God's promise to take vengeance on anyone who would kill him, Cain leaves. Specifically, he leaves God's presence. This phrasing is interesting, since it implies something more than just a physical action.

Apparently, before the murder of Abel, Cain, and perhaps all humans enjoyed some special relationship with God. Now Cain has lost that. The rest of the Bible will demonstrate that sin often separates us from God, as well as from other people.
Cain wanders, according to the curse given by God.

However, in what seems to be a direct defiance of God's punishment, he then settles down. Cain establishes a city (Genesis 4:17) to the east of the Garden of Eden in a land called Nod. In Hebrew, the word Nod means "wandering." This society is productive (Genesis 4:17–22), but seems prone to evil and depravity (Genesis 4:19, 23–24).

In spite of his fears, Cain's life did not come to an end as a result of the murder of Abel. God's punishment for his crime was severe, but not fatal. Instead of farming, Cain began to build a city where he had settled in the land called Nod. This seems to run contrary to the punishment meted out by God, that Cain would be a wanderer.

Then again, as mankind begins to multiply, God seems to be less directly involved in their lives—this would include allowing more room for people to sin and suffer their own consequences.

Whether Cain is blatantly defying God, or if the "wandering" God had in mind was simply to be forced into exile, the Bible does not say. Cain also got married.

Where did his wife come from?

Our best understanding is that the murder of Abel happened decades—perhaps many years—after Cain and Abel were born. The first generations of humans after the garden lived for hundreds of years. It is very likely that Adam and Eve had many more sons and daughters after Cain and Abel, and before Seth.

Ancient genealogies very often only mention offspring directly related to the story at hand, so we would not necessarily expect the Bible to spell out every child of Adam and Eve. It's very possible, by the time we get to Cain's wife, that there were other sons and daughters of Adam and Eve, who themselves had children and perhaps grandchildren.

With such a long reproductive cycle, the population of the earth could have increased exponentially over several hundred years. The point is that Cain likely married a sister or one of many nieces or even grandnieces. This early in human history, intermarrying with one's direct sibling would not have carried the genetic risks it does now.

It was not forbidden by God; in fact, it would have been the only option for populating the earth. Later, as mankind's biology becomes more polluted, God will forbid Israel from this practice.

Cain, apparently a proud father, names his city after his son Enoch. Genealogies serve a valuable role in anchoring the text in a historical context and helping to approximate the passing of years and generations. The stories in Genesis are about real men and women who were born, lived, and died in real time.

Genealogies help us to remember and recognize that. At the same time, a key point to remember in these genealogies is that they are not particularly detailed. There are many names not mentioned—brothers and sisters and others not specifically named.
Also, times are given in typical ancient style: in vague terms.

The point of the genealogies is to show the flow of bloodline from one person to the next, not to give exhaustive details on the entire family line. In this case, the lineage being given is that of Cain, and his more notable descendants.

The family line of Seth, who was born after the murder of Abel (Genesis 4:25), is given a separate explanation. Some of the names used during this time frame, are similar or identical to names of different characters seen later in Genesis.

Just as with modern families, given names in these stories are not always original.
Cain's son Enoch—not the more famous one seen in chapter 5, the son of Jared and father of Methuselah—has a son called Irad. Irad has a son called Mehujael. He has a son named Methushael, and he fathered Lamech.

Again, this is not the same as the father of Noah mentioned in chapter 5. After tracing the generations from Cain to Lamech, the story slows down to give us a close look at Lamech and his family. The Bible gives no explicit reason for this, but it seems to be focused on the spiritual flaws in Lamech and his family.

For starters, Lamech took two wives, Adah and Zillah. Marrying multiple women was common throughout history, including the history of God's people Israel, but this is the first mention of it in Scripture. Many scholars see Lamech's choice to marry two women as a rebellion against God's design for marriage as described in Genesis 2:24.

Later, Lamech bragged about killing another man. This was not self-defense—the Hebrew word Lamech uses is the same used to describe Cain's killing of Abel. Not only did Lamech boast about his crime, he claimed even greater immunity than Cain.

This blatantly evil, anti-God attitude sets the stage for the upcoming story of Noah, and God's judgment on a depraved society.

Genesis 4:16
And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.

Those in rebellion against God do not at all desire His Presence, and for all the obvious reasons.
“Nod” means “wandering;” the majority of the human race “wander,” because they don’t know God and, therefore, have no peace.

I know a lot of folk who dwell in “the land of nod” when they are in church, but frankly, I do not know where the land of Nod really is.

But we are told that Cain went out and dwelt in that area.


Genesis 4:17
And 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.

"knew his wife" is the Biblical terminology for conception.

"builded a city" actually means “was building” or “began to build;” the idea is, it was not finished; and so it has been, and is, with the human race; nothing is ever quite finished with the unredeemed, simply because what is built doesn’t satisfy.

This carries the idea, due to the meaning of the name Enoch, that this city would be a place of education and learning — but it was education and learning without God.

Men have been doing this ever since. They like to call streets and cities by their own names or by names of loved ones.

Even in Christian work you have schools named for individuals.

Men love to do that, whether they are Christian or whether they are after the order of Cain.

But here is where urban life, city life, began: “and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.”

Cities have become one of the biggest problems that man has today.

The cities, they say, are dying, and yet people all over the world are flocking to the cities.


Genesis 4:18
And unto Enoch was born Irad: and Irad begat Mehujael: and Mehujael begat Methusael: and Methusael begat Lamech.

This means fathered.

All of this was three hundred or more years after the creation of Adam and Eve.


Genesis 4:19
And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.

The first instance of polygamy recorded in the Bible. Here is the beginning of polygamy—having more than one wife.

Lamech now does that which is contrary to what God intends, contrary to what God has for man.

You will never find anywhere in the Scriptures that God approves of polygamy.

If you read the accounts accurately, you will find that He condemns it.

He gives the record of it because He is giving a historical record, and that is the basis on which it is given to us here.

“Adah” means pleasure or adornment. She was the first one to make it to the beauty parlor, I guess.

“Zillah” means to hide; I suppose that means she was a a woman who flirts.

My fellow Christian Siblings, what two girls he had for wives!

No wonder he had problems.

Later on we will see what happened. Here now is the beginning of civilization, the Cainitic civilization.


Genesis 4:20
And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle.

She gave birth to Jabal.

The apostle Paul was a tent maker later on, but here is the first housing contractor.

This is the very first rancher.


Genesis 4:21
And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.

Here is the beginning of the musicians.

When we hear some of the modern music today, I am sure there are many who would agree that it must have begun with Cain’s civilization!

It seems that Jubal was the originator of musical instruments; man’s ear is now filled with other sounds than those which issue from Calvary, and his eye is filled with other objects than a Crucified Christ.


Genesis 4:22
And Zillah, she also bare Tubal–cain, an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubal–cain was Naamah.

Tubal-cain was the first one to begin to work with metals; the name of “Cain” was probably added to show that these were “Cainites;” “Naamah” means “beautiful”.

Here we see the ones who are craftsmen.


Genesis 4:23
And 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.

We do not know whether he did or not, but he says that he slew in self-defense.

And We do not know whether or not his two wives entered into this, or whether or not he was defending one of them.

We are not told how it happened.


Genesis 4:24
If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.

Lamech says, “If Cain got by with it, I can get by with it. After all, Cain did not slay in self-defense, but I have.”

This is the first recorded poem in human history.

Like so much poetry ever since, it glorifies immorality and murder, and denies coming wrath.

Man has attempted to deny judgment ever since; nevertheless, judgment one day is coming [Rev. 20:11-15].

Our Scripture Of The Week Is:

James 3:5-6 KJV
[5] Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
[6] And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.

James continues to draw comparisons between the tongue—the words we say—and other relatively small things which possess great power.

First, he pointed to the tiny bits in the mouths of horses which control those mighty animals.

Then he talked about the relatively small rudder on a ship, which can turn a great vessel wherever the pilot wants to go.

The tongue is similar, James writes. It is a very small organ in the body that boasts of great things. In this particular case, James isn't referring specifically to the way we can use our words to brag.

Instead, he means that our tiny tongues have the capacity to effect massive results. The one who controls the bit controls the whole horse. The one who masters the rudder steers the whole ship.

A man who learns to control his tongue will have gained self-control over his entire body. The fact that the tongue is powerful doesn't mean everything it does is positive. To drive home this point, James uses a dramatic example.

A tiny spark can set a whole forest ablaze. In this analogy, the spark is not something used to bring control. Instead, it's a small thing which impacts others around it. This leads to great chaos and destruction.

Like the tongue, the spark can boast of great things. And yet, in the case of the spark in a forest, the "great things" are often overwhelmingly negative.

James has been describing the amazing power of our words—our tongues. Like bits which control horses, or rudders which control ships, or sparks which start a forest-leveling fire, our tiny tongues—through the words we say with them—can do huge things, many of them greatly destructive.

Here, in verse 6, James stops comparing our tongues to others things and describes them as they are. The picture isn't pretty. He describes the tongue itself as a fire, meaning it can burn whatever we touch with our words.

This is a good perspective to keep in mind before we use our words on or against another person. James also describes the tongue as "a world of unrighteousness." In our natural, sinful state, our words don't just occasionally go bad.

They come from a place that is completely bad in every way. The tongue isn't merely the one bad apple in the barrel. It is the member which corrupts all of the other parts of our bodies. An uncontrolled tongue is responsible for setting the course of our lives on fire, for burning down everything along the way.

But our tongues don't burn with their own fire. That fire of reckless destruction didn't originate with us. Our tongues, James writes, are themselves set on fire by hell.

The word "hell" here is derived from the Greek name of the Valley of Hinnom. This was a well-known known place just outside of Jerusalem. Hinnom Valley had been used in the past for human sacrifice.

At the time of Jesus' earthly ministry, it was a perpetually-blazing trash heap. Because it was associated with garbage, rejection, evil, destruction, and fire, this Valley of Hinnom was often held up as a picture of God's eternal judgment on sin: hell.

So what does all of this mean?

Our tongues—the words we say with them in our lack of self-control—are powerfully evil and destructive. It's not a small problem. It's rooted in the fundamental spiritual problems all people have: pride and lack of self-control.

In prior chapters, James pointed out how one's actions prove the reality of his beliefs.

Here, James makes it clear that the way we use our tongues reveals our true nature. As fallen people, our nature is sinful and destructive.

We must be changed.

Our topic today is:

Cain Murders Abel - My Brother's Keeper Discussion

Following Cain's murder of his brother Abel in a field, God comes to confront Cain. As He did with Adam and Eve following their sin in the garden, God begins with a question He already knows the answer to:

Where is your brother?

God provides Cain the opportunity for confession. When God gave this option to Adam, he reluctantly confessed to what he had done. This was not ideal, but it at least reflected a willingness to obey God (Genesis 3:8–13).

Instead of taking this approach, Cain lies to God and remains defiant. He brazenly claims not to know where Abel is. He then asks a question siblings have been quoting to their mothers for generations: "Am I my brother's keeper?"

This is practically an impudent answer. He frankly had little regard for either his brother or for his God. This not only represents dishonesty, but disrespect. Cain flippantly rejected any responsibility for his murdered brother in a way which implies it's wrong of God to even ask the question.

In modern language, Cain is essentially telling God, "Why is Abel my problem?" He is trying to cover his action, but the Scriptures say, “. . . there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known” (Matt. 10:26).

That is something to think over if you have any secret sins. You had better deal with them down here because they are all going to come out in God’s presence someday anyway. He already knows about them—you might just as well tell Him about them.

This fellow Cain tries to say that he is not guilty.
“Am I my brother’s keeper?”—what an impudent answer!

When we think of Murder, we normally think of physically harming someone. However, we can murder someone's character by the things that we say about them. When we talk about people to others we are putting information out in the atmosphere that other people judge.

Sometimes, things that we say can severely murder a person's character to a point that there is no return. So we should definitely watch what we say about people.

Many people make the mistake of believing that God forgives “little” sins such as lying, anger, and impure thoughts, but does not forgive “big” sins such as murder and adultery.

This is not true.

There is no sin too big that God cannot forgive it. When Jesus died on the cross, He died to pay the penalty for all of the sins of the entire world found in 1 John 2:2.

When a person places his faith in Jesus Christ for salvation, all of his sins are forgiven. That includes past, present, and future, big or small.

Jesus died to pay the penalty for all of our sins, and once they are forgiven, they are all forgiven. We are all guilty of sin, found in Romans 3:23, and deserve eternal punishment found in Romans 6:23.

Jesus died for us, to pay our penalty found in Romans 5:8. Anyone who believes in Jesus Christ for salvation is forgiven, no matter what sins he has committed found in Romans 6:23; John 3:16.

Now, a murderer or adulterer will likely still face serious consequences (legal, relational, etc.) for his evil actions – more so than someone who was “just” a liar. But a murderer’s or adulterer’s sins are completely and permanently forgiven the moment he believes and places his faith in Christ.

It is not the size of the sin that is the determining factor here; it is the size of the atoning sacrifice of Christ.

If the shed blood of the sinless Lamb of God is sufficient to cover all the sins of all the millions of people who would ever believe in Him, then there can be no limit to the size or types of sins covered.

When Jesus, dying on cross said, “It is finished,” sin was made an end of, full atonement and satisfaction for it were given, complete pardon was obtained, peace was made, and redemption from all sin was achieved.

It was sure and certain and complete; nothing needs to be, or could be, added to it. Further, it was done entirely without the help of man, and cannot be undone.

Why is Cain angry?

He is angry enough that he is going to slay his brother. Back of premeditated murder there always is anger.

Our Lord said that, if you are angry with your brother without a cause, you are guilty of murder.
Back of anger is jealousy, and back of jealousy is pride. There is no sense of sin whatsoever in spiritual pride.

James put it in language like this: “Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” (James 1:15).

Cain’s anger led to murder, but back of that was his jealousy and also his pride.
And that is how God deals with him.

He says to Cain, “If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?”

Actually, the meaning is better translated as, “Shalt thou not have excellency?”

The eldest son always occupied a place of preeminence, and this boy thinks that now he will lose that. God tells him there is no reason for him to lose it if he does well. To do well would be to bring that which God had accepted from Abel, a sacrifice and the acknowledgment that he was a sinner.
But not this boy—he’s just angry.

“Sin lieth at the door.”

There are those who have interpreted this as meaning that a sin offering lies at the door; that is, that there is the little lamb lying at the door. That makes sense because that was true, but I do not think it means the sin offering here.

Up to this time and beyond this time, in fact, up until Moses, as far as I can tell from the Word of God, there was no sin offering. You find the instructions given for the sin offering in the Book of Leviticus. In the first part of that book, five offerings are given, and one is the sin offering.

The sin offering did not come into existence until the law was given. That is the thing that Paul is saying in Romans 3:20: “. . . For by the law is the knowledge of sin.”

The offerings that were brought up to that time were burnt offerings.

Job in his day, which obviously was before Moses, brought a burnt offering. It was not in any way a sin offering. I think if you will examine the Scriptures, you will find that that is true.

It is obvious that Cain did not realize how vulnerable to sin he was. When God said to him that “sin lieth at the door,” I believe He was saying that sin, like a wild beast, was crouching at the door waiting to pounce on him the moment he stepped out.

For that reason Cain needed a sacrifice that would be acceptable to God for sin, a sacrifice that pointed to Christ.

“Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous” (1 John 3:12).

“If thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door.”

To do well would have been to bring the kind of offering that Abel had brought, a burnt offering.
You find that Abraham also offered a burnt offering, for there could be no transgression until the law was given; that is, sin would not become a trespass against law until then. Therefore, you find that God actually protected this man Cain.

Our Scripture Of The Week Is:

Proverbs 15:1-2 KJV
[1] A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.
[2] The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.

Solomon offers wise advice about how to respond to anger. He says a soft or gentle answer can defuse a potentially explosive situation.

The word translated "wrath" here means rage. This is the kind of volatile anger that eventually leads to physical conflict. When we're insulted or angry, the easiest course of action is to become furious and respond to the other person's rage with similar rage.

However, if a person chooses to respond to rage with harsh, hurtful words, he will make matters worse. Cutting, bitter responses only cause the enraged person's anger to escalate; that results in further hostility.

In contrast, a cool temper refuses to fight fire with fire. The wise person answers gently, and that gentleness extinguishes the fire. At the very least, it gives no more fuel for it to burn. A calm, polite response can take a great deal of tension out of an argument.

This response calls for wisdom, thoughtfulness, concern for the other person, and self-discipline.

Romans 12:19–20 tells us not to avenge ourselves, but to know the Lord will repay the wrong. The believer's responsibility is to show kindness to an enemy:

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:21).

Addressing the subject of speech in this verse, Solomon observes that the wise person compliments knowledge by speaking wisely. Wise speech persuades others to pursue and gain knowledge.

Likewise, the thoughtful person is focused on concepts such as truth and wisdom, rather than merely filling the air with words.

The fool, however, speaks foolishly. Words gush out of their mouths thoughtlessly and reveal a lack of knowledge. Critics of Christian faith often rely on volume—both in the sense of bulk and noise—instead of reason. Through a flood of repeated criticisms, angry words, and shallow attacks, they seek to avoid deeper engagement on subjects.

Jesus, who possessed all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3), astounded people with His wise words. Even at the age of twelve Jesus manifested wisdom when He conversed with the teachers in the temple.

Luke 2:47 reports that "all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers."

In the synagogue in Nazareth, Jesus' hometown, Jesus taught those who were present. Subsequently, those who heard Him, "were astonished, and said, 'Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works?'" (Matthew 13:54).

Christ also taught His disciples to pray wisely instead of using empty words. He said, "When you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him" (Matthew 6:7–8).

Why is Cain angry?

He is angry enough that he is going to slay his brother. Back of premeditated murder there always is anger.

Our Lord said that, if you are angry with your brother without a cause, you are guilty of murder.
Back of anger is jealousy, and back of jealousy is pride.

There is no sense of sin whatsoever in spiritual pride. James put it in language like this:
“Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” (James 1:15).

Cain’s anger led to murder, but back of that was his jealousy and also his pride. And that is how GOD deals with him. He says to Cain, “If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?”

Actually, the meaning is better translated as, “Shalt thou not have excellency?”

The eldest son always occupied a place of preeminence, and this boy thinks that now he will lose that. God tells him there is no reason for him to lose it if he does well.

To do well would be to bring that which God had accepted from Abel, a sacrifice and the acknowledgment that he was a sinner. But not this boy—he’s just angry. “Sin lieth at the door.”

There are those who have interpreted this as meaning that a sin offering lies at the door; that is, that there is the little lamb lying at the door. That makes sense because that was true, but I do not think it means the sin offering here.

Up to this time and beyond this time, in fact, up until Moses, as far as I can tell from the Word of God, there was no sin offering.

You find the instructions given for the sin offering in the Book of Leviticus. We are still in the Book of Genesis we have not even gotten to the Book of Leviticus yet. In the first part of that book, five offerings are given, and one is the sin offering.

The sin offering did not come into existence until the law was given. That is the thing that Paul is saying in Romans 3:20: “. . . For by the law is the knowledge of sin.” The offerings that were brought up to that time were burnt offerings.

Job in his day, which obviously was before Moses, brought a burnt offering. It was not in any way a sin offering. I think if you will examine the Scriptures, you will find that that is true.

It is obvious that Cain did not realize how vulnerable to sin he was. When God said to him that “sin lieth at the door,” I believe He was saying that sin, like a wild beast, was crouching at the door waiting to pounce on him the moment he stepped out.

For that reason Cain needed a sacrifice that would be acceptable to God for sin, a sacrifice that pointed to Christ.

“Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous” (1 John 3:12).

“If thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door.”

To do well would have been to bring the kind of offering that Abel had brought, a burnt offering.
You find that Abraham also offered a burnt offering, for there could be no transgression until the law was given. That is, sin would not become a trespass against law until then.

Therefore, you find that God actually protected this man Cain.


It is time to open our hearts, minds, and souls to the Word Of GOD.


Our scripture will be coming from:


Genesis 4:6-7 KJV
[6] And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
[7] If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.


Now it is time for our verse break down:


Genesis 4:6
And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
God loves Cain, just as He did Abel, and wishes to bless him also.
Abel’s Altar speaks of Repentance, of Faith, and of the Precious Blood of Christ, the Lamb of God without blemish.

Cain’s altar tells of pride, unbelief, and self-righteousness, which always elicits anger)
Anger, in one form or the other, accompanies self-righteousness, for that is what plagued Cain.
God’s Righteousness can only come by the Cross, while self-righteousness is by dependence on works.


Genesis 4:7
If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

If you bring the correct sacrifice, and thereby place your faith
A Sin-Offering.

A lamb was at the door of the Tabernacle. The Lord promised Cain dominion over the Earth of that day, if he would only offer up, and place his trust in, the right Sacrifice. He promises the same presently to all who trust Christ [Mat. 5:5]).


Now It Is Time For Our Life Reflection:


How many times have GOD given us Second Chances?

How many times have we given other people second chances?

How many times have other people given us Second Chances?

Just as GOD is patient and forgiving, He wants us, His children to be patient with and forgiving of others.

"Therefore, as GOD’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience"
We can find this information in Colossians 3:12.

GOD gives us second chances, and we must also give second chances to others.

Jesus gives a stern warning to those who refuse to forgive, saying that if we will not forgive others, GOD will not forgive us.
We find information on this in Matthew 6:15.

Offering forgiveness is not the same thing as reconciliation. Many people struggle to find the balance between showing mercy and enabling a harmful person to continue harming. We should be willing to forgive everyone who wrongs us, just as Jesus forgives us.

But, when someone continues to unrepentantly violate another person’s boundaries, a wise person learns to set firmer boundaries.

If a man has repeatedly punched you in the face, you can offer to forgive him; but you don’t stand within arm’s distance until he has proved over time that he has changed.

Giving someone a second chance means we give them another chance to earn our trust. But that does not mean we instantly forget what experience has taught us.

Trust must be earned over time, and we are foolish if we give trust prematurely. We can have a loving and forgiving heart that also practices wise guardianship over our lives.

When we have wronged someone, we have no right to demand another chance. But we should work to earn another chance by continued demonstration of repentance and change.