Friday: Further Thought ~ Cain and His Legacy

Further Thought:

The repeated phrase “Enoch walked with God” (Genesis 5:22, Genesis 5:24) means intimate and daily companionship with God.

Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com

Enoch’s personal relationship with God was so special that “God took him” (Genesis 5:24). This last phrase is, however, unique in the genealogy of Adam and does not support the idea of an immediate afterlife in Paradise for those who “walk with God.” Note that Noah also walked with God (Genesis 6:9), and he died like all the other humans, including Adam and Methuselah. It is also interesting to note that no reason is given to justify this special grace. “Enoch became a preacher of righteousness, making known to the people what God had revealed to him. Those who feared the Lord sought out this holy man, to share his instruction and his prayers. He labored publicly also, bearing God’s messages to all who would hear the words of warning. His labors were not restricted to the Sethites. In the land where Cain had sought to flee from the divine Presence, the prophet of God made known the wonderful scenes that had passed before his vision. ‘Behold,’ he declared, ‘the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds.’ Jude 14-15.” — Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 86.

Discussion Questions:

Why did Cain kill his brother? Read the following comment by Elie Wiesel: “Why did he do it? Perhaps he wanted to remain alone: an only child and, after his parents’ death, the only man. Alone like God and perhaps alone in place of God … Cain killed to become God … Any man who takes himself for God ends up assassinating men.” — Elie Wiesel, Messengers of God: Biblical Portraits and Legends (New York: Random House, 1976), p. 58. How can we be careful, even if we don’t commit murder, not to reflect the attitude of Cain?
Compare the life span of antediluvians (Genesis 5:1-32) to that of the patriarchs. How would we explain this decreasing of the span of human life? How does this degeneration counter the premises of modern Darwinism?

<–Thursday

Amen!