Genesis 27 - Two Genealogies

God's word is from Genesis chapter 4, verses 16 to 26. Please listen carefully to God's word.

 

“So Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden. Cain made love to his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch. To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech. Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah. Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock. His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play stringed instruments and pipes. Zillah also had a son, Tubal-cain, who forged all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron. Tubal-cain’s sister was Naamah. Lamech said to his wives, ‘Adah and Zillah, listen to me; wives of Lamech, hear my words. I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for injuring me. If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times.’”  

Adam made love to his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, saying, ‘God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.’ Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh. At that time people began to call on the name of the Lord.”  

Amen.

 

Interpreting the Two Genealogies: Bloodline or Faith?

 

Today's text records the story of Cain's descendants along with the story of Adam's other son, Seth. Therefore, this final part of chapter 4 essentially introduces two genealogies. And those two genealogies show a clear contrast. We often refer to Cain's descendants as the offspring of the serpent, and Seth's descendants as the offspring of the woman. While there is some truth to this, we can see through the Word that the Bible does not speak of the offspring of the woman simply based on bloodline alone. Consider the event of Noah's flood. Did only Cain's descendants die then? No. All of Seth's descendants died too. Noah's descendants appear after today's text, and Noah was actually a descendant of Seth, but among the many family members with Noah, except for Noah's 8 immediate family members, all other families received judgment from the flood. So, we naturally question whether the offspring of the woman were also all subject to judgment.

 

In the Bible, the offspring of the woman does not depend on bloodline, whether it's Cain or Seth. The offspring of the woman, as the Bible speaks of, is to show how the promise and fulfillment of Christ can be traced, where he appeared from, and through which genealogy he came. Therefore, we cannot definitively state that people of a specific bloodline are all offspring of the woman, and those who are not are all offspring of the serpent. However, in terms of representation, we could say that Cain's descendants possess the characteristics of the serpent's offspring.

 

Then who are actually the offspring of the woman? They are those who look to the Messiah, the offspring of the woman, Christ, believe in the Messiah promised by God, and live before God – these can be called the offspring of the woman. Therefore, the difference between these two genealogies does not lie in whether one is a descendant of Cain or Seth.

 

Cain's Complaint and God's Protection

Cain, in fact, after killing Abel, became a fugitive and wanderer on the earth. It was one of God's punishments. Cain, who had to receive that punishment, says this in verse 13. It's a very significant statement: ‘Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is more than I can bear. Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”’  

 

Cain says his punishment is heavy. If he were saying this in comparison to Adam and Eve's punishment, the story might have some meaning, but in reality, Cain did not intend to compare the severity of the punishments like that. Rather, through Cain's reaction, we can clearly understand how humans, having eaten the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, came to respond before God. Cain is judging his own punishment himself, telling God directly that it is heavy. And the reason he says the punishment is heavy, according to this text, is this: Because God drove Cain out from the land, Cain became one who was driven away from God and hid from God's face. These two punishments, being driven out and becoming one who hides from God, are identical to the punishments Adam and Eve experienced in the Garden of Eden, as we examined in previous sermons. Therefore, this story is telling the same story as Adam and Eve's. In other words, what happened now is that Cain repeatedly received the same punishment from God as Adam and Eve.

However, the point to note here is that Cain, in this situation, is saying something God did not say. What did he say? He said, ‘whoever finds me will kill me’. Why did he show this reaction? It was because he knew he would now become a fugitive. And the reason was that God made him a wanderer from the land. And that is a slightly different reaction from the time of Adam and Eve. He now became a being unable to settle anywhere. And he said that this punishment from God was too heavy for him. It was because he knew that from now on, he had become a murderer who could be killed. So Cain, whose life was endangered, is complaining to God, asking if people wouldn't kill him if they met him.

 

If you think about it, Cain killed his brother Abel, and all the people on the earth at that time were descendants of Adam and Eve. It probably doesn't mean that if he went out now, he would immediately meet someone who would kill him. It's likely a story about the future. He is talking about things that will happen later. The Bible says nothing at all about how many people were living in Cain's time. The Bible is silent on whether Adam and Eve had daughters before Cain and Abel, and whether it refers to the people born from those daughters, or whether, in the history of salvation, Adam and Eve had children before Cain and Abel. It also doesn't record in detail how many children they had afterwards. The children of Adam and Eve revealed in the Bible are only three sons in total. So we only know about Adam and Eve's three sons.

Even in Lamech's story, the name of the daughter he had is recorded in the Bible, but for Adam and Eve, the names of the daughters they bore are not recorded. We know that Adam and Eve lived for a long period and had children, but the focus of the Bible is now on the fact that Cain killed his own brother within a family community, and that consequently, those seeking to avenge the murder could arise.

 

However, the Bible remains silent on whether Abel was married and had formed a family. But if Abel had children and a wife he married, Cain could encounter enemies because of that. So Cain feared that, and the Bible records that he was afraid he would be killed. This is truly ironic. Since Cain killed Abel, paying the due price for his sin with his death is, in a way, natural and fair. But Cain not only did not want that, but he is appealing to God. Yet God, characteristically, grants this unfair request of Cain. He even promises that anyone who harms him will receive a punishment seven times greater. What could have been the reason? In today's sermon time, we will examine two important meanings hidden in God's promise.

 

Reason 1 for God's Protection: Prohibition of Private Revenge

First, God does not permit individuals to avenge personal grudges. In Cain's time, a state had not yet formed, so there was no such thing as public authority. As you well know, Romans says that God gave the power of the sword to the government. In other words, it shows that God acknowledges the public authority of the state. So God allowed society's order to be maintained through acts like conducting trials, determining sentences, and imprisoning criminals through it. And even in the era when such public authority did not exist, God did not want this world to lose order, and so He did not permit individuals to avenge personal grudges. This is also something that protects all of us simultaneously. If individuals begin to avenge personal grudges, murder inevitably leads to more murder. Since Cain had children and a family, if Cain were harmed, this would inevitably create more enemies, and murders would lead to more murders in order to avenge those enemies. Therefore, God did not permit such acts, nor did He permit individuals to avenge personal grudges. And only God possessed that right.

 

Reason 2 for God's Protection: Providing an Opportunity for Repentance

The second reason is slightly more important. The reason lies precisely within all these circumstances. Cain not only left God, but he committed murder, lied to God, and defied God. The proof is when he said, ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’. Compared to the time of Adam and Eve, the depth, terror, and weight of sin became completely different and deeper. Even though only one generation had passed. Sin is that terrifying. How many generations have passed for us now? Countless generations have passed. Therefore, we can somewhat gauge how terrifying and immense the sin we live in is. I sometimes feel this reality, our condition, for example, when watching TV, even hearing news that someone died, I just think, 'Oh, that happened,' and move on; the fact that the person died doesn't break my heart anymore. It seems I've reached a point where I only feel something if I hear news that at least several hundred people died. Do you sense how hardened our hearts have become? Through our lives like this, we can also see that as time flows and generations pass, sin becomes more terrifying and deeper. Sin is that dreadful.

 

Yet, to this Cain, instead of death, God opened another path he could choose. What kind of path was that? It was a path by which he could return to God. If you had definitively thought of Cain as the offspring of the serpent, you would think it natural for him to be destined for destruction and follow that path. But that's not the case. That's just what we think because we already know the outcome. To Cain living in that era, God, until the very end, allowed a path for him to return. Of course, such grace was equally given to Adam and Eve. As we examined in previous sermons, God, while giving Adam and Eve punishment, simultaneously bestowed great grace upon them amidst it. He allowed the pain and labor of childbirth, but through it, the offspring of the woman was born. They had to labor, toil, and sweat, and the ground brought forth thorns, but through that labor, humans could live. Even within God's judgment and punishment, there was simultaneously God's grace. And Adam, who knew that, gave the woman the name Eve with the amazing prophecy that the offspring of the woman would come through Eve and crush the serpent's head. ‘Mother of all living’ – God saw that with pleasure, and He clothed them. He made garments of skin for them. Adam and Eve's story flowed like that.

 

Cain's Reaction: City Building and Self-Centeredness

But Cain was completely different. To Cain too, God clearly granted grace. Looking at his condition, his qualifications, there was absolutely no reason to keep him alive. Since he killed a person, no one could object to him paying the price for his sin with his blood. Even if God had done so, it would have been natural. But instead of killing him, God tried to open a new path for him. Nevertheless, Cain lived a life completely opposite to God's path. After sinning, Cain moves further east from the place east of Eden where Adam and Eve, who had left Eden, lived. The place where Cain stayed was called ‘Nod’. The place name Nod seems to have been named in connection with Cain's life. Because the meaning of Nod in Hebrew is ‘to wander’ or ‘to roam’. It was a place name that fit well with Cain, who had to live a life of wandering and roaming. Cain came to live like that, just as God had said.

 

However, the problem arises next. He began to build a city. What does building a city mean? It is an expression of the will to reside in that place. It shows the intention to no longer roam and wander. It is a blatant resistance against God's word. He is declaring that he will resist God, who said he would be a fugitive and wanderer on the earth, and reside in that place. He built a city in that place. Having built this city, Cain names the city. It was ‘Enoch’, the same as his son's name. It is the same name as the Enoch of the Old Testament, whom we know well, who did not die but ascended. The meaning of the Hebrew word ‘Enoch’ is ‘dedicated’. Please think about it. Cain built a city and named this city after his son, Enoch. But if Enoch is a name meaning 'dedicated', to whom was it dedicated? It is dedicated to the son's father. In other words, Enoch means a person dedicated to his father, Cain. Then the city of Enoch built by Cain is likewise a city dedicated to Cain. Cain is proclaiming that the city is dedicated to him and that he is the master of the city. In other words, for Cain, the city is not only his pride but also the source of his power.

 

The Meaning of City Building and the Tower of Babel

Everyone, this pattern of humans building cities in today's text is continuously repeated in the history of sinful humans in the Bible that follows. The very first one to appear among them is the well-known Tower of Babel incident in Genesis chapter 11. Verse 4: “Then they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.’” If you look closely at this verse, humans are building not only the Tower of Babel but also a city together. In other words, they are trying to build the city of Babel and the Tower of Babel simultaneously. And what was the reason given for building this? It was to make a name for themselves, avoid being scattered and dying, and protect themselves. Everyone, Cain is the originator of this human city-building.  

 

Characteristics of a Life Apart from God

And through this scene of Cain building a city, we clearly see the characteristics of a life apart from God. First, a life apart from God means that everyone, without exception, wanders and roams. Because they do not possess the answer to the path of life – where, how, and for what purpose they should live. They are just born like that and live like that. That's why Heidegger, one of the famous existentialist philosophers, spoke about human life as ‘a passive and accidental existence, merely a thrown existence (being thrown)’. It means human life is just an existence thrown carelessly into the world. Of course, the reason is also unknown. Among the numerous scholars we know well, there has never been anyone who could clearly explain why we should live on this earth. Everyone is just living, without knowing the reason for their existence. Our lives are bound to roam, wander, and stray. Because none of us know where we came from or where we are going. That's why we constantly build our cities. We toil but have no peace, and because we are anxious, we constantly build cities.

 

If people in the past built cities, what about now? What is our city, living in modern times? We who live in modern times have changed the name of that city. We now have a city called money, and we have a city named children, and it can also be the name of the power we covet, or the business we want to succeed in. So, although we still don't know who we are, we have acquired numerous other names. We have come to possess names like CEO, professor, doctor, businessman, and pastor. Who are you? If asked this question, we probably wouldn't have much to say beyond our date of birth, name, what we do, or perhaps where we were born. There are not many people who can explain in detail and properly what kind of person we are. Who are we really? Because we don't know that, we are bound to be anxious, and so we continue to build cities. Because we become anxious if we don't possess something. But no matter how many possessions we acquire, we can never be satisfied. This is our life. This is precisely our appearance apart from God.

 

Cain's Idolatry and Our Appearance

Therefore, for Cain, the city was a god replacing God. He believed the power to protect himself was in that city. Naming the city after his son shows that he placed his future hope in that city as well. That city was Cain's purpose. He had not changed. Although God gave him a clear path, he did not turn back. Rather, he did not regard God as God, but began to regard the city he built as God. We call this idolatry. But the more we know this appearance of Cain, the more similar it seems to the appearance of you and me. Without needing to talk about your stories, just looking at my own appearance, this appearance of Cain is so similar to my reality. Everyone, who is truly Cain's descendant? Do you remember how you lived before believing in Jesus, or before you came into the Lord? Didn't we all live like Cain? We were all, in fact, descendants of Cain. All the lives we lived when we had left God were, in fact, Cain's life. Although we want to claim to be descendants of Abel, descendants of Seth, and descendants of the woman, in reality, we were all descendants of Cain.

 

Contrast of the Two Genealogies: Descendants of Cain and Descendants of Seth

And the most surprising event in today's text is the story about Seth's descendants that appears after the story about Cain's descendants. The genealogy in today's text spans 7 generations in total, starting from Adam and reaching Jabal and Jubal. Of course, Adam's genealogy appears separately in chapter 5, but here Cain and Abel are omitted from the record, and it says Adam immediately fathered Seth. In chapter 4, today's text, the story of two contrasting genealogies appears at the very end. The genealogy that contrasts with Cain, appearing at the very end of chapter 4, is precisely Seth's genealogy. These genealogies of Cain and Seth show a very significant contrast, and so today we intend to find the contrast the Bible shows.

 

First, Cain fathered Enoch. Enoch fathered Irad, Irad fathered Mehujael, and Mehujael fathered Methushael. Seeing these names, many people arbitrarily misinterpret the meanings of these names. That is, they interpret the Bible by assigning too much meaning to the original meaning of the Hebrew words these names possess. When reading the Bible, when a Hebrew name of a character is mentioned, there are broadly only about three cases where it carries a noteworthy meaning. First, when the Bible itself explains the meaning. In such cases, the person's name often contains an important meaning. For example, the Bible records explanations for the names Abraham and his previous name Abram. And as we well know, the Bible records about the apostle Peter and the meaning of his name. In such cases, the name definitely carries a clear meaning, so grasping this is very important for understanding the Bible. However, in many cases, it is very dangerous for you to understand the etymology of the Hebrew or Greek word used as a name alone as a biblical symbol. The meaning of the word's etymology is relevant only if the meaning of this name aligns with the context of the passage.

 

Let me give an example from today's text. The first names to examine are Methushael and Mehujael. First, many people try to interpret the name Methushael as meaning 'son of hell'. Because the word 'Methu' (므드) actually has the meaning of 'Sheol' (음부), or 'hell'. And some people say the word 'sael' (사엘) is derived from 'Sheol' (스올), meaning hell, and thus also refer to it as Sheol. Therefore, this Methushael is sometimes interpreted as son of Sheol, death, or hell. However, if this name is interpreted using a similar different etymology, this name can also be interpreted as meaning 'man of God' or 'man of prayer'. However, to interpret the scripture according to one's desired intention, they understand the meaning of the name Methushael only as 'man of hell' or 'man of death' and interpret this passage accordingly, accepting this descendant of Cain as a person of death and hell. Of course, it might be received gracefully, but this is not the correct method of Bible interpretation. Claiming that a translation using the Hebrew original must be accepted unconditionally is incorrect. First, what we need to examine is whether such an interpretation is stated in the Bible itself. If the Bible does not explain it, then it is necessary to examine how well that interpretation fits the overall context. If my interpretation is still unclear and difficult to apply, it would be right for us to not accept that interpretation. If numerous scholars also have difficulty understanding it clearly, it would be right for us too to be cautious about such interpretation methods. However, if the name itself appears repeatedly very often throughout the Bible, making its meaning very obvious, it is possible to understand what the Bible intends to convey through the meaning of that name. For example, names like Lamech or Abel could certainly have the meaning they carry used in Bible interpretation. However, the fact we must pay attention to when examining this genealogy and the people listed in the Bible is not the individual names, but the purpose for which the Bible recorded the genealogy. Understanding this is often much more important. In other words, when thinking about Cain's genealogy and Seth's genealogy, I hope you will deeply consider this point and examine today's text.

Now, the Bible says God gave Seth in place of Abel. The name Seth means precisely “in place of”. It is a Hebrew word meaning ‘to exist in place of’. So, Seth is very important in terms of biblical history.

 

Worldly Success of Cain's Descendants vs. Brief Record of Seth's Descendants

However, contrary to what we might think, the story about Cain's genealogy is much more splendid and brilliant than the story of the figure God prepared as a replacement. How about you? Through sermons, through Bible study, we know well that Seth's genealogy is much more important from God's perspective of salvation history. Because we know well the fact that the offspring of the woman comes from Seth's genealogy. However, in our actual lives and even in our religious lives, often the content of the lives of Cain's descendants is considered much more important than Seth's. Why is that?

As confirmed in today's text, the entire story about Seth's descendants in the Bible is just two lines. The story about Cain is recorded at great length. And within Cain's lineage are stories that we cannot help but truly envy. Indeed, Cain's descendants seem much more successful in the world. Representative figures are Jabal, Jubal, and Tubal-cain. All contain the root 'bal' (발). In contrast to Abel, interpreted as 'vanity', this Hebrew root 'bal' is a word meaning 'to produce, to make'. Although the exact meaning of Jabal or Jubal is not precisely known, the word 'bal' at the end of their names means to make or produce something. In other words, Cain's descendants must have been people who produced and created something. They were people who did creative work. The Bible describes Jabal as the ancestor of those who practiced animal husbandry. Jubal appears as the originator of music. Tubal-cain was a person who worked with copper and iron, meaning he would have been a blacksmith or metalworker. Ancient civilizations, in fact, all emerge from Cain's genealogy.

 

However, this family of Cain does not seem to be portrayed in the Bible as a strange or flawed family, as we might think. We often slightly disparage people who suddenly made a lot of money with the term 'jolbu' (졸부, nouveau riche). It means a person with no notable family tradition or background, only money. But look at Cain's family in today's text. First, since they practiced animal husbandry, they would have had a lot of money. And since they were a family that worked with metals, they would have made and used many weapons, and therefore would have had power too. It is clear they were a powerful and influential family in many aspects. Moreover, they were not only powerful and wealthy, but also a family that created music. They were culturally outstanding too. Everyone, what do we call such a family? We call it a family with tradition and excellence. Although much diminished these days, if we look at modern history, we can find many prestigious families. For example, we remember the fact that the ‘Kennedy family’ in the US was spoken of as a prestigious family. So why is family lineage important? It wasn't possible just with lots of money or just power. There clearly had to be cultural value as well. But Cain's family is depicted that way in the Bible. In other words, the Bible is describing Cain's family as prestigious in worldly terms. When you and I read the Bible, we always understand the content from the perspective of Seth's family, so it's easy to think that this Cain family, standing on the opposite side, is not much. But from a worldly perspective, Cain's family was clearly prestigious. In contrast, Seth's family ends with just a few lines of description, as there wasn't much to write. In the eyes of the world, whose family is better? The truth is that Cain's family appears much better to us. Then, whom exactly did God bless? Was it Cain, or Seth? This is our dilemma as we examine this text today.

 

Our Dilemma: What Kind of Blessing Do We Desire?

Generally speaking, the successful family is clearly Cain's family. And this is not someone else's story, but also a story we experience daily. Everyone, although we try to live by faith and speak of faith as the most important purpose of life, is the blessing we truly want to receive Seth's blessing or Cain's blessing? Do you want to live the life of Jabal and Jubal, or do you want to live the life of Enosh? Occasionally, in private settings, I often hear spiritually mature deaconesses (Kwon-sa-nim) talking about their grandchildren. ‘My grandson is a very smart kid, but because he made a mistake on the exam this time, he couldn't go to Harvard and went to Yale instead! Still, I thank God.’ How does that sound? Does it sound like a spiritual conversation? Although I gave an extreme example, we actually engage in such conversations quite often within the community. It's not much different at meal gatherings with pastors I occasionally meet. Since they are pastors of a similar age to me, sometimes we talk about their married sons or their daughters-in-law. Of course, since they are pastors, they don't boast openly like that, but while talking about how the daughter-in-law they will welcome has good faith, is kind, and is the daughter of a faithful elder, they casually insert at the end that the daughter-in-law's profession is a doctor. Then another pastor sitting next to them pretends to congratulate, while listing at length how arduous and difficult the work of a doctor is. Then they subtly boast that their own daughter-in-law holds a high position at a famous IT company. They don't forget to mention the high salary either. Then the other pastors who were together all envy them. People are all the same, right?

 

Everyone, something I heard recently truly surprised me. When asked about the dreams of elementary school students in Korea, unlike in our time when they hoped to be president or scientist, nowadays elementary school children dream of becoming building owners. They say nowadays, above the Creator (조물주, jomulju) is the building owner (건물주, geonmulju). The building owner has become higher than God. It's a sad story, a heartbreaking story, isn't it? But even when you and I hear that, don't we think in our hearts, 'I wish I owned just one building'? Living while believing in Jesus is truly hard, isn't it? When we buy a house, only our house price stays the same. Other houses all go up. But some of you might have experienced selling that house, only to see the house price start jumping the very next day. Then are we believers people who haven't received blessings? Have you never felt such skepticism?

 

The Crux of the Problem: Our Perspective ('The Hurting Finger')

Then what is our problem? I also had such experiences in conversations with pastors. I have two sons, and they are either of marriageable age or well past it, but they haven't married yet. Maybe that's why, when I hear stories about those married sons and daughters-in-law, I feel subtly jealous. Honestly, I was envious too. What exactly is our problem?

A patient came to see a doctor. He is explaining to the doctor how he is hurting. ‘When I press my stomach with my finger, it hurts; when I press my arm, it hurts; when I press my foot, it hurts; when I press my head, it hurts; there's just no time when it doesn't hurt. It hurts everywhere I press. What should I do?’ After finishing the examination, the doctor tells the patient. ‘Sir, there is nothing wrong with your body. It's just that your finger is the part that hurts.’

 

Everyone, it's not our lives that are the problem. It was the problem of the finger pressing on our lives. If you thought, 'Why am I so poor?', the problem wasn't the poverty, but our finger pressing on that poverty was the problem. If you were frustrated because your life was unhappy and everything you did failed, then it's our perspective, namely where that finger is, that was actually the real problem – how we measure and view everything. Where are your two eyes looking when viewing the world, your own life?

 

Conclusion of Cain's Genealogy: Lamech's Pride and Violence

If you examine Cain's genealogy in today's text, you can discover that it doesn't end with Jabal, Jubal, and Tubal-cain. The story about their father, Lamech, comes last. Strangely, the story of this genealogy, after telling the sons' stories, concludes by returning to their father's story. In other words, the Bible is telling us that the conclusion of this story of Cain's genealogy is Lamech. A poem composed by Lamech appears. ‘I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for injuring me. If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times.’ The meaning of the name Lamech is very clear. It means ‘strong man’. Cain's murder manifests as an even greater murder in Lamech. He killed a person for being wounded. The phrase 'being wounded' simply means getting a small bruise. He got bruised from being hit, and because of that, he killed a person. Because I was injured, I killed the other party. This is what Lamech did.  

 

He is now boasting before God about his strength, and his actions. It's different again from Cain's actions. We see how much more terrifying human sinfulness has become. The Bible is not criticizing the fact that civilization began through Cain's descendants. The Bible does not say that the animal husbandry, metalwork, and arts developed through Jabal, Jubal, and Tubal-cain were wrong. Abel was also a keeper of flocks. It's not saying such things in themselves are bad. But the problem lies in where the basis of the prosperity and power that Cain's descendants possess, that they are presenting now, is located. What was the basis of the power they boasted of? What in our lives do you and I boast of now? With what are you pressing on your lives? I am asking whether the finger we press on life with has become which university our child entered, what job they got, what our profession is, how much our income is, how big our house is. Where is the basis upon which you view your life?

 

The Core Difference Between the Two Genealogies: Leaving vs. Calling

The real difference between these two genealogies is not Cain and Seth. It's not whose descendant one is; only two facts differ. Let's look at verse 16. “So Cain went out from the Lord’s presence”. It says Cain left the Lord. And let's look at the final verse 26. “people began to call on the name of the Lord”. And Seth's descendants became people who sought the Lord. This is the biggest difference today's text shows us. One genealogy consisted of those who left the Lord, and the other genealogy consisted of those who sought the Lord. That made all the difference in their lives.

 

Then did Seth's descendants eat poorly and live poorly? Probably not. They also ate and lived. They might not have had abundant possessions. Were there no rich people among them? There would have been rich people among Seth's descendants too. For example, although it's difficult to see him as a direct descendant of Seth, Abraham who appears later was also a rich man successful in animal husbandry. Why would there be no rich people? But the Bible does not list facts like they were the ancestors of farmers, or the owners of cities they built, or that they established great nations. Because for them, what could describe their lives was not what kind of work they did, or what position they held. Regardless of whether they were president, prime minister, or CEO of a large corporation, they were people who called on the Lord. This was the entirety of describing their lives. And the basis of their lives was precisely this: A life that calls on the Lord!

 

God's Plan of Salvation: The Offspring of the Woman

God said He gave another seed in place of Abel. And that was Seth. That seed was precisely the offspring of the woman. Cain and his descendants, and this world, will continue to grow evil. And even now, we continuously see those phenomena. But within those descendants of Cain, within that world that will change terrifyingly, God does not give up on us, and in this place where there seems to be no path, He is preparing the offspring of the woman. He is preparing the way to save us. That is why Cain's descendants can live because of the offspring of the woman. You and I, who were descendants of Cain, are ultimately saved because of Christ who came as the offspring of the woman. Whoever believes in that Christ, he becomes the offspring of the woman.

 

Our True Identity and Value

So the Bible clearly tells us who we are. We have strength, and it is the strength of knowing God. We have hope, and it is the kingdom of God. We have wealth, and it is precisely God. We are people with such amazing eyes that we call that victory, we call that success. We are people who know that amazing life. Does it hurt a lot when you press on your life? Does it hurt when you press on the wealth you possess? Does your failure hurt? Does your health hurt? Or, does your religious life hurt? Everyone, now is the time for us to think not about those things, but about our finger that was pressing on them. Why does our finger hurt? Weren't we perhaps hoping our church would walk the path of success commonly spoken of in the world? Weren't we seeking comfort, fellowship, solace, or rest praised even by the world, rather than seeking a church that walks in the correct Word before God? Of course, a church should have such things, and they naturally exist. But if that alone is the purpose of the church we think of, how can it be different from worldly values and purposes? We work so hard in the world for that comfort, buy houses, and decorate our homes. Then what did we want when we gathered as a church?

 

I too seem to live forgetting that fact every day. In my heart too, I have the thought that I wish the church would grow larger, finances become ample, and everything run smoothly. I wish our deacons would become people dedicated to serving the church, and the elders would be people who can dedicate themselves to the church more than anyone. But should we live desiring such things? Every time such thoughts arise, I hope this word from today's text comes alive for us. No matter how holy it may be, we are not people who try to mobilize something for the purpose of well-being as defined by the world. If the kingdom of God means suffering, we are people who gather together among ourselves to share that suffering for the kingdom of God. If what the kingdom of God gives us is the cross of Jesus Christ, we are people who came here to bear that cross. If the peace Christ gives us is the eternal peace due to that cross, if it's the kingdom of God, we are people who must gather for that kingdom of God even if it means destroying our own kingdom. We did not gather merely to be joyful, glad, and happy among ourselves, but we are people gathered here to realize and know what the kingdom of God is, and for the sake of that kingdom.

 

Our Life Story

Therefore, if you know what we need to fix, I hope you will think once again about what your hurting finger is. Don't curse Cain's genealogy while looking at it. Because that is my appearance. Don't be envious either. Because without God, all those things are nothing. If God is your inheritance, if God is your strength, if Jesus Christ is your savior, if Christ, the offspring of the woman, is our victory, if we have that, our lives do not need to be written in many lines. A single line is sufficient for the autobiography of my life. ‘I knew the Lord, I called on the Lord, I loved Christ’ – this one line is enough. This life is precisely the life of a happy person.

 

Everyone, finally, let's look up this verse. Deuteronomy 33, verse 29. “Blessed are you, Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord? He is your shield and helper and your glorious sword. Your enemies will cower before you, and you will tread on their heights.” Everyone, when was Deuteronomy written? It was a sermon Moses gave before Israel entered Canaan after finishing 40 years of deadly hardship living in the wilderness. It was a time when they hadn't even set foot in Canaan yet. In that wilderness, they faced the crisis of death daily from thirst, enemies, disease, and hunger. There was never a single time they were abundant. But now Moses is speaking. ‘You are a happy people!’ And this is the reason. ‘Who is like you, a people who obtained the salvation of the Lord? Who knows God?’ Everyone, you are precisely that happy person.  

 

Closing Prayer

Let us pray. Loving Lord, You have delivered us. And You walk with us. The Lord is our shepherd. The Lord is our shepherd. Since that Lord becomes my inheritance, becomes the memoir of my life, I will be satisfied with one line. ‘Called on the name of the Lord.’ We pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.