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NASB | Genesis 4:17 ¶ Cain had relations with his wife and she conceived, and gave birth to Enoch; and he built a city, and called the name of the city Enoch, after the name of his son. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Genesis 4:17 ¶ Cain knew his wife [one of Adam's descendants] and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch; and Cain built a city and named it Enoch, after the name of his son. |
Subject: Where did Cains wife come from |
Bible Note: Greetings FreeThinker, You mentioned three points: #1: "One, I see nothing that supports why God did not have to specify murder has a sin to Cain, but then felt it necessary to make it a commandment." #2: "Two, I see nothing that tells how or what to sacrifice to please him." #3: "Third, Kalos made the statement, “(keep in mind, the biblical command against marrying close relatives was not given until thousands of years later during the time of Moses).” Answer to #2: Let us go back to the beginning, when both Cain and Abel brought their offerings before God (Genesis 4:3-4). Abel's offering was accepted by God because it was in every way obediently given according to what God had revealed to them (though the specific instructions of God are not recorded in Genesis). However, Cain's offering was not accepted because he did not follow the divine instruction, just bringing what he wanted to bring: some of his crop. (1) Therefore, what God had revealed to them, Cain did not follow as Abel did. Scripture does not reveal the exact directions of God's instruction; in many places Scripture only focuses on obedience to God without knowing all of the WHY and HOW of a particular instruction. And Abel was obedient to God through faith (Hebrews 11:4). Answer to #1: In Genesis 4:5,6, Cain became angry and hostile towards God, rather than being repentant for his sinful disobedience. He could not kill God to exact his vengeance, but he could kill his brother, whom he was jealous of (1 John 3:12; Jude 11). And then God reminded Cain that if he had obeyed God and offered the animal sacrifices God had required, then his sacrifices would have been acceptable also. It wasn't out of personal preference on God's part, or disdain for Cain's vocation, or the quality of his produce that caused God to reject his sacrifice. It was out of disobedience to Him (1 John 3:12). And then, God told Cain (v.7) that if he chose not to obey His commands, sin (which was ever-present due to the fall of Adam) crouched and waited to pounce like a lion, fulfilling its (sin's) desire to overpower him. (1) And sin, when fully grown, brings forth death (Genesis 4:8; James 1:15). So Cain did indeed sin against God and was punished for it. But you ask: Cain didn't have the Ten Commandments. Therefore, would murder still be considered as sin, since the Law had not yet been given? The Law was given to make us conscious of our sin (Romans 7:7). The Law reveals God's divine standard, and as we compare ourselves to that standard, we can accurately identify our sins, which is the failure to meet that standard. But even though the Law did not come until 430 years after Abraham (Gal. 3:17), "sin" was still identified as "sin" before the law came, since "all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law.." (Romans 2:12). So now you ask: How can we reconcile Romans 7:7, which states that we cannot know about sin unless we have the law, and Romans 2:12, which states that all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law? "For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus." Romans 2:13-16 [ESV] Therefore, in the same way, Abel and Abraham were justified, even though they did not have the law, because they acted in faith towards God. But Cain was not justified, because even after his disobedience towards God, he did not then act in faith. Therefore, this is a small explanation of how we come to the conclusion that there is sin even without the existence of the law, even though the law came into existence to make plain our sin to us so that we may be brought to repentance, instead of continued disobedience, like Cain. Answer to #3: (Keep in mind, the biblical command against marrying close relatives was not given until thousands of years later during the time of Moses.) God did not reveal to the Israelites His special directions concerning marriage until He gave the Law to Moses (Leviticus 18:6-18). Up until that time, relatives were free to marry each other (Genesis 29:15,23-30). But God was setting apart a people that would be holy to Him (Leviticus 20:26), set apart from the world to God alone. And the law forbidding intermarriage within families was a law, along with the Ten Commandments, that would set the people apart as a Holy nation to God. And the Lord would then no longer allow relatives to marry each other, should they claim to be His people. Blessings to you, Makarios |