Dear Gentle Reader,
I do hope that you haven’t been waiting too long for this next study of Genesis.
We are considering the seven most preemement men (to me) in this the first book of the English Bible.
Enoch: What is the distinguishing characteristic here? Enoch is forever immortalized as the man who “walked with God” could we ever aspire to such a lofty reputation? But what is the inner meaning of his walk with God? There was no compulsion about it. There was no need for him to walk with God, whether he wished to do so or not. The inner truth is that behind the walk was the will. There was a blending of Enoch’s will with the will of God. It was this that made the walk possible. “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3). Enoch put from himself all controversy with the will of God, nd accepted it in preference to his own.
But if behind the walk was the will, behind the will was the activity of that strange and vital faculty in human nature which we call choice. While it is true that God and Enoch walked together in a wonderful fellowship, yet the basic truth is not that ‘Enoch walked with God’. It was not God going Enoch’s way, but Enoch going God’s way. Behind this walk with God was the full and final choice of God’s will and way.
Enoch is the man who choses God’s way the man of spiritual desire. Enoch "initiated, dedicated, disciplined") is a Hebrew name.
Hanoch is related to the Hebrew word "chinuch", meaning: enlightenment, wisdom, spirituality.
Enoch appears briefly in the Old and New Testament. He is also represented in the Book of Enoch, which formed part of the Dead Sea Scrolls collection and presents itself as being written by Enoch himself.
Notably, as the great grandfather of Noah, Enoch is said through the Book of Enoch to have known of the coming of the great flood and hence Noah's knowledge of its coming. Enoch is noted as one of two humans (the other being Elijah) who, according to Christian tradition, did not die.
The Book of Enoch
Genesis 5:18-24 [18] Jared lived one hundred and sixty-two years, and begot Enoch. [19] After he begot Enoch, Jared lived eight hundred years, and had sons and daughters. [20] So all the days of Jared were nine hundred and sixty-two years; and he died. [21] Enoch lived sixty-five years, and begot Methuselah. [22] After he begot Methuselah, Enoch walked with God three hundred years, and had sons and daughters. [23] So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. [24] And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.
Hebrews 11:5 By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, "and was not found, because God had taken him"; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. Jude 1:14-15 [14] Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, "Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, [15] to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him."
We first learn of Enoch in Genesis 5 but it leaves us with questions. Hebrews 11 has the answers and Jude quotes Enoch! How did Jude come to know the words of Enoch? They are not in the Bible. The answer of course, is The Book of Enoch. A book which is actually quoted by Jude in the New Testament. What is the Book of Enoch and where did it come from?
Enoch was the great-grandfather of Noah. The Book of Enoch chapter 68:1 "And after that my great-grandfather Enoch gave me all the secrets in the book and in the parables which had been given to him, and he put them together for me in the words of the book of the parables."
The Book of Enoch was extant centuries before the birth of Christ and yet is considered by many to be more Christian in its theology than Jewish. It was considered scripture by many early Christians. The earliest literature of the so-called "Church Fathers" is filled with references to this mysterious book. The early second century "Epistle of Barnabus" makes much use of the Book of Enoch. Second and Third Century "Church Fathers" like Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Origin and Clement of Alexandria all make use of the Book of Enoch. Tertullian (160-230 C.E) even called the Book of Enoch "Holy Scripture". The Ethiopic Church even added the Book of Enoch to its official canon. It was widely known and read the first three centuries after Christ. This and many other books became discredited after the Council of Laodicea. And being under ban of the authorities, afterwards it gradually passed out of circulation.
At about the time of the Protestant Reformation, there came to be a renewed interest in the Book of Enoch which had long since been lost to the modern world. By the late 1400's rumors began to spread that somewhere a copy of the long lost Book of Enoch might still exist. During this time many books arose claiming to be the long lost book and were later found to be forgeries.
The return of the long lost Book of Enoch to the modern western world is credited to the famous explorer James Bruce, who in 1773 returned from six years in Abyssinia with three Ethiopic copies of the lost book. In 1821 Richard Laurence published the first English translation. The famous R.H. Charles edition was published in 1912. In the following years several portions of the Greek text surfaced. Then with the discovery of cave 4 of the Dead Sea Scrolls, seven fragmentary copies of the Aramaic text were discovered.
There are scholars who believe the Book of Enoch was published before the Christian era by some great unknown of Semetic race, who believing himself to be inspired in a post-prophetic age, borrowed the name of an antediluvian patriarch to authenticate his own enthusiastic forcast of the coming Messiah. The Book of Enoch is divided into five basic parts, but it is the The Book of Parables (37-71) which gives scholars the most trouble for it is primarily concerned with a figure called "the messiah"; "the righteous one"; "the chosen one" and "the son of man."
The Book of Enoch Chapter 46:1-2 [1] There I beheld the Ancient of days whose head was like white wool, and with him another, whose countenance resembled that of a man. His countenance was full of grace, like that of one of the holy angels. Then I inquired of one of the angels, who went with me, and who showed me every secret thing, concerning this Son of man; who he was; whence he was; and why he accompanied the Ancient of days. [2] He answered and said to me, This is the Son of man, to whom righteousness belongs; with whom righteousness has dwealt; and who will reveal all the treasures of that which is concealed: for the Lord of spirits has chosen him; and his portion has surpassed all before the Lord of spirits in everlasting uprightness."
1 Enoch
Discovery of the "Lost Text"
"The Greek word pseudepigrapha is a Greek word meaning 'falsely superscribed,' or what we moderns might call writing under a pen name. The classification, 'OT Pseudepigrapha,' is a label that scholars have given to these writings."
- Craig A. Evans, Noncanonical Writings and New Testament Interpretation, (1992) p. 22
"The Book of Enoch is a pseudepigraphical work (a work that claims to be by a biblical character). The Book of Enoch was not included in either the Hebrew or most Christian biblical canons, but could have been considered a sacred text by the sectarians."
- Milik, Jazef. T., ed. The Books of Enoch: Aramaic Fragments of Qumran Cave 4
The Book of Enoch is "an ancient composition known from two sets of versions, an Ethiopic one that scholars identify as '1 Enoch', and a Slavonic version that is identified as '2 Enoch', and which is also known as The Book of the Secrets of Enoch. Both versions, of which copied manuscripts have been found mostly in Greek and Latin translations, are based on early sources that enlarged on the short biblical mention that Enoch, the seventh Patriarch after Adam, did not die because, at age 365, 'he walked with God' - taken heavenward to join the deity."
- Zecharia Sitchin, When Time Began
"I Enoch, also known as the Ethiopic Apocalypse of Enoch, is the oldest of the three pseudepigraphal books attributed to Enoch, the man who apparently did not die, but was taken up to heaven (Gen 5:24). The book was originally written in either Hebrew or Aramaic, perhaps both, but it survives in complete form only in Ethiopic (Ge'ez), and in fragmentary form in Aramaic, Greek (1:1-32:6; 6:1-10:14; 15:8-16:1; 89:42-49; 97:6-104), and Latin (106:1-18)."
"The materials in I Enoch range in date from 200 B.C.E. to 50 C.E. I Enoch contributes much to intertestamental views of angels, heaven, judgment, resurrection, and the Messiah. This book has left its stamp upon many of the NT writers, especially the author of Revelation."
- Craig A. Evans, Noncanonical Writings and New Testament Interpretation, (1992) p. 23
"Prior to the eighteenth century, scholars had believed the Book of Enoch to be irretrievably lost: composed long before the birth of Christ, and considered to be one of the most important pieces of Jewish mystical literature, it was only known from fragments and from references to it in other texts. James Bruce changed all this by procuring several copies of the missing work during his stay in Ethiopia. These were the first complete editions of the Book of Enoch ever to be seen in Europe."
- Graham Hancock, The Sign and the Seal
"The Book of Enoch remained in darkness until 1821, when the long years of dedicated work by a professor of Hebrew at the University of Oxford were finally rewarded with the publication of the first ever English translation of the Book of Enoch. The Reverend Richard Laurence, Archbishop of Cashel, had labored for many hundreds of hours over the faded manuscript in the hands of the Bodleian Library, carefully substituting English words and expressions for the original Geez, while comparing the results with known extracts, such as the few brief chapters preserved in Greek by Syncellus during the ninth century."
- Andrew Collins, From the Ashes of Angels - The Forbidden Legacy of a Fallen Race (1996) p. 21
"The original Aramaic version was lost until the Dead Sea fragments were discovered."
"The original language of most of this work was, in all likelihood, Aramaic (an early Semitic language). Although the original version was lost in antiquity, portions of a Greek translation were discovered in Egypt and quotations were known from the Church Fathers. The discovery of the texts from Qumran Cave 4 has finally provided parts of the Aramaic original. ...Humankind is called on to observe how unchanging nature follows God's will."
- Milik, Jazef. T., ed. The Books of Enoch: Aramaic Fragments of Qumran Cave 4
Composition
"1 Enoch, preserved in a full, 108-chapter form in Ethiopic, consists of five parts and one appended chapter. It originated in Aramaic (perhaps Hebrew for chaps. 37-71), was translated into Greek, and from Greek into Ethiopic."
- James C. Vanderkam (Professor of Hebrew Scriptures at the University of Notre Dame)
"The Aramaic Book of Enoch...very considerably influenced the idiom of the New Testament and patristic literature, more so in fact than any other writing of the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha."
- Norman Golb, Who Wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls?, (1995) p. 366
"As it now stands, I Enoch appears to consist of the following five major divisions:
(1) The Book of the Watchers (chaps. 1-36);
(2) The Book of the Similitudes (chaps. 37-7l)-,
(3) The Book of Astronomical Writings (chaps. 72-82);
(4) The Book of Dream Visions (chaps. 83-90); and
(5) The Book of the Epistle of Enoch (chaps. 91-107)."
- Craig A. Evans, Noncanonical Writings and New Testament Interpretation, (1992) p. 23
"Chaps. 1-36 The Book of the Watchers may date from the third century BCE. Parts of its text have been identified on several copies from Qumran cave 4; the earliest fragmentary manuscript (4QEnocha) dates, according to the editor J.T. Milk, to between 200 and 150 BCE. All Qumran copies are in the Aramaic language."
- James C. Vanderkam
"James Vanderkam divides the first part of 1 Enoch into five sections:
1-5 a theophany followed by an eschatological admonition
6-11 the angel story (stories)
12-16 Enoch and the failed petition of the angels who descended,
17-19 Enoch's first journey,
20-36 Enoch's second journey (chap. 20 is a list of angels who are connected with the journeys)."
- Tom Simms (CrossTalk)
"Chaps. 37-71 The Book of Parables (or the Similitudes of Enoch) may have been composed in the late first century BCE; a number of scholars prefer to place it in the first or even the second century CE. Milik assigns it to the late third century CE. No fragments of these chapters have been found at Qumran, and some think their original language was Hebrew, not Aramaic."
- James C. Vanderkam
"Chaps. 72-82 The Astronomical Book, like the Book of Watchers, may date from the third century BCE; the oldest copy of it seems to have been made not long after 200 BCE. Sizable portions of the text are preserved on four copies, written in Aramaic, from Qumran cave 4. The Aramaic original appears to have been much different and much longer than the Ethiopic text, adding far more astronomical details."
- James C. Vanderkam
Authorship
"A world view so encyclopaediac that it embraced the geography of heaven and earth, astronomy, meteorology, medicine was no part of Jewish tradition - but was familiar to educated Greeks, but attempting to emulate and surpass Greek wisdom, by having an integrating divine plan for destiny, elaborated through an angelic host with which Enoch is in communication through his mystical travels."
- Chris King, "The Apocalyptic Tradition"
Although the Book of Enoch is considered as apocryphal, it was clearly known to early Christian writers as the following quote from 1 Enoch 1:9 indicates:
"In the seventh (generation) from Adam Enoch also prophesied these things, saying: 'Behold, the Lord came with his holy myriads, to execute judgment on all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners spoke against him'."
- Jude 14-15
2 Enoch
"2 Enoch, or the Slavonic Apocalypse of Enoch, was written late first century C.E. in Egypt by a Jew. It survives only in late Old Slavonic manuscripts. It may have been composed originally in Aramaic or Hebrew, later being translated into Greek, and later still being translated into Old Slavonic. It is an amplification of Gen 5:21-32 (from Enoch to the Flood). Major theological themes include:
(1) God created the world out of nothing (24:2);
(2) seven heavens (30:2-3) and angelic hosts;
(3) God created the souls of men before the foundation of the earth (23:5);
(4) abodes of heaven and hell are already prepared for righteous and sinners; and
(5) ethical teachings, which at times parallel those of the NT and Proverbs."
- Craig A. Evans, Noncanonical Writings and New Testament Interpretation, (1992) p. 23
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Monday, July 26, 2010
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
"Doc Notes" Lesson 2 Part 13
The Magnificent Seven
Gentle Reader,
My “vacation” is being spent in study Not a vacation for some but for me with nothing on my hands but time (see my study on time) it is “relaxing and rewarding”. As you should already know I like titles so this next few studies that we are considering of the seven most preeminent men to be found in the book of Genesis (there be more but these are my choices) Now to begin with lets consider why I would choose only seven.
SEVEN: Spiritual perfection and fullness or completion. It is the number of Covenant and of the Holy Spirit. 7 is the second perfect number.
In Hebrew 7 is shevah (shebah) from the root shava (shaba or sheba), to be full.
God rested on the seventh day (Saturday) after creation [Genesis 2:2]
To swear an oath in Hebrew is "to seven oneself"
There are seven gifts of the Holy Spirit (CCC#1831; Isaiah 11:1)
The sacred Menorah has 7 branches, six on each side of a central shaft, and 7 cup shaped lamps for the olive oil
There were 7 classes of furniture in the Tabernacle: Bronze Altar, Bronze Laver, Golden Menorah, Golden Table of the Bread of the Presence, Golden Altar of Incense, Ark of the Covenant, and the Seat of Atonement
The Tabernacle was built in 6 days and dedicated on the 7th [Exodus 40:17]
It took Solomon 7 years to build the Temple in Jerusalem. [ 1 Kings 6:37-38]
There are 7 holy annual feast days in the Sinai Covenant [Leviticus 23:1-44]
The Feast of Passover is the 1st month of the liturgical year but the 7th month of the civil year. [Exodus 12:1-2]
The Feast of Tabernacles completes the cycle of Holy Days on the 7th month of the liturgical year.[Leviticus 23:33-43]
There are multiple sevens in the Book of Revelation including
seven Spirits of God [ Revelation 4:5]
seven Seals [ Revelation 5:1]
seven Angels with Seven Chalices [ Revelation 15:5-7]
mammals and birds have a gestation of multiples of 7:
mouse: 21 days (3 x 7) cat 56 (8 x 7) Sheep 147 (21 x 7)
hare and rat, 28 ( 4x7 ) dog 63 (9 x 7) hen 21 (3 x 7)
humans 280 days ( 40 x 7) lion 98 (14 x 7) duck 42 (6 x 7)
With insects the ova are hatched in seven half-days (the wasp, bee, etc). But with other insects it is seven whole days. The majority of insects require from 14 (2x7) to 42 (6x7) days and the same applies to the larva state.
Man's pulse beats on the seven-day principle. For six days out of seven it beats faster in the morning than in the evening while on the seventh day it beats slower. The seventh day is the day of rest!
7 days in a week
7 colors in the spectrum'the seven colored rainbow was the sign of the covenant with Noah
There are 168 hours in a week = 7 x 24
So Gentle reader, I have determined to use the number seven hence the title of The Magnificent Seven, for the seven prominent men in Genesis.
1. Abel
And she again bare his brother Abel (Gen 4:2) - Literally, She added to bear (ותסף ללדת vattoseph laledeth) his brother. From the very face of this account it appears evident that Cain and Abel were twins. In most cases where a subject of this kind is introduced in the Holy Scriptures, and the successive births of children of the same parents are noted, the acts of conceiving and bringing forth are mentioned in reference to each child; here it is not said that she conceived and brought forth Abel, but simply she added to bring forth Abel his brother; that is, as I understand it, Cain was the first-born, Abel, his twin brother (?), came next.
Abel was a keeper of sheep - Adam was originally a gardener, Abel a shepherd, and Cain an agriculturist or farmer. These were the three primitive employments, and, I may add, the most rational, and consequently the best calculated to prevent strife and an immoderate love of the world.
What was the marked characteristic of Abel? His Name, his choice of occupation, his sacrifice, and the reflective comments of the New Testament concerning him, together mark him out as being distincitively and representatively the man of spiritual desire.
Cain the man of earthly desire is the first-born. Abel, the man of spiritual desire comes afterwards. The order is ever thus. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. (1Co 15:46) The name “Cain” means possession, pointing, as did Cains life, to hopes fixed on earthly things. Cain Literally possession; a spear.
The first-born son of Adam and Eve (Gen. 4). He became a tiller of the ground, as his brother Abel followed the pursuits of pastoral life. He was “a sullen, selfwilled, haughty, vindictive man; wanting the religious element in his character, and defiant even in his attitude towards God.” It came to pass “in process of time” (marg. “at the end of days”), i.e., probably on the Sabbath, that the two brothers presented their offerings to the Lord. Abel's offering was of the “firstlings of his flock and of the fat,” while Cain's was “of the fruit of the ground.” Abel's sacrifice was “more excellent” (Heb.11:4) than Cain's, and was accepted by God. On this account Cain was “very wroth,” and cherished feelings of murderous hatred against his brother, and was at length guilty of the desperate outrage of putting him to death (1John 3:12). For this crime he was expelled from Eden, and henceforth led the life of an exile, bearing upon him some mark which God had set upon him in answer to his own cry for mercy, so that thereby he might be protected from the wrath of his fellow-men; or it may be that God only gave him some sign to assure him that he would not be slain (Gen. 4:15). Doomed to be a wanderer and a fugitive in the earth, he went forth into the “land of Nod”, i.e., the land of “exile”, which is said to have been in the “east of Eden,” and there he builded a city, the first we read of, and called it after his son's name, Enoch. His descendants are enumerated to the sixth generation. They gradually degenerated in their moral and spiritual condition till they became wholly corrupt before God. This corruption prevailed, and at length the Deluge was sent by God to prevent the final triumph of evil.
The name “Abel” means exhalation (or vapour), speaking of ascent to higher regions. Cain a tiller of the ground, Abel a keeper of the sheep (perhaps a type of Christ) -the tent dwelling pilgrin, desiring something beyond. Cain goes “out from the presence of the Lord,” and busies himself with “cites” and with works “in brass and iron.” Abel reaches for better things But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Heb 11:6), seeking rest in God; suffering and dying in hope of the “better resurrection.” Cain ignoring what had transpired with his parents is all for a religion of self-culture, offering the fruit of that which is under the curse And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; (Gen 3:17)
Abel, the man of spiritual aspiration, offers a sacrifice which is at once an acknowledgment of his inability to hit the mark of the “holiness” of the Lord, and the expression of that strong desire for fellowship with God on the ground of forgiveness through sacrifice and faith. Abel, is the man of spiritual desire.
Next time we will consider Enoch...
To be continued......
.
*Note: something to think about
Gentle Reader,
My “vacation” is being spent in study Not a vacation for some but for me with nothing on my hands but time (see my study on time) it is “relaxing and rewarding”. As you should already know I like titles so this next few studies that we are considering of the seven most preeminent men to be found in the book of Genesis (there be more but these are my choices) Now to begin with lets consider why I would choose only seven.
SEVEN: Spiritual perfection and fullness or completion. It is the number of Covenant and of the Holy Spirit. 7 is the second perfect number.
In Hebrew 7 is shevah (shebah) from the root shava (shaba or sheba), to be full.
God rested on the seventh day (Saturday) after creation [Genesis 2:2]
To swear an oath in Hebrew is "to seven oneself"
There are seven gifts of the Holy Spirit (CCC#1831; Isaiah 11:1)
The sacred Menorah has 7 branches, six on each side of a central shaft, and 7 cup shaped lamps for the olive oil
There were 7 classes of furniture in the Tabernacle: Bronze Altar, Bronze Laver, Golden Menorah, Golden Table of the Bread of the Presence, Golden Altar of Incense, Ark of the Covenant, and the Seat of Atonement
The Tabernacle was built in 6 days and dedicated on the 7th [Exodus 40:17]
It took Solomon 7 years to build the Temple in Jerusalem. [ 1 Kings 6:37-38]
There are 7 holy annual feast days in the Sinai Covenant [Leviticus 23:1-44]
The Feast of Passover is the 1st month of the liturgical year but the 7th month of the civil year. [Exodus 12:1-2]
The Feast of Tabernacles completes the cycle of Holy Days on the 7th month of the liturgical year.[Leviticus 23:33-43]
There are multiple sevens in the Book of Revelation including
seven Spirits of God [ Revelation 4:5]
seven Seals [ Revelation 5:1]
seven Angels with Seven Chalices [ Revelation 15:5-7]
mammals and birds have a gestation of multiples of 7:
mouse: 21 days (3 x 7) cat 56 (8 x 7) Sheep 147 (21 x 7)
hare and rat, 28 ( 4x7 ) dog 63 (9 x 7) hen 21 (3 x 7)
humans 280 days ( 40 x 7) lion 98 (14 x 7) duck 42 (6 x 7)
With insects the ova are hatched in seven half-days (the wasp, bee, etc). But with other insects it is seven whole days. The majority of insects require from 14 (2x7) to 42 (6x7) days and the same applies to the larva state.
Man's pulse beats on the seven-day principle. For six days out of seven it beats faster in the morning than in the evening while on the seventh day it beats slower. The seventh day is the day of rest!
7 days in a week
7 colors in the spectrum'the seven colored rainbow was the sign of the covenant with Noah
There are 168 hours in a week = 7 x 24
So Gentle reader, I have determined to use the number seven hence the title of The Magnificent Seven, for the seven prominent men in Genesis.
1. Abel
And she again bare his brother Abel (Gen 4:2) - Literally, She added to bear (ותסף ללדת vattoseph laledeth) his brother. From the very face of this account it appears evident that Cain and Abel were twins. In most cases where a subject of this kind is introduced in the Holy Scriptures, and the successive births of children of the same parents are noted, the acts of conceiving and bringing forth are mentioned in reference to each child; here it is not said that she conceived and brought forth Abel, but simply she added to bring forth Abel his brother; that is, as I understand it, Cain was the first-born, Abel, his twin brother (?), came next.
Abel was a keeper of sheep - Adam was originally a gardener, Abel a shepherd, and Cain an agriculturist or farmer. These were the three primitive employments, and, I may add, the most rational, and consequently the best calculated to prevent strife and an immoderate love of the world.
What was the marked characteristic of Abel? His Name, his choice of occupation, his sacrifice, and the reflective comments of the New Testament concerning him, together mark him out as being distincitively and representatively the man of spiritual desire.
Cain the man of earthly desire is the first-born. Abel, the man of spiritual desire comes afterwards. The order is ever thus. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. (1Co 15:46) The name “Cain” means possession, pointing, as did Cains life, to hopes fixed on earthly things. Cain Literally possession; a spear.
The first-born son of Adam and Eve (Gen. 4). He became a tiller of the ground, as his brother Abel followed the pursuits of pastoral life. He was “a sullen, selfwilled, haughty, vindictive man; wanting the religious element in his character, and defiant even in his attitude towards God.” It came to pass “in process of time” (marg. “at the end of days”), i.e., probably on the Sabbath, that the two brothers presented their offerings to the Lord. Abel's offering was of the “firstlings of his flock and of the fat,” while Cain's was “of the fruit of the ground.” Abel's sacrifice was “more excellent” (Heb.11:4) than Cain's, and was accepted by God. On this account Cain was “very wroth,” and cherished feelings of murderous hatred against his brother, and was at length guilty of the desperate outrage of putting him to death (1John 3:12). For this crime he was expelled from Eden, and henceforth led the life of an exile, bearing upon him some mark which God had set upon him in answer to his own cry for mercy, so that thereby he might be protected from the wrath of his fellow-men; or it may be that God only gave him some sign to assure him that he would not be slain (Gen. 4:15). Doomed to be a wanderer and a fugitive in the earth, he went forth into the “land of Nod”, i.e., the land of “exile”, which is said to have been in the “east of Eden,” and there he builded a city, the first we read of, and called it after his son's name, Enoch. His descendants are enumerated to the sixth generation. They gradually degenerated in their moral and spiritual condition till they became wholly corrupt before God. This corruption prevailed, and at length the Deluge was sent by God to prevent the final triumph of evil.
The name “Abel” means exhalation (or vapour), speaking of ascent to higher regions. Cain a tiller of the ground, Abel a keeper of the sheep (perhaps a type of Christ) -the tent dwelling pilgrin, desiring something beyond. Cain goes “out from the presence of the Lord,” and busies himself with “cites” and with works “in brass and iron.” Abel reaches for better things But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Heb 11:6), seeking rest in God; suffering and dying in hope of the “better resurrection.” Cain ignoring what had transpired with his parents is all for a religion of self-culture, offering the fruit of that which is under the curse And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; (Gen 3:17)
Abel, the man of spiritual aspiration, offers a sacrifice which is at once an acknowledgment of his inability to hit the mark of the “holiness” of the Lord, and the expression of that strong desire for fellowship with God on the ground of forgiveness through sacrifice and faith. Abel, is the man of spiritual desire.
Next time we will consider Enoch...
To be continued......
.
*Note: something to think about
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