Cain and Abel
Cain spent the rest of his life lacking the one thing that the entire world seeks: peace. They say that you never fully appreciate something until it is gone, and I’m sure that this was true for Cain. Peace of heart is truly a gift that many don’t appreciate. It can only come of a clear conscience. If Cain had simply repented of what he had done, and asked God’s forgiveness, He would have been faithful to forgive. But Cain’s heart was hardened by the lies and whisperings of Satan. The enemy will steal our joy, and steal our peace, at the drop of a hat. He will do whatever it takes to break our spirit in hopes that we will curse God and die, as Job’s wife put it. In Cain’s life he almost succeeded, but Cain stopped short of cursing God to His face.
The First Book of Adam and Eve ends here with the arrival of Cain back at the family dwelling. As a parent, I can’t imagine how devastating it would be to loose a child, let alone having my own child be the one who took away my child. Adam and Eve must have been completely beside themselves with grief. I know that when my children misbehave I take the blame on myself, as if I had somehow failed them in the way I raised them. The internalizing must have been incredible and the pain nearly unbearable.
It seems that Cain first tells his sister Luluwa about what he has done and she is the one who tells their parents. Naturally this causes much grief and the family rented their garments, threw dust on their heads and cried out in pain and sorrow. They then went to the place where Abel was killed and found that, “from his body, be reason of its purity, went forth a smell of sweet spices.” One can’t help but wonder if this was the same smell that accompanied Yeshua after His resurrection.
Adam and Eve took their son back to the Cave of Treasures (so named because of the treasures found therein: golden rods from the garden of Eden, incense and myrrh, the first worldly possessions of Adam and Eve, given to them by Adonai Himself) where they wound up Abel’s body with sweet spices and myrrh. They grieved for their son for one hundred and forty days. Abel only lived to be fifteen and a half years old; a very short time when we consider the fact that Adam lived well over 900 years.
As for Cain, when the mourning for his brother was ended, he took his sister Luluwa and married her, without leave from his father and mother; for they could not keep him from her, by reason of their heavy heart. He then went down to the bottom of the mountain, away from the garden, near to the place where he had killed his brother. And in that place were many fruit trees and forest trees. His sister bare him children, who in their turn began to multiply by degrees until they filled that place. 2 Adam and Eve 1:6-8
We now know the answer to that age-old question: Whom did Cain marry? For those who believe the entire Bible is true, this was a non-question anyway as there could not have been anyone else for there was no others created by God… or anyone else, for that matter! I’m sure this was not the ideal marriage for although Cain was willing to kill to have her, he did not love her. Remember, the name Cain, which means “hater”, was given to him because he hated his sister even in the womb.
Genesis tells us that they built a city for their family, but we can’t imagine it to be like cities of today. Basically, it was a walled town. Remember, Cain lived the rest of his life in fear and dread, knowing that his day was coming when he would have to pay for what he had done. The first cities were built for protection. Even though they had experienced murder and the loss of their child, Adam and Eve had no reason to fear, so they didn’t worry about security measures, like walls. The lesson here is simple; when we live in sin, our life is filled with terror. When we follow God’s Laws, our hearts and lives are filled with peace and we have nothing to fear. In this day and age, with terror all around, only those who abide in His word can find peace.
But as for Adam and Eve, they came not together after Abel’s funeral, for seven years. After this, however, Eve conceived; and while she was with child, Adam said to her, “Come, let us take an offering and offer it up unto God, and ask Him to give us a fair child, in whom we may find comfort, and whom we may join in marriage to Abel’s sister.” Then they prepared an offering and brought it up to the altar, and offered it before the Lord, and began to entreat Him to accept their offering, and to give them a good offspring. And God heard Adam and accepted his offering. Then, they worshipped, Adam, Eve, and their daughter, and came down to the Cave of Treasures and placed a lamp in it, to burn by night and by day, before the body of Abel. 2 Adam and Eve 1:9-11
It took seven years for Adam and Eve to get over the death of their son. Even then, when they were finally able to enjoy each other’s companionship, the tug of Abel was still on their hearts. Since they have always felt better after offering a sacrifice to Adonai, they once again put their lives, and this time the life of their unborn child, in the hands of Adonai El Shaddai. One can’t help but wonder if things might have turned out differently had they made an offering while Eve carried Cain and Luluwa. Would Cain have been born a “hater” if he had been dedicated to God?
The second book of Adam and Eve tells us that Cain and Luluwa had many children, but they lived separately from Seth and his children. In fact, after Seth grew and married Abel’s sister, Aklia, they continued to dwell with Adam and Eve until Adam’s death. When Seth is seven years old, Satan tries to entice him to move off the mountain where he lived with Adam and Eve, but Seth has already been warned and knew the story of his brothers, and responds to Satan in wisdom.
But Seth said to him, “Thy speech has amazed me; and thy beautiful description of it all. Yet I cannot go with thee today; not until I have gone to my father Adam and to my mother Eve, and told them all thou hast said to me. Then if they give me leave to go with thee, I will come.” Again Seth said, “I am afraid of doing any thing without my father’s and mother’s leave, lest I perish like my brother Cain, and like my father Adam, who transgressed the commandment of God. But, behold, thou knowest this place; come and meet me here tomorrow.”
When Satan heard this, he said to Seth, “If thou tallest thy father Adam what I have told thee, he will not let thee come with me. But hearken to me; do not tell thy father and mother what I have said to thee; but come with me today, to our world; where thou shalt see beautiful things and enjoy thyself there, and revel this day among my children, beholding them and taking thy fill of mirth; and rejoice ever more. Then I shall bring thee back to this place tomorrow; but if thou wouldest rather abide with me, so be it.” 2 Adam and Eve 6:3-7
It seems that Adam had learned his lesson and warned his youngest son against listening to strangers. Keeping his son by his side, the only time Seth is by himself is when he goes up to the altar to make an offering. This is the opportunity that the enemy was waiting for, but Seth refuses to follow Satan until first speaking with his father and mother. This is not making Satan happy at all. He continues trying to convince Seth to leave his parents and to follow Satan to this “other place” where there are beautiful women and, using the same lie as in the beginning, tells Seth, “For in our world we have no God; but we all are gods; we all are of the light, heavenly, powerful, strong and glorious.” (2 Adam and Eve 5:11)
But Seth, when he saw how he kept on talking, and that he would not leave him, ran, and went up to the altar, and spread his hands unto God, and sought deliverance from Him. Then God sent His Word, and cursed Satan, who fled from Him. 2 Adam and Eve 6:11-12
Here is another lesson for us: when confronted by the enemy and his lies, run to Adonai! Ask Him to deliver you from Satan’s grasp, and He will, sending His Word to curse the enemy, who will flee. Does this sound familiar? Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. (James 4:7) But there was another lesson that Seth can teach us as well:
But as for Seth, he had gone up to the altar, saying thus in his heart, “The altar is the place of offering, and God is there; a divine fire shall consume it; so shall Satan be unable to hurt me, and shall not take me away thence.” 2 Adam and Eve 6:13
The altar was the place of meeting with Adonai El Shaddai and Seth understood that the enemy would not be able to stand in the presence of God’s consuming fire. We new covenant believers speak of “altar calls” but do we really understand what that means? I think not. When we approach God’s altar, we cannot come empty handed, but must bring an offering. A sinner, who has responded to the call, offers his heart up to God, asking Him to cleanse it and purify it. God sends His fire to consume the sin in our hearts. The same it true for the people of God. If we want to worship a Holy God, we must present Him with a sacrifice. The question we need to ask ourselves is this: What are we willing to sacrifice for Him? What are we not willing to sacrifice? Could that be an idol in our lives?