Old Testament - Genesis 4:16-26 - (Clash of 2 Cultures) - CC Windward - Pastor Tim

Genesis 4:16-26 - Clash of 2 Cultures - Calvary Chapel Windward - OAHU, HAWAII - Pastor Tim Newman - From Local Olelo / Oceanic / Time Warner Cable show "A View from Calvary" - Episode #283: - Original Air Date: 08/28/2011 A.D.


PASTOR TIM's NOTES:


“The Clash of Two Cultures”
Genesis 4:16-25
1. Cain would CONTINUE in his rebellion.
Vs.16-18
1a. Cain CONTINUED to rebel by building a city.
“Nod” means “to stray, to wander”, so the very land of Cain’s choice speaks of his
wandering away from God.
Gen 5:4
Cain’s building a city at the time of Enoch’s birth was a defiant, in-your-face
violation of God’s revealed will for Cain.
2. The descendents of Cain advance their own CIVILIZATION.
Vs. 19-24
2a. This CIVILIZATION included polygamy.
Then five generations later we are introduced to Lamech.
It says he took for himself two wives. So already we have murder and now
polygamy.
Jesus himself would call believers back to the creational ideal, warning that in
regard to divorce, “from the beginning it was not so” (Matthew 19:8).
2b. This CIVILIZATION included cultural advances.
In outward appearances, Cain’s “city” was a great success, but God made it clear
that He had rejected the whole thing.
Tubal-cain is the ancestor of technology and industry.
However primitive his work was (his name literally means “hammer, sharpen”), his
work no doubt included making weapons as well as farming tools.
“Culture, used or abused, offers no redemption” (Kidner).8
2c. This CIVILIZATION had its own song.
1) The song is in defiance of God.
Traditionally Lamech’s poem has been called “The Song of the Sword.”
2) The song celebrates violence.
When a self centered civilization prospered then they devalued life and they
devalued marriage.
Does any of this sound familiar?

8 Kidner, Genesis: An Introduction and Commentary, p. 76.
3) The song glories in vengeance.
The final stanza of Lamech’s song gloried in exponential vengeance—
“If Cain’s revenge is sevenfold, then Lamech’s is seventy-sevenfold.”
4) The song is referred to by Jesus himself.
Jesus referenced this very text and Lamech’s merciless song as a backdrop to
teach Peter about the necessity of mercy and forgiveness.

Matt 18:21-22
3. The descendents of Seth advance the CHARACTER of God.
Vs. 25-26
3a. God’s CHARACTER is advanced in the naming of a son.
This tells us of Eve’s confidence of God's plan and the promise of from Genesis 3:15
Seth means “granted.”
So the sense of verse 25 is that she named him “Granted,” saying,
“God has granted me another child.… ”14
Thus Eve attributed the birth of her child to the grace of God.
3b. God’s CHARACTER is advanced in the life of another son.
Seth has a son. His name was Enosh.
Then men began to call on the name of the LORD
Kenneth Mathews beautifully captures the significance of men beginning “to call
upon the name of the LORD,” saying,
“Cain’s firstborn and successors pioneer cities and civilized arts, but Seth’s
firstborn and successors pioneer worship.”15
There was a counter culture movement.
Although civilization is advancing technically, they will continue to move further away
from God.
Then by the time of Noah in a few short generations the only ones who worship the Lord
are Noah and his family.

14 Mathews, Genesis 1–11:26, Vol. 1, p. 290.
15 Ibid., pp. 290, 291.


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