Walls

DEVOTION

GENESIS

WALLS

Gen 4:17-22

17 Cain lay with 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. 18 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. 19 Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock. 21 His brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute. 22 Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron. Tubal-Cain's sister was Naamah.

NIV

The age old question arises from this passage of scripture. Where did his wife come from? Was she already living East of Eden when Cain arrived? Was he not alone in his banishment? Did she go with him, if so, which has to be the case, then she was also his sister. This is the reason we have to know that Adam and Eve had many children other than Cain and Abel. But we are only told of these two because we needed to see the brutal result of improper attitudes. All Scripture is useful for our learning, correction, rebuking and our being trained in righteousness. So we learned from the narrative regarding Cain and Abel, we were taught, most likely corrected, and even rebuked as well as having some training in righteousness. But the point remains that Adam and Eve had many other children in their fulfillment of God’s command to be fruitful and fill the earth. If they only had two sons, then who else would bring forth life? What woman would bear more children? Certainly we would not expect the sons to have any relations with Eve, but due to necessity God did allow them to take sisters as wives. Either Eve gave birth to the woman who left with Cain or God created more people in this area where Cain was banished to. We have to know all beings came from the first two of beings, Adam and Eve as we are told all mankind is sinful being the seed of Adam.

Rom 5:12-14

12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned— 13 for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come.

NIV

Therefore we have to believe at least this sister of Cain decided to leave with him. We do not know the reason, perhaps they already had determined to pair up, to become united. But we do know that they were a couple, married in the sense of what we consider married. They surely had no ceremony at this time, other than the agreeing to be with each other, to mate, to have offspring. So Cain married his sister, a practice God allowed for at that time but forbid in later years during the life of Moses. But again we see the purpose of this union was to bear more children, to increase in number. But another interesting idea is also revealed for us here. Cain built a city. Now we should understand this city is nothing like our cities today. This Hebrew word would mean more like a walled fortress, or an encampment guarded by awake, or a watch. It could also be more than a simple encampment, as a walled area.  He most likely made this wall from trees. How he cut them down we are not entirely sure. From the time line it was not until five generations did a man invent tools made from metal. So we cannot be sure how Cain built this wall. Maybe it was of stone, but then how did he get them to become a wall? We simply are not told anything about this. What we are told is he provided a place of protection for himself and his family. Who was he afraid of that he needed to protect himself and his family? Because of his own evil attitudes and actions against his brother Abel, he felt others could and would have the same kind of attitudes and actions toward him and his. This is our lesson. What we learn about Cain we can learn about ourselves. Do we suspect others of ill-will because we have that same within us? Is the reason we dislike the attitude or behavior of some people because we see that same within us. Perhaps we have learned from Cain to build a defensive wall around us. We have learned to be guarded against others who would do us harm. Perhaps not bodily harm, but emotional harm. So we build an emotional barrier, keeping others from seeing either our hurts or vulnerabilities. It is the way we have learned throughout the generations from Cain. Yet God had promised him no one would ever do any harm to him because God had put some mark on him that all would know God is his shield and his avenger. But Cain could not trust God, so he built his wall. Is this also our story? Is the reason we build our emotional walls because we do not trust God. He has told us he had sealed us with the Holy Spirit.

Eph 1:13-14

13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit , 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession — to the praise of his glory.

NIV

Just as God marked Cain he has marked us, and yet we want to be our own guard against others. Even within the body of Christ there seems to be little, if any, transparency. We have not only built emotional walls, but facades, showing others only that portion of ourselves we are willing to let them see. This we cannot do. This is not the way God intended our lives to be, especially in our relationships with those we live with. Are we living within our walls? Do we need to break any walls down?