In or Out

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

IN OR OUT

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

Now the back story about Adam and Eve is coming to light. It is clear that all the people who lived in Nod, where Cain went after he was cast out of the presence of God, were in his family. That is not to say they were all his brothers or sisters, as we know Adam was one hundred and thirty when Seth was born, but how many children had they had before Cain was born, and how many years difference were there between Cain and Abel, and how many children were born between them. Some of them were adults, left home, obviously mated, had children that could have grown up to mate and have children, and so on, so that there could have been hundreds, if not more, by the time Cain arrived in Nod. Again, as we check with our scholars of old, there are as many opinions as there are scholars, for that is all we are left with: an opinion. Nevertheless, we see the beginning of the line of Cain. We have to remember that none of the descendants of Cain live on due to the destruction of all mankind, with the exception of Noah, his wife, Ham, Shem, and Japheth, and their wives. Ham became the forefather of the Canaanites and other nations. But the point is that Cain found a wife and began a family, with a son named Enoch, who, although he is not recorded until the next chapter, was the father of Methuselah, the grandfather of Noah. What we know from this account is that this group of people lived outside the presence of God, or at least God hid his presence from Cain, and so all the rest who lived in Nod did not know the presence of God and became the evil-filled people that God grieved that he had made man on earth. These were all those who died in the flood. We learn it is always good to live in the presence of the LORD. He will not hide himself again, but people can attempt to hide from him, or at least refuse his presence in their lives, trying to live according to their own pleasures, or in a sense, their own will. We, believers, have left our will at the foot of Jesus, submitting it to the Lord, for we know the only way to life is in Jesus according to the will of God. Cain represents mankind who lives outside the will of God; all believers represent those who live within the will of God, or at least should be living within his will.  Those who live outside his will eventually will be cast out, while those who live within his will eventually will be ushered into his rest. It comes down to being in or out.