4) Genesis Four
Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the LORD.” 2 And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. 3 In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, 4 and Abel also brought off the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. 6 The LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.” 8 Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. 9 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” 10 And the LORD said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground. 11 And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.” 13 Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. 14 Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” 15 Then the LORD said to him, “Not so! If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the LORD put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him. 16 Then Cain went away from the presence of the LORD and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden. 17 Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. When he built a city, he called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch. 18 To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad fathered Mehujael, and Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushael fathered Lamech. 19 And Lamech took two wives. The name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. 20 Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. 21 His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe. 22 Zillah also bore Tubal-cain; he was the forger of all instruments of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah. 23 Lamech said to his wives: “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say: I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for striking me. 24 If Cain’s revenge is sevenfold, then Lamech’s is seventy-sevenfold.” 25 And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, “God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.” 26 To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to call upon the name of the LORD. (Genesis 4, ESV Bible)
If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it. (Genesis 4:7)
Cain and Abel: The Tragic Consequences of Jealousy and the Call to Love
The course of humanity began to unfold with the story of Adam and Eve's first children. Exiled from Eden and cut off from God, Cain and Abel sought to connect with Him through offerings. Abel's heart was pure, but Cain’s was tainted by sin. God accepted Abel's offering but rejected Cain’s, as Cain's actions were evil while Abel's were righteous (1 John 3:12). God warned Cain that sin was at his door, urging him to master it. Instead, driven by jealousy and anger, Cain committed the first murder, killing his brother.
This is the first recorded religious act, and tragically, it also became the first instance of competition and murder. Throughout history, religious convictions have often led to competition between worshipers, fueling resentment and hatred, sometimes resulting in violence. This behavior has led many irreligious people to reject faith, thinking, "If that's what religion does, who needs it?" Yeshua, however, taught a different way—one rooted in the Torah’s greatest commandments: to love God and to love one another. Without love, even the practice of true religion becomes distorted.
Hatred comes easily to humanity, with or without religion. Yeshua warned that hatred is not far from murder in the heart. The Apostle John echoed this, saying that anyone who does not love his brother is a child of the devil, abiding in death:
"For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother's were righteous ... We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. (I John 3:II-14)
As followers of Yeshua, we should stand apart from the world. Our lives should reflect patience, kindness, and gentleness, motivated by love, not by petty jealousies or competition. According to John, our love for one another is the evidence that we are truly children of God.
References
This section is from teachings from FFOZ Unrolling the Scroll.
Lamech took to himself two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other, Zillah. (Genesis 4:19)
Lamech’s Legacy: Human Innovation Without God
After Cain and Abel, Adam and Eve had many more children, and as humanity was still in its early stages, people lived for hundreds of years. With time, their descendants began to populate the earth. Among Cain’s lineage was a man named Lamech, who took two wives and fathered three notable sons. Jabal pioneered the nomadic lifestyle of shepherding, Jubal became the founder of music and song, and Tubal-Cain was the first to forge metals into tools. These men were celebrated as the most successful and influential of their time, representing the beginning of human technological progress and achievement.
Since the beginning, humanity has reflected the image of God by being creators, shapers, and innovators. God endowed us with diverse talents, and when we breed livestock, create music, or forge tools, we do so in imitation of our Creator. However, there is a danger in this creative power. Lamech did not raise his sons to honor the LORD, and they used their gifts for selfish purposes, turning away from the true Creator. Human progress, no matter how impressive, is hollow if it is pursued without God at its center.
References
This section is from teachings from FFOZ Unrolling the Scroll.
If Cain is avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy-sevenfold. (Genesis 4:24)
The Power of Forgiveness: Yeshua's Response to Lamech’s Revenge
When Lamech was injured in a fight, he retaliated by killing the man. He later boasted to his wives, saying that while Cain would be avenged sevenfold, Lamech would avenge himself seventy-sevenfold. This law of retaliation became a societal norm, filling the earth with violence and bloodshed. As Genesis 6:11 notes, "The earth was filled with violence." Lamech's desire for vengeance set in motion a cycle of brutality that eventually led to humanity’s near-extinction.
The next time you feel angered by someone’s wrong or slight, remember Lamech’s story. His single act of revenge escalated into a wave of destruction. In contrast, Yeshua turns Lamech’s twisted mathematics on its head, applying the same principle to forgiveness instead of revenge:
Peter asked Yeshua, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Yeshua replied, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven" (Matthew 18:21-22).
Yeshua’s law of forgiveness is the antidote to Lamech’s law of vengeance. We should be willing to let go of hurt and pride in favor of forgiveness, for the alternative leads down the path of bitterness and hatred.
References
This section is from teachings from FFOZ Unrolling the Scroll.