At the end of Gen. 4, two lines of descendants are in view – one evil, one good, both from Adam. Observing Cain’s line (the evil one), it is clear that the promised seed of Gen. 3:15 who would reverse the curse would not come from him. Instead, the author highlights the fact that Cain’s sons were wicked; one of whom was the first polygamist (Lamech) and followed in the murderous example of his father.

The other line that is mentioned in Gen. 4 is that of Seth. Unlike Cain and his family, who settled “out from the presence of the Lord” (4:16) and lived rebelliously, it was the men of Seth’s line who “began to call upon the name of the Lord” (4:26).

In chapter five, greater attention is given to Seth’s godly line, the recounting of which offers reminders of the way life should be and glimmers of the hope of redemption. Brief accounts of ten descendants of Seth are given, each of which follow a general pattern: length of life before children, names of children, length of life after children, mention of having other sons and daughters, and the total of years lived.

Something that stands out about all of these individuals is the long length of their lives (e.g., Adam was nine hundred and thirty years old when he died.); a detail that would have reminded the audience of Moses (the author) that long life, indeed eternal life, was what God had intended for mankind. Another reminder of the way things were supposed to be is seen in the life of Enoch, a man who “walked with God” and did not die. This was something that all of Adam’s seed would have experienced had he and Eve not sinned.

Adam and Eve’s sin had messed up everything, and it was in response to this and with the hope of redemption that Lamech (not to be confused with Cain’s son) said of his son Noah, “This one will give us rest from our work and from the toil of our hands arising from the ground which the Lord has cursed” (5:29). These words mark a transition in the Genesis story and in the broader story of God’s redemptive purposes. The focus of chapters six through eleven will now be on Noah, a descendant in the godly line of Seth, “a righteous man, blameless in his time” (6:9), but a man who was clearly not the promised seed.

The line of Seth proved to be a much better lot than that of Cain. Men from his line called on the name of the Lord, some are said to have walked with God, yet all are said to have died having not granted rest from the effects of sin. The Lord was narrowing in on those through whom the promise of redemption would come, but the line was not narrow enough yet.

Audio from this week’s lesson: Genesis 5.

~DGG