The American Wisdom Series

Genesis
Chapter 3

Genesis 3:1
Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

Perhaps when we first begin reading the Bible and have only gotten to chapter 3 of Genesis, we might not be quite sure who this serpent is. But if we read the whole Word of God, there can be no doubt who he is and what he looks like.

Rev. 12:9
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Anyway, this old serpent has perpetuated a lie, a tradition, about the "snake" and the "apple" long enough. It is his plan to deceive a Biblically ignorant people with such trot, "because it ministers to the acceptance of his lie, the hiding of God's truth, the jeers of the infidel, the opposition of the critics, and the stumbling of the weak in faith." (Companion Bible, appendix 19, last paragraph.)

Again in Revelation 20 we see who that serpent was. He is to be bound during the millennium for 1000 years.

Rev. 20:2
And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

2 Cor. 11:3
But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

Satan was beautiful and charismatic and charming, truly a glorious "angel of light" (2 Cor. 11:14).

Let's repeat Gen. 3:1.

Genesis 3:1
Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

[2] And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:

[3] But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

[4] And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

Next we'll go back and spend some time on verse 3, documenting the true identity of the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil", who dwelled in the midst of garden. We will also examine the Hebrew origin of the word translated "touch", because there is about to be a seduction in the fig grove. Let's talk about TREES.

Trees are used throughout the Bible to symbolize people, including the children of God, Satan, Jesus Christ and even God the Father, who likens Himself to an "evergreen" fir tree in Hosea 14:8.

So before we go any further in the Word of God we must learn to tell the difference between a "tree" and a "person", between a tree trunk and the trunk of a person's body, between tree limbs and human limbs, between the branches of a vine and the people they represent. It is in fact, with just a little observation, very easy to make these distinctions.

It would serve a person well to do a study of trees in the Bible, for there are many passages where trees are used symbolically to represent people. You could start by reading the account of Nebuchadnezzar's dream in chapter four of Daniel and the interpretation thereof. It is a great example of "tree symbology".

However, we will focus on identifying the "trees" in the garden of Eden. The following passage from the Book of Ezekiel will document without refute, not only that trees are used symbolically in the Bible to represent people including Satan, but specifically those persons present in the garden of Eden!

Ezekiel 31:3-12
Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with a shadowing shroud, and of an high stature; and his top was among the thick boughs.

[4] The waters made him great, the deep set him up on high with her rivers running round about his plants, and sent out her little rivers unto all the trees of the field.

[5] Therefore his height was exalted above all the trees of the field, and his boughs were multiplied, and his branches became long because of the multitude of waters, when he shot forth.

[6] All the fowls of heaven made their nests in his boughs, and under his branches did all the beasts of the field bring forth their young, and under his shadow dwelt all great nations.

[7] Thus was he fair in his greatness, in the length of his branches: for his root was by great waters.

[8] The cedars in the garden of God could not hide him: the fir trees were not like his boughs, and the chesnut trees were not like his branches; nor any tree in the garden of God was like unto him in his beauty.

[9] I have made him fair by the multitude of his branches: so that all the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, envied him.

Can you now "see" that Satan is referred to as a "tree" in the garden of Eden? Remember, aside from the trees created for food, there are two specific trees mentioned there: 1) the tree of life, and 2) the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

It is ironic that no one seems to have a problem with the "tree of life" symbolizing Jesus Christ.

Rev. 2:7
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

Let's now examine what Eve told that "glistening one", Satan, in the garden:

Genesis 3:2
And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:

But it is spiritual food (bad fruit) that can kill your soul. Don't you see that "life" is the subject in verse three? The consequence of eating "bad fruit" from a corrupt tree is "lest you die", i.e. death!

You can eat all the "bread" you want, but you better partake of the "bread of life" if you want to live forever. Christ is that "bread". He is that "tree of life". If you eat of the "leaven" of the scribes and Pharisees, you'll die. It's bad bread! Beware! Here is Christ's own words:

Matthew 16:11
How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?

Matthew 16:12
Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

The same thought process must apply here to the trees in Genesis or you'll miss the point.

Genesis 3:3
But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

It is real simple. Fruit is that which is "produced" by a tree. Here is what Christ said:

Luke 6:43-44
For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. [44] For every tree is known by his own fruit...

So the instruction to Adam and Eve is quite simple, "Do not partake of the fruit produced by the evil, corrupt, tree, which is in the midst of the garden!" In fact, don't even "touch" it, lest ye become seduced.

Finally, as background to understand that which is about to happen in the fig grove, look up the Hebrew word that is translated "touch" in verse 3. The word is naga and it means not just to "lay the hand upon" but it is an euphemism for "to lie with a woman". Check it out in a Strong's concordance.

H5060
ðâò
na?ga?
naw-gah'
A primitive root; properly to touch, that is, lay the hand upon (for any purpose; euphemistically, to lie with a woman); by implication to reach (figuratively to arrive, acquire); violently, to strike (punish, defeat, destroy, etc.): - beat, (X be able to) bring (down), cast, come (nigh), draw near (nigh), get up, happen, join, near, plague, reach (up), smite, strike, touch.

Let's continue now in Genesis, repeating verse four, Satan's first lie:

Genesis 3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

[5] For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

[6] And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

No, that which just took place in verse 6 of Genesis 3, is not the chomping of an apple from a fruit tree. There has been a seduction, the truth of which has been hidden for a long time to those who don't know their trees, to those who have allowed the deceptive stories of the traditions of men to blind their eyes, that in seeing they don't see and in hearing they don't hear.

[7] And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

"And they sewed aprons together...". Do you suppose these were itty bitty little aprons that they sewed together to cover their mouths because they just ate bad fruit?  The stupidity of tradition!

[8] And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.

I'd hide too!

When we last left Adam and Eve they were hiding from the LORD God who was walking in the garden. They had been in the fig grove with the "tree who had evil knowledge". They were naked and unashamed when they went in, but they were naked and ashamed when they came forth. Why?

Satan had beguiled Eve, which is to say, he totally, wholly seduced her. That is why the apostle Paul would say in his second letter to the Corinthians, that he had espoused them (the church) to one husband, and he wanted to present them as chaste virgins to Christ. But he was fearful that they would become "spiritually" seduced, even as Eve was "physically" seduced by the serpent. You see, Eve was a chaste virgin before Satan seduced her.

2 Cor. 11:2-3
For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

[3] But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

You must look up the word "beguiled" for yourself in Strong's concordance or a Greek dictionary. The word is exapatao and it means "to seduce wholly".  Check it out.

G1818
??????????
exapatao?
ex-ap-at-ah'-o
From G1537 and G538; to seduce wholly: - beguile, deceive.

You will also find later on, in verse 15, that God will put enmity between Satan's seed and Eve's seed, meaning their offspring, i.e. Satan's children and Eve's children.  That which has transpired here is explained, in "simplicity", by the greatest teacher of all time, the Lord Jesus Christ. Will you believe Him or hang on to the apple tree?

In Matthew 13, Christ spoke several parables. Do you know why He spoke in parables? Do you think it was to make things obvious to the crowd He was addressing?

Matthew 13:10-13
And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?

[11] He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

[12] For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

[13] Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

Matthew 13:24-30
Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: [25] But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. [26] But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. [27] So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? [28] He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? [29] But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. [30] Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

Matthew 13:35-36
That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.

[36] Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.

Here is the simple explanation, from the Lord Jesus Christ, of the Parable of the Tares, to those who have been granted or have asked Him for eyes to see and ears to hear. Remember, this information, hidden from the foundation of the world, is not available to all. Blessed indeed is he or she that understands.

Christ's simple explanation:

Matthew 13:37
He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; (Jesus)

[38]The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; (Satan)

The tares are children of Satan? He has children? He has children!

Don't you dare try to spiritualize this away! This is not a parable! These children (seed) are those same seed (children) in Gen 3:15. God puts enmity between his (Satans's) children and her (Eve's) children. We will be meeting the first child of Satan when we get to chapter 4 of Genesis. His name is Cain. He is not listed in Adam's genealogy in chapter five of Genesis. I wonder why not?

[39] The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.

[40] As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.

[41] The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;

[42] And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

[43] Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Now back to the Book of Beginnings.

Genesis 3:9
And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

[10] And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

[11] And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

[12] And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

This was not a good answer! You can't con our Father, who probably shook His head in sorrow and disappointment as He turned to the woman.

[13] And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

Another really bad answer! God now turns to Satan.

[14] And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

Notice that no question was asked to this "scum of the earth". Why give him the opportunity to reply with a smart aleck answer? God moves directly to the sentencing.

You should be able to document by now that the "serpent" God is speaking to is Satan, the Devil himself (Rev. 12:19).  He was beautiful, charming, witty and very, very likable (Ezek. 28). He was a "tree to be desired".  He was also a pervert.  It is he whom our Father curses above all other living beings. He did not curse little old snakes.

The statement "upon thy belly shalt thou go" is an Hebrew figure of speech. It is a statement of degradation that implies the utmost humiliation, for prostration was ever the most eloquent sign of subjection. (If you are fortunate to have a Companion Bible, it will document this for you). We have a somewhat similar saying in English, "he's lower than a snake's belly".

The same statement of degradation applies to "and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life". This figure of speech is much like Psalms 72:9 which says "his enemies shall lick the dust". They will not literally get on their hands and knees and lick the ground with their tongues, but they will be so utterly defeated that no words could literally depict their overthrow and subjugation. But a picture, portrayed by a figure of speech, is worth a thousand words.

If the teachers and preachers of God's Word would pay attention to the figures of speech, which are easily identified in the "fixed" languages of Hebrew and Greek, much misunderstanding and confusion could be eliminated.

Here's How Traditions are Made:

If there was a verse in the New Testament that read "The Apostle Paul got in hot water", there would now be churches that would require their parishioners to do as Paul and follow his example, i.e. get into a pool or tub of water that is hot.

If you looked up "water" in Strong's concordance it would say "H2O, that substance which forms lakes and rivers and seas, rain, etc.". The would-be scholars would then debate how much water you should get into, how far you should be immersed, and exactly what degree of temperature constitutes hot as opposed to warm.

Thus "getting into hot water" would become a tradition of the church, despite the fact that the phrase is a figure of speech which means "The Apostle Paul got into trouble", and has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with water!

The LORD God now continues with the sentencing of the guilty ones. He is still addressing Satan:

[15] And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

God has also said that He would put enmity (Webster: positive, active, and typically mutual hatred or ill will) between Satan and Eve and between HIS SEED and HER SEED.

Did you notice that there is no mention of apple seeds.

[16] Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

While we're on the subject of conception, did you know that Eve had twins?

We'll find out in the next chapter.

I often say to friends and acquaintances when the opportunity presents itself, when perhaps the subject of church or the Bible comes up, "Remind me sometime and I'll tell you what really happened in the garden". It always provokes curiosity, and it seems that the interest in that type of scandal is ageless, if you know what I mean. In any event, many have been driven into studying the Word of God when the traditions of men have been exposed.

The truth of the seduction in the garden, has been covered up, hidden by the cloak of the "fig" apron, and has been replaced with fairy tales about "apples" and "upright snakes". Satan has succeeded in deceiving those who read into taking the words which are written as literal "to the letter" instead of seeing the "truth" contained in that which is figurative and symbolic. He tried that "trick" on Jesus Christ Himself, when he tempted Him in the wilderness by quoting (misquoting) the Word of God, implying the literal letter (read Mat. 4:1-11). Christ didn't "buy it" and neither should you.

In as much as the flower of the fig is hidden within its casing, it is the very reason that the word "fig" is still used to symbolize something that is "hidden" from view.  I hesitate in saying this, but if you would like a real education about the word "fig", then go to the library or obtain an unabridged Webster's Dictionary, look up the word "fig", and read all of the various definitions. I'll quote just two of the many definitions of this "f" word from that source:

Webster's New Twentieth Century Unabridged Dictionary:

A fig for; a phrase shortened from "I don't care a fig for," expressing the speakers contempt for the object or person mentioned.

fig, v.t. 1. To insult with ficos or contemptuous motions of the fingers. 2. To put, as something useless, into one's head.

We now return to the garden of Eden. Our Father has been "spelling out" the consequences earned from man's first sin. Adam has fallen from grace. Here's what he's got coming:

Genesis 3:17
And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

[18] Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;

[19] In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

You had it made right there in the garden of Eden, Adam. Perfect utopia. But you blew it! Dad's no longer going to provide everything for you "on a silver platter". Go find out what it is like to have to work for a living. Then of course, you're going to die, son!

[20] And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.

The name "Eve" means life-giving in the Hebrew tongue. Now, it has just been pronounced in the previous verse that man shall die. But our Father, in His infinite love for His children, had already prepared a way in which we could "live". It is called the plan of salvation.

That plan provided that it would be through this woman, EVE (and her offspring), that the only Way to life, the Messiah and Savior, Jesus Christ, should be born. This is the primary reason that Satan wanted to destroy the woman, to destroy the plan of God, to prevent the Messiah from being born, and instead, have his own born. That's why he was there, in the garden.

Plain and simply then, all people, all races, will either eventually accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, or they will no longer have life. They'll be gone! Therefore Eve IS the mother of all living in that she IS the mother (grand) of Him.

[21] Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

Here we see animals being used (sacrificed) to provide that covering. This beginning of "blood sacrifice" would continue down through the ages until the supreme sacrifice, of that unblemished Lamb of God, paid the price on the cross, to provide our covering once and for all.

And guess what? Because He did pay the price, we now get to wear the gospel armour (Eph. 6) as full protection from that fiery dart-throwing serpent. I don't know about you, but I really likes the way mine fits.

[22] And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

[23] Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

[24] So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

Well, we didn't quite make it far enough in to meet Eve's twins, the two seed lines. But they are "next up" in chapter four of this incredibly fascinating Book of Genesis. What a thriller it is!

Well, it's now "Good By Eden" and "Hello Cruel World"!  (Somehow I can really relate to that and I suspect many of you can too.)

Eve is about to give birth to fraternal twins. That isn't commonly taught in the story books of churchianity, but it is recorded in the Word of God.

Genesis 4:1
And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.

There was a conception that took place in the fig grove, at the seduction of Eve. It was declared in verse sixteen of chapter three!

The next verse documents that Eve had twins.

[2] And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

H3254
éñó
ya?saph
yaw-saf'
A primitive root; to add or augment (often adverbially to continue to do a thing): -  add, X again, X any more, X cease, X come more, + conceive again, continue, exceed, X further, X gather together, get more, give moreover, X henceforth, increase (more and more), join, X longer (bring, do, make, much, put), X (the, much, yet) more (and more), proceed (further), prolong, put, be [strong-] er, X yet, yield.

If you are not familiar with "twins" you can surf the web and learn a great deal. Start with http://www.twinsfoundation.com .

Basically, there are two types of twins. 1) Maternal twins, usually called identical twins, are produced from the same conception in which a single ovum splits into two groups of cells soon after fertilization. 2) Fraternal twins are produced from two separate conceptions, i.e. they develop from two separate ova which are each fertilized before implanting in the uterus. While it is true that fraternal twins "usually" have the same father, it is not at all uncommon for them to each have a separate father. Such is the case with Cain and Abel.  They were both Eve's sons, but they both were not Adam's, only Abel was.

Once again, remember that in Gen 3:15 God said that He would enmity between Satan's seed (offspring) and Eve's seed (offspring). That enmity produced the first murder!

[3] And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.

Notice that Cain did not bring a sacrificial offering, for there is no blood shed. We also know from the Book of Jude that his offering was merely a "religious act", for his way was that of natural religion, not the way God had appointed. Cain's heart was not in the right place, and he was not being honest, as we shall document in verse seven. Keep in mind that our Father knows the hearts and minds of Cain and Abel (and you and me as well).

Jude 1:11
Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

[4] And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:

[5] But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

So the LORD, knowing what is in Cain's heart, doesn't buy this religious routine of just plopping a few extra brussels sprouts in the offering plate.

Does Cain then examine himself and his motives to see the error of his ways, in order that he might repent and change his attitude? No way! His name means "possession" and he is out to "get", not give. So he performs another religious act and gets PO'd (a slang contraction for angry) at the LORD for not believing his "insincerity" and not accepting his inappropriate, non-sacrificial offering.

There is nothing new under the sun. Many people to this day wonder why God doesn't bless them. Perhaps they haven't read Matthew 22:37 Jesus said unto him, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." (Not just Sunday morning by bringing a few extra tokens and throwing them in the offering plate.)

[6] And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?

[7] If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

Gen. 4:7 If your heart is honest, you would surely look bright? If you are sullen, sin is lying in wait for you, eager to be at you - yet you ought to master it.

[8] And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

The N.E.B. translates this verse, "Cain said to his brother Abel, 'Let us go into the open country.' While they were there, Cain attacked his brother Abel and murdered him."

This is the first murder recorded in the Bible. Later, Cain's descendents would plot the murder of Jesus Christ. Let's pick it up in John chapter 8 where the religious leaders, the descendents of Cain, with murder in their hearts, are trying to convince Christ that they are of the good seed, the seed of Abraham. They are boldly, without shamefulness, directly lying to Messiah, as there is no honesty in them either.

John 8:39-40
They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham.

[40] But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.

John 8:44
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

It is also recorded in the first epistle of John that Cain was "of" (meaning offspring of) that wicked one. Plain and simply, like it or not, believe it or not, Cain was Satan's son, not Adam's.

1 John 3:12
Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.

[9] And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?

[10] And He said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.

[11] And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand;

[12] When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.

[13] And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear.

[14] Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.

Cain also knew that his actions would get him in trouble and even get him killed. So God will place a "mark" upon him. We will soonlearn what that "mark" was?  Do you know?

We have just witnessed the first murder. Cain, the offspring of that old serpent, the devil, Satan himself, brutally killed Abel, the first son of Adam, a righteous man. It was that "wicked one's" second attempt (this time through his offspring) to destroy the woman and her "seed" through which Jesus Christ, the Messiah would be born.

And since Cain was not Adam's son, God would have to raise up another to fulfill His plan. Verse 25 of this same chapter documents that He did, and so Seth replaced Abel in Christ's ancestry.

Gen. 4:25 And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.

The word "Cain" in Hebrew is "Kajin", spelled with a "K", and so his children are naturally called Kenites, a transliteration (which is basically a letter to letter conversion) from the Hebrew to English. Look up the word "kenites" in a World Book Encyclopedia Dictionary. They are defined as the children of Cain (Kain-ites). Or look up Cain in Strong's concordance. (Cain, Kenite)

H7014
÷éï
qayin
kah'-yin
The same as H7013 (with a play upon the affinity to H7069); Kajin, the name of the first child, also of a place in Palestine, and of an Oriental tribe: - Cain, Kenite (-s).

It was the kenites who were responsible for the murder of Jesus Christ, though Judah has taken the "rap" because of the ignorance of the unlearned. It was the kenites, beginning with their father Cain, the first murderer, who killed the prophets and righteous men of God. And guess what? Christ called them "serpents" and "vipers". Where have we heard that terminology used before? In the garden, of course! And they are a bunch of snakes.

Matthew 23:29-35
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, [30] And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. [31] Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. [32] Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. [33]Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? [34] Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: [35]That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.

1 Chron. 2:55
And the families of the scribes which dwelt at Jabez; the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and Suchathites. These are the Kenites that came of Hemath, the father of the house of Rechab.

Let's now return to Genesis chapter four where Cain is being ousted from his native land. He is  concerned that his evil ways might get him killed by the people he encounters.

Genesis 4:15
And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.

What is this "mark" that the LORD set upon Cain?  It is truly amazing to listen and read about the creative ideas that man is able to imagine in an attempt to figure out what this "mark" is. Perhaps it could have been like a "no smoking" sign, a sharp dagger with a red circle and a slash through the center. People would recognize this universal symbol and say to one another, "Look Sam, he has a 'no kill' sign on his forehead, so we'd better leave him alone. Darn, I wanted to kill him!"

Rather than taking the time to understand the Word of God, man is quick to open his mouth and perpetuate vanity.

Suppose computers were taught the same way as the Bible is taught in Sunday schools. This is how it would go:

A well meaning, good hearted individual, who was willing to give of his or her time to help others, would volunteer to teach computer class.  The fact that this person is computer illiterate is beside the point, because we know his or her motives are pure. And not to worry, because those who will be the students are just as computer illiterate as the instructor, so we'll have the usual blind leading the blind.

Everyone assembles in the classroom and after the usual introductions, the class begins. The instructor picks up the Computer Bible, opens it, and reads a verse, "Thou shalt boot the computer". The instructor then looks up and says, "Sally, what does 'boot the computer' mean to you"?

Sally says, "Well, a boot is something you wear on your feet, and so, I suppose it means to kick the computer."

"That's good Sally. John, how about you?"

John, who is the would-be scholar of the group, looks up the word "boot" in the dictionary and finds it also means "a casing, or protective cover", as in placing a boot over a machine or car. So John says, "It makes sense that you should place a dust cover over such a delicate instrument as a computer in order to protect it, so "boot the computer" means to "cover the computer with a boot." Everyone applauds John's excellent and logical explanation.

The instructor thanks everyone for their participation and then moves on to the next verse where the same scenario ensues. After enough of this kind of teaching, people soon would be of the opinion that the understanding of Computer Bibles is just a matter of individual interpretation.

In Genesis 4:15 God set a sign for Cain. In other words, He gave him a "pledge" that He would protect him in his journeys. Any questions?

The word "mark" is the same word as "token" in Gen. 9:12, 13, where God gave Noah a sign, a "token" of His covenant that He would never again flood the earth with water. It was His pledge. And He didn't paint a little rainbow on Noah's head, either. Check it out. Don't listen to made up stories.

So God "marked", or set aside, Cain to be protected.

Note: You ought to see what preachers and ministers are telling people about the "mark of the Beast" in chapter 13 of the Book of Revelation. They tell them that they are going to have the number "666" tattooed on their foreheads (kind of like the "no smoking" symbol again). And so the ignorance continues from Genesis to Revelation.  (You'll either have the truth, "the seal of God", inyour forehead (brain) or you'll have deception, "the seal of Satan", which is the "mark of the beast", in your forehead. So don't buy stock in tattoo shops!)

[16] And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.

If you would like to read about Cain in secular history, you should acquire the following book: "Sargon the Magnificent" by Mrs. Sidney Bristowe. In this fascinating history book, Mrs. Bristowe simply takes the historical works of recognized scholars and substitutes Cain of Genesis for Sargon of Akkad. She acknowledges that pre-adamites, the sixth day creation of mankind, were present in Nod, the land of Sumer, and it was from these peoples that Cain took his wife. If haven't read it, you're missing out!

[17] And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.

[18] And unto Enoch was born Irad: and Irad begat Mehujael: and Mehujael begat Methusael: and Methusael begat Lamech.

Methusa-el vs. Methusel-ah
Enoch vs. Enos and Enoch
Mehujael vs. Mahalaeel

[19] And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.

[20] And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle.

[21] And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.

[22] And Zillah, she also bare Tubal-cain, an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.

And so it was that Cain went forth into the land of Nod and founded Babylon. The history books declare that about 3800 B.C., "poof", that great civilization suddenly appeared with such advances in art and law and astronomy and language, etc., that it defies the explanations of evolutionists who require great lengths of time to justify their theories. It was because of Cain's superior intellect and the knowledge he had learned from our Father and his earthly parents, that he was able to easily subdue the sixth day man.

It would be from the religions founded by this one, Cain, that all the nations of the earth would be made "drunk".

Rev. 14:8
And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

Rev. 17:2
With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

We learned in the first two verses of this fourth chapter of Genesis that Eve had twins. The word "again" in verse two, means she "continued" in labor and gave birth to Cain's brother, Abel. We also learned that these two fraternal twins had separate fathers: Cain was of his father, that wicked one, and Abel was Adam's son.

Then, for religious reasons, Cain murdered his brother Abel. History documents that "Religion" is, and ever has been the greatest cause of blood-shedding.

Our Father then ousted this murderer and Cain wandered into the land of Nod and took a wife from among the people who already inhabited the region. Where did they come from? They were created on the sixth day, 2,000 years (2 days) before eth' ha adam, the man Adam and his wife Eve, who were formed on the eighth day.

The Bible then devotes nearly two full chapters, in this Book of the Beginning, to the specific genealogies of both Cain and Adam. This, you would think, should be enough to make the point that they are two totally different genealogies, those of the "tares", the children of Satan, and those of the "wheat", the children of God (Mat 13, Parable of the Tares). Either you have eyes to see and understand or you don't, but it is the Word of God.

And so we continue in Genesis 4 with the posterity of Cain.

Genesis 4:23
And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt.

[24] If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.

And now 130 years from Adam's beginning:

[25] And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.

[26] And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.

Look up the word "call" in Strong's concordance. It will help in understanding that the statement "men began to call upon the name of the LORD" refers to the beginning of the "profanation" of the name of the LORD, and not to divine worship. Idolatry now begins to "infest" the earth which will be the reason that Enoch is raised up, to prophesy against it.

H7121
÷øà
qa?ra?'
kaw-raw'
A primitive root (rather identical with H7122 through the idea of accosting a person met); to call out to (that is, properly address by name, but used in a wide variety of applications): - bewray [self], that are bidden, call (for, forth, self, upon), cry (unto), (be) famous, guest, invite, mention, (give) name, preach, (make) proclaim (-ation), pronounce, publish, read, renowned, say.