Evening: Tonight, we went through Foundations part four, "The Descent of Mankind." The focus was on Genesis 4-5. Chapter four describes the downward spiral of sin. Chapter five gives us the genealogy from Adam to Noah and his sons. Here are the principles we looked at:
- Attitude, especially the attitude of faith, matters (see Heb. 11:4).
- Hatred and its cousin, anger, are dangerous.
- God desires repentance.
- Sin becomes our master quicker than we think.
- We are responsible for our brothers (fellow human beings).
- Murder is an abomination because it is an attack on the image of God.
- There is a high cost for taking human life.
- Disobedience always spirals downward.
- Genesis 5:1-2 link Genesis 1:26-27 and Genesis 2. It demonstrates that both accounts are really one account.
- Genesis 1:14 teaches us that the sun, moon, and stars were given as signs to tell the seasons, days, and years. In light of Genesis 5:3, we know that the time between the creation of Adam and the birth of his son, Seth, is 130 years.
Where there other people? 1 Corinthians 15:45 refers to Adam as the first man. Romans 5:12-21 expresses that Adam brought death upon his descendants (the human race). Acts 17:26 informs us that the nations were all made from one man. Genesis 3:20 tells us that Adam named his wife, Eve, because she was the mother of all the living. The strong implication of all these facts is that Adam and Eve were the first and only people created by God.
Where did Cain get his wife? Since the Bible teaches that Adam and Eve were the humans created directly by God, we must conclude that Cain married his sister (or a niece). Genesis 5:4 tells us that Adam and Eve had many sons and daughters. Even Abram (Abraham) married his half-sister. It isn't until the Law is given at Sinai that humans are forbidden from marrying their close relatives.
Why did they live so long? There are many possible explanations. Most likely their lifespans were longer because they had less genetic mutations than later generation. It could also have to do with diet and climate. Although, it is not clear why they lived so long, we should understand the ages as accurate.
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