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Life Goes On

Words of Faith Final

Life Goes On
Words of Faith 2-4-2022
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2022
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Genesis 4
    [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.
    [23] Lamech said to his wives, "Adah and Zillah, listen to me; wives of Lamech, hear my words. I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for injuring me. [24] If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times."
     [25] Adam lay with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, saying, "God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him." [26] Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh.
    At that time men began to call on the name of the Lord.

      Life goes on. In this transitional passage, we see how the generations continued. We see a separation between two distinct ways-- the way of the world and the way of God.
      The line of Cain carried forward in a society that was increasingly rebellious against God. He left the land of blessing in anger defying the laws of God. Cain's family began in Nod. The name "Nod" is related to the words for "restless wanderer." Nod was a land of fugitives from God. Cain fathered a child, Enoch, and named a city after him. (Cain's wife was apparently a daughter of Adam.)
      What we see is a kind of prosperity from an earthly perspective. The descendants of Cain produced music, weapons, agricultural devices, and cities. These made life more enjoyable and more productive. These are all the things commonly considered to be culture. Actually, this was their only recourse in a bitter, cursed world.
       City life and urban living are problematic in many ways. Cities accomplish things on a grand scale naming monuments, buildings, bridges, and roads after men. But urban life also has the power to lure people away from their families and roots back in the villages.
        Cities draw us toward great potential through mass scale, but that potential is fraught with temptation and sin. Scripture teaches that the righteous should neither envy the wicked nor follow their way of life (Psalms 49 and 73). "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him" (1 John 2:15).
        The seventh generation from Adam through Cain was Lamech. He altered the plan of God and married two women. Here we see the beginning of polygamy -- having more than one wife. Lamech made a choice contrary to God's original intention. Scripture never approves of polygamy. God condemns it. His Word gives a historical record of it, and we see the consequences in each case.
        Evil was advancing despite this cultured and prosperous good life. Lamech boasted about the murder of a youthful warrior in response to a wound. He then demanded greater leniency than was afforded to Cain.  
        We see an affluent society defying God and His laws, seeking pleasure and self-indulgence. Israel and the church would come to bring light into the darkness into this world. In the line from Seth, there was faith. According to Eve's statement of faith, Seth himself was a provision from God. In the days of Enosh, Seth's son, men began to call on the Name of the Lord. This can also mean to "proclaim" the name of the Lord.
        It seems that God has always drawn forth a "righteous remnant" that remains. We see this remnant in the lineage of Seth. He was the replacement for Abel. These descendants began to make proclamation in the name of the Lord. The truth would continue to be declared for generations, including Noah and Abram.
       The remnant of righteousness did not focus on affluence or finding the "good life." They concerned themselves with the spiritual life and following the way of God. Israel can trace her ancestry to Enosh.
       The pull of unrighteousness can be powerful. Jesus said, You are the light of the world. You are the salt of the earth. As believers, we stand the line of Enosh. We stand against the way of Cain. This is our calling and our choice as believers.

          Lord God, I choose the way of Enosh. I choose the heritage of Seth. I choose to be among those who proclaim the Name of the Lord in this day. I choose to bring light into the darkness of this fallen world. In Jesus' Name.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2022
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)        
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2022 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.