Genesis Framework Part 46

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Genesis Framework Pt 46

Genesis Framework

GF 46 Genesis 4.14-16
July 24, 2016
Part 46

Genesis 4:13-14
13 And Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is greater than I can bear!
14 "Surely You have driven me out this day from the face of the ground; I shall be hidden from Your face; I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth, and it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill me."
15 And the LORD said to him, "Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold." And the LORD set a mark on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him.
16 Then Cain went out from the presence of the LORD and dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden.

Let’s look more carefully into these highlighted areas…

15 And the LORD said to him, "Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold." And the LORD set a mark on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him.
16 Then Cain went out from the presence of the LORD and dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden.

set a mark
finding
land of nod

This is the kind of heads-up we saw previously in Gen 3.22 and that appears subsequently in Gen 11.6.

In these two incidents, these calls for action to be taken are made only by God; first, at the time man had separated himself from being as one of the heavenly beings with regard to the knowledge of good and evil and to the potential problem of man remaining perpetually in a fallen state, without hope of salvation.

We have wonder, what gave Cain the prerogative to place his problem on the same scale as the one which preceded his situation?

NKJ Genesis 11:6 heyn
And the LORD said, "Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.

Then later, heyn used by Abram to sound an alarm of sorts when he expressed his comprehension of what he thought was a conflict to God’s plan.

How could God bless Abram with great multitudes of offspring when he presently old-aged and only had one son and heir, an acquired son born in his house from a domestic servant girl from Damascus.

NKJ Genesis 15:3 heyn
Then Abram said, "Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!"

In the other subsequent situations where this alarm heyn is sounded, there is some accompanying perception that the purpose of God's work has in some way become threatened, or rendered difficult to impossible by the presence of some apparent obstacle.

So, what obstacle would Cain's now be pointing out to God as a potential problem threatening to hinder His original purposes?

Not knowing what Cain was thinking, we can only speculate, which is not the best thing to do.

The only prior statement from God was to Adam and Eve that they bring forth children and have to work hard to till the soil for their daily bread sustenance.

Perhaps Cain was complaining about who might do that particular kind of work if he were to be exiled, and put into a dangerous environment outside of God's shepherding range.

The main thing is this; we already know the kind of thinking that characterized Cain, so whatever his take was, in terms of there having been some problem at hand, surely Cain was more concerned with how the problem might affect Cain, rather than the possible effect on God’s plans.

Cain was not praying, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Genesis 4.14a
"Surely You have driven me out this day from the face of the ground;

Translation:
You have completely driven me away (piel)

(remember the pictograph for this , “swing foot”)

“You have completely given me the boot" today

separated me out from within the face of [the view of] (presence of) the tilled soil;

Genesis 4.14b
I shall be hidden from Your face;

Translation:
and separated out from the face of [in view of] (presence of) You

I will be hidden ( niphal passive to be hidden, to be concealed, as in escaping God's notice).

Cain had not developed a good theology.

Apparently, he did not comprehend that God’s divine presence encompasses the whole of the universe.

Cain does not appear to be expressing any regret about no longer being able to interact with God in fellowship, worship and praise; instead, his theology prompts him to bemoan the fact to him that God’s presence will not be there to protect him from possible evil threatening to
befall him during the remaining course of his life.

Genesis 4.14c-14d
I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth, and it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill me."

Cain now reiterates the nature and the words of the curse of his punishment, of what is to become of him after being cast out into the wild lands beyond the land east of Eden.

Translation:
and it shall come to pass that I will become one who totters and who constantly wanders upon the earth, and it shall come to pass that all those who find me, they will kill me.

This falls close to being a mocking prophesy!

all those who find me…

mah-tsah' {matsa} to attain to, to find, as a thing sought.

Literally, the result of the act of having squeezed something out of its hiding place.

While Cain may well be exaggerating his case as a special pleading, he does appear to be genuinely frightened about the prospect of the real dangers he will face apart from the protective sense nearness to God’s presence in His Edenic-Temple, as a kind of “hell” being out there in the wilds.

Cain’s argument was colorful, but also lame.

they will kill me.

hah-rag' to kill, to slay, as used here implying ruthless violence, especially private violence.

Otherwise it is used of wholesale slaughter after battle; and while it can be used to describe God's slaying in judgment (stern and unyielding), it is only most rarely used of judicial killing by men (at God's command).

Surely we can take a closer look into the ancient pictographic Hebrew to glean better detail…

hah-rag' to kill, to slay

Root: Ancient Hebrew pictograph for Treading Under Foot “man of feet” the treading under foot of something, a woven rug as something tread upon.

Action: to trample

Concrete: a rug

Abstract: thought, as in a prevailing attitude

Whole word:

Action: to trample

The trampling over another with the intent to kill.

Again, the use here is in the personal category, as in killing by beasts, or killing by ones seeking simply to bring destruction.

It is unlikely that Cain saw his exile as purely a death sentence, but he was cognizant of real dangers that lurked beyond a territory influenced by the active presence of God.

Yahweh confirms that fact that Cain’s curse was intended to remain somewhere this side of being a death sentence, by taking specific action to assure Cain’s survival.

Genesis 4.15
And the LORD said to him, "Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold."

The Hebrew language gives us some extra insight as to the purpose of God in this, as being to sustain Cain and his kind, in order that they might live to do what it is that they will do.

Translation:

And Yahweh said unto him, “On the ground of such condition, anyone who kills Cain, seven-fold vengeance will be taken against him”, and Yahweh placed with regard to Cain a pledge; that, “Without exception none will slay him out of those who attain to finding him.”

Translation +:

And Yahweh said unto him, “On the ground of such condition…(a statement presupposing the factor of danger, rather than declaring the danger), anyone who kills Cain, seven-fold vengeance will be taken… (for his blood; hophal, causative passive) against
him”,… and Yahweh placed with regard to Cain a pledge… that, “Without exception none will slay him out of those who attain to finding him.”

Genesis 4.16
Then Cain went out from the presence of the LORD and dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden.

Translation:
And Cain went out separated from the face of Yahweh, and he dwelt in the land of Node ( proper noun, from nude, to wander) to the east of Eden.

Yes, a pun from God was intended.

NKJ Proverbs 27:8
Like a bird that wanders from its nest Is a man who wanders from his place.

NKJ Isaiah 16:2
For it shall be as a wandering bird thrown out of the nest; So shall be the daughters of Moab at the fords of the Arnon.

As you read the Scriptures this week, ask yourself these 3 questions-

1. What does this say about the Person of God in terms of His attributes?

2. Does the present argument or narrative reflect an understanding of sound biblical theology in the flow of it, in terms of how the Lord normally works?

3. Finally, what possible problems might I be creating for myself by trying to twist my circumstances to conform to my own distorted personal theology; if so, of what should I repent?

Many will be surprised on the Day of Judgment when they discover that it was just as the Word of God says; only the righteousness of Christ is able to save you.All men are sinners and no one can save himself. God is just, so He must punish sin; but He is also merciful, moreover gracious, and offers His Son as the perfect sacrifice in order to purchase a place for you in heaven, which He offers to you as the free gift of eternal life. As we continue to examine man’s earliest duties with regard to the covenant of works, although they can be categorically divided into two distinct types of classes; one in relationship with God, and the other in relationship with fellow man, all covenant stipulations are expressions of the will of the Lord. The law of the covenant is the law of man’s image-sonship.

Jesus is God Incarnate

In order to pay the debt of our sins, He came from Heaven, having been sent by the Father, where He lived a life of perfect obedience to the Father even unto the shameful death upon the cross in order to pay the debt of your sins.This gift must be received by faith, believing that Jesus’ perfect life and Cross Work was His complete and necessary Atonement for your sins, in your behalf.Faith is a gift that comes by the Power of God the Holy Spirit working in a person’s innermost being. The Holy Spirit has the authority and power to quicken your dead spirit, to make it come to life. If you have not done so before this moment, ask Jesus to forgive you your sins, tell Him you’ve stop trying to be your own savior, and ask Him to come into your life right now, and to give you eternal life. Then, in faith believing, thank Him for the gift that He is giving you, the one He paid for in full in your place, in Jesus’ name,AMEN

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