FOR GOD HATH APPOINTED
Genesis 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. 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.
This chapter begins with this same event – Adam and Eve coming together in the physical union of marriage followed by birth. And you will also notice that in verse seventeen we have the same thing listed concerning Cain and his wife. And that union produced their son, Enoch. Therefore we see that the ‘stamp’ of the Holy Spirit upon this passage of the scriptures gives us understanding that the focus of God here is revelation by natural birth.
And yet, we see the result of these births brings to view the vast difference in the seed of the woman from the seed of the serpent. First, you must realize that Cain, and those generating from his union with his wife, are of the latter. 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.
And just the one thing of the importance of the names that were exalted will immediately confirm that revelation. Notice in that verse seventeen the name of man was exalted. Genesis 4:17 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. Now see verse twenty six, listed above, and learn of the very opposite. For there it was the name of the Lord God which was exalted!
And more than that! It was the name of the Lord God that was first discovered and recovered! For his name, Jehovah Elohim (LORD God), first comes on the pages of scripture in Genesis 2:4. But Satan, always seeking to diminish God and exalt the creature, leaves off the first word and only speaks of “God” to Eve. (Genesis 3:1). And with that the godly line of Abel and the true, worshipful name of the LORD God disappear off the pages of the Book! But through natural procreation Adam and Eve have presented to them, another seed instead of Abel, who now once again, “begins to call God by the name of the LORD!”
Therefore we see that the difference between Cain’s son, Enoch, and Seth’s son, Enos, was although both had a physical birth, Enos also had a spiritual birth, bringing him into the knowledge of God! This is how faith was imparted to the Lord’s people in these early days, without a bible, (not even a Moses to begin it’s writing)! For the scriptures speak of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, (Romans 4:16). And what was the issue with him? What was that issue of the Lord God which was used to open his eyes of faith? Was it not the promise of a birth? Sure it was!
Romans 4:16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, 17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. 18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. 19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb: 20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. 22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
For the issues concerning his son, Isaac, (both the promise, and long awaited birth, coupled with the requirement of his sacrifice), caused Abraham to actually “see” the day of Jesus Christ – and again, without a bible! John 8:56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.
And is it not the same with every believing child of God throughout the ages? Did we not every one, without exception, come to faith concerning Christ’s birth into this world, as he birthed himself into our own hearts? 1 John 5:1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
This was the very issue of which the Lord Jesus confronted Nicodemus! The spiritual birth – being born again – was unknown by this learned leader and ruler of Israel. But the Lord Jesus – the very Head of the church – held that any master of Israel ought to know these things! John 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. 9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? 10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? 11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
And that very same thing is at the root of the problem causing the deadness, and the lack of worship and power in the Christian community today. Like Nicodemus, many men sit in positions of authority over the masses of church members, who do not know spiritual matters. They are only concerned with matters religious. And the severe effect of this has devastated God’s glory among us today! For Christ’s words must be seen in and by the Holy Spirit, for they are spiritual! John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
For it is not the scriptures which are to be looked to for redemption! John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. 40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. The scriptures have God’s ‘warning label’ on them, that death awaits those who do not approach them by the Holy Spirit! 2 Corinthians 3:6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
And seeing that there was no bible in those days, we have to understand that the Lord God was manifesting himself to these early believers, and by their faith and testimony, to those round about them, by the natural births. And think of that one thing that is “without controversy,” which establishes the christian faith. It is the birth of God into humanity! 1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
And another great mystery is the marriage union of the soul to the Lord Jesus Christ! And this too has a physical manifestation. For just as the natural birth was given to reveal the spiritual birth, so the union of a man to a woman in marriage is to reveal Christ’s spiritual union to the believer! Ephesians 5:31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
There are three stages of marriage. There is the marriage union of the soul with the body! Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Then there is that marriage of the man to the woman. But the highest degree of marriage is that of the soul to God! 1 Corinthians 6:17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
Therefore we correctly conclude that these two great mysteries – marriage and birth – were strongly at work shaping these lives, by the Holy Spirit and without a written law, or written word at that time. And this is emphasized in verse twenty six of our above listed text. For at the time when men began once more to call God by the name of the LORD, recovering his glory lost by Abel’s death, we have two births! Notice the word also in that verse. And to Seth, to him also there was born a son;
We see a similar situation as recorded in The Revelation of Jesus Christ. For in chapter eleven there were also two witnesses, representing the believers and the Holy Spirit, (Acts 5:32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.), who, when they were raised up, had godly fear among men also raised up, for the glory of God was recovered!
Revelation 11:3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. 8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. 9 And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. 10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. 11 And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. 12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them. 13 And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.
And by-the-way, that Come up hither, like that of Revelation 4:1, did not physically elevate them. For like John in that passage, this was an effectual lifting into the realm of the Holy Spirit, from the old economy of the legalities of the law! Ephesians 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
We can see in both our Genesis passage and in this one in Revelation eleven that the Lord has ordained seasons of darkness and light, of life and death in spiritual matters, the same as he has in physical matters. And what we must understand is that, just because we are assigned to live in a realm of darkness, like the day of Noah, it does not mean that a day of great light, like that of Peter on Pentecost, shall not come in its appointed time! And we must realize that both seasons are in the Lord God’s purposes and under his sovereign control! Satan and wicked men are not in charge f darkness, the Lord God is!
We tend to interpret our assigned situations as either good or evil according to either our comfort, or aggravation! But should we not have the mind set of Job, who said to his wife, What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? (Job 1:10). For we could never appreciate light if there was not the experiencing of the contrasting darkness. For how is the diamond best displayed? – on a sheet of aluminum foil, or on black velvet? The diamond merchant is wise enough to use the contrast of the dark velvet to show up the sparkle of the diamonds reflections. Philippians 2:15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
And have you noticed that no one was murdered, or even said to die in Cain’s line in Genesis chapter four? Read Genesis 4:17 and 18 at the list of names listed there. You will have to go to the New Testament to learn of their death. For it was business as usual for them all until the judgment of God in Noah’s flood! For the inditement against them in God’s court of law was that they were highly involved with worldly matters, with no mention of any consciousness of Him! Matthew 24:38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Loving the world and finding one’s life and satisfactions exclusively therein, is an offense to the Lord! 1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. And why would we want to love that for which the Lord Jesus, the Mediator, would not pray? John 17:9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.
But in Seth’s line we keep reading, And he died! Some eight times these words are brought forth on this godly line. The peoples of the Lord God are very much acquainted with death! They are cross dwellers, like their Master! In fact, they are called to live a death life! Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 Corinthians 4:10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 11 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. 12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you. May the Lord help us stay dead!
Pastor Gene Breed
August 27, 2015
