Who did Adam's children marry?
Good day, Beloveds,
Have you ever wondered about the children of Adam and Eve? A common question that arises is: who did they marry? While the Bible provides answers, many people overlook the relevant scriptures. This often happens because individuals read through the Bible rather than studying it in depth.
Some may not read the Bible at all and instead choose to rely on what others say about the scriptures. Don't misunderstand me; being taught by a human can be beneficial, but it is far better to be guided by the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit is available to teach us all things if only we allow Him to do so. Unfortunately, the scripture below is frequently ignored or overlooked:
"But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you."
Have you heard the misconceptions surrounding Adam and Eve's children? For instance, who did Cain marry? I've encountered various theories, some even put forth by respected teachers of the Word. It makes me wonder how they could have missed the truth. It may be that they are blinded by what they've heard from their mentors, which leads them to overlook what the Holy Spirit wants to reveal. I suggest that you invite the Holy Spirit to teach you the Word of God and grant you revelation which will lead to understanding.
Let's go back to where it all started; in the beginning, God created man in His image and made a special garden for him in a place called Eden.
[8] Then the Lord God planted a garden in Eden in the east, and there he placed the man he had made.
After the fall of mankind through Adam and Eve's disobedience, God banished them from the sacred garden to live outside of Eden.
[23] So the Lord God banished them from the Garden of Eden, and he sent Adam out to cultivate the ground from which he had been made.
God did this to prevent humans with evil thoughts, behavior, words, and ways from living for eternity. In the Garden of Eden, there was a tree of life. This tree made a human live forever. That was God's original plan for humans, to live with Him forever just like angels. Sadly, this blessing was taken away from us because Adam and Eve failed to deny the desires of their flesh and choose God, who had already given them everything.
[22] Then the Lord God said, “Look, the human beings have become like us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever!”
The first time that Adam and Eve had sexual relations and conceived was after they were banished from the Garden of Eden. Her firstborn was Cain, and her secondborn was Abel.
[1] Now Adam had sexual relations with his wife, Eve, and she became pregnant. When she gave birth to Cain, she said, “With the Lord’s help, I have produced a man!”
The two sons were not twins, verse 2 clearly states that Abel was born later.
[2] Later she gave birth to his brother and named him Abel. When they grew up, Abel became a shepherd, while Cain cultivated the ground.
The boys grew up and became men without Eve ever conceiving more children. They had different jobs: Cain cultivated the ground (farmer), and Abel was a shepherd. Then, one day, they both presented God with gifts. Abel presented God with a better offering and Cain killed him because of this.
[3] When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the Lord. [4] Abel also brought a gift—the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The Lord accepted Abel and his gift,
Why did God accept Abel's offering over Cain's? Abel gave the firstborn lambs from his flock. He gave God first before he took for himself. But Cain gave God random crops, and not the first of his harvest. When God taught the Israelites how to serve Him, He commanded them to give the first of everything to Him. Abel did this without prior knowledge but through faith. I believe Abel saw God as deserving the best, and He chose to put Him first over himself. I hope you didn’t think God had favoritism. Do you intentionally give God the best or just random things? Sometimes what is left over. Like the last 15 minutes of your day before you go to bed while sleepy.
I pray to have the same faith as Abel, to give the Lord the best without Him telling me first. I pray the same thing over your life.
[19] “The firstborn of every animal belongs to me, including the firstborn males from your herds of cattle and your flocks of sheep and goats.
[22] “You must celebrate the Festival of Harvest with the first crop of the wheat harvest, and celebrate the Festival of the Final Harvest at the end of the harvest season.
God saw the disappointment in Cain as he was low in spirit and that quickly became anger. This anger led to sin; God had already warned him of this. The Lord told Cain that if he did the same good thing, his gift would be accepted. Sadly, the sinful nature had already taken over. However there was an opportunity for Cain to stop himself and do what was right, but he chose to submit to the fallen nature instead of God's word and His nature in him.
[6] “Why are you so angry?” the Lord asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? [7] You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.”
What follows would be the consequences of Cain and Abel's parents not obeying God. We need to be careful of acting wrong to satisfy a moment's pleasure, forgetting the cost can be so great.
[8] One day Cain suggested to his brother, “Let’s go out into the fields.” And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother, Abel, and killed him.
This was the first time the Bible mentioned death since creation and it wasn't caused by God. It was because of the anger that gave birth to sin. Often, people think God causes death, but death comes from the acts of mankind influenced by sinful nature. Why does God not stop it? It's because He gave you and me the same free will that He gave the angels and Adam and Eve. God wants us to choose God because we love Him and not because He forced us.
,[12] When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. [13] Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as a sin because there was not yet any law to break. [14] Still, everyone died—from the time of Adam to the time of Moses—even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did. Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come.
After Cain killed His brother God punished him by banishing him from Eden. Remember, first, the parents were banished from the garden, but they were still in Eden.
[11] Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has swallowed your brother’s blood. [12] No longer will the ground yield good crops for you, no matter how hard you work! From now on you will be a homeless wanderer on the earth.”
When God cursed and banished Cain, Adam and Eve had only two children before Abel was killed by Cain. Then Cain told the Lord that he feared someone would kill him, as now he was homeless. Who was Cain referring to? Who was the "anyone" he feared? He didn't say something or anything but anyone. We know that this pronoun belongs to humans only. Before I give my theory, let's look at the rest of the scripture.
[13] Cain replied to the Lord, “My punishment is too great for me to bear! [14] You have banished me from the land, and from your presence, you have made me a homeless wanderer. Anyone who finds me will kill me!”
Cain seems to be fully aware that there were other humans out there, not his siblings but strangers. He preferred where he lived as God's presence was there with Him. Could this mean that the Lord’s presence was restricted to Eden because of what the sinful nature had corrupted? This is an interesting thought.
God acknowledged what Cain said, agreeing that there were other people out there. The Lord promised Cain that He would punish anyone who killed Cain, seven times more. God also said anyone and not something or anything. The mark that God put on Cain could be understood by humans; we know that lions eat people. They see meat and not humans. So the wild animals couldn't have interpreted the mark.
[15] The Lord replied, “No, for I will give a sevenfold punishment to anyone who kills you.” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain to warn anyone who might try to kill him. [16] So Cain left the Lord’s presence and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
When Cain arrived in Nod, he took a wife who became pregnant with Enoch. This was Adam and Eve's first grandchild. Cain had more children, and Lamech, a descendant of Cain, married two wives. Cain found more people in Nod, as there were wives to marry.
[17] Cain had sexual relations with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Then Cain founded a city, which he named Enoch, after his son.
[19] Lamech married two women. The first was named Adah, and the second was Zillah.
Remember that Adam and Eve only had two children by the time Cain was banished. Verse 25 tells us that Adam had sexual relations with Eve again, conceived and she gave birth to another son. Please pay special attention to the word "again". The first was when she conceived Cain, then Abel, and now again the third time Seth was conceived. The "again" could refer to the times she conceived or they had actual sexual relations, it's not clear to say. I know you might say, maybe after Cain and Abel, Adam and Eve only had daughters. If this was the case the word of God would have mentioned it, just like it mentioned that Jacob had daughters. And verse 25 me tions that Eve gave birth to another son.
[25] Adam had sexual relations with his wife again, and she gave birth to another son. She named him Seth, for she said, “God has granted me another son in place of Abel, whom Cain killed.
Only after the birth of Seth did Adam have more children including daughters. Genesis 5 verse 4 mentions the daughters. Only three children were born during Adam's first 130 years. The rest were born after that. Adam lived for 930 years.
[3] When Adam was 130 years old, he became the father of a son who was just like him—in his very image. He named his son Seth. [4] After the birth of Seth, Adam lived another 800 years, and he had other sons and daughters.
I believe that God created many creatures at a time. Many flocks, herds, fish, and more, and in the same way, He created many humans. Adam and Eve were the first of mankind but not the only. Adam was the first male, and Eve was the first female. But just as God made them with His hands He also made other humans. So how can every human not fathered by Adam have sinned? I believe that just like the whole world is saved through Jesus's obedience even though we are not biologically related to Him. The whole world was corrupted through one man's disobedience. That's how animals also inherited the nature of killing. Animals are not the seed of Adam and are not human but they have been affected.
[1] This is the written account of the descendants of Adamehen God created human beings, he made them to be like himself. [2] He created them male and female, and he blessed them and called them “human.”
Yes I know the scripture "be fruitful and multiply", but God first said it to animals, then Adam and Eve, Noah and then Jacob. This shows that Adam was not the only one who was told to multiply. It's something that God expects creation to do to fill the earth.
[21] So God created great sea creatures every living thing that scurries and swarms in the water, and every sort of bird—each producing offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good. [22] Then God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply. Let the fish fill the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth.”
[28] Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.” [29] Then God said, “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food.
[16] “Leave the boat, all of you—you and your wife, and your sons and their wives. [17] Release all the animals—the birds, the livestock, and the small animals that scurry along the ground—so they can be fruitful and multiply throughout the earth.”
[1] Then God blessed Noah and his sons and told them, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth.
[10] saying, “Your name is Jacob, but you will not be called Jacob any longer. From now on your name will be Israel.” So God renamed him Israel. [11] Then God said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Be fruitful and multiply. You will become a great nation, even many nations. Kings will be among your descendants!
So if we focused on the above it shows that there were other humans and that the wife Cain took was from outside his home. They were other humans on the east side of Eden. There were people who Cain feared. God made them male and female. Not God made Adam male and Eve female. All Cain knew from his childhood was one specific area where his family lived, but now he would roam the earth.
Also God seems to have an issue with close marriages. Why would He allow Adam's offspring to have sexual relations with one another then later call it detestable. Is God saying that He created something detestable? Also please note that just because the act was done by someone in the Bible it doesn't make it part of God's decrees and regulations.
[6] “You must never have sexual relations with a close relative, for I am the Lord.
[Leviticus 18:9 NLT
[9] “Do not have sexual relations with your sister or half sister, whether she is your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether she was born into your household or someone else’s.
[11] “Do not have sexual relations with your stepsister, the daughter of any of your father’s wives, for she is your sister.
Please note that whether Adam's children married one another or not, this doesn't change that we are all descendants of Adam, through Noah. After the great flood, Noah’s sons repopulated the earth,them and Noah are Adam's descendants through Seth. This doesn't change the fact that we are all made in the image of God and that he filled us with His spirit. There is only one thing that God desires, and that is for humanity to live with Him forever. That is the reason He sent His son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins so we could be reconciled with God.
Be careful that you don't get caught up in the unfruitful biblical debates. Focus on being obedient, righteous, and holy by following in the footsteps of Jesus and living according to His commands.
May the God Lord draw you near to Him.
Amen.
More to read from Bonolo M. Nevondo
Comments
Post a Comment
Did this reading help you with more clarity when it comes to the Bible? Feel free to share your comments or questions to help with your walk as Christ follower.