Genesis 4: Awaiting the Promise

Gen. 4. Awaiting The Promise

Torah: Bereshiyth 4:1-26 Haftarah: Jer. 1:1-19. Apostolic: Romans 3:1-24

: What have we learned so far?

וְהָאָדָם יָדַע אֶת־חַוָּה אִשְׁתּוֹ וַתַּהַר וַתֵּלֶד אֶת־קַיִן וַתֹּאמֶר קָנִיתִי אִישׁ אֶת־יְהוָה

I – Awaiting The Promise

Genesis 4:1 – According to this passage, who was Cain’s father? Who does Chavah credit with helping her to conceive?

• What does Cain mean? – From קָנָה To .
• We see Cain name is related to the Hebrew word “Qaniti” – I have “begotten” a manchild. (Bold text, above.) “…I have acquired a man from the Lord.” (Berean Literal Translation)
• So Cain’s name is connected to the event that is happening. Hebrew is an (verb) oriented language.
• What was God’s curse upon the serpent?
  • Bible teachers from ancient times taught that Eve’s expectations were that this child would be the one to crush the head of the serpent.
  • Cain carried with him expectations. They are awaiting The Promise.
  • What does this say about our expectations of God and how He works? (Ref. Isaiah 55:8).

II – “Breath”

Genesis 4:2. Some Bible teachers have considered the possibility that Cain and Abel (Hevel) were . Verse two mentions that Chavah bore a son, but omits the phrase “she ”.

• Cain is a “… (abad) of the Ground (Adamah).”
  • What is cursed because of Adam’s Sin? What is Adam made of?
  • We often look at this as being tied to agriculture, or the difficulties associated with a paycheck.
  • What is the deeper meaning that is happening here? Is our material nature (flesh) cursed? What is doomed to return to the Adamah?

It is interesting that we have these two brothers, possibly twins, that reveal a dichotomy in their philosophy – their approach to God. What does “Hevel” mean? Hevel is a word that means “.”

• It conveys a sense of what is temporary, transient, and fading.
• James 4:14. – Notice that James ties the temporary life to the idea of .
• “Hevel” is the brother that appears, is hated by His brother, and with a righteous offering, and then he disappears.
• Hevel’s life demonstrates that we are here one moment, and we are in eternity the next.
• Hebrews 11:4.

We find a curious mix of these two concepts (Acquisition & Breath.) throughout Scripture.

• Proverbs 21:6. “Is a fleeting Hevel…the pursuit of death.”
• Proverbs 31:30.
• Psalms 144:4.
• This concept is tied to the entire book of Ecclesiastes (Qohelet).1:2, 14.