Have you ever had the pleasure of speaking with a Jehovah’s Witness? I have on multiple occasions, but after a few minutes they always run off, even though I beg them to stay. Their main question is always, “why do you think we’re having so much trouble in the world?” My response remains the same “Sin” man’s inability to transform his life by doing good deeds. At this time is when they start checking out.
They’re big on performance. But I must hand it to them. Even though they’re serving a mixture of truth and falsehood, they’re hitting the pavement with those magazines trying to make converts to their organization. At first glance they, along with other religions, sound like we all believe the same thing, but under closer examination we find that mixed in with the 99 percent corn is 1 percent arsenic. So we spend time splitting hairs over what we disagree on while ignoring what is missing. Jesus Christ, not works, is the only way to true salvation and to God.
The Christian church is no different. We argue over the stupidest things. This is one that doesn’t seem to want to go away.
“Where did Cain get his wife?” I’ll answer that in a few. But how is that answer impactful to your spiritual life? If you find out the answer, will that improve on your relationship with Jesus? Will you serve God more fervently? Or how about “was Jesus black or white?” Again, does that effect your decision to accept Him as your Lord and Savior? Neither will put you in heaven, but if you’re stuck and can’t move forward in your decision to live for Christ unless you know His color then you’ve got a real problem. If Cain’s wife causes you to stumble you’ve got a real problem. What is wrong with us? Deflection and distraction. Splitting hairs about stupid stuff keeps you from dealing with the real issues. What about your soul? If the Bible teaches that Jesus is the only way to God, and you believe there’s another or many ways to Him, who wins the argument? You or God? If you’ll only serve Jesus if He’s black, or white and we’ve never seen Him, what are we to do🤦♀️😳Houston, we have a problem!
I’m learning, the older I get, to stick with Jesus and His Word. I’m also learning not to answer a fool, because I’ll end up sounding like one.(Proverbs 26:4) Don’t try to explain what you don’t know, and don’t speak where God/the Bible is silent. Unless the Holy Spirit gives revelation don’t add lib. I don’t ever like saying “I think,” I prefer “I believe.” I believe that everything God said in His Word is true. I’d believe it if He said Jonah swallowed the whale. I don’t need proof -I believe all of it. If Jesus could save me, wretched as I was, I believe it all. I’ve heard His voice, I’ve experienced His forgiveness, love, mercy, grace, provision, healing and deliverance. I believe it all!
Jesus says I’m blessed for believing without seeing.(John 20:29). He said God is Spirit, and we worship Him “in spirit” and in truth. See John 4. Why spirit? Because that’s who we are. We are spirit, soul and flesh. To worship in spirit and truth speaks to a changed life. His Holy Spirit connecting to our recreated spirit 2 Corinthians 5:17 and 1 Corinthians 6:17.
If you’ve paid close attention to your physical body or outer man, you’ll notice that after you accepted Jesus as Lord your body didn’t change in any way. You looked exactly the same but you felt different. You felt lighter, cleaner, freer even liberated. Something happened on the inside- not out- that you can’t even describe. Your appetite changed. The things that once entertained you now repulse you, old hangouts, relationships and certain conversations make you feel out of place -why? The old man is replaced by a new spirit, a Spirit of life in Jesus has moved in. There’s no way to continue old behaviors. What does being liberal- except as it applies to being generous-have to do with your walk in Christ? You can’t balance that tightrope. You cannot support the world’s ways and Jesus’ at the same time. You’re splitting hairs. The argument, no matter how intellectual sounding, won’t hold water under the scrutiny of the Holy Spirit.
Let’s get back to Cain’s wife. In the Book of Genesis we read these words.
“Now the man Adam knew Eve as his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, “I have obtained a man (baby boy, son) with the help of the LORD.” And [later] she gave birth to his brother Abel.
Genesis 4:1-2 A
At first glance this verse makes it seem like these boys were their first and only children. But the reason they are both mentioned is to highlight the progression of the fall of man. In chapter three of Genesis we learned of the fall of the first humans, in chapter four, we’re continuing with what happens when sin enters the life. Cain and Abel both offered gifts to God. Abel’s gift was accepted and Cain’s was not. Here’s what ensued- but not without a warning from God. The same way God warned Adam about avoiding sin, He was doing it here with Cain.
“And [later] she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept the flocks [of sheep and goats], but Cain cultivated the ground. And in the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground. But Abel brought [an offering of] the [finest] firstborn of his flock and the fat portions. And the LORD had respect (regard) for Abel and for his offering; but for Cain and his offering He had no respect. So Cain became extremely angry (indignant), and he looked annoyed and hostile. And the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you so angry? And why do you look annoyed? If you do well [believing Me and doing what is acceptable and pleasing to Me], will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well [but ignore My instruction], sin crouches at your door; its desire is for you [to overpower you], but you must master it.”
Genesis 4:2-7 AMP
Genesis 4: “Adam knew [Eve as] his wife again; and she gave birth to a son, and named him Seth, for [she said], “God has granted another child for me in place of Abel, because Cain killed him.” To Seth, also, a son was born, whom he named Enosh (mortal man, mankind) Genesis 4:25-26a AMP
The mentioning of these two brothers was more about the event than the order of their birth. It stands to reason that if they’re all getting married, Adam and Eve had daughters along with Cain and Abel. Let’s continue in chapter five.
“This is the book (the written record, the history) of the generations of [the descendants of] Adam. When God created man, He made him in the likeness of God [not physical, but a spiritual personality and moral likeness]. He created them male and female, and blessed them and named them Mankind at the time they were created. When Adam had lived a hundred and thirty years, he became the father of a son in his own likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth. After he became the father of Seth, Adam lived eight hundred years and had other sons and daughters.”
Genesis 5:1-4 AMP
Where is Cain and Abel? Did God forget to include them in the genealogy? Of course not. They’re included in “ and Adam had other sons and daughters.” As I said, they were showcased because of an event surrounding their lives. If Seth had committed the first murder then the story would have been about him. After the birth of Cain and Abel, God in His wisdom had Adam and Eve populate the earth with females so that their offspring would continue the increase in the human population. So where did Cain get his wife? He married one of his sisters. God told Adam to be fruitful and multiply or increase in number. All mankind up to Noah came from Adam and Eve, their children and their grandchildren. Intermarriage was a part of the plan at that time.
From Genesis 5 it would seem as though Adam didn’t start having children until he was 130 years old but that’s not true. Seth was the other male born after his brother’s murder when Adam was 130 years old, but if only males were born, where would they have gotten wives? So I believe up to the point of Seth’s birth, daughters were born in between. It is not uncommon for the names of daughters to be omitted except in instances where their story is significant to an event. As was the case of Lot’s daughters in Genesis 19
That’s how they all got their wives. Adam
lived to 930 years. He and Eve had a lot of children in his own likeness, but so did their children before and after their deaths. And don’t forget that God called Adam “them”, Eve was a busy woman. Let’s look at Cain’s lineage:
“So Cain went away from the [manifested] presence of the LORD, and lived in the land of Nod [wandering in exile], east of Eden. Cain knew his wife [one of Adam’s descendants] and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch; and Cain built a city and named it Enoch, after the name of his son.”
Genesis 4:16-17 AMP
So if you continue reading Genesis chapter 5 it gives the descendants from Adam to Noah. Now that you know where Cain and his brothers got their wives, will you receive Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior? Now that you know that Spirit is colorless,(John 6:63) will you serve Jesus, God’s redemption plan for all mankind? Splitting hairs to avoid the truth is as old as Methuselah. Man’s avoidance of God’s plan to come up with their own is nothing new. Solomon said there’s nothing new under the sun, but that to everything there is a season. Had I known platforms and bell bottoms would be a fad in this generation, I wouldn’t have thrown mine out just to buy them again at a jacked up price. Just saying lol
Give to God the glory and honor that is His. His Truth, the Bible, has weathered every storm, criticism, scrutiny, debates you name it. But it still stands as the best seller of all time. They may try to change it to suit their narrative, but it won’t work! This is the Word of the Lord:
“For as the rain and snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth, Making it bear and sprout, And providing seed to the sower and bread to the eater, So will My word be which goes out of My mouth; It will not return to Me void (useless, without result), Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.”
Isaiah 55:10-11 AMP
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, all Thy works shall praise Thy Name in earth and sky and sea. You alone are worthy of all praise Lord Jesus. We do strain at a gnat and swallow a camel. Wasting time splitting hairs over what doesn’t save, satisfy or set free. Help us avoid distractions and apply our hearts to godly wisdom. Doing that which leads to eternal life through Jesus Christ Your Son. Amen
“But avoid foolish and ill-informed and stupid controversies and genealogies and dissensions and quarrels about the Law, for they are unprofitable and useless.”
Titus 3:9 AMP
Written by permission of the Holy Spirit
W. Tennant