After murdering his brother, Eve’s firstborn son Cain ‘went out from the presence of the LORD’ (Genesis 4:16). This earliest break with heaven resulted in the formation of an entire society at variance with God, for the next thing we read is:
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. Genesis 4:17
This dynasty of Cain, beginning with a city named after his son, was the archetype of a new world order which would continue until the end of the ages.
When a third son was born to our first parents, Eve named him Seth, which means ‘appointed’. From the promise made to her in Genesis 3:15, Eve understood that her Seed was to be the Saviour of the world. When Seth was born, Eve’s bereavement over her two departed sons was alleviated, for she said that God ’hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew’ (Genesis 4:25). It is probable that Eve had once thought Cain or Abel to have been the promised Seed, but now she looked upon Seth, or at least upon his offspring, as the promised Seed.
The next verse marks a defining moment in sacred history:
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. Genesis 4:26
The birth of Enoch (the son of Cain) led to the establishment of a city and a way of life that is sinful and antagonistic towards heaven. By contrast, the birth of Enos (the son of Seth, whose name means ‘mortal man’) marked the dawn of a movement of contrite mortals who would reach out for the saving hand of God. From this moment, the descendants of Seth made a clean break with an increasingly wicked world, and would from then on be distinguished from it as ‘the sons of God’. Esteeming heaven’s provision for their fallen estate, the glowing hearts of this movement from all ages have exclaimed: ‘Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God’ (1 John 3:1).
Seth’s son Enos, and Cain’s son Enoch, are therefore emblematic of two movements. And every soul must decide under which he will marshal. ‘The seed of the woman’ is primarily Christ, but also includes those who ‘call upon the name of the LORD’, as did Seth. The seed of the serpent are those who depart ‘from the presence of the LORD’, as did Cain and his descendants. God put ‘enmity’ between these two movements, as they are based upon two diametrically opposed principles. One is the law of self-sacrificing love, while the other is the law of selfishness.
But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. Galatians 4:29
This enmity against sin and Satan is a gift of God, and should never be shunned by deceitful, earthly love. When the antediluvian sons of God became lukewarm, they let go of this heavenly enmity in their lust for the daughters of Cain:
And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. Genesis 6:1-2
The result of the mixing of these two movements was the world’s descent into moral free-fall. Once the salt of the earth had lost its saltiness, the only remedy was the extermination by water of all but eight souls. No less is required of the sons and daughters of God in our time. Never are we to treasonously compromise on principle or truth for those who depart from God.
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. 2 Corinthians 6:17-18
Christopher Sparks